State Bowls by the Numbers

[Streak One]

1. We have had four seasons under the current format of state bowl games with two being at Sacramento State (2016-2017) and Cerritos College (2018-2019). In the top five games (Open, 1AA, 1A, 2AA, 2A), NorCal is 7-13 including a 0-5 showing at Sacramento State in 2016.

2. The rest of the bowl slate (8 games in 2016-2017 and 9 games in 2018-2019) has been hosted at local sites. When the Southern California school hosted the games in 2016-2017, NorCal went 11-5. As the games moved to Northern California for the 2018 and 2019 seasons, NorCal went 15-3.

3. Returning state winners: Folsom and Central Catholic are both aiming for a fifth state bowl win this weekend at Saddleback College. McClymonds is playing for its fourth state bowl title in a fourth different division. Wilcox and Salesian are back after winning their state bowl debuts in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

4. First time state participants include Liberty-Bakersfield is making its first state bowl appearance after beating Pittsburg 35-7. Others making their debut are Vanden, Sacred Heart Cathedral, San Marin, Argonaut, Fall River and Balboa.

5. Marin Catholic and Sacred Heart Prep are each making their third state bowl appearance after losing in the first two appearances. Marin Catholic lost in the old Division III game in 2009 and 2012. Sacred Heart Prep lost in 2013 and 2015.

6. Seven of the 15 games are projected to be decided by seven points or less, according to CalPreps.com. The games are Scripps Ranch over Wilcox (31-28), McClymonds over Birmingham (31-27), Mater Dei Catholic over Central Catholic (27-26), Vanden over Aquinas (35-21), Salesian over Arlington (28-21), Serra-Gardena over Liberty-Bakersfield (24-21) and Balboa over Taft (26-19).

7. Over the past four Open Division bowl games (two won by Mater Dei, two won by St. John Bosco), the Southern California representative is averaging 48 points per game. All of those games came against De La Salle, which won’t play on state bowl weekend for the first time since the games were started in 2006.

Games at Saddleback

2-AA: Central Catholic vs. Mater Dei Catholic 4:00 PM
1-AA: Folsom vs. Cathedral Friday at 8:00 PM
2-A: Wilcox vs. Scripps Ranch Saturday at 12:00 PM
1-A: Liberty-Bakersfield vs. Serra-Gardena 4:00 PM
Open: Serra vs. Mater Dei Saturday at 8:00 PM

Games at NorCal sites (All Saturday)

4-AA: Central Valley Christian at Marin Catholic 1:00 PM
5-A: Righetti at Sacred Heart Prep 1:00 PM
6-A: Arlington at Salesian 1:00 PM
7-A: Taft at Balboa 1:00 PM
3-AA: Aquinas at Vanden 6:00 PM
3-A: Birmingham at McClymonds 6:00 PM
4-A: Sacred Heart Cathedral vs. Northview at Kezar Stadium 6:00 PM
5-AA: Independence at San Marin 6:00 PM
6-AA Quartz Hill at Argonaut 6:00 PM
7-AA: Morro Bay at Fall River 6:00 PM

 

[NCS707]

Question: Do traveling teams who play Saturday 6:00pm stay both overnight Friday and Saturday? Leaving SoCal early Saturday to arrive, check in, and eat, before gametime seems rough. I am quite curious as to how the travel is scheduled. I assume Saturday 1:00 you arrive Friday and leave Saturday after game. How much does the CIF fund? I know in NCS playoffs after a certain mileage I believe they fund one night at a hotel and a team meal.

 

[Streak One]

Question: Do traveling teams who play Saturday 6:00pm stay both overnight Friday and Saturday? Leaving SoCal early Saturday to arrive, check in, and eat, before gametime seems rough. I am quite curious as to how the travel is scheduled. I assume Saturday 1:00 you arrive Friday and leave Saturday after game. How much does the CIF fund? I know in NCS playoffs after a certain mileage I believe they fund one night at a hotel and a team meal.

I don’t know how or if the CIF helps but I have seen schools do go fund me drives for these games.

These are tough trips for any of the schools especially where it lands on the calendar.

 

[rwccaptain42]

I don’t know how or if the CIF helps but I have seen schools do go fund me drives for these games.

These are tough trips for any of the schools especially where it lands on the calendar.

Thanks for all the info. One correction the SHP/Righetti game is at 1pm

 

[Streak One]

Thanks for all the info. One correction the SHP/Righetti game is at 1pm

Thank you!

 

[larry legend33]

How much most of these kids pay for camps, travel, training, special leagues, etc is amazing so having to fund another night when you are bunking up with 3 kids is a drop in bucket. I hear the sob stories at some schools but places like Folsom have plenty of wealthy families and community support to draw upon. Those are the facts.
Remember when we played and you had to raise money in the off-season? Now you just cry the blues and setup a go fund me.

 

[ThunderRam]

Being honest, most of these matchups aren’t very interesting or intriguing to me.

Even the ones I will watch are very “meh”.

We’ve seen Folsom and CC plays numerous times already. And the Open game in recent years is rarely compelling.

I get why the games were expanded to include all section winners, but it’s just not as interesting as it was back when there were only 5 games being played. Better matchups, and the games meant more. Cause it was hard to get in.

Due to the transfer wars down South, the Open game has become meaningless.

 

[larry legend33]

Being honest, most of these matchups aren’t very interesting or intriguing to me.

Even the ones I will watch are very “meh”.

We’ve seen Folsom and CC plays numerous times already. And the Open game in recent years is rarely compelling.

I get why the games were expanded to include all section winners, but it’s just not as interesting as it was back when there were only 5 games being played. Better matchups, and the games meant more. Cause it was hard to get in.

Due to the transfer wars down South, the Open game has become meaningless.

Agree mainly too TR. I enjoy a good league game or section Play-off more

 

[WCAL75]

Thanks Streak for putting those lists together for us. Much appreciated.

 

[NCS707]

How much most of these kids pay for camps, travel, training, special leagues, etc is amazing so having to fund another night when you are bunking up with 3 kids is a drop in bucket. I hear the sob stories at some schools but places like Folsom have plenty of wealthy families and community support to draw upon. Those are the facts.
Remember when we played and you had to raise money in the off-season? Now you just cry the blues and setup a go fund me.

How much most of these kids pay for camps, travel, training, special leagues, etc is amazing so having to fund another night when you are bunking up with 3 kids is a drop in bucket. I hear the sob stories at some schools but places like Folsom have plenty of wealthy families and community support to draw upon. Those are the facts.
Remember when we played and you had to raise money in the off-season? Now you just cry the blues and setup a go fund me.

For Marin Catholic, Cardinal Newman, Folsom I’m sure most can afford it. But what about Northview HS from Covina with a last minute trip to play SHC at Kezar? I came from a middle class home (not upper middle who pretend to be middle) and in that range we were lucky for one in state family vacation a year, maybe a few small ones to visit family with a side trip for a “vacation.” None of us played “club” and this was early this century, not 40 years ago. But a trip before Christmas??! Yikes take out the credit card… for low income kids, I’m assuming many of their parents can’t go.

 

[Cal 14]

For Marin Catholic, Cardinal Newman, Folsom I’m sure most can afford it. But what about Northview HS from Covina with a last minute trip to play SHC at Kezar? I came from a middle class home (not upper middle who pretend to be middle) and in that range we were lucky for one in state family vacation a year, maybe a few small ones to visit family with a side trip for a “vacation.” None of us played “club” and this was early this century, not 40 years ago. But a trip before Christmas??! Yikes take out the credit card… for low income kids, I’m assuming many of their parents can’t go.

I used to live about 3 blocks from Northview High School. I would not call that neighborhood "low-income". It's a middle-class area.