Players from Enterprise of Redding headed back home for a 200-mile drive with a lot of smiling faces after they defeated Manteca 27-21 in CIF D2 NorCal bowl played at Lincoln of Stockton’s Alex G. Spanos Stadium. Photo: Paul Muyskens.
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CIF Northern California
Open Division Bowl Game
De La Salle (Concord) 45, Folsom 17
Records: DLS 14-0, Folsom 14-1
State Rankings Coming In: De La Salle No. 1 overall, No. 1 in NorCal D1; Folsom No. 3 overall, No. 2 in NorCal D1. The lopsided nature of the result likely drops Folsom behind some other teams in next week’s rankings, but the Bulldogs could still finish third overall in the state if DLS wins big against St. John Bosco.
Game Highlights: See RECAP.
Historical Significance: For the eighth straight year since the CIF bowl games began, DLS will be in the show and will be in the last game for the seventh time. The team’s last loss to a California team came in the 2008 CIF Division I bowl game (Grant and Long Beach Poly were in the Open Division that season) to Centennial of Corona. Since then, the Spartans have won 67 straight games vs. California schools, including four straight CIF Open Division title contests.
Quick Look To Next Week: There were some moments early in the second half at Diablo Valley College as De La Salle was pulling away from Folsom that Corona Centennial was still battling St. John Bosco of Bellflower down in Southern California. In just a few minutes, however, the Braves had a 49-21 lead. It’s that kind of explosiveness to contain that will be the biggest challenge for De La Salle.
CIF Northern California
Division II Bowl Game
Enterprise (Redding) 27, Manteca 21
Records: Enterprise 13-0, Manteca 13-2.
State Rankings Coming In: Enterprise No. 1 in NorCal D1, Manteca No. 2 in NorCal D2.
Game Highlights: See RECAP.
Historical Significance: This could be the biggest win for a team from the Northern Section ever. There have been a handful of Northern Section teams that have ended the season ranked No. 1 in the state in a division – Shasta of Redding 12-0 in 1988, for example, or several unbeaten Oroville teams in the 1950s – but none of those teams obviously won a bowl game like this. The Hornets also will be making just the second trip to the state bowl games from the section. The first was small school Hamilton of Hamilton City in 2008 (loss to St. Margaret’s of San Juan Capistrano).
Quick Look To Next Week: No disrespect to Enterprise at all, but Northern California is probably not going to come close to matching up too often with the SoCal team in this game in the current bowl format. Chaminade just beat a Serra of Gardena team two weeks ago that was better than the Serra team from last season that dominated Oakdale in this bowl game.
CIF Northern California
Division III Bowl Game
Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) 42, El Cerrito 7
Records: Sacred Heart Prep 13-1, El Cerrito 12-3.
State Rankings Coming In: Sacred Heart Prep No. 5 in NorCal D3, El Cerrito No. 1 in NorCal D3. Some Bay Area rankings also had El Cerrito all the way up to No. 2 behind De La Salle. Injuries to top El Cerrito players were a factor, but still this score is a shocker.
Game Highlights: See RECAP.
Historical Significance: Sacred Heart Prep is making the first appearance from the CIF Central Coast Section in a D3 or lower state bowl game. The Gators have won CIF state crowns in girls basketball before and will try to add one in football next week.
Quick Look To Next Week: Corona del Mar will not just be trying to beat the Gators and win a CIF state title next week but also can become the first team in state history to finish 16-0. After what just happened on Saturday night, though, another upset of a favored team wouldn’t be that surprising.
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