In many locker rooms, this is the weekend that has been circled on the calendar since last January. Playing on Thanksgiving weekend, one step away from the ultimate goal of reaching the section championship game, each team alive at this point enters this next game with newfound hopes and dreams. Anything is once again possible, and everyone on the other side of the ball is a threat to the fulfillment of that dream.
Here is a look at the upcoming semifinal round of the North Coast Section playoffs.
Resurgent Casa Grande faces High-Flying Eagles
After losing their first five games of the season, and six of their first seven, no one could have blamed the Casa Grande coaches and players if they had begun to look ahead to the 2015 season. Instead, however, they have reeled off five wins in a row, and find themselves in the Division II semifinals for the second straight season.
The trajectory of their late-season run is due in large part to a belief the coaching staff and players had in themselves in spite of a rough start to their season, a start that occurred partly due to a lack of experience at critical positions on the field and partly due to a front-loaded schedule that featured multiple teams who are still playing in the post-season.
“We knew we had a difficult non-league schedule, and our most difficult league opponents early in the schedule,” said Casa Grande head coach Trent Herzog, who is now completing his sixth season at the helm. “But despite the early losses, we never saw anyone second-guess what we were doing, and everyone just remained confident that we could turn things around.”
Last year, the Gauchos were the number one seed for the playoffs, and had an offensive backfield featuring current Division I athletes JaJuan Lawson (New Mexico) and John Porchivina (Cal). They seemed destined for a title game match-up with Clayton Valley, until Miramonte stepped in and defeated not only the Eagles, but also Casa Grande for the championship.
As fate would have it, this year's Gauchos got a shot at Miramonte in the first round, and exacted revenge over the Matadors, 48-6. Last week, they got 242 yards on the ground, led by sophomore Spencer Torkelson and senior Casey Longaker, to pull out a 17-14 victory over league rival Maria Carrillo, their second narrow victory over the Pumas this season.
Torkelson, an Arizona State commit for baseball, has averaged over seven yards per carry this season, and both backs have been integral to a youthful but physical defense. Longaker leads the team with 103 tackles and 21 tackles for a loss, while Torkelson is tied for second on the team with nine tackles for a loss. The running back by committee has worked well for Casa Grande, as junior Andrew Floerke and senior Kevin Donohoe are also key two-way players, among the team leaders in both tackles and rushing yards.
“We knew one of our strengths coming into this season would be our offensive line, with the experience we had returning there,” said Herzog. “What we didn't know was who would carry the ball behind those guys, but everyone we have turned to has really come through for us and become key to our success.”
Up next on the horizon in this comeback story for the Gauchos is top-seeded Clayton Valley, which has played just two close games all season – to Tracy and Concord, both teams that are still alive in their section playoffs. The Casa Grande coaching staff and players understand that their opponent this week could very well be one of the best they have ever faced.
“I'm not sure I've ever had to prepare for anything like the offense they are running right now,” said Herzog. “We've been watching them for three years in preparation of this day, but even then, trying to simulate it in practice, with how well they do it, it's a huge challenge.”
The Eagles' shotgun-based hybrid double-wing scheme has left many defenses grasping at thin air as backs such as Miles Harrison and Gavin West have run through gaping holes, and Nate Keisel has taken advantage of defenses keying the run to complete 63 percent of his passes with 16 touchdowns and just one interception.
Clayton Valley has outscored its opponents 130-26 through the first two rounds of the playoffs.
Rematches Highlight Division IV Landscape
Two Marin County Athletic League teams, San Marin and Justin-Siena, find themselves opposite familiar opponents in the Division IV semifinals.
The scenario was reversed last season when San Marin entered the semifinals as the top seed, but lost to eventual section champion, Saint Mary's. This time, the Panthers are the top seed, and play host to the Mustangs, who have advanced by virtue of two thrilling victories over Terra Linda and Del Norte. San Marin junior quarterback Collin Moore threw for nearly 400 yards last week.
The Mustangs' defense will be severely tested by the backfield combination of Tamarick Pierce and Stevie Harvey for the Panthers. The duo ran for almost 350 yards in their win over Moreau Catholic last weekend.
Justin-Siena faces top seed Piedmont, who defeated the Braves, 24-14, in the 2014 season opener. That win sparked an undefeated campaign for the Highlanders, who enter at 12-0 after a terrific game last week from running back Gabriel Watson. Watson ran for 300 yards and six touchdowns as Piedmont got past McKinleyville, 55-43.
The Braves relied on their ground game and strong defense to beat Fortuna, 23-14. Justin-Siena is also seeking its second appearance in the title game in the last three years. The Braves downed San Marin in the 2012 championship game, a post-season run that included a victory over Saint Mary's.
Pittsburg Defense Faces Foothill Playmakers
In one of the most enticing storylines of the weekend, a Pittsburg defense which allowed just 79 yards to Freedom last week, and did not allow a second-half point during regular season league play, squares off against one of the most dynamic quartets in the section.
Quarterback Kyle Kearns, receiver Isaiah Langley, receiver Ruben Mercado, and running back Isaiah Floyd have put the Falcons on the doorstep to their first championship game in eight years. But standing in their way is a Pirates' unit that has made up for an inexperienced offensive unit by simply suffocating opposing offenses.
Defensive ends David Lui and Gabe McCoy are a premier set of bookends on the defensive front, while Harland Tautalatasi is an imposing force in the middle. Throw in linebackers Noah Palega and Charlie Ramirez, to go with a secondary that features Shurod Thompson, Deante Fortenberry, CJ McClure, and Jordan Parker, and it is easy to see why this game will probably not be a high-scoring affair.
With all those prolific bodies on the Pirates' defense, it is easy to see why the Bay Valley Athletic League did not select a defensive MVP this season. It would simply have been too difficult to divide the medal into eleven pieces for each deserving member of the Pittsburg contingency.
With both teams playing solid defense, and the offensive playmaking ability for Foothill, this one could easily be decided by the efficiency of the Pirates' offense, and their ability to play turnover-free football, keeping their defense in good field position throughout the night.
Keep an eye on . . .
Campolindo and Analy bring two of the most prolific offenses into their matchup. Quarterbacks Jack Stephens (Campo) and Will Smith (Analy) are two of the highest rated signal-callers in the section, and each features other top weapons.
Nick Fadelli has been superb on the ground for Campolindo this season, while Analy's Ja'Narrick James is not only a threat running the ball, but also out of the backfield in the passing game. Tyler Petite and Max Flower have emerged as top targets for Stephens, while the Tigers' Kerr Johnson Jr. has been unstoppable as of late.
Overall section passing leader Noah Davis tries to get his St. Bernard's team into the Division V finals, facing St. Helena this weekend in the attempt. Davis has completed 65 percent of his passes for 4562 yards and 51 touchdowns this season.
