With just three weeks remaining in the regular season, playoff races are heating up as teams strive to become playoff-eligible, and multiple teams could see their league titles decided with big head-to-head matchups this weekend. We highlight five of these critical games heading towards Friday night.
Clayton Valley Charter at Concord: In what should easily be considered the Game of the Week, both teams are undefeated and have steamrolled nearly everyone in their path leading to this game.
The Ugly Eagles have won all three matchups between the programs since head coach Tim Murphy took over in 2012, but last year’s game came down to a two-point conversion for the Minutemen after Concord rallied in the fourth quarter, falling 49-48.
Many key players from that game return, including Clayton Valley senior running back Miles Harrison, who carried the ball 29 times for 185 yards and three touchdowns in the win.
The Minutemen have their own prominent cast of contributors who no doubt remember the feeling of walking off their rivals’ home field after a one-point loss. Quarterback Mitch Daniels threw for 374 yards and five touchdowns in last year’s game, while favorite target Mason Knight had nine catches for 144 yards and two scores.
Running back Malik Blackburn also played a large role last season, rushing for 156 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. With so many key players back from last year’s thriller, this one has been circled on the calendar for months.
Regardless of this outcome, both teams will be favorites to land the top two seeds in the NCS Division II playoff bracket, making this game not only for the Diablo Valley Athletic League championship, but also a potential preview of the section title game, if both teams can stay healthy and play according to script.
A low-scoring game should not expected by those in attendance; the winning team in each of the last seven matchups between these schools has scored at least 42 points, and each team has been held under 40 points only once this season.
Justin-Siena at Novato: A win over second-place Novato this week would give Justin-Siena victories over the top two contenders for the Marin County Athletic League crown, with games against Redwood and San Rafael still remaining for the Braves.
Justin-Siena, which shocked Marin Catholic, 3-0, earlier in league play, has had four of its five wins against teams with winning records, and the two teams who have beaten the Braves (Sutter, Piedmont) are a combined 14-0.
All those factors leave Justin-Siena not only in prime position to snag a rare league title, but also in line to potentially receive a top-three seed in the NCS Division IV playoff bracket.
But first, the Braves must take on a dangerous Novato team that has won three straight and has really found its stride offensively during that stretch.
Quarterback Robbie Cassee has thrown for six touchdowns in the last three games, completing over 50 percent of his passes in each outing.
Throw in the fact that Nathaniel Barkus is averaging nearly six yards per carry with seven touchdowns on the ground, and it’s easy to see why head coach Jason Searle’s squad is considered the primary threat to Justin-Siena and an outright league title.
The Hornets are also playing for their own share of the league title; a win this week would position them with Justin-Siena and Marin Catholic for a three-way share of the championship. Novato also has revenge on its minds; the Braves’ 25-7 victory to finish the regular season in 2013 ended a streak eight consecutive losses to the Hornets, and propelled head coach Rich Cotruvo’s squad into the playoffs.
Mt. Eden at Piedmont: The two most prominent coaches in the West Alameda County-Shoreline division bring their teams into a matchup that will essentially decide the league championship.
Mt. Eden, led by former Bishop O’Dowd head coach Paul Perenon, brings a 5-1-1 overall record to the field against the undefeated Piedmont Highlanders, led by former James Logan assistant coach Scott Coats.
The Monarchs’ blemishes on their record are nearly as impressive as their victories; their lone loss has come to undefeated Kennedy-Fremont and their tie was against Foothill division leader Tennyson.
The Highlanders, meanwhile, have posted an impressive win over Justin-Siena to open the season, and showed their ability to battle adversity when they came from behind to beat Hayward, 24-20, two weeks ago.
Mt. Eden has been impressive offensively, averaging nearly 400 yards per game, and features big-time receiver Dominic Williams, who leads the North Coast Section with 17 receiving touchdowns. Quarterback Giovanni Remmen is also an effective dual-threat for the Monarchs, having thrown for 1424 yards and 20 touchdowns, while also rushing for a team-leading 609 yards and five touchdowns.
A win by Piedmont in this game would not only leave it in the driver’s seat for a league title, but also likely clinch a top two seed for the Division IV playoffs. Mt. Eden, however, will be competing in the Division II playoffs, so a victory in this game could be critical to earn a top-eight seed and a home game in the first round.
Rancho Cotate at Windsor: Prior to Cotate’s upset loss to Maria Carrillo last week, this game would have been for the outright lead in the North Bay League. Both teams still have plenty to play for, however.
A win by undefeated Windsor would keep the Jaguars alone at the top of the standings heading towards a showdown with Cardinal Newman at the end of the season. For the Cougars, a victory this week would put them in a three-way tie for the league lead, knowing that they would own tie-breaking wins over the other two teams, having already beaten Cardinal Newman two weeks ago.
Despite being undefeated, Windsor is still searching for a signature win, as its only win against a team currently with a winning record came in week two over Benicia (4-3).
The Jaguars will face three such teams to finish the season, beginning with the Cougars. Cotate’s Gunner Mefferd has thrown for seven touchdowns in the last two weeks, while senior running back Carlos Franco ran for 180 yards in last week’s loss to the Pumas.
Liberty at Pittsburg: Pittsburg’s defense has posted shutouts in four of its five victories, including both games to open league play.
The Pirates held Heritage to 29 total yards in last week’s game, getting a standout effort from senior defensive end Gabe McCoy, who had two sacks, two tackles for a loss, and blocked a punt.
Liberty, meanwhile, got back on track by beating Antioch 24-18. The Lions built a 24-0 lead at the end of three quarters, but watched Antioch use a short field throughout the fourth quarter to rally for 18 points.
Liberty’s offense features the leading passer in the Bay Valley Athletic League, senior Joseph Tolentino, who has thrown for 1,273 yards and nine touchdowns.
Pittsburg’s Keith Walker, meanwhile, has provided balance to the Pirates’ usually potent ground game. Walker has thrown for 1,010 yards and nine touchdowns, and has completed 67 percent of his passes in league play.
Pittsburg has taken a two-headed approach to the running back position, as seniors Nick Moore and Jaylyn Morgan have combined to rush for 841 yards and eight scores. A victory over Liberty, which last beat the Pirates in 2005, would position Pittsburg for a potential league title game next week against Freedom.
Must-Win Scenarios: While three games do remain, Antioch, Deer Valley, and Amador Valley all find themselves in game this week that appear especially important for the post-season hopes of these teams.
Antioch and Deer Valley have both lost their first two games in BVAL play, and are both seeking that fifth win to become playoff-eligible. With difficult games remaining in league play, the loser of this game could find itself on the outside looking in after the regular season is over.
Amador Valley, meanwhile, faces Livermore this week before concluding with De La Salle and EBAL leader Foothill. With those two giants remaining, it appears the time is now for the Dons to become eligible for the post-season.
