PCAL Week 11

[RLS13]

PCAL Week 11 – Final week of regular season



Last week 10-2 Overall 98-32



Gabilan-

This is what we know: Salinas is in, Soquel is in, Monterey is in. Either Palma, Hollister or Alvarez will make the playoffs as the 4th seed. Aptos needs to win and some help outside the division to get an at large berth. So my gut tells me that Palma continues the streak and gets the 4th seed and guarantee playoff spot. Hollister appears to be on an inside track to at large bid, (according to PALBooster), but they are on the cusp. That early season loss to Alvarez has really bit them in the butt. I could not even explain what division each team is in or where they may end up. But looks like most will land in II or III.



Fri 11/03 Palma (Salinas, CA) at Alvarez (Salinas, CA), 7:30pm -It would be awesome if Alvarez won, chaos for the playoffs. But Palma needs to win to keep the streak alive. Palma 35-7



Fri 11/03 Soquel (CA) at Aptos (CA), 7:30pm- Wow Aptos not making the playoffs, even with a win, they would need some help. Sad way to see Blankenship retire (at least from Aptos). Soquel 31-24



Fri 11/03 Monterey (CA) vs Seaside (CA) at Monterey Peninsula College (Monterey, CA), 7:30pm- Battle of the bay, one of the better local rivalries. This year both teams already secured a playoff spot. The weird thing is either team probably benefit with a loss. CCS playoffs are unusual. Monterey 35-34



Fri 11/03 Hollister (CA) at Salinas (CA), 7:00pm- A win will not guarantee a playoff spot for Hollister, but it would really help them in the at large pool. But this team lost to Alvarez. Nice win over Monterey and Aptos, but you got to beat Alvarez to make the playoffs in the Gabilan. Salinas 35-14

Mission North

I am going to refer this as the forgotten division. Because it does not get a lot of attention. Scott’s Valley rolled beating team by 28.5 points. Seaside won a close game with North Monterey County to lock up 2nd place. Meanwhile Santa Cruz will only play 7 games due to low numbers/transfers. They have yet to score this season. At 9-1 Scott’s Valley should be very competitive in the DIII bracket as their only loss was to a pretty good Soquel team 21-7.



Fri 11/03 North Monterey County (Castroville, CA) at Watsonville (CA), 7:30pm- when the season started I thought that NMC should have been put in the Santa Lucia, I thought this program was going in the wrong direction. I was wrong. They gave SV the toughest league test, and probably beat Seaside if they played today. Great turn around year for this program. NMC 32-14



Sat 11/04 Santa Cruz (CA) at Scotts Valley (CA), 2:00pm-(IT IS BEING REPORTED SANTA CRUZ FORFIETED THIS GAME) I can see SV coach Walters “encouraging” Santa Cruz to score this game. He will make them earn it vs his backups, but I can see a scenario in the 4th qtr where Santa Cruz scores. SV 45-7



Sat 11/04 Monte Vista Christian (Watsonville, CA) at St. Francis (Watsonville, CA),- The battle for the “Holly cup” of Watsonville. It will be fun to watch these programs over the next 5 years as both try to become a regional football power. Like a Palma for Santa Cruz County. MVC 24-7



Mission South

Carmel, what to do with Carmel? Too dominate for the B division, too small to compete in the Gabilan. They will finish the season 10-0. But if projections hold true, they will earn the #8 seed in DII and play Salinas? That would actually be a really fun game, Carmel’s offense vs Salinas D. Alisal would love to get a rematch with Carmel, but looks like they will be in DIII, and I am really hoping North Salinas holds onto an at large bid.



Fri 11/03 Rancho San Juan (Salinas, CA) at Alisal (Salinas, CA), 7:30pm- Rancho is wrapping up a “disappointing” season but I still like what I see as far as building up a football program. The School has only been around for 5 years. Alisal 42-14



Fri 11/03 King City (CA) at Soledad (CA), 7:30pm- Not sure what happened in Soledad this year. They have really struggled to stay competitive; I will be curios to see if they bounce back. I thought KC would be a little better, but this division just had too many good teams. KC 21-20



Sat 11/04 Carmel (CA) at Pacific Grove (CA), 7:30pm -Carmel will not lose the Shoe game on “purpose” to drop down a division in the playoffs. PG will be amped as they finally have a semi-competitive team this year and Carmel needs to avoid a let down. Unfortunately for PG, this is a really good Carmel team, not like their past 2 years. 2014 was the last year PG won the “Shoe”. The streak continues. Carmel 54-14



Santa Lucia

So if Gonzales beats Greenfield, can we (RLS) hang a banner for tri-championship? I know we lose the tiebreaker for playoffs, but a banner is a banner. The only way Greenfield does not make the playoffs is a loss to Gonzales and RLS loss to Harbor. I don’t think either of those things are going to happen. But if they do Gonzales would go to the Playoffs. Greenfield has been the best team all year with a 31-point margin of victory in league. I hope they can stay in the DV playoffs.



Fri 11/03 Greenfield (CA) at Gonzales (CA), 7:30pm – It would be great if Gonzales wins, you know so RLS can hang a banner, but I see Greenfield taking care of business. Greenfield 28-14



Sat 11/04 Marina (CA) at Pajaro Valley (Watsonville, CA), 2:00pm – This will be one of the closer games in the area between 2 pretty evenly matched teams. Pajaro comes in losing 4 straight, Marina 6 straight losses. Make it 7 for Marina. PV 34-33



Sat 11/04 Harbor (Santa Cruz, CA) at Stevenson (Pebble Beach, CA), 2:00pm- We will know if this game means anything before kickoff. Even if it does not the defending Santa Lucia champions should still handle Harbor. RLS 28-6

 

[Cal 14]

My thoughts for the week...

I think a lot of people overplay this "rivalry" thing. Upsets do happen, but I don't suspect they happen with any more frequency that any other situation. When there's a gap between teams, you're either better than them on that night or you're not. Monterey will win this week... big, 41-7.

Salinas may escape D-I even if everything doesn't go their way, but it would be really, really helpful if the Archbishop Mitty Monarchs (my new second-favorite team!!!) were to upset the Valley Christian Warriors (my new third least-favorite team... at least for this week). There is a direct incentive for Mitty to win, too, as it would likely move them to the 7 seed and a meeting with St. Francis in the playoffs instead of Serra. Last year, DLS beat Clayton Valley Charter 42-6... here's to hoping that happens again this year.

Reports are that Santa Cruz has again forfeited a game and Scotts Valley's regular season is done. It does appear that they will be seeded into the D-III playoffs... but (and this is really strange) we're not seeing them b!+@# and moan about it).

The latest projections from @PAL Booster have Carmel as the #8 seed in D-II, but they have a lot to worry about this week for their hopes to drop to D-III. I looked at the numbers and just a couple of slots ahead of them on Calpreps.com are Christopher and Live Oak who play each other this week. Even a 1-point loss for either of them would strip them of 1-1.5 points and place them right around the rating of the ("other") Padres (@aztecpadre ) . No, Carmel will not throw their game against PG, but if they were to play more reserves after getting, say, a 14-17 point lead (you know, to rest some of their starters for the upcoming playoffs), it could benefit them. On the flip side, if they do jump Christopher, they may get the 7-seed and they'll only have to play Soquel.

If Gonzales does upset Greenfield, then yes absolutely, Robert Louis Stevenson can raise a tri-champion banner. All teams would be 4-1 in league. Will this happen? Well, probably not, but ya never know... it is a rivalry game, right?

 

[RLS13]

Great Recap Cal.
Upsets do happen, and maybe we just pay more attention when it is a rivalry. 🤷‍♂️

I had heard about the Santa Cruz forfeit, It is a shame, that program was doing really well the past few years.

Truly it does not matter where this Carmel team plays. While great offensively, their defense, as usual, is a little suspect. Scott's Valley, SHP and Alisal in DIII would provide just as much trouble as Salinas and Soquel in DII.

"Back to back Santa Lucia Champions", has a great ring to it, let's go Gonzales, my new second favorite team.

 

[thehookup55]

The latest projections from @PAL Booster have Carmel as the #8 seed in D-II, but they have a lot to worry about this week for their hopes to drop to D-III. I looked at the numbers and just a couple of slots ahead of them on Calpreps.com are Christopher and Live Oak who play each other this week. Even a 1-point loss for either of them would strip them of 1-1.5 points and place them right around the rating of the ("other") Padres (@aztecpadre ) . No, Carmel will not throw their game against PG, but if they were to play more reserves after getting, say, a 14-17 point lead (you know, to rest some of their starters for the upcoming playoffs), it could benefit them. On the flip side, if they do jump Christopher, they may get the 7-seed and they'll only have to play Soquel.

I actually like the match up against Soquel for Carmel. Parents and supporters wouldn't be able to cry about facing a massive public. I believe Soquel and Carmel both play in DIV in other sports that seed by enrollment.

 

[Cal 14]

I actually like the match up against Soquel for Carmel. Parents and supporters wouldn't be able to cry about facing a massive public. I believe Soquel and Carmel both play in DIV in other sports that seed by enrollment.

I think it would be a pretty good game.