In a season filled with blowouts, Serra led by just a point late in third quarter against Valley Christian before prevailing​

By MIKE LEFKOW, CORRESPONDENT
October 28, 2023

It’s rare for a team to go through an entire season playing at its best in every game, even one as strong as Serra.
The Padres had rolled to an 8-0 record, winning each game by an average of 35 points.
In five West Catholic Athletic League wins, the average score was 51-8.
But against Valley Christian on Friday, the margin wasn’t anything like that as Serra survived on the road 24-13.
With less than two minutes left in the third quarter, Serra clung to a 14-13 advantage. Then quarterback Maealiuaki Smith threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Kyon Loud, making it 21-13 with 1:27 left in the period.
That was followed by a 31-yard field goal by Thomas Gooch with 8:18 left in the game.

See More Here: https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/10...y-christian-but-survives/?clearUserState=true

Ryan Cooper

Former Valley Christian boys head coach. Played at Piedmont. Was just an assistant at San Jose St.

There has been plenty of jockeying in the SFL this season, but Rocklin and Oak Ridge meet with the winner likely finishing No. 2 in Northern California’s premier league. However, the result likely won’t impact the SJS playoff seedings with Rocklin being in Division II and Oak Ridge in Division I.

Rocklin boasts one of the top quarterbacks in the section in sophomore Reeve Slone. Running back Derek Keeley has rushed for 674 yards and 13 touchdowns. Oak Ridge has a good two-headed rushing attack with Jasen Womack and Erick Orme Jr. Markus Hoffman has been a disruptor on the defensive line with 11 sacks and 20 total tackles for loss in six games.

They have both lost to Folsom with Oak Ridge losing 42-21 on the road while Rocklin lost 34-21 at home.

Can't find it. It was supposed to be on hudl.

My friends from Australia are looking to play games in Northern California. They need your help. They have Boys and Girls teams. They have teams at the Varsity Level and JV. Looking for games on the days listed below.

San Francisco/Bay Ares - Boys V, JV and Girls V
Friday, Dec 8 and Saturday Dec 9th

The School is Berwick College. They are skilled, so they would need stronger competition. If you can't get girls and boys together, the girls could go with the Boys JV, Frosh group (as below), or play alone. They will be strong.

San Francisco/ Bay Area - Boys V, JV, Frosh
Tuesday, Dec 12 and Friday, Dec 15

The school is Melbourne Grammar. They are not skilled, so they would need weak competition.

San Francisco - Boys V, JV and Girls V
Friday, Dec 8th and Saturday , Dec 9th

The school is Berwick College. They are skilled, so they would need stronger competition.
If you can't get girls and boys together, the girls could go with the Boys JV, Frosh group (as below), or play alone. They will be strong.

San Francisco - Boys JV, Frosh
Friday, Dec 8th and Saturday, Dec 9th

The school is Berwick College. They are younger but somewhat skilled so they would need mid-strength competition.

They are willing to play or fill in at tournaments and showcases. If you can assist in anyway please contact All Star Basketball Scheduler Natalie “Nata” Porter at <allstarbasketballtours@gmail.com>

Pittsburg has flown a bit under the radar at 8-0, but the Pirates still look like one of the best teams in Northern California.

The Pirates have run for at least 200 yards in three of the last five games including a season high 382 yards against Heritage. They also have two special teams touchdowns this year and two interception returns for scores from junior Jadyn Hudson.

Liberty sophomore Jaxon Bell has 1,176 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns while senior Ryan Mckendry has 12 of the Lions’ 18 touchdown catches.

Liberty’s losses this year have come to San Ramon Valley (66-12) and a 35-34 loss to Los Gatos after Liberty gave up a second half lead. Pittsburg beat Los Gatos 37-27 on September 15.

Week 10 (the work got in the way preview, so it is brief)

Last week 8-4 Overall 94-34



Gabilan

By my math Salinas are Soquel are in. Monterey will clinch if it beats Alvarez, The front runner for #4 is Palma. But no guarantee as it still has to play Salinas and Alvarez. Aptos still has a chance as does both Hollister and Alavrez. But there would have to be some upsets. Don’t know if #5 gets in on points this year.



Fri 10/27 Aptos (CA) at Hollister (CA), 7:30pm – This is a must win game if either one of these teams once a chance to go to playoffs. Both have played well at time, but have been inconsistent. Aptos may be to demoralized after last week’s heartbreak loss to Monterey. Hollister 28-21



Fri 10/27 Monterey (CA) vs Alvarez (Salinas, CA) at Monterey Peninsula College (Monterey, CA), 7:30pm -Monterey is way more talented and should win this game, let hope they don’t have a letdown. Monterey 28-7



Fri 10/27 Salinas (CA) vs Palma (Salinas, CA) at Salinas Sports Complex (Salinas, CA), 7:30pm. Palma lost a hard fought battle to Soquel, now they have to bounce back vs next door neighbor Salinas. Salinas is down a notch form last year, especially on offense, but they are still better. Salinas 27-20



Mission North

Well Scott’s Valley left no doubt they were number 1 by taking poor Seaside to the woodshed. I picked them to win, not to dominate like they did. To win outright, still need to ge by a tough North Monterey County squad this week. Seaside should be be able to hold on to second and earn a DV playoff berth.



Fri 10/27 Watsonville (CA) at Monte Vista Christian (Watsonville, CA), 7:30pm -Watsonville had a great win over St. Francis last week, can they keep it going and beat the other Watsonville private School? Probably not. MVC 28-14



Fri 10/27 Scotts Valley (CA) at North Monterey County (Castroville, CA), 7:30pm

Scotts Valley cannot afford a letdown. North Monterey County is very physical and has the ability to pull the upset. Scott’s valley 24-7



Fri 10/27 St. Francis (Watsonville, CA) at Seaside (CA), 7:30pm -Seaside was embarrassed last week. Look for them to take their frustrations out on th out-manned Sharks. Seaside 35-6



Mission South

I don’t fully understand playoff points, but my thought is if the is division want s 3 teams in, then Alisal should lose Thursday night to North Salinas. I believe they can garner an outside bid easier then the Vikings. ( I am just joking) Carmel is still top dog but the battle for second will be decided Thursday.



Thu 10/26 North Salinas (Salinas, CA) vs Alisal (Salinas, CA) at Salinas Sports Complex (Salinas, CA), 7:30pm- This should be a great battle. Some advice to both teams Alisal “do not kick the ball deep on kick off’s”. North Salinas “Rotate D lineman. So they dot get tired” I think The athleticism of north Salinas will triumph over the physicality of Alisal. North Salinas 24-23

Fri 10/27 Pacific Grove (CA) at King City (CA), 7:30pm- Both he teams took a beating last week. PG has been playing better most of the year and will probably win, but I ain’t picking them. King City 14-13



Sat 10/28 Soledad (CA) at Carmel (CA), 3:00pm -Carmel will score a lot of point and then let Soledad score a little in the 2nd half. Carmel 48-12





Santa Lucia

Greenfield took care of business vs RLS and put themselves in the driver seat for the #1 seed. If Gonzales wants a chance, they need to 1st beat RLS and then Beat Greenfield the following week.

Sat 10/28 Greenfield (CA) at Pajaro Valley (Watsonville, CA), 11:30am -Greenfield should win as long as they are not looking ahead. Greenfield 24-3



Sat 10/28 Harbor (Santa Cruz, CA) at San Lorenzo Valley (Felton, CA), 2:30pm – This should be a pretty entertaining game. Takin the home team. SLV 27-17



Sat 10/28 Gonzales (CA) at Stevenson (Pebble Beach, CA), 2:00pm-You know who I am taking. The reasons do not matter just know they will bounce back from last week defeat. RLS 35-34

Throughout the valley, in June, we've enjoyed the coastal-like weather. But baby, it's July, and the forecast suggests things are heating up! The heat only means one thing, that we are getting closer to the upcoming HS football season. Folsom has been the king of SJS football! Grant has restocked and is coming off a State Championship. Oak Ridge returns plenty, including national recruit Kaleb Edwards. I'm confident that St. Mary's seeks revenge, or should I say redemption? Granite Bay's backfield will be a problem! Speaking of backfields, will there be enough room in Grant's?

I'm "loving" the youth movement in the section! I'm excited to see Ryder Lyon at Folsom and Isaiah Ene at Granite Bay. And it appears that Big Lex Mailangi, aka South Sac's finest, is heading to Mater Dei! I'm sure there are other names! Please fill me in!

Grant has a ton of transfers, including Wayshawn Parker, Devin Green, and Jeremiah Tuiileia. These dudes can flat-out ball! QB Luke Alexander transferred in from Folsom last year and is approved to play by the CIF.

It looks like there may be more parity this season! I surely hope so!

The winner of this game will likely be the Sacramento Valley champion and be the seventh different champion of the league in the past seven full seasons.

Winters has won six in a row since a shutout loss to Pioneer-Woodland (20-0). Gio Jimenez has a team high 764 yards and 11 touchdowns while sophomore quarterback Lane Brown has rushed for 577 yards with eight touchdown runs and six touchdown passes.

Colusa has given up nine points per game this season (12 total points in four non-league games) as Isaiah Travis has 19 tackles for loss. He has also been the top target for quarterback Bo Coronado in hauling in nine of his 20 touchdown passes.

Sonora has won 14 straight Mother Lode League games and have won eight straight games this season since a seven point loss to Oakdale.

The Wildcats are averaging 282 rushing yards per game with three players tallying at least eight touchdowns. Audie Peeples has a team high 74 carries with Bryce Nicolson, also a top defender, sitting at 579 yards.

Summerville has won seven in a row since losing to an 8-1 Dos Palos squad. The Bears are averaging 42 points per game.

This marks the last league meeting between the two schools as Sonora moves to the Trans Valley League in 2024.

Recognize Game Classic
Date: December 16th - Saturday

We’re currently looking for a few more competitive teams to fill in slots for Varsity!

Contact: Ceonte’ House - 804-386-9733

The Riordan-Serra game produced plenty of conversation dating back to the summer, but it is this matchup that will provide a better measuring stick for how far the Crusaders have come in year two under Adhir Ravipati.

The Crusaders have a big play offense that has seen its running game start to develop. In wins over Bellarmine and Mitty, they rushed for 563 total yards with senior Charlie Johnson going for 217 yards two weeks ago.

St. Francis is utilizing its well known formula of strong running game and defense to be among the better teams in Northern California again. Kingston Keanaaina is rushing for 130 yards per game and sophomore Chase Calhoun is at 93 total tackles.

Both teams were overwhelmed in losses at Serra with St. Francis trailing 31-3 at the half and Riordan falling behind 36-0 after 24 minutes.

JVs are likely looking for a tournament Dec. 7-9, or single games that weekend.

Our frosh need lots of games before mid-January.

claykallam@gmail.com

Girls Divisions 2024 Grades
3rd,4th,5th, 6th, 7th, 8th

Boys Divisions 2024 Grades
3rd,4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th

$325.00 with a 3 Game Guarantee!!
Multiple team discount with NO Time Requests
Quality Sites w/ On-site Administrators
Certified High School/College Officials
Online Schedules

Location: City College SF
Surrounding Peninsula Gyms

All Divisions are based on 2024 Grade
4-8 team(s) per Division
High School Rules
1st Place Team Awards.

For Information contact:
Alfonso Joo Cell 650-267-3678
Email at alfonsojoo@yahoo.com
Register and Info on www.Dawgsclub.com

All above court are FULL HS/College courts
Admission is accepted through Venmo on day off or before or exact cash

Girls Divisions 2024 Grades
3rd,4th,5th, 6th, 7th, 8th

Boys Divisions 2024 Grades
3rd,4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th

$325.00 with a 3 Game Guarantee!!
Multiple team discount with NO Time Requests
Quality Sites w/ On-site Administrators
Certified High School/College Officials
Online Schedules

Location: City College SF
Surrounding Peninsula Gyms

All Divisions are based on 2024 Grade
4-8 team(s) per Division
High School Rules
1st Place Team Awards.

For Information contact:
Alfonso Joo Cell 650-267-3678
Email at alfonsojoo@yahoo.com
Register and Info on www.Dawgsclub.com

All above court are FULL HS/College courts
Admission is accepted through Venmo on day off or before or exact cash

If you are going to list out the ways junior Elijah Huddle has had an impact for Casa Roble, you better have a fresh pen.

Huddle, 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, is a wide receiver/tight end combo for the Rams who has been used in the screen game, working well in the flat when his quarterback is on the move and gets open going down the seam. He has also come in motion and got a shovel pass.

He has scored on a punt return and grabbed three interceptions at defensive back.

The 2025 prospect has 33 catches for 527 yards and eight touchdowns as the Rams are 8-1 with the loss coming to Top 20 ranked Del Oro.

Berwick College, a high school in Australia will be in the Bay Area from Dec 8th to Dec 12th. They are looking for both girls JV and varsity games; if you have an opening please email me at oaklandhighbasketball@gmail.com

What games are you watching this week?

Cardinal Newman has flown under the radar much of the fall despite an 8-0 record and a margin of victory at 27 points per game. One of the reasons behind the success is senior running back Zachary Homan (6-foot-0, 200 pounds).

Homan is a tough between the tackles runner who has quick feet to bounce it outside when he sees an opening. This season, he routinely runs through the first tackle attempt.

As part of his 1,512 yard total and 23 touchdowns, Homan ran the ball 32 times for 288 yards and four scores last week in a 28-13 win over Rancho Cotate. He has 288 of the 299 total yards

He has been a workhorse for the Cardinals in finishing with at least 20 carries in six of eight games.

Fresh off a 45-42 win over Campolindo, Las Lomas will look to keep its undefeated season going in hosting Acalanes.

The Knights are a young squad with key contributors like sophomore quarterback Dylan Thomas, junior WR/DB Roman Mercado, junior WR/DB Landon Gilmore and sophomore defensive lineman Chase Martin.

Acalanes quarterback Sully Bailey has thrown for 1,927 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also has just one interception during the past five games. Star receiver Trevor Rogers has 49 catches for 805 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Four of Las Lomas’ eight wins have come by one possession. Acalanes has won five in a row since starting 0-3 against San Marin, San Ramon Valley and Amador Valley (two of those three were one possession losses).

The PAL-Bay Division title will be decided in Santa Clara on Friday. Wilcox has won six of seven games (loss to Edison-Huntington Beach) since a season opening one point loss to Valley Christian-San Jose. Los Gatos’ losses have come against Top 20 ranked Grant and Pittsburg.

Wilcox once again has a strong running attack at 300 yards per game. Quarterback Tyson Bonilla has rushed for a team high 975 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Los Gatos boasts one of the top players in the section in senior Jaylen Thomas, who has 518 receiving yards and eight touchdowns and even has a touchdown pass. He also has 44 tackles and three interceptions.

Last week, Los Gatos got a closer than expected 19-6 win over Burlingame a week after Wilcox beat Burlingame 41-7.

Los Gatos has a 23 game league winning streak dating back to 2019 when it lost to Wilcox 37-0.

Increasingly, it seems, teams from the area head to distant lands to compete in top level tourneys. Last year, for example, Carondelet played in Hawaii.

Two questions:

1. Who pays for the trip? I know these are mostly (entirely?) private schools, but aren't these pricey boondoggles?
2. Are there rules about how many games a team can play or are such things outside the CIF's purview?