League play is now in full swing across the North Coast Section, which means every week is filled with games which contain league title and playoff seeding ramifications. For the majority of teams which reside in six-team divisions or leagues, this is the first week to make that first league statement.
Also, don't forget to read our NorCal Games of the Week feature, which highlights the Pittsburg at Freedom game, and if you did not see our full NCS rankings this week, you can check them out here.
No. 18 Miramonte (5-0) at No. 5 Clayton Valley (3-2), Friday, 7 pm
Diablo Athletic League play gets underway, and this Foothill division battle will be a key one, as Clayton Valley looks to establish control of the league once again. The Ugly Eagles have not lost a league game since Tim Murphy took over as head coach in the 2012 season, a stretch of 25 games entering this year.
Clayton Valley is once again getting it done on the ground, averaging nearly 300 rushing yards per game, led by Thomas Alatini’s 622 yards and six touchdowns. Defensively, the Eagles have also started to come of age, especially in the recent three-game winning streak. Junior Dusty Mitchell’s ability to get to the quarterback could be a factor in this one; he has five sacks and eight quarterback hurries.
Miramonte is unbeaten on the field, but recently turned back a tough test from Alhambra. Unlike last year’s team, which was led by quarterback Tim Tague, the Matadors are much more balanced offensively. Quarterback Xavier Clark has thrown for 547 yards, but senior running back Peter Stehr has paced the offense with 662 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground.
Defensively, Miramonte’s corps of linebackers has played extremely well, led by Sam Walker and Stehr. One big area that the Matadors will need to improve on in this game will be the turnover battle. Miramonte is actually minus-one in turnovers for the season, and that would prove costly if the trend continues against Clayton Valley.
No. 11 Antioch (4-1) at No. 12 Heritage (5-1, 0-1 BVAL), Friday, 7 pm
Coming off last week’s heart-breaking last-second loss to Liberty, Heritage must bounce back against visiting Antioch in a game that will loom large down the road for both programs.
The argument can easily be made that Antioch is playing as well or better than it did last year, when the Panthers had Najee Harris and reached the NCS Division I title game. Dalaan Green and Omari Harris have combined to rush for nearly 700 yards, with Harris reaching the end zone six times on the ground. Meanwhile, Gaudie Campbell has been a big-play threat through the air, with 19 catches for 354 yards and seven scores.
Much of the focus for Antioch’s defense will be turned to Heritage senior Aidan Quinn, who has topped the 100-yard mark in all six games this season, and has 1,273 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. Josh Wishom and Hassan Williams, though, have combined for 11 scores through the air, as Luke Lang’s top targets.
After losing the first seven games in this league rivalry, Antioch has won the last three.
College Park (4-1) at Northgate (4-1), Friday, 7 pm
Not only do both teams enter this game with identical non-league records, but they also both enter with DAL-Valley title aspirations, and this game will go a long way towards determining who has the edge in that title race.
College Park has thrived with a run-oriented attack, averaging 350 yards per game on the ground, with a pair of seniors doing most of the damage. Eli Dempsey has 988 yards and 12 touchdowns through the first five games, while Tre Smith has added 483 yards and five scores.
Northgate has won four straight since a season-opening loss to unbeaten Damonte Ranch-Reno, currently the fourth-ranked team in the state of Nevada. Junior quarterback Jack Fulp is a three-year starter guiding the offense, while Marcus Dickerson has been a big threat at running back. Semisi Saluni and Dimarco Ventura are a couple of Fulp’s top weapons in the passing game.
Northgate has won four of the last six meetings, though the programs have alternated the last three games.
Piedmont (3-2) at No. 7 Bishop O’Dowd (3-2), Friday, 7 pm
WACC-Foothill play starts this week, with Piedmont looking to somehow shake off losses in two of its last three games against an O’Dowd team that won three straight before falling to Division I stalwarts Freedom and De La Salle.
O’Dowd is explosive offensively, with quarterback Quinn Brinnon, running back Austin Jones, and the multi-talented Jevon Holland, while Piedmont counters with quarterback Jacob Prager and backfield mates Kamahn and Myles Smith.
The host Dragons won last year’s meeting, 37-19.
Clear Lake (4-1, 3-0 NCL) at Kelseyville (3-2, 2-1), Friday, 7 pm
The annual Bass Bowl has extra implications this year, as both these teams are near the top of the North Central standings. Clear Lake is unbeaten in league play, but has yet to play any of the teams closest in the standings. Kelseyville, meanwhile, is considered a favorite in this one, with just a one-point loss to Middletown keeping the Knights from the top right now.
Clear Lake has won four straight games, and will rely on a defense which has allowed just 15 points in the last three games combined, and has not allowed more than 12 points in a game since a season-opening loss to Colusa. Kelseyville has also been stout defensively, aside from a loss to St. Patrick-St. Vincent. Other than that game, the Knights defense has allowed seven points or less in three of their four wins.
Kelseyville has won four straight games in this rivalry.
Best of the Rest
Liberty heads to Deer Valley, fresh off its thrilling win over Heritage. The Lions have already surpassed their win total from either of the two previous seasons, but can’t overlook an improved Wolverines team, one that is looking to snap a 15-game losing streak in BVAL play.
Amador Valley is one win away from becoming playoff eligible, having already surpassed its win total from last season, but faces a stiff test this week against unbeaten San Ramon Valley, who has already beaten both Foothill and California this year, each by one-sided scores.
The gap between Marin Catholic and the rest of the MCAL will be put to the test this week, when the Wildcats host Terra Linda. Coach Rich Cotruvo’s squad is 5-1 overall, and 2-0 in league play right now, but has yet to face anyone the caliber of Marin Catholic.
