Will C Wood (3-1) at Freedom (2-2)
Freedom is riding high following its rout over San Leandro, but face a Wildcats team that has proven its mettle through the first four games of the season. Wood has impressive wins over Bishop O’Dowd and Antioch, both punctuated by last-minute comebacks, and a close loss to Concord. The backfield duo of Marcus Howard at quarterback and Damon Lewis at running back has been effective each week, and can score from anywhere on the field. The Falcons, meanwhile, hope to see another efficient performance from its offense. Ronnie Rivers and Sean Pinson have both shown that they can be dominant backfield runners, while Joe Sweeney completed over eighty percent of his passes last week.
Pittsburg (3-1) vs Archbishop Mitty (1-1) at Foothill College
Pittsburg has pitched back-to-back shutouts in wins over Monte Vista and Berkeley, but ventures into the Central Coast Section this week for a showdown with Archbishop Mitty. The Monarchs, who made it to the CCS Open Division title game last season, suffered a season-opening loss to a strong Los Gatos team but rebounded by routing Palo Alto, 55-14, last week to even their record. Mitty has featured a balanced running game with Luke Allen, Tyler Carrisosa, and quarterback Brett Foley splitting the carries. Dakari Monroe is a big-play threat at receiver for the Monarchs. Meanwhile, the Pirates counter with their stout defense and an offense that is improving weekly. Noah Palega and Charlie Ramirez have fortified the run defense, while Gabe McCoy has been excellent at pressuring the quarterback opposite BYU-commit David Lui. This game could have playoff seeding ramifications for both teams.
San Ramon Valley (2-1) at Foothill (3-0)
With a league opener that could potentially be the deciding game in the EBAL title race, both teams should be primed for this match-up. The Wolves are arguably the more tested team, having gone against three top-25 opponents to start the season. Their overtime victory over Pittsburg was a bit diminished with the loss to Logan, but San Ramon Valley at full strength should definitely be considered among the league favorites. Foothill has faced San Leandro and Freedom, but have routed all three opponents on their schedule. The Falcons feature the play-making ability of Kyle Kearns at quarterback to go with the explosive tandem of Isaiah Floyd and Isaiah Langley. Floyd gained 173 yards rushing on just six carries against Castro Valley, while Langley is a threat to score from anywhere on the field. Zack Baker is off to a strong start throwing the ball for San Ramon Valley, against athletic defenses, while Josiah Alvira has been a steady force in the backfield and JJ Koski is once again a favorite target in the passing game.
Deer Valley (3-0) at Concord (3-0)
Deer Valley faces its toughest test of the non-league schedule with a trip to face Concord and quarterback Mitch Daniels. Daniels has completed 73 percent of his passes for 1012 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. Favorite target Mason Knight has 29 catches for 343 yards and six touchdowns through four games, while Malik Blackburn has averaged over eight yards per carry while running for 486 yards and seven touchdowns. To keep up with the Minutemen, Deer Valley will likely put the ball in the hands of Alexander, who has had back-to-back 100-yard games on the ground for the Wolverines. They would also like to see another efficient performance under center from Gould, after he completed every pass last week against Santa Rosa.
Analy (3-0) at McClymonds (3-0)
McClymonds has had a week off following their big win over Salesian, but has yet to face a team with a winning record. They will get that and more, facing an Analy squad that has been completely dominant through its first three games. Wildcats quarterback Will Smith has been nearly unstoppable to start the season. Smith completed 13-of-18 passes against Montgomery last week for 283 yards and five touchdowns, and has completed nearly seventy percent of his passes this season. Ja’Narrick James might be one of the most versatile offensive threats in the section, as he has 341 rushing yards and 145 yards receiving with seven combined touchdowns through the first three games. Receiver Malcolm Jenkins is also a big-play threat with five touchdowns on 12 catches. Meanwhile, McClymonds quarterback Kevin Davidson has displayed pinpoint accuracy, enabling the Warriors to develop a big-time passing attack to complement a run game that is annually their strong suit.
Final Thoughts Heading Into The Weekend
MORE MILESTONES . . . Liberty is off to its best start in 47 years, and seeks to make it 5-0 for the first time since 1965, which was also the last time the Lions went undefeated. A win against San Leandro would also be the program’s 350th win in school history.
CAN HERITAGE MAKE IT THREE STRAIGHT? . . . After watching fellow league members Liberty and Pittsburg shut out Berkeley, Heritage now gets their shot at the Yellowjackets. The BVAL-heavy non-league schedule has not gone well for Berkeley, and Heritage is coming off a 55-14 shellacking of College Park. The league will be watching to see if the Patriots’ defense can follow suit this Friday night.
DIABLO FOOTHILL LEAGUE PLAY . . . The DFAL kicks off league play Friday night, but all three games appear as mismatches on paper. Campolindo and Las Lomas will be heavy favorites against Dublin and Dougherty Valley, respectively, while Alhambra appears to have the upper hand against a 1-3 Miramonte team. Miramonte did make the section title game last year, however, so don’t count them out yet.
STAT WATCH . . . Antioch’s Najee Harris will almost undoubtedly crack the 1000-yard barrier in the Panthers’ fifth game this season, facing Northgate. He has run for over 240 yards in three of their first four games, and faces a Broncos’ defense that allowed 137 yards on just 13 carries to Las Lomas’ Zack Fulks last week.
