Friday was Judgment Day for the unbeaten teams in the Central Coast Section, and four of the seven were taken down on the fateful evening, including three in the PAL.
One unbeaten was guaranteed to fall as two squared off for first place in the PAL Bay on Friday night, and it was Half Moon Bay coming out on top with a 21-14 win at Aragon. It was also known that by the time Aragon and Hillsdale faced off in the Battle of the Fleas, another perfect record would be gone. Instead, both have already shed their unbeaten status and will enter the rivalry game at 7-1.
In a battle of Knights, it was visiting Menlo that outscored Hillsdale 21-0 in the second half for a 33-10 victory. Hillsdale had scored at least 31 points in all previous games. The final undefeated team in the PAL to go down on Friday night was Carlmont, but the Scots can take a bit of solace in knowing that they were the final team with a perfect record to go down on Friday night. Jefferson’s emphatic celebration of the PAL Lake title didn’t get underway on Carlmont’s field until after 11 on Friday night. The JV game ran long, which delayed the varsity start until a few minutes after 8 p.m., and Carlmont’s homecoming festivities stretched things even further. Jefferson didn’t mind the delay, outscoring Carlmont 21-0 in the second half and scoring 27 unanswered points for a 40-28 victory.
Perhaps the biggest surprise, though, was Willow Glen’s 33-27 victory over Leland, a game that the Rams led 21-0 before Leland closed the gap. Both times the Chargers cut the game to one score, Willow Glen answered, and Leland’s final score came with eight seconds remaining.
The upset throws the BVAL Santa Teresa Division for a loop, with four teams at 4-1 in league play with two games left. Aside from Leland and Willow Glen, Branham and Independence also sit at 4-1. Independence beat Branham but lost to Leland, and Branham has a win over Willow Glen. Willow Glen travels to Independence this Friday and Leland will host Branham in a rescheduled game on November 9.
Mount Hamilton race thinning out
With a 42-16 win over Live Oak, Oak Grove now sits all alone in first place and has a shot at a fourth straight league title. With slumping Leigh scheduled for November 9, the biggest obstacle in the Eagles’ path is this week’s game against Westmont. Should the Warriors pick up the win on the road, a multi-way tie for the title would be very likely.
Note: It was erroneously reported that Oak Grove entered the year with 29 consecutive league wins. The Eagles had won 22 straight league games entering this season, and that streak reached 23 before a 20-6 loss to Santa Teresa on September 29.
Waiting game nothing new for Trojans
Alisal locked up a playoff berth with a 43-0 win over Pajaro Valley on Friday and became the first team in the entire section to conclude its regular season. Because Alisal was one of a handful of teams to play on October 13, the Trojans won’t be playing Veterans’ Day weekend when most other teams are playing makeup games.
The MBL Pacific has seven teams, meaning one has a bye each week during league play, and Alisal’s was scheduled for the final week of the season, meaning the Trojans will be sitting for two weeks before opening postseason play in Division IV. The wait shouldn’t be too much for Alisal, as playoff berths have been rare for the Trojans altogether. This will be just the fifth playoff berth for the program in 52 years.
Crosstown neighbor Palma can’t relate to Alisal’s experience, as the Chieftains overcame deficits of 17-7 and 23-14 at the half for a 31-23 win over Seaside to clinch a 33rd consecutive playoff appearance.
Rivalries abound
As is tradition, the final scheduled week of the regular season is full of rivalry games, especially in San Mateo County. All 18 PAL teams play their traditional rivals this week. In the SCVAL, Cupertino and Monta Vista will battle for the Helmet Trophy, Wilcox will battle Santa Clara and Saratoga will play host to Los Gatos. Further down the coast, Watsonville will take on Pajaro Valley for the Belgard Kup and North Salinas will battle Alvarez. The typically high-scoring Shoe Game between Pacific Grove and Carmel will add another chapter, and King City will host Greenfield.
The newest wrinkle to the schedule this year is the WCAL wrapping up its season with rivalry games instead of playing them throughout the season. Bellarmine travels to Saint Francis in the most anticipated game on the slate, with Saint Francis needing a win to keep pace with Serra and set up a clash to decide the title on November 10.
MBL Gabilan title on the line
Aptos has a chance to make its first season in the MBL a memorable one. When the Mariners host Salinas on Friday, the Gabilan Division title will be on the line. Aptos went 1-2 against a rugged nonleague schedule but has won five straight, matching Salinas pound-for-pound in league play thus far.
Bulldogs unstoppable
Sobrato was at it again on Friday. A week after hanging 53 points on Prospect, the Bulldogs raced past James Lick on Friday, outscoring the Comets 75-28. Sobrato (6-2, 5-0) has scored at least 39 points in all five league games and is averaging 55.2 points per game in BVAL West Valley contests. The Bulldogs host Mt. Pleasant (1-7, 1-4) this Friday.
Best offense can be a good defense
Burlingame had been competitive in three losses to PAL Bay heavyweights, but the Panthers had been on the losing end of those ge games because they had been held to just 37 points. On Friday, Burlingame (5-3, 1-3) kept its hopes at an automatic playoff berth alive with a 28-17 win at Sacred Heart Prep, and it was the always-solid Panther defense that sparked the offense.
Burlingame trailed 3-0 until a fumble recovery for a touchdown by Youcef Benchohra late in the second quarter, and the offense grabbed the momentum and ran with it from there. Carlo Lopiccolo connected with Dimitri Rally on a pair of touchdown passes, including a 70-yarder after Sacred Heart Prep has closed a 21-3 gap to 21-17 with a defensive touchdown of its own, a pick-six by Jack Donnelly.
