Eight Bay Area teams claimed state championships
Sacred Heart Cathedral head coach Barry McLaughlin described the atmosphere as “packed, electric and exhilarating.” And that was well before he was doused with Gatorade after his team’s 48-29 4-A state championship win over Northview-Covina on Saturday at Kezar Stadium.
It was the first state football title for the Irish (8-7) and the eighth (in 10 games) for Bay Area teams, an all-time high.
“I guess we play pretty good football around here,” said McLaughlin, whose quarterback — Ray-John Spears — accounted for five touchdowns, three of them on passes to R.L. Miller. “The truth of the matter is this was a good day for ‘normal’ teams. I mean, not everyone can beat Mater Dei.”
Serra couldn’t — it lost 44-7 to the Monarchs, the nation’s No. 1 team, in the Open Division title game. But McLaughlin’s point was that the CIF’s competitive-equity format works: spread the wealth of championships between public and private schools. This season, even the private schools that prevailed aren’t considered traditional football powerhouses.
Of the seven Metro state champs, only four were in The Chronicle’s latest Top 25 rankings. And Sacred Heart Cathedral, which started the season 0-5, was the only team from the rugged West Catholic Athletic League still standing.
SHC placed fifth in the eight-team WCAL, but finished on a six-game winning streak and with the school’s second Central Coast Section title and first Northern California and state crowns.
The Irish used their big-play prowess to run away from Northview, getting a 55-yard run and 51-yard TD catch from Bruce Uperesa and scoring receptions of 51 and 35 yards by Miller. All-WCAL utility player Jerry Mixon added a pick-six and Isaiah Keishk contributed a 29-yard TD catch.
“It’s a testament to the kids,” McLaughlin said. “They hung in there at 0-5 while we shuffled things around. … Think this just proves though some teams might not have the talent pool of others, they put in the work.”
San Marin-Novato certainly has under coach Dominic DiMare, a construction-company owner who has helped rebuild the Mustangs since 2018. They finished a 14-1 season with a 20-14 5-AA home win over Independence-Bakersfield behind a stingy defense and the all-around play of Justin Guin: 118 yards rushing and two touchdowns and four tackles for loss from his safety spot. Wyatt Drenner added three of San Marin’s six sacks.
Guin finished with a Northern California-best 2,358 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns. San Marin’s title — the first for the city of Novato — came a few hours after DiMare’s alma mater and Marin County Athletic League rival Marin Catholic-Kentfield won the 4-AA state crown.
“It’s still hard to fathom,” DiMare said. “Just playing in a state game was huge for the city of Novato. The whole week was pretty awesome. … I’m proud to see Marin Catholic win a state title as well. It says a lot about the MCAL to have two state champions.”
McClymonds-Oakland became just the third school in the state to win a fourth state crown, with its ninth straight win of the season, 54-7 over Birmingham-Lake Balboa in the 3-A finale. Jayvion Cole took back the opening kickoff 90 yards for a score and the Warriors (12-1) got four total touchdowns from fourth-year starting quarterback Dreyan Paul. Running back Jaivian Thomas and receiver Dwayne McDougle each scored twice.
Serra (11-2), ranked second by The Chronicle, trailed 21-0 in the first quarter and didn’t really threaten against Mater Dei, which got three touchdown runs by USC-bound running back Raleek Brown.
Quarterback Dominique Lampkin scored Serra’s touchdown on an 18-yard run late in the third quarter and Petelo Gi led all rushers with 25 carries for 116 yards.
With Mater Dei embroiled in accusations of hazing and assault, the speculation is that Saturday’s game was the last for head coach Bruce Rollinson (329-86-2), who was hoisted on the shoulders of players afterward. He didn’t speak to the media after the game.
When asked about Mater Dei — which features an estimated 30 players with FBS scholarship offers — Serra coach Patrick Walsh said: “They have the best combination of everything. They care. They play hard. They are uniquely talented. And they are well-coached. When that all comes together, you’re the No. 1 team in the country.”