League play is now in full swing across the Central Coast Section, which means every week is filled with games which contain league title and playoff seeding ramifications. This week seems to contain more of those games than most weeks.
Also, don't forget to read our NorCal Games of the Week feature, which highlights the Mitty at Serra game, and if you did not see our full CCS rankings this week, you can check them out here.
No. 8 Wilcox (3-2, 2-0 SCVAL De Anza) at No. 4 Milpitas (5-0, 2-0), Friday, 7 pm
After a slow start, the Chargers are hot at the right time and will head to Milpitas on a three-game winning streak in which they have scored 124 points. Last year, a last-second Hail Mary attempt was stopped just shy of the goal line as Wilcox held on for a 25-21 home win, and the teams went on to tie for second in the league.
With Wilcox’s impressive win over Los Gatos next week, the battle in Milpitas could determine the league champion and have serious implications for playoff seeding. Look for excellent athletes on both sides, as Wilcox’s Paul Rosa and David Hernandez will try to outrun Milpitas’ tandem of Tariq and Tyree Bracy. When Tyree goes to the air, he’ll have to deal with the Wilcox secondary that forced four interceptions last week, led by Ryan Cooper and Nick Malvini. Their main focus will be neutralizing top Milpitas receiver Tuni Fifita.
No. 18 Gilroy (5-0, 1-0 MBL Pacific) at No. 21 Christopher (6-0, 2-0), Friday, 7:30 pm
Call it the Severance Bowl. Call it the Bell Game. Whatever you call it, Friday’s crosstown battle between Gilroy and Christopher will almost certainly decide the MBL Pacific title. After Gilroy won the inaugural meeting in 2010, the Cougars have won the last six meetings, but none of those games have had the implications that this one will. Joseph Barnes, who has accounted for 802 yards on the ground so far this year, will lead the Mustang rushing attack across town to square off with a Christopher team that likes to air it out.
Ben Sanford has completed 92 of 143 passes for 1,102 yards and 15 touchdowns, and Conner O’Callaghan has been an excellent backup option, completing 38 of his 45 throws for 302 yards and six touchdowns. Three different receivers have already broken the 25-catch plateau for Christopher this season, led by Jason Scirigione with 32. Gilroy doesn’t throw quite as much, but Jon Jon Castro has accounted for six passing touchdowns to four different receivers. Barnes has caught three of those TDs.
Looking at common opponents, it’s hard to give one team the upper hand. Christopher squeaked past Live Oak and blew out Carmel, while Gilroy mounted a 21-point comeback at Carmel and raced past Live Oak. The only thing that could make this game any better would be if it was played in the final week of the season.
No. 14 Terra Nova (4-1, 0-0 PAL Bay) at No. 10 Aragon (5-0, 1-0), Friday, 7:30 pm
Two teams that were overlooked at the start of the year have announced their presence in a major way and will square off Friday night. With just five games in the Bay Division, there’s almost no margin for error, meaning that Friday’s game, and every game, will have a do-or-die feel. Terra Nova has thrown for over 300 yards per game behind Nathan Gordon, while Paul Lautaimi and Camron Grant have spearheaded Aragon’s potent ground attack. Still, don’t think these teams are one-dimensional.
Brandon Auelua leads a Tiger rushing attack that could surely dominate if the passing game wasn’t so strong, and Gabe Campos has established himself at the quarterback position for Aragon despite his 5-foot-7 frame. When the Dons do choose to pass, there should be some great battles in the secondary. Aragon wideouts Davion Cox and Donaven Robinson will be covered by Richard Walls and Vince Mini, while Terra Nova’s linebackers will try to keep slot receiver Brent Marin out of the equation.
Cox will also be critical in stopping Terra Nova’s passing attack. It will be interesting to see how Steve Sell and the rest of the Aragon coaching staff chooses to deploy Cox in the secondary against a Terra Nova team that has shared the ball between four different receivers.
No. 9 Burlingame (4-1, 0-1 PAL Bay) at No. 7 Half Moon Bay (5-0, 0-0), Friday, 7:30 pm
The Panthers might be the biggest surprise of all so far this year on the Peninsula. A team that was projected to struggle behind a small roster won its first four games and took a juggernaut Menlo-Atherton team down to the wire in its only loss so far this season. As usual, John Philipopoulos’ team presents a varied rushing attack, with four different rushers getting significant play. None of those see the ball more than Alec Meredith, a bruiser averaging more than six yards per carry in his senior season.
They’ll travel to take on a Half Moon Bay team that went 0-5 in its last Bay Division stint but has written a different script so far in 2017. Chase Hofmann has put up relatively modest numbers by his standards, with 41 carries for 367 yards and 16 touchdowns. HMB has been willing to throw the ball much more this year, with Gavin Tomberlin completing 31 of 43 passes for 626 yards and eight touchdowns.
While Burlingame’s last two contests have gone down to the wire, the Cougars have yet to play in a tight game, outscoring opponents by an unheard-of 281-14 margin. Half Moon Bay topped Burlingame in a nonleague clash last year, beating the Panthers for the first time since 2008.
Overfelt (3-2, 2-0 BVAL West Valley) at Sobrato (3-2, 2-0), Friday, 7 pm
While the BVAL’s Mount Hamilton Division has six teams at 1-1, the West Valley League has four teams at 2-0 while the other four are 0-2. Two of the teams off to 2-0 starts in league play are Overfelt and Sobrato, and they’ll meet Friday night in Morgan Hill.
Both teams have shown the ability to move the ball both on the ground and through the air. Ulysses Reyes has stepped into the starting role as a junior for Overfelt and has completed 59 of 95 passes for 773 yards and seven touchdowns. His top receiver is Junior Acosta (22 catches-307 yards). The Bulldogs, meanwhile, have excelled behind second-year QB John Bell (38-64, 770 yards). Ryan Monahan is his top target, hauling in 16 passes for 306 yards.
The Royals present a two-headed rushing attack of Devaughn Johnson (57 carries-356 yards, 8 TDs) and Shalom Filoialii (44-618, 7 TDs), while Jared Jones (80-666, 8 TDs) is the leader of Sobrato’s ground game. Overfelt has the more impressive nonleague win on its resume, a 33-30 triumph over Lincoln.
Best of the Rest
First place in the MTAL will be on the line Friday Night when King City (3-2, 2-0) travels to Scotts Valley (4-1, 2-0). King City is coming off a come-from-behind win at rival Soledad behind Clay Barbree’s pick six, while Scotts Valley has back-to-back wins over the traditional league powers in Pacific Grove and Carmel. King City has a pronounced numbers advantage, with 36 men on the roster compared to Scotts Valley’s 21.
Fans in Steinbeck Country should expect traditional ground-and-pound football at The Pit on Friday night in a clash between two longtime rivals. No. 18 Salinas (3-2, 2-0 MBL Gabilan) will host Palma (2-3, 1-1) in an attempt to stay atop the standings and beat the Chieftains for the first time since 2002. The Cowboys boast one of the most balanced rushing attacks in the state, with three players between 39 and 44 carries on the season. Palma, on the other hand, will lean heavily on Anthony Villegas.
The PAL Lake Division has become a three-team race, and two of those three will meet Friday night when San Mateo (4-1, 0-1) will host Carlmont (5-0, 1-0). San Mateo’s perfect start to the season was spoiled by Jefferson last week, and the 31 points the Bearcats allowed exceeded the number that opponents had scored in the first four games combined. San Mateo’s defense will have to regroup against Scots running backs Demarii Blanks and Julian Morin, plus tight end Jason Lloyd. Joel Fakava provided a new dimension for San Mateo’s rushing attack in his first game of the season, racking up 51 yards on 10 carries, dragging defenders for extra yards throughout the night.
No. 16 Menlo (3-2, 1-0 PAL Ocean) is coming off a shutout win to open league play last week and will travel to take on a South City team that has hit its stride after stumbling out of the gate. The Warriors lost their first four games, but three of those were tight, culminating with a 22-16 defeat against a very strong Burlingame team. SSF finally pieced it together in its league opener last week, topping Sequoia 30-27 in overtime.
Evergreen Valley and Prospect have both gotten off to 2-0 starts in West Valley play after going 0-3 against tough nonleague schedules. With only one team likely to reach the postseason from the West Valley, every game takes on a playoff atmosphere. Evergreen Valley has squeaked past Yerba Buena and Mt. Pleasant, while Prospect has won tight games against James Lick and Hill. Prospect has faced the tougher competition in league play so far, but the Cougars have shown the ability to win nailbiters, which may be tested once again Friday night on Prospect’s home field.
