There are two clear games in the Central Coast Section that stand out as the best matchups this week. One of those is the game between Sacred Heart Prep and Menlo-Atherton that pits former Arena Football teammates as head coaches, which is part of our NorCal Games of the Week feature. The other is the latest edition of the Serra-St. Francis rivalry, a battle that went from being incredibly one-sided for decades to being a tremendous back-and-forth affair.
No. 1 Serra (6-0, 3-0 WCAL) @ No. 13 St. Francis (2-4, 1-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
On paper, things look great for the Padres, who are averaging 44.2 points per game, even with a hiccup last week in a closer-than-expected win over Mitty. After a 40-year drought, Serra has already won three times at Brother Fisher Field this decade, including a 2016 playoff victory, the first of three consecutive years in which the teams have squared off in the postseason. The Lancers finally flipped the script last year after losing four straight contests to Serra, winning both meetings by a combined 80-15.
Serra is the clear favorite in this game, but crazy things tend to happen when the Padres trek down to Mountain View. Look no further than the meetings in 2013 and 2015, both high-scoring comeback wins for the Lancers, as evidence of what can happen when these teams square off. To do so, St. Francis will need a far better defensive performance than last week. St. Ignatius quarterback Teddye Buchanan singlehandedly racked up 338 total yards against a defense that’s typically among the most unrelenting in the Bay Area. His performance put the Lancers in a 21-point hole, but they managed to make a game out of it behind the arm of backup quarterback Joey Schott, making his second start in place of the injured Ryan Daly (shoulder). Daly’s status for Friday is questionable.
No. 6 Salinas (5-1, 3-0 PCAL Gabilan) @ No. 19 Carmel (3-3, 1-2), Saturday, 2 p.m.
From the moment they opened the 2018 season by upsetting Salinas at The Pit, Carmel has been considered worthy of competing in the Gabilan Division, even with much lower enrollment and roster numbers than the other schools. While the Padres have lost consecutive games, a nailbiter to Aptos and a trip to Palma where Anthony Villegas took over, there’s no doubt at this point that Carmel is deserving of a Gabilan spot.
Facing an uphill battle against Salinas, the Padres will need to once again rely on the arm of quarterback Kai Lee, who they’ll need a Herculean performance from in order to try to keep up with Salinas quarterback Carl Richardson, who threw for 336 yards on just 18 attempts in last week’s comfortable victory over Christopher. Eye-popping offensive numbers wouldn’t be a surprise in this matchup as Carmel has tried to push the pace when confronted with a strong opposing offense. In nonleague play, the Padres nearly erased a 17-point halftime deficit at Templeton by playing at breakneck speed, ultimately falling 69-61.
No. 17 Branham (6-0, 3-0 BVAL Santa Teresa) @ Overfelt (4-2, 3-0), Saturday, 4 p.m.
With a win over Willow Glen, Branham is not only the last remaining unbeaten team out of all three divisions in the BVAL but is also one of the league’s best offensive units, averaging 39.8 points per game and scoring at least 42 in four straight contests. The Bruins used a pass-heavy approach in last week’s win, throwing on 25 of 55 offensive plays. Nick Bandanza threw for five touchdowns to take the Rams down, but it would be fair to expect a return to the run this week. Cameron Rynhard managed to rack up 105 yards on just 11 carries, and he’ll be needed this week to counter Overfelt’s strong run game, led by seniors Melvon Bellard and Tristan Maningo.
Alvarez (3-3, 1-2 PCAL Gabilan) @ No. 15 San Benito (4-2, 3-0), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Last week’s 28-7 loss at Aptos interrupted positive momentum, but the Eagles have clearly been one of the section’s most-improved teams this year. Alvarez managed to take Salinas down to the wire the week before, so it can be assured that San Benito will be trying to avoid falling into a trap game. Expect both teams to run the ball frequently, with the Eagles using the wing T and San Benito running a traditional T formation. Braden Arriaga-Lopez, Dylan Uto and Andre Wallace get the bulk of the carries for Alvarez, while the Haybalers turn to a mix of Juan De Leon, Matthew Felix, Eric Green and Alejandro Cosio Arellano.
San Mateo (5-1, 1-1 PAL Ocean) @ Carlmont (3-3, 0-1), Friday, 7 p.m.
Expect a defensive-minded battle in this San Mateo County showdown, an intriguing matchup for those who don’t want to deal with the cramped bleachers at Menlo-Atherton. Both teams have held their own against top competition, with Carlmont putting a scare into Palo Alto in nonleague play and San Mateo never going away in a loss to Half Moon Bay two weeks ago. While both of those games ended in losses for Friday’s combatants, they proved that the impressive defensive numbers aren’t just a product of quality of competition.
North Monterey County (6-1, 3-0 PCAL Cypress) @ Santa Cruz (4-2, 2-0), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
A battle between two programs that have been dormant for most of the decade, North County is returning to its glory days behind the talents of quarterback Brandon Ducusin, who also excels on the basketball court. The Cardinals will be tasked with slowing him down and continuing their trend of playing low-scoring games. Santa Cruz’s average score this year is 24-18, while the Condors are averaging 24.9 points per game themselves. That would put the “magic number” of points needed to win this game somewhere in the mid-20s, which is especially hard to do against North County’s defense. The Condors allow just 12.6 points per game and haven’t allowed more than 14 to an opponent since their lone loss of the season, a Sep. 6 setback against Monte Vista Christian.
Pacific Grove (3-3, 2-0 PCAL Santa Lucia) @ Stevenson (4-1, 3-0), Saturday, 2 p.m.
In what’s likely a one-bid league, the Pirates have once again shown that a later start to their season than their peers hasn’t slowed them down. Against in-section competition, Stevenson has outscored opponents 148-20, with junior James Nielsen leading the defense. Pacific Grove may have just 20 players this year, but the Breakers held their own in the Shoe Game against Carmel to start the year and have been able to re-establish themselves as a small but mighty program in Monterey County. A road win Saturday would likely put PG on the path back to the playoffs and en route to ascending to the Cypress Division next year.
