Big win by Wilcox combined with Sacred Heart Prep allowing 55 points in crazy win over Carmel causes a shift toward the bottom of this week’s rankings. Many teams at the top had byes, but could be movement next week after Clayton Valley plays Monte Vista and WCAL games start.
Note: For this week’s Gold Club post highlighting the State Top 25 overall rankings, CLICK HERE.
It was bye week by and large for the Bay Area as the top four and five of the top seven teams rested. The two teams that were in action were East Bay Athletic League leaders Foothill and Monte Vista, and both came away with league-opening wins over Livermore Granada and Livermore, respectively.
There was no movement in the top 10, but after that and even with a couple of teams in the first 10 spots, it’s looking like anything can happen.
Jake Haener’s passing will be something to watch when Monte Vista of Danville plays Clayton Valley in its next game. Photo: Willie Eashman.
Super Antioch junior running back Najee Harris only touched the ball six times but ran for 159 yards and two scores in a 52-0 blowout of Pinole Valley. So far this season in non-league play and five games in which Antioch has outscored its opponents 241-46 combined, he’s rushed for 1,122 yards and 10 touchdowns, and hardly played two quarters in any of the games other than the 47-22 win over Milpitas. Harris likely will get more carries as Bay Valley Athletic League action begins. After a bye the Panthers open in two weeks on the road at Brentwood Heritage.
The scoreboard lighter-upper last week was the 76-55 win by Sacred Heart Prep over Carmel. Giving up that many points did nothing to help Sacred Heart Prep and in fact it caused the Gators drop out of this week’s rankings. Carmel also now has the dubious honor of making the Cal-Hi Sports State Record Book on the list of Most Points by Losing Team.
There are two really solid matchups this week and one is in the North Coast Section and the other is a Central Coast Section/West Catholic Athletic League matchup.
In the NCS, Clayton Valley will host Monte Vista in a game of contrasting styles. The Ugly Eagles run the ball with Ray Jackson III the main ball-carrier, and the Mustangs like to pass with rising star junior quarterback Jake Haener calling signals. Down in San Jose, Bellarmine will host Serra in a wild-and-wacky WCAL opener for both teams. At this point of the season it’s hard to figure who should be favored, but Clayton Valley and Bellarmine are higher in the state pecking order than their opponents.
Another contest that could be very interesting is a WCAL matchup between undefeated Archbishop Mitty and an upstart Riordan with head coach and De La Salle alum Kevin Fordon off to its best start since 2012 when it won the first three games just like this year, but lost the rest for a 3-8 finish. Has the worm turned in San Francisco for the Crusaders?
The lone newcomer this week is Wilcox of Santa Clara. The Chargers just beat a San Benito team that has a win over a Los Gatos team that just beat a Stockton St. Mary’s team that edged No. 23 Cardinal Newman. Los Gatos is on tap as well for Wilcox in what should be a very good game.
(Previous ranking in parentheses)
(Through games of Saturday, Sept. 26)
(Includes all Central Coast Section schools but no North Coast Section schools north of the Santa Rosa Metro area)
Fullback Matt Tofano and QB Samuel Serra have been two top players for unbeaten Archbishop Mitty. Photo: Scorestream.com.
1. (1) De La Salle (Concord) 3-1
2. (2) Bellarmine (San Jose) 3-0
3. (3) Clayton Valley (Concord) 3-1
4. (4) Serra (San Mateo) 2-1
5. (5) Foothill (Pleasanton) 5-0
6. (6) Monte Vista (Danville) 4-0
7. (7) Valley Christian (San Jose) 3-0
8. (8) Pittsburg 3-1
9. (9) St. Francis (Mountain View) 3-0
10. (10) Antioch 5-0
11. (11) Campolindo (Moraga) 4-1
12. (13) Palma (Salinas) 3-1
13. (14) Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 4-1
14. (15) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 3-0
15. (16) Archbishop Riordan (SF) 3-0
16. (19) California (San Ramon) 3-1
17. (17) James Logan (Union City) 4-1
18. (20) Milpitas 2-2
19. (21) Miramonte (Orinda) 5-0
20. (18) San Ramon Valley (Danville) 1-3
21. (12) Freedom (Oakley) 3-2
22. (NR) Wilcox (Santa Clara) 3-0
23. (23) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 2-2
24. (24) Amador Valley (Pleasanton) 3-1
25. (25) Moreau Catholic (Hayward) 5-0
Dropped Out:
Previous No. 22 Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton).
Teams On The Bubble
(Alphabetical order)
Analy (Sebastopol) 4-0, Aptos 1-3, Burlingame 4-0, Dougherty Valley (San Ramon) 5-0, Dublin 4-1, Half Moon Bay 4-0, Los Gatos 1-2, McClymonds (Oakland) 4-0, Menlo School (Atherton) 4-0, Oak Grove (San Jose) 1-2, Piedmont 3-1, Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park) 3-1, Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) 2-2, San Benito (Hollister) 3-1, San Marin (Novato) 4-1, Windsor 3-1.
Harold Abend is the associate editor of CalHiSports.com and the vice president of the California Prep Sportswriters Association. He can be reached at marketingharoldabend@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @HaroldAbend
