The first round of the Central Coast Section Division IV playoffs went pretty much according to plan, other than top-seeded The King's Academy falling to No. 8 Terra Nova.
However when you consider that Terra Nova competes in the PAL-Bay "A" Division, rated two divisions higher than the PAL-Lake "C" Division in which King's competes, even that result was not a complete stunner. Throw in the fact that senior quarterback Anthony Gordon still has high school eligibility and Terra Nova's win looks even less surprising.
The semifinals are set and it appears at first glance that any of the four teams can make a serious claim to the title.
No. 3 Monte Vista Christian at No. 2 Pacific Grove, Friday (7 pm)
The visiting Mustangs have to be considered the upstart among the four remaining contenders, but they should feel confident having nearly defeated the Breakers September 12 in a game that went down to the final possession.
The 20-14 defeat was one of just two on the season for MVC, which lost out on the Monterey Bay League-Pacific Division when it lost 28-21 at Christopher.
The Mustangs are led by junior running back D'Shawn Hopkins, who has rushed for 796 yards and 13 touchdowns. Defensively, junior Ryan De Los Santos led the team with five interceptions. Hopkins is also an outstanding pass rusher, leading the team with 3.5 sacks.
Monte Vista Christian has spent the past few seasons on the MBL seesaw, having alternated between the "B" Division (Pacific) and "A" Division (Gabilan). It appears another trip to the Gabilan is in order after a 5-1 league campaign, but the Mustangs have found life difficult in what is clearly one of the toughest leagues in CCS.
Pacific Grove is having one of its most gratifying seasons in school history, having ended Carmel's strangehold on the Mission Trail Athletic League, not to mention its 46-game league winning streak. The Breakers are led by Jason Leach, who not only compiled a team-high 1,540 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns, but was the team's leading receiver on the rare occasions it throws the ball, gathering in eight passes for 210 yards.
Quarterback Anthony Coppola (590 yards rushing, 8 TDs) is an accomplished runner. However, in the first meeting between the two teams, Coppola's arm made the difference as he threw a game-winning 28-yard touchdown pass to Colby Foster early in the fourth quarter. In that game, MVC held Leach to just 49 yards on 19 carries.
On defense, Pacific Grove is led by pass-rushing stalwarts Uche Ebo and James Donlon, who led the team with 11.5 sacks apiece.
PREDICTION: Pacific Grove 24, Monte Vista Christian 20
No. 8 Terra Nova at No. 4 Carmel, Saturday (1 pm)
This one is going to be a stat keeper's nightmare as both teams feature high-octane offenses that can score from anywhere on the field at any time.
Although the visiting Tigers had an up-and-down regular season, losing their first three games and then blowing a 16-point lead late in the season finale against Half Moon Bay to finish 4-6, they showed how dangerous they can be in their 42-28 first-round victory over King's.
Gordon went off for 434 yards on 25-of-37 passing with five touchdowns and he found his favorite receiver Jordan Genato eight times for 142 yards and two scores. In fact, Terra Nova boasted three 100-yard receivers last week with Marvin Montoya (6 receptions, 135 yards, 1 TD) and Eric Viana (9, 122, 1 TD) joining Genato.
Carmel bounced back from its first MTAL loss in seven years in the season finale against Pacific Grove with an overwhelming 42-14 win over a very good Half Moon Bay team in the Division IV first round, a game in which the Padres led 32-0 at halftime.
Senior Connor Marden, who threw three touchdown passes and ran for another, is certainly capable of engaging Gordon in a shootout.
Based on its 5-6 record coming in, it's hard to remember that Terra Nova is just a year removed from a season in which it was the No. 1 seed in the CCS Open Division. All six of the Tigers' losses have come against playoff teams, and they do own a victory over Salinas, a team that may wind up as Division I champions.
This one is extremely tough to call. Common opponents don't yield much information - Carmel defeated HMB, 42-14 while Terra Nova lost 49-48, but TN defeated Salinas 38-28 while Carmel lost 61-29 - and both teams are playing their best football right now.
We give a slight edge to the home team, with just that added bit of extra motivation of another shot at Pacific Grove for the Division IV title.
PREDICTION: Carmel 38, Terra Nova 35
