Section Finals Weekend Scoreboard

Saturday championships have now been added, including big wins for Mission Viejo, St. Bonaventure and Rocklin. On Friday, state No. 2 Mater Dei of Santa Ana proved once again how hard it is for either itself or No. 1 St. John Bosco of Bellflower to beat the other one twice in the same season with a big win in the CIF Southern Section D1 championship at the L.A. Coliseum. Other big winners on Friday included No. 7 Clovis North in the CIF Central Section, No. 10 Folsom in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section and No. 15 Pittsburg in the CIF North Coast Section. We have all section title game scores in this post.

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(Special thanks to Northern California correspondent Daniel Poulter for providing many of these writeups over the weekend)

It turned out that laying a giant goose egg is what provoked the Mater Dei of Santa Ana football team into looking like the super bird it was supposed to be at the start of the season.

The Monarchs have a collection of returning players that are unmatched by any school in the nation if one looks at various class by class rankings of the best recruits in the nation at different positions. When they played their arch-rivals from St. John Bosco earlier this season in October in a Trinity League game, however, it seemed as if many of the players were almost checked out of being in high school any more. They got punched in the mouth early by the Braves, and never responded and in fact were shut out for the first time since 2011 in a 28-0 loss.

In Friday night’s CIF Southern Section D1 championship game played at the historic L.A. Memorial Coliseum (the first CIFSS title game played there since 1997), Mater Dei virtually reversed its 28-point loss from before and posted a 28-point win with a 35-7 victory over the Braves. The school won its 13th overall CIFSS title.

The CIF will not officially announce the lineups for its regional games next week and the Open Division final until Sunday, but the Monarchs have clinched a spot in the Open Division in two weeks and almost for certain will play 12-0 Serra of San Mateo. The Padres lost to Mater Dei in the 2021 Open Division game and lost to Bosco last season. They are much better this season with impressive wins over De La Salle and Folsom in the north, but it will still be hard for them to stay close.

Mater Dei was on the opposite side of St. John Bosco just last season after it won in the two teams’ regular season matchup but lost in a rematch in the CIFSS championship. That also happened to the Monarchs in 2016 and 2019. It happened to the Braves in 2018. It didn’t happen in 2017 when Mater Dei won twice and in 2021 when Servite of Anaheim defeated Bosco in the semifinals. Therefore, in this current era of state and local dominance from the two programs in which either one has been No. 1 in the state since 2016, it’s only happened once in which one of them has beaten the other one twice.

Two of Mater Dei’s touchdowns on the night came on pick six touchdowns. The first one in the first quarter by Abduall Sanders in which he ran it back 52 yards not only broke the shutout streak from the first game but gave the Monarchs a ton of momentum. The other one came early in the fourth quarter on a 12-yarder from Zabien Brown that simply extended the lead from 28-7 to 35-7.

Senior QB Elijah Brown also had a better night for MD in the second game vs Bosco. He only passed for 109 yards, but he had no turnovers and had a 44-yard TD pass to Kayden Dixon-Wyatt in the second quarter and a 14-yard TD pass to 6-foot-1, 315-pound fullback/defensive lineman Tomu Topoi. The other TD came on a 10-yard run by junior running back Jordon Davison, last year’s State Sophomore of the Year who left that first game in October with an early injury and didn’t come back until last week.

St. John Bosco’s offense was stuffed trying to run the ball throughout the night and could only manage four yards. That four yards total. The only touchdown the Braves scored came on a 17-yard TD pass from Caleb Sanchez to Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa in the third quarter. As the Braves were looking to perhaps get back into the game later in the quarter, there was a muffed punt. That led to the TD pass to Topoi, which was followed up by Zabien Brown’s pick six.

In other CIF section championship games played over the weekend, here’s what happened:

(All teams bolded have qualified for next week’s CIF regional playoffs)
(Look for CIF regional games to be announced by the CIF on Sunday early afternoon)
(We do not know which of these teams or if any has opted out of participating in next week’s games)

CIF Southern Section D2
It was just last year when Mission Viejo was playing St. John Bosco in the CIFSS D1 semifinals. The Diablos (11-3 and still behind league rival San Clemente in our state rankings due to a head-to-head loss) also have been a program very accustomed to playing the very elite teams in the state so them doing so well and winning the CIFSS D2 title on Saturday night at home, 34-15, over Servite of Anaheim was not a surprise. Sophomore QB Luke Fahey threw for three touchdowns to lead the offense. He had a 44-yarder to fellow sophomore Vince Spafford in the first quarter and hit on a 90-yarder to Spafford in the third quarter. Fahey also picked up the ball as the holder on a fake field goal play with 4.4 seconds left before halftime and tossed a touchdown pass to Jack Matranga. This was Mission’s first CIFSS section title since 2015 and the first since current head coach Chad Johnson took over the program in 2017. Servite (8-6) had been on a great playoff run in the D2 bracket as the lone team in the bracket from the Trinity League. By the time junior Quaid Carr found the end zone in the third quarter, the Friars already were behind 27-0.

CIF Southern Section D3
In a battle between two quality offenses in 11-3 Warren of Downey and 11-3 St. Bonaventure of Ventura, it was of course a defensive battle in the Southern Section Division 3 title game on Saturday evening. The score was tied 7-7 at the halftime break after rushing touchdowns by St. Bonaventure’s Keon Glover and Warren’s star 2025 quarterback Madden Iamaleava on a 1-yard quarterback keeper. Neither side pulled a lead further than one score, but it was tied 21-21 early in the fourth quarter on a state record tying 99-yard touchdown score by Jordan Ross on a pass from Iamaleava. The game came down to a 26-yard field goal with 16 seconds remaining, as St. Bonaventure’s George Mann blasted the game winning kick for a 24-21 victory for the Seraphs. It denied the Bears their first football section title in school history.

CIF Southern Section D4
The D4 bracket proved much to the liking of state No. 45 La Serna of Whittier (11-3), which used a 28-point outburst in the second quarter to knock off No. 48 Corona del Mar of Newport Beach on Friday, 49-29. The Lancers had lost in their two previous CIFSS finals since current head coach Andy George took over after the previous CIFSS title was won in 2013. Owen Long had 174 yards rushing on 20 carries and scored four TDs to lead the Lancers. QB C.J. Ceron also had 90 yards rushing and 57 yards rushing, including a 42-yard TD run in the fourth quarter to squelch a potential Sea Kings comeback. Boise State-bound QB Kaleb Annett led CdM (8-6) with 290 yards passing and threw all three of his TDs to Russell Weir.

CIF Southern Section D5
When you think of Newbury Park, you think of super sophomore QB Brady Smigiel and a highly explosive cast of receivers led by Shane Rosenthal. But the passing game of the Panthers was surpassed by the even more explosive rushing attack of Orange Vista on Saturday as the Coyotes came in from Perris and ran past Newbury Park, 55-34. Orange Vista (11-3) was led by Arizona State-bound RB Sire Gaines, who had TD runs of 68, 69 and 80 yards and finished with 288 yards and four scores. Khalil Abdul-Aziz also came through for the Coyotes in winning their first-ever section title. He passed for 196 yards and one TD and ran for a score. Smigiel passed for 382 yards and three TDs to lead Newbury Park (10-4) and set a new Ventura County record with 52 TD passes for the season.

CIF Southern Section D6
This was perhaps the most bizarre ending in the state this weekend, but it was all smiles for Simi Valley (9-5), which won its first CIFSS title in school history with a 44-38 victory in overtime on Saturday night at Mira Costa of Manhattan Beach. After Mira Costa had tied the score 38-38 on a field goal with 18 seconds left, the Mustangs went first in overtime and did not score. As Simi Valley was getting ready for its turn, the lights went out in the stadium. In one of the most exciting moments in the high school careers for many of the players, they had to wait. After a reported delay of 15 minutes or so, the Pioneers took their turn and quickly scored to win the game on a 25-yard run by Brice Hawkins. Earlier in the contest, Simi Valley trailed by as much as 21-3. Head coach Jim Benkert also has now won CIFSS titles at all three of the schools he’s been at (Westlake, Oaks Christian and now Simi Valley). Mira Costa capped a 6-7 season that saw the Mustangs start 0-7 before winning six in a row, including three straight in the playoffs to reach Saturday’s final.

Other CIFSS champions crowned on Friday were Jurupa Hills of Fontana (8-6) in D8 with a 21-14 win against Charter Oak of Covina (5-9), Rio Hondo Prep of Arcadia (13-1) in D9 with a 29-27 win over Santa Monica (9-5), Ramona of Riverside (9-5) in D11 with a 38-21 triumph against league rival Poly of Riverside (7-7), St. Monica of Santa Monica (11-3) in D13 with a 28-21 win over Walnut (7-7), and Bell Gardens (9-5) in D14 with a 27-14 victory against Lynwood (9-5).

Other CIFSS champions games crowned on Saturday were Mayfair of Lakewood (11-3) in D7 with a 31-28 win over El Dorado of Placentia (8-6), Torrance (10-4) in D10 with a 23-7 victory against West Covina (11-3, and Cerritos (9-5) in D12 with a 19-13 triumph in overtime against Yucca Valley (10-4).

CIF L.A. CITY SECTION

Open Division
All parts of head coach Jim Rose’s offense were working in unison as the Patriots from Birmingham of Lake Balboa (11-2) won their fourth straight section title with dominating 49-7 win over Garfield of Los Angeles on Saturday. Rommell Hewitt gobbled up big yardage with 158 yards on 18 carries and two TDs. Dredon Fowles also went over 100 yards and had 115 on 11 carries and two other scores. QB Kingston Tisdell also had two TD passes. Garfield (11-2) fell in the Open Division final to the Patriots for the second straight year.

In the D1 championship game played on Friday night, Banning of Wilmington broke a 28-28 tie in the fourth quarter and hung on to defeat Crenshaw of Los Angeles (11-3), 35-28. The Pilots (8-6) won their 13th overall section title. Also on Friday, Jordan of Los Angeles (11-3) defeated George Washington Prep of Los Angeles, 42-30, in D3. The Generals finished 5-8.

Another L.A. City Section final set for Saturday in D2 saw Fairfax (10-4) defeat Chatsworth (7-7) by a 20-14 score. The Lions won their first section title since 2015 and their fifth overall. An obvious possible opponent for the SoCal regionals next week geographically will be St. Monica of Santa Monica, the CIFSS D13 winner on Friday.

CIF SAN DIEGO SECTION

Division I
A young team at St. Augustine of San Diego was supposed to be near the top of the section next year or later, but showed it has arrived now with a 13-0 win over Mission Hills of San Marcos on Friday at Southwestern College. Earlier wins in league play by the Saints (10-4) against arch-rival Cathedral Catholic and Madison ended up being a preview for the D1 bracket. Head coach Ron Gladnick’s squad picked up four turnovers — including two interceptions by Isaiah Hasten — ended up with a shutout. St. Augustine’s two TDs were on bull runs of 1-yard by Honor Faalave-Johnson. The Saints won their first section title since 2013.

Division II
Former Super Bowl champion player Nick Barnett of the Green Bay Packers was the head coach for the Del Norte of San Diego team on Saturday that won the school’s first ever CIF section title with a 31-15 win over La Jolla. The Nighthawks (11-2) grabbed a 21-0 lead in the first quarter with the help of recovering two fumbles. QB Jack Schneider has been outstanding all season and led Del Norte with 213 yards passing (two TDs) plus 90 yards rushing. La Jolla (10-3) received 260 yards passing from QB Jackson Diehl.

Another San Diego Section champion crowned on Friday was Mt. Miguel of Spring Valley (12-1), which defeated Chula Vista (10-3), 35-14, in D4. The Matadors are expected to be seeded higher than the D3 winner for the SoCal regional playoffs based on computer and local rankings. They also won their first section title since 1960.

Another San Diego Section champion crowned on Saturday was La Jolla Country Day (11-3) in D3 as Navy-bound QB Jaden Mangini ran and passed for historical totals in a 73-34 win over Grossmont of El Cajon (7-6). Mangini passed for six TDs and ran for four TDs. His 10 total offense TDs will go into the state record book and would be a section record going by the years that the section has existed. We also have 11 TDs (all rushing) by Frank Greene of Coronado from 1929.

The Open Division champion already qualified for the CIF SoCal regional playoffs is 13-0 Granite Hills of El Cajon. The Eagles won in last week’s title game of the four-team bracket over defending CIF D1-AA state champ Lincoln of San Diego.

The D5 champion already qualified for the CIF SoCal regional playoffs is Sweetwater of National City (7-6).

CIF CENTRAL SECTION

Division I
It has been just over a decade since Clovis North of Fresno (13-0 and No. 7 in the state) has tasted the sweetness of a section championship, as the Broncos secured a 24-14 victory over fellow Tri-River Athletic Conference side Central of Fresno (10-4) on Friday evening. This is just the second Division 1 Football title for the Broncos, with the first coming in 2012. Clovis North went into the halftime break down 14-7 to the Grizzlies, but the Broncos’ defense has been the key in recent weeks as it held the high flying Central offense to zero points in the second half. McKay Madsen had the eventual game winning score late in the third quarter on a 3-yard plunge, with the star running back having all three touchdowns for the Broncos and finishing with 110 yards. The Clovis North defense also snagged three interceptions for the game. The victory likely sets up a showdown with De La Salle (Concord), assuming the CIF is placing the Broncos in the Northern California regionals instead of the south, which has been its precedent for Clovis/Fresno schools in recent seasons.

Division II
For the second straight season, the Division 2 title game between Central Valley Christian of Visalia and Lemoore produced fireworks. The two schools separated by just under 30 miles across highway 198 were the clear frontrunners for Division 2 this season, after Lemoore snagged the title last season by a score of 62-46. The Cavaliers of CVC (13-1) grabbed revenge this year with a 27-26 victory, as the Fresno State bound running back Bryson Donelson caught a 55-yard touchdown pass over the middle from quarterback Brent Kroeze with 4:26 remaining in the contest for the go-ahead score. Central Valley Christian was up 15-6 with two minutes left in the second quarter, but Lemoore (10-4) scored 14 unanswered points to take the lead before the halftime break. The 14-point swing was pulled off after a pick-six by Lemoore’s Jace Silva. CVC will be a team to watch during the selection process this weekend, as the Cavaliers could easily head north or south depending on how the divisions shake out.

All of the other Central Section finals were played on Friday. In those games, Mission Oak of Tulare (8-5) defeated Kerman (8-6) in D3 by a 34-14 margin, Torres of Madera (11-3) dominated Dos Palos (11-2) in D4 by a 69-14 score, Wasco (8-5) got past Bishop (11-2) in D5 in a nail-biter score of 42-41, and in D6 it was Strathmore (10-4) topping Mendota (7-7) in a 14-7 contest that avenged an earlier loss.

CIF CENTRAL COAST SECTION

Division I
In the battle of public schools for the Central Coast Section Division 1 title, it was 11-2 Los Gatos that claimed the title of top public school in the section with a 49-14 blitzing of 8-5 Wilcox (Santa Clara) at San Jose City College. Jaylen Thomas shined bright for Los Gatos, as the senior versatile weapon scored four total touchdowns and the first two scores for the Wildcats. Head coach Mark Krail’s squad jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter before Wilcox bounced back with a 65-yard burst from Tyson Bonilla for a score. The Wildcats had the counter punch in Thomas, as he returned the ensuing kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown. Los Gatos headed into the halftime break up 42-7 and was comfortable from there, especially with Wilcox star running back Elijah Walker not returning for the second half. El Cerrito seems like a solid travel and competition level for Los Gatos in the NorCal regional playoffs, but the wild card of how the CIF will place McClymonds of Oakland is difficult to project.

Division II
The seemingly magical underdog run of 11-2 Christopher of Gilroy came up just short, as 11-2 Soquel clinched its first football section title in school history with a 28-0 shutout of the Cougars from Gilroy at San Jose City College. Helping lead the Knights was head coach Dwight Lowery, a Soquel alum who played in the NFL for 10 years. It was no surprise that Soquel became favorites in the bracket after Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) was knocked off in the opening round by Christopher. The Knights had quality wins over Palma, Aptos and Hollister in league play. Braylon Noble, a strong two-way player, opened the scoring on a run for Soquel and finished the game with two touchdowns and one interception.

Another CCS champion crowned on Friday in Salinas was Palma of Salinas in D3. The Chieftains (9-4 not counting forfeits and 6-7 counting them) defeated league rival Alisal of Salinas, 38-20. Palma won its 12th overall section title.

In other CCS championship games scheduled for Saturday, Palo Alto (9-5) edged Mountain View (6-7) by one point, 34-33, in D4 and South San Francisco (12-1) made some history in D5 with its first title since 1960 by defeating Santa Teresa of San Jose (6-7) in a tight 13-7 matchup.

THe Open Division CCS champion already crowned before this weekend was state No. 4 Serra of San Mateo. The Padres have won CCS titles in every year beginning in 2018.

CIF NORTH COAST SECTION

Division I
For the past few weeks, Pittsburg (13-0) hasn’t been shy about its desire to play against San Ramon Valley of Danville after the Wolves were selected as the No. 2 overall seed in the North Coast Section Open/Division 1 playoffs behind perennial champion De La Salle. The Pirates’ hopes were answered on Friday evening and the Bay Valley Athletic League champions didn’t waste their opportunity as they pulled away late for a 37-21 victory in the NCS Division 1 title game at Dublin high school. The school’s traded scores back and forth in the first half, with the two sides tied at 14-14 at the break. The second half was all Pirates, especially when Pitts turned the game around on a 99-yard touchdown pass from Marley Alcantara to Bobby Shaw that tied a state record and a 27-yard field goal by Jesus Lua Amaya that pushed the lead to 24-14. Perhaps the top junior LB in the nation in Marco Jones countered with a 39-yard pick-six for San Ramon Valley (10-3), but a touchdown run by Jamar Searcy four minutes later put the game out of reach. Assuming Clovis North is put into the north instead of the south, there’s a solid chance Pittsburg will head up the road to Sacramento or will host Sac-Joaquin Section D1 champ Folsom in the NorCal D1-A regional final.

Division 2
For the past three seasons, El Cerrito and Windsor have been moths to a flame to each other, with the two schools squaring off deep in the North Coast Section playoffs and producing thrilling contests. This season was no different, as El Cerrito (12-1 with that loss to De La Salle) drove the length of the field in just five plays in less than 45 seconds in the final two minutes to pull off a 34-31 victory over the Jaguars (10-2-1) at Diablo Valley College. Jayvon Bolds had the game-winning touchdown, with Tyree Johnson sealing the game on the following Windsor drive with an interception of Judson Anderson. Gary Youngblood stood out for the Gauchos, as the sophomore opened the game with a 30-yard pick-six and finished the contest with a receiving touchdown on offense and another interception. El Cerrito could square off with Los Gatos, McClymonds or Grant in the NorCal Bowl game.

Division 3
It’s a new playoff division in 2023, but the same result for 12-1 Marin Catholic of Kentfield, as the Wildcats stifled 11-2 Cardinal Newman of Santa Rosa, 24-3, on Saturday evening at San Rafael High. This is the fourth time since 2019 that Marin Catholic and Cardinal Newman have squared off in a North Coast Section title game, with the Wildcats securing the last three. Marin Catholic never trailed after quarterback Peter Macaulay connected with tight end Jordan Rogers on the Wildcats’ opening drive after forcing a three-and-out to start the contest. The Wildcats were led by their defense, as the unit intercepted Cardinal Newman four times. This is the third straight NCS section title for Marin Catholic. The main question heading into Sunday will be if Marin Catholic will jump NCS Division 4 champions Acalanes (Lafayette), a Dons side that now holds a victory over San Marin (Novato), the lone team to defeat the Wildcats this season.

Division 4
Heading into the 2023 season, 12-1 San Marin (Novato) and 9-4 Acalanes (Lafayette) were the two overwhelming favorites to meet in the North Coast Section Division 5 title game. With perennial private school powers Marin Catholic (Kentfield) and Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) both being pushed up to NCS Division 3 and San Marin jumping into Division 4 after winning Division 5 in 2022, there was a power vacuum waiting to be filled. Friday evening was the third time in two seasons the schools have squared off, with interestingly enough the team that lost the opening week contest would eventually find themselves as a section champion. This season San Marin pulled out a 27-20 victory to open the season, but Friday evening would be all Acalanes. The Dons (9-4) started early and didn’t look back, as Paul Kuhner returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown and Acalanes never trailed in the 24-7 victory. Acalanes put the ball on the ground five times with fumbles during the contest, but recovered each one. With San Marin falling but having a win over Marin Catholic, Acalanes could be the team taking a slot against Escalon in a projected NorCal Division 3-AA game.

Another NCS champion crowned on Friday was in D7 in which Ferndale (9-4) posted a 14-7 victory over Willits (9-4). The Wildcats also gained their 15th all-time section title.

In two other NCS title games on Saturday, Miramonte of Orinda (9-3) topped St. Bernard’s of Eureka (9-4) in a 42-20 game in D5 while St. Vincent de Paul of Petaluma (11-2) got it going early and often and rolled past Salesian of Richmond (10-3) by a 48-12 margin in D6.

In the NCS Open Division championship from last week, De La Salle of Concord (10-2) won its 31st straight section title and No. 38 overall with a 17-7 victory vs San Ramon Valley.

CIF SAN FRANCISCO SECTION

Lincoln of San Francisco (9-3) won its second straight section title and its fourth in the last five years with a 28-0 blanking of Balboa. Jamelle Newman, who has more than 1,800 yards rushing on the season, led the Mustangs with 22 carries for 172 yards and two TDs.

CIF OAKLAND SECTION

McClymonds of Oakland (8-2 on the field not counting forfeit) played Oakland Tech (6-6) on Saturday at home in the Silver Bowl and it was cruise city as expected, 56-0. It also was the last home game for retiring McClymonds head coach Michael Peters. Castlemont of Oakland was supposed to be the other finalist, but had to forfeit its semifinal win over Tech due the use of an ineligible player.

CIF SAC-JOAQUIN SECTION

Division 1
Folsom (11-2) 34, Oak Ridge of El Dorado Hills (10-3) 27
For the third straight season, the Bulldogs have gained the top divisional title in the SJS, but it wasn’t easy. A 27-27 tie was snapped with just 34 seconds left on a 10-yard run by sophomore quarterback Ryder Lyons and there just wasn’t enough time for the Trojans to do anything when they got the ball back. Lyons had a 49-yard pass to sophomore Jameson Powell followed a 15-yard penalty against Oak Ridge that set up the winning score. Oak Ridge, which fell to Folsom for the second straight season in the D1 title game, came back from a 20-7 halftime deficit. The Trojans tied the score at 20-20 on a 29-yard field goal by Alex Henslee with 3:16 left in the third quarter. They also tied it at 27-27 on a 3-yard run by Erick Orme Jr. with 7:31 left in the game. Lyons had a 31-yard TD pass to Taniela Tupou in the third quarter, a 24-yard TD pass to Brian Ray in the second quarter, a 15-yard TD pass to Beckham Andrus in the first quarter and a 17-yard TD run in the first quarter. The term super sophomore definitely applies to him.

Division 2
Rocklin (12-1) 17, St. Mary’s of Stockton (11-2) 6
The Thunder won their first section title since 2009 with a defensive-oriented victory against the Rams. The two teams entered at No. 19 and No. 18 in the state, respectively. One St. Mary’s drive ended on downs at the 10-yard line while another was an interception in the end zone. Rocklin’s defense also had two other interceptions on the night. A 44-yard run by sophomore QB Reeve Slone gave the Thunder a 7-6 lead. Derek Keeley then had a 2-yard TD run following a well-executed fourth down double pass that got the ball close to the goal line. A field goal by Jacob Winter was the only scoring in the second half. St. Mary’s took an early lead on a 75-yard TD pass by Samson Hunkin to Kenneth Moore. Rocklin’s only loss has been in the Sierra Foothill League to D1 champion Folsom.

Division 3
Grant of Sacramento (11-2) 40, Woodcreek of Roseville (11-2) 7
For the first time in Grant’s illustrious history the Pacers won their second straight section title. It came in D3 also last season and led to them winning the CIF D3-AA state title. With the team also having a win over CCS D1 champion Los Gatos and at a time when leading RBs Wayshawn Parker and Devin Green were not yet eligible, it’s obvious it will have to be placed higher for the NorCal playoffs than Los Gatos or El Cerrito (team it beat last season in regionals). Again, assuming Clovis North is at the top of the NorCal board, that means it surely could be the Pacers vs the winner of St. Mary’s vs Rocklin played on Saturday. Parker had a 60-yard TD run just before halftime to give Grant a 20-7 lead. He also had a 63-yard TD run in the third quarter to make it 28-7. Green had a 54-yard TD run on Grant’s second play of the game. He also had a 1-yard TD in the third quarter after linebacker Hakim Reynolds just missed scoring on what would have been his fifth pick-six TD of the season before being tackled at the 2-yard line.

Division 4
Escalon (12-1) 36, Patterson (11-2) 35
In a game played at St. Mary’s High in Stockton, the Cougars capped a huge comeback win when QB Donovan Rozevink ran in a two-point conversion with 34 seconds left. The Tigers had their number for most of the night and got out to a big lead that grew to 28-7 with the help of fumbled kickoff by Escalon plus Jeremiah Lugo scoring four times on the ground and once on a reception. Sam Jimenez had a 74-yard punt return for the Cougars’ first TD and later scored on two TD catches from Rozevink. The second one was from 13 yards away that led to the game-winning two-point conversion play.

Division 5
Casa Roble of Orangevale (12-1) 23, Twelve Bridges of Lincoln (12-1) 22
The storybook season of the Raging Rhinos, who have been playing their first season with seniors in just their second season of the new school, came to an end in heartbreaking fashion. Trailing 22-15, Casa Roble scored with 2:16 left on a 8-yard TD run by junior QB Connor Campbell and then went for a two-point conversion. After a timeout, Campbell tossed a pass to the opposite side of the end zone that was caught by Ethan Horner, the son of Rams’ head coach Chris Horner. The Rams’ defense then had a sack on Twelve Bridges’ attempt to score a go-ahead TD or kick a field goal, but a brisk wind also was blowing into the Raging Rhinos’ faces. This is just the second SJS title ever for the Rams, who won their only other title in 2008. They weren’t picked for a regional bowl game then, but now every section champion gets another game so it will be Casa’s first-ever NorCal contest next week.

Division 6
Hughson (10-3) defeated Bradshaw Christian of Sacramento (10-3) ion Saturday at Hughes Stadium in a rare matchup in which neither team was a top two seed. The Huskies (10-3) trailed 31-13 early in the third quarter, but came back to edge the Pride (10-3), 40-39. It is Hughson’s second straight section title. The Cougars could be placed in the same CIF state division they won last season, 5-AA, but in our most recent projections we had them one division higher.

Division 7A-7B
In the first game Saturday at Hughes Stadium, the matchup of SJS D7A & D7B champions — Ripon Christian and Woodland Christian — determined which of the two will go on into next week’s NorCal regional title games. Woodland Christian avenged a loss to Ripon Christian from last season and did it by a 36-14 margin. The Cardinals improved to 13-0. RC (11-2) also ends the season with nine shutouts.

CIF NORTHERN SECTION

Division 2
Just over a month ago, 9-3 Pleasant Valley of Chico suffered a convincing 35-0 blowout Almond Bowl loss to 10-2 Chico, but the Vikings proved hard to take down a second time. Pleasant Valley pulled off a 28-19 victory over top seeded Chico on Saturday for the Northern Section Division 2 title. The Vikings have made a habit of falling to a team during the regular season and then bouncing back in the title game. Last season, Pleasant Valley lost to Foothill (Palo Cedro), before securing the title victory and Chico has now suffered this fate three times since 2018. The quote given by Pleasant Valley head coach Mark Cooley to Justin Couchot of the Chico Enterprise-Record summed it up quite well. “Don’t get me wrong, I want to win the Almond Bowl, but I’ll lose the Almond Bowl every year if it means winning a section title.” This is the second straight section title for the Vikings.

In the Northern Section D3 final that was played on Saturday, defending D5-A state champ Orland (11-1) defeated Lassen of Susanville, 41-21. Lassen wrapped up a 7-6 season, which included an upset in the semifinals vs University Prep (Redding).

Two other Northern Section champions were crowned on Wednesday. In D4, Portola (12-0) defeated Biggs (9-4), 27-14. In D5, Colusa also improved to 12-0 with a 42-13 triumph against Winters (8-4).

Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle.