PCAL Playoffs Week II –
Gabilan- Exactly as I predicted. The top 3 team lost bay a combined score of 121-21. Theses teams were playing in DI and DII and quite frankly did not get great matchups. But still I thought Soquel, Salinas and Monterey should have had much closer games. The Good news is the bottom of division had more favorable match ups and were able to win and advance. Congratulations to Palma, Hollister and Aptos. I take full credit for the Hollister and Palma victories, as I picked against them last week, and as they have done seemingly every week, they did the opposite of my prediction. This week all 3 have a little bit tougher match up. ( Hollister Prediction in Mission South)
Fri 11/22 Palo Alto (CA) vs Aptos (CA), 7:00pm D III Playoffs – The Bay league went 6-0 in first round matchups. That is impressive. I want to pick Aptos here in a upset, but I think Palo Alto gets by them. None the less, a decent year for Aptos's new head coach, the team is young and they have something to build on for next year. Palo Alto 24-20
Sat 11/23 Menlo (Atherton, CA) vs Palma (Salinas, CA), 7:00 PM D II Playoffs – I am not sure how Palma is favored in this game. Menlo’s part of the 6-0 Bay league, every team made the playoffs and every team won their first game. Palma struggled (for them) in the Gabilan this year. Menlo lost 3 league games a blow out by Los Gatos and 2 close games with Wilcox and Menlo -Atherton. I think Menlo will win this game. But if Palma can establish the running game and limit pressure on their young QB they can win. Menlo 23-21
Mission North- North Monterey County’s season came to an abrupt end in the 4th Qtr last week vs Branham where they gave up 18 unanswered points. But the season has to be considered successful, as the culture around the program is changing. The HC has done a great job of installing confidence into this program, they won some games this year they would of lost in years past. Alisal won their D V match up and I believe things line up nicely for them in this division, they do have a tough, but winnable match up this weekend.
Fri 11/22 Alisal (Salinas, CA) vs Leland (San Jose, CA), 7:00pm D V Playoffs – Alisal could be peaking at the right time. After new coach regime “opened” up the offense this year, there were some worries about being able to score enough points. But over the past 5 games (4-1) = they have averaged 30+ pints. Thant should be enough to beat a very talented Leland squad. Alisal 28-17
Mission South-North Salinas lost a heartbreaker to Burlingame last week. But this program is headed in the right Direction. Similar to NMC, the coach has done a great job changing the cultural of the program. I see no reason why they won’t be competitive in the B leagues for the next few years. Carmel almost choked a way a 42-19 lead last Friday. But thanks to their 2nd special teams TD, they were able to hold off San Mateo’s comeback effort. Carmel needs to refocus on defense if they want to win the DIII championship. The last 2 games have been way closer than they should have been.
Fri 11/22 Hollister (CA) vs Carmel (CA), 7:00pm D III Playoffs – There was a time until the 1988 season, that these 2 teams were in the same league (the MTAL). Then they realized schools with 2000+ populations should move to a league with other schools of similar size. In 2019 they were both in the Gabilan, and Carmel thoroughly dominated a decent Hollister team. This Carmel Team is way better, at least offensively. But Carmel’s tackling (lack of) really scares me. The almost blew a 3 TD lead. Here is some advice to Hollister just onside kick every time. Carmel 45-35
Santa Lucia -Well if you are going to become a football power you need to learn to win on the road. RLS has never won a road playoff game, 0-4 all time. Granted this is a team that does not go to the playoffs very often, so there is that. Anyways great season, and this team is fairly young and should be bumped up to the B division next year, where they will be favored by me to go 10-0. Truth is they should be competitive with the other B programs in the PCAL if they can stay healthy. Congratulations on the 2024 Santa Lucia Championship!
Bonus Picks
DI/Open
Fri 11/22 St. Francis (Mountain View, CA) vs St. Ignatius College Prep (San Francisco, CA), 7:00pm Open Championship
Sat 11/23 Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco, CA) vs Los Gatos (CA), 1:00pm DI Playoffs
DII
Fri 11/22 Wilcox (Santa Clara, CA) vs Menlo-Atherton (Atherton, CA), 7:00pm DII Playoffs
DIV
Fri 11/22 Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton, CA)vs Branham (San Jose, CA), 7:00pm DIV Playoffs
Fri 11/22 Piedmont Hills (San Jose, CA) vs Burlingame (CA), 7:00pm DIV Playoffs
DV
Fri 11/22 Sequoia (Redwood City, CA) vs South San Francisco (CA), 7:00pm DV Playoffs
Gabilan- Exactly as I predicted. The top 3 team lost bay a combined score of 121-21. Theses teams were playing in DI and DII and quite frankly did not get great matchups. But still I thought Soquel, Salinas and Monterey should have had much closer games. The Good news is the bottom of division had more favorable match ups and were able to win and advance. Congratulations to Palma, Hollister and Aptos. I take full credit for the Hollister and Palma victories, as I picked against them last week, and as they have done seemingly every week, they did the opposite of my prediction. This week all 3 have a little bit tougher match up. ( Hollister Prediction in Mission South)
Fri 11/22 Palo Alto (CA) vs Aptos (CA), 7:00pm D III Playoffs – The Bay league went 6-0 in first round matchups. That is impressive. I want to pick Aptos here in a upset, but I think Palo Alto gets by them. None the less, a decent year for Aptos's new head coach, the team is young and they have something to build on for next year. Palo Alto 24-20
Sat 11/23 Menlo (Atherton, CA) vs Palma (Salinas, CA), 7:00 PM D II Playoffs – I am not sure how Palma is favored in this game. Menlo’s part of the 6-0 Bay league, every team made the playoffs and every team won their first game. Palma struggled (for them) in the Gabilan this year. Menlo lost 3 league games a blow out by Los Gatos and 2 close games with Wilcox and Menlo -Atherton. I think Menlo will win this game. But if Palma can establish the running game and limit pressure on their young QB they can win. Menlo 23-21
Mission North- North Monterey County’s season came to an abrupt end in the 4th Qtr last week vs Branham where they gave up 18 unanswered points. But the season has to be considered successful, as the culture around the program is changing. The HC has done a great job of installing confidence into this program, they won some games this year they would of lost in years past. Alisal won their D V match up and I believe things line up nicely for them in this division, they do have a tough, but winnable match up this weekend.
Fri 11/22 Alisal (Salinas, CA) vs Leland (San Jose, CA), 7:00pm D V Playoffs – Alisal could be peaking at the right time. After new coach regime “opened” up the offense this year, there were some worries about being able to score enough points. But over the past 5 games (4-1) = they have averaged 30+ pints. Thant should be enough to beat a very talented Leland squad. Alisal 28-17
Mission South-North Salinas lost a heartbreaker to Burlingame last week. But this program is headed in the right Direction. Similar to NMC, the coach has done a great job changing the cultural of the program. I see no reason why they won’t be competitive in the B leagues for the next few years. Carmel almost choked a way a 42-19 lead last Friday. But thanks to their 2nd special teams TD, they were able to hold off San Mateo’s comeback effort. Carmel needs to refocus on defense if they want to win the DIII championship. The last 2 games have been way closer than they should have been.
Fri 11/22 Hollister (CA) vs Carmel (CA), 7:00pm D III Playoffs – There was a time until the 1988 season, that these 2 teams were in the same league (the MTAL). Then they realized schools with 2000+ populations should move to a league with other schools of similar size. In 2019 they were both in the Gabilan, and Carmel thoroughly dominated a decent Hollister team. This Carmel Team is way better, at least offensively. But Carmel’s tackling (lack of) really scares me. The almost blew a 3 TD lead. Here is some advice to Hollister just onside kick every time. Carmel 45-35
Santa Lucia -Well if you are going to become a football power you need to learn to win on the road. RLS has never won a road playoff game, 0-4 all time. Granted this is a team that does not go to the playoffs very often, so there is that. Anyways great season, and this team is fairly young and should be bumped up to the B division next year, where they will be favored by me to go 10-0. Truth is they should be competitive with the other B programs in the PCAL if they can stay healthy. Congratulations on the 2024 Santa Lucia Championship!
Bonus Picks
DI/Open
Fri 11/22 St. Francis (Mountain View, CA) vs St. Ignatius College Prep (San Francisco, CA), 7:00pm Open Championship
Sat 11/23 Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco, CA) vs Los Gatos (CA), 1:00pm DI Playoffs
DII
Fri 11/22 Wilcox (Santa Clara, CA) vs Menlo-Atherton (Atherton, CA), 7:00pm DII Playoffs
DIV
Fri 11/22 Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton, CA)vs Branham (San Jose, CA), 7:00pm DIV Playoffs
Fri 11/22 Piedmont Hills (San Jose, CA) vs Burlingame (CA), 7:00pm DIV Playoffs
DV
Fri 11/22 Sequoia (Redwood City, CA) vs South San Francisco (CA), 7:00pm DV Playoffs
