CCS Play-offs after Week 8
19 teams clinched their A league play-off berths this week and 8 teams are mathematically eliminated (or have opted off) leaving 10 teams fighting for the last 5 play-off spots. League titles are still up for grabs in the WCAL, Mt. Hamilton, and Gabilan with key match-ups remaining over the next two weeks. The PAL Bay and Deanza are highly likely to go to Wilcox and Menlo-Atherton as sole champions.
While there were several upsets in the Mount Hamilton league, it was Homestead coming up with their first win of the year over Cupertino that created the only change to the projected field. The winner of the St. Ignatius vs Bellarmine week 10 game where SI will be favored is likely to decide the final at-large spot. This change would also move Wilcox back into DI from DII.
Projections
Division I
8. Piedmont Hills 5-5 21 or Milpitas 6-4 21 vs. 1. Wilcox 10-0 32.33
5. Los Gatos 6-4 22.33 vs 4. Salinas 7-3 25.5
6. San Benito 5-5 22 vs 3. Menlo-Atherton 8-2 28.5
7. Piedmont Hills 5-5 21 or Milpitas 6-4 21 vs 2. Palo Alto 9-1 30
Smallest CBed – Wilcox 1969
Division II
8. Christopher 5-5 20 or Pioneer 5-5 20 vs 1. St. Francis 9-1 31.5
5. Mitty 6-4 21.5 vs 4. Serra 6-4 22
6. Leland 5-5 21 vs 3. Oak Grove 7-3 26.25
7. Christopher 5-5 20 or Pioneer 5-5 20 vs 2. Valley Christian 8-2 27
Smallest CBed – Pioneer 1619
Division III
8. Saint Ignatius 3-7 17 vs 1. Aptos 10-0 31
5. Live Oak 7-3 25 vs 4. Sacred Heart Prep 8-2 26.33
6. Sacred Heart Cathedral 5-5 20.5 vs 3. Terra Nova 9-1 27.5
7. Menlo 5-5 18.33 vs 2. Palma 8-2 27.5
Largest CBed – Aptos 1479
At-Large Projections
1.Sacred Heart Cathedral 5-5 20.5
2/3. Christopher 5-5 20
2/3. Pioneer 5-5 20
4. St. Ignatius 3-7 17
Other: Cupertino 4-6 16.5; Bellarmine 2-8 16, Aragon 2-8 16
Deanza:
Big upset as Homestead beat Cupertino 23-13 and likely knocked Cupertino out of play-offs. Big Week 9 game is Palo Alto vs Los Gatos and will help determine seedings.
Locks: Wilcox (can do no worse than tie for first); Palo Alto, Lost Gatos. Wilcox is sole league champion with either a win over Cupertino or a Palo Alto lose to Los Gatos or Homestead
Highly Likely Milpitas – in with win over Cupertino or with win over Fremont and Cupertino lose to Wilcox)
Bubble: Cupertino – Into the field with a win over Milpitas or Wilcox. Expected to lose both and currently projected to miss play-offs.
Out: Fremont and Homestead
Mt. Hamilton:
Lots of upsets here as Leland Beat Oak Grove, Lincoln, beat Live Oak. Lincoln is now the leagues only undefeated team but has upcoming games with Oak Grove and Piedmont Hills which are the leagues two one loss teams.
Locks: Oak Grove, Live Oak, Piedmont Hills, Leland
Likely: Pioneer - Needs wins over Santa Teresa and Westmont in last two weeks to secure at-large berth. One win would leave them at 18 points and possibly getting in.
Unlikely Santa Teresa – would need to win last two games over Pioneer and Live Oak and Live Oak to lose last two games to Santa Teresa and Oak Grove.
Out: Westmont, Lincoln (opts out)
Gabilan
Third straight week of all blow out games and many running clocks. League championship on the line over the next two weeks as Aptos faces two toughest teams on their schedule in playing Palma and Salinas. Salinas and Aptos both remain undefeated with San Benito and Palma having one loss.
Locks: Aptos, Palma, Salinas, and San Benito all clinched spots.
Bubble: Christopher can gain at-large berth with wins over Alvarez and Gilroy
Out: Alvarez, Seaside, Gilroy
PAL Bay
Menlo-Atherton clinched at least a tie for the league title with their win over Sacred Heart Prep. Win league outright with a win over Half Moon Bay who is winless in league. Big win for Aragon over Half Moon Bay giving them their first win of the year. Sets up Week 9 game between Menlo and Aragon with the winner likely getting the league’s final automatic berth.
Locks: Menlo-Atherton, Sacred Heart Prep, Terra Nova
Bubble: Menlo – in with win over Aragon or Sacred Heart Prep. Aragon – likely In with win over Menlo.
Unlikely: Half Moon Bay in with wins over Terra Nova and Menlo-Atherton.
WCAL
No surprises here, but Cupertino loss makes it likely that a three win SI (need wins over Riordan and Bellarmine) or three win Bellarmine (needs win over SI) could get final at-large berth in section. Week 9 is unlikely to produce much drama but week 10 game between Serra and St. Francis will determine if St. Francis is sole league champion or if there are tri-champions and Bellarmine vs SI in week 10 could be a play-in game for the section’s final at-large berth.
Locks: St. Francis, Valley Christian, Serra, SHC and Mitty
Highly Likely: Serra, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Mitty.
Out: Riordan
Division IV and V
Big changes this week as Mountain View beat Santa Clara to put the El Camino race in doubt. Scotts Valley was upset by winless Soledad to be removed from the projected field. Big games this week in the Cypress and Ocean leagues as Monterey beat San Lorenzo Valley and Burlingame beat Kings Academy which should make the winners easy favorites to win their leagues. Only changes to the field this week were putting Mountain View in and taking Monta Vista and Scotts Valley who were on the bubble for the final spot are know seen as not making the field.
8. Hill 7-3 17 vs 1. Independence 10-0 28
5. Alisal 6-4 21 vs 4. Carlmont 8-2 21.33
6. Santa Clara 6-4 19.83 vs 3. Overfelt 8-2 23.33
7. Mountain View 6-4 18.83 vs 2. Burlingame 8-2 26
Smallest CBed – Burlingame 1423
Division V
8. Monta Vista Christian 5-5 18 vs 1. Carmel 10-0 27.5
5. Gonzales 10-0 23 vs 4. Del Mar 8-2 23.5
6. Saratoga 6-4 19.83 vs 3. Kings Academy 8-2 24
7. Capuchino 7-3 18.83 vs 2. Monterey 9-1 25
Highest CBed – Saratoga 1354
At-Large Teams
1. Del Mar 8-2 23.5
2. Capuchiino 7-3 18.83
3. Mountain View 6-4 18.83
Bubble: North Monterey County 6-4 18.5, Willow Glen 6-4 18, North Salinas 5-5 17.83, Monta Vista 5-5 17.
El Camino
Mountain View beat the league’s only remaining undefeated team Santa Clara 17-10. The league now has three one loss teams in Mountain View, Santa Clara, Saratoga and none of them play each other the rest of the year and will be favored in their remaining games but Santa Clara and Mountain View ill have to play Monta Vista. A three way tie would leave Santa Clara and Saratoga tied for first and Mountain View third needing to get an at-large berth. Current projections are for Mt. View to end up with 18.83 points and tied with Capuchino (Cap beat Mt. View in the regular season). No one in this league has clinched a play-off spot.
Cypress
Monterey beat San Lorenzo Valley and is the league’s only undefeated team. Monterey wins the leagues only play-off spot with either one win over Santa Cruz and St. Francis in the last two weeks or a King City loss to either North Monterey County or San Lorenzo Valley. Even then Monterey would have an at-large spot and is a lock for the field.
King City could get to 19.5 points with wins over both San Lorenzo Valley and North Monterey County where they will be a slight underdog in both games.
North Monterey County can get to 18.5 points with wins over King City and St. Francis where they will be slight favorites.
Mission
Carmel has locked up a play-off spot and will be the sole league champion with a week 9 win over Alisal. Alisal and Monte Vista Christian hold a two game lead for the last two automatic spots with two games to go. Both are in with just one more win and would even get in under a number of tie breaking scenarios even if they lose their last two games. Alisal has games left with Carmel and Soledad while MVC has North Salinas and Watsonville left on their schedule.
North Salinas can get an At-large berth with wins over MVC and Scotts Valley and would end likely end with 19.83 points.
Watsonville can get to 18.5 points with wins over Soledad and MVC.
Ocean
Burlingame is in a great position to win the league as they beat Kings Academy 31-20 in week 8 and are the league’s only undefeated team. San Mateo still only has one loss in league and still plays Burlingame to end the year in the little big game but can only get in if Kings Academy losses to 0-8 South San Francisco in week 9 and Burlingame losses to Sequoia and San Mateo. Highly likely Burlingame is sole league champion and Kings Academy goes as an at-large.
Santa Teresa
Independence and Overfelt clinched play-off berths with week 8 wins. The two are on track for a week 10 showdown to see if Independence wins the league outright or if they are co-champions. These two teams are the likely automatic qualifiers.
Del Mar is sitting with 19.5 points and is likely an at-large team and is favored to add to their point total with games left with Willow Glen and Silver Creek. Willow Glen is likely in charge of their own destiny and an get an at-large with wins over Del Mar and Leigh. Silver Creek is in a similar position and needs to win out over Branham and Del Mar.
Lake
Carlmont has clinched the league title for the league’s only play-off spot. Capuchino has a real shot at an at-large spot if they win out over Mills and Jefferson where they will be favored. Capuchino will probably not get any league champion points for playing Lincoln as the SF AAA league doesn’t finish until the week after the CCS finishes play.
Santa Lucia
Gonzales needs a week 9 win over one loss Stevenson to clinch the league title and the league’s only play off spot.
West Valley
Hill remains undefeated and Mount Pleasant still only has one loss. Both teams are favored in week 9 and the two teams play each other in week 10 and if Mt. Pleasant wins in week 9 against Lick then the week 10 winner will gain the league’s only play-off berth and be the 8 seed in Division IV.