PCAL Week 9
The marquee matchup of the weekend, Aptos V Hollister, has been cancelled due to a COVID outbreak at Hollister. For the record I was taking Aptos. I think that Salinas and Aptos should play again in a non-league contest. Win or lose it will help both teams earn some playoff points for a better CCS seed. Hollister had one of the more impressive victories of the Gabilan division by pulling away late from Palma last week. They have basically secured a 2nd place finish, with an outside shot of a shared championship with Salinas and Aptos, if (a really big if) Palma can upset Salinas in a few weeks.
In the Mission, Santa Cruz continues to roll. North Salinas, Gilroy and Soquel will be battling it out for the next 2 playoff spots. Carmel and Monterey continue to have disappointing seasons and are all but out of the playoff conversation. Carmel suffers from lack of experience and dedication. They had 4 starters out VS NS last week because School was on a break, so families took the football players with them on vacation. This would of never happened 3 years ago. Everyone knew the commitment it took to play Carmel football. The coaching staff will need to rebuild that. Monterey suffers from lack of discipline, it has been a on going problem with this team under the current regime. Not sure how log School administrators will allow it to continue.
Scott’s Valley V King City is now the marquee match up. @Streakone this game should of made your pick’em. 2 Great defenses vs ball control offenses. It will be a slugfest down in South Monterey County Friday night. Winner take control of the Mission division and the automatic play-off birth, loser needs to keep wining to secure an at large bid. The rest of the division is just not that strong.
In the Lucia it is all done as St. Francis has secured the division title.
Last week 11-3 Overall 87-24
Gabilan
Thu 10/21 Christopher (Gilroy, CA) at Alisal (Salinas, CA), 7:30pm: Christopher had a great 1st half vs Salinas and put a scare in the Cowboys. Alisal is getting hit by the injury bug. Christopher 24-7
Fri 10/22 Monte Vista Christian (Watsonville, CA) at Alvarez (Salinas, CA), 7:30pm: I had much higher hope for MVC pre-season. They laid an egg vs Seaside last week. Alvarez gets their 2nd league victory. Alvarez 28-21
Fri 10/22 San Benito (Hollister, CA) at Aptos (CA), 7:30pm Game canceled due to COVID
Fri 10/22 Palma (Salinas, CA) at Seaside (CA), 7:30pm; Tough loss for Palma vs Hollister last week. Great First win for Seaside! I hate seeing a team go winless through a season. Kids put in way too much work for no reward. It won’t be 2 game win streak. Palma 45-7
Mission
Fri 10/22 Gonzales (CA) at Gilroy (CA), 7:30pm- Gilroy needs to stay focused in order to keep playoff hopes alive. Gonzales just needs to play a complete game to get their first victory. Upset special. Gonzales 21-20
Fri 10/22 North Salinas (Salinas, CA) vs Monterey (CA) at Salinas Sports Complex (Salinas, CA), 7:00pm- Curios to see how Monterey bunces back from self inflicted loss to Gilroy. NS had a huge victory last week vs Carmel, can they make it 2 in a row. Nope. Monterey 24-14
Sat 10/23 Soquel (CA) at Carmel (CA), 2:00pm: Soquel finally had an easy victory vs Soledad. Carmel needs to scrimmage for 24 mins prior to kickoff, that way they think they will be in 2nd half when the game starts. Upset#3 in the Mission. Carmel 35-24
Sat 10/23 Soledad (CA) at Santa Cruz (CA), 7:30pm – The Mission upsets stop here. Santa Cruz 48-0
Cypress
Fri 10/22 Scotts Valley (CA) at King City (CA), 7:30pm – Winner in the drivers seat for the title. 2 great defenses. What more could you ask for. Scotts Valley will try to Run, KC likes to mix it up a little bit. I say King City gets 1 big offensive play. For the difference. King City 14-7
Fri 10/22 Watsonville (CA) at Pacific Grove (CA), 7:00pm- PG needs to win in order to challenge for the title. Watsonville is not a bad team, and PG lost its leading tackler for the year. Watsonville 24-21
Sat 10/23 San Lorenzo Valley (Felton, CA) at Los Altos (CA), 1:30pm- I believe this is a make up game, SLV has been very disappointing. Los Altos 35-14
Sat 10/23 North Monterey County (Castroville, CA) at Rancho San Juan (Salinas, CA), 1:00pm -Truth be told Rancho San Juan is one of the better stories this year, never thought I would be picking them to win their third game!. Rancho 20-18
Santa Lucia
Sat 10/23 St. Francis (Watsonville, CA) vs Harbor (Santa Cruz, CA) at Cabrillo College (Aptos, CA), 7:30pm
non-league game – St Francis is too good to lose to harbor, even if it is non-league. St Francis 28-14
Sat 10/23 Greenfield (CA) at Pajaro Valley (Watsonville, CA), 2:00pm non-league game: PV avenges earlier 3 point loss and gets its first W of the year. Pajaro 21-20
The marquee matchup of the weekend, Aptos V Hollister, has been cancelled due to a COVID outbreak at Hollister. For the record I was taking Aptos. I think that Salinas and Aptos should play again in a non-league contest. Win or lose it will help both teams earn some playoff points for a better CCS seed. Hollister had one of the more impressive victories of the Gabilan division by pulling away late from Palma last week. They have basically secured a 2nd place finish, with an outside shot of a shared championship with Salinas and Aptos, if (a really big if) Palma can upset Salinas in a few weeks.
In the Mission, Santa Cruz continues to roll. North Salinas, Gilroy and Soquel will be battling it out for the next 2 playoff spots. Carmel and Monterey continue to have disappointing seasons and are all but out of the playoff conversation. Carmel suffers from lack of experience and dedication. They had 4 starters out VS NS last week because School was on a break, so families took the football players with them on vacation. This would of never happened 3 years ago. Everyone knew the commitment it took to play Carmel football. The coaching staff will need to rebuild that. Monterey suffers from lack of discipline, it has been a on going problem with this team under the current regime. Not sure how log School administrators will allow it to continue.
Scott’s Valley V King City is now the marquee match up. @Streakone this game should of made your pick’em. 2 Great defenses vs ball control offenses. It will be a slugfest down in South Monterey County Friday night. Winner take control of the Mission division and the automatic play-off birth, loser needs to keep wining to secure an at large bid. The rest of the division is just not that strong.
In the Lucia it is all done as St. Francis has secured the division title.
Last week 11-3 Overall 87-24
Gabilan
Thu 10/21 Christopher (Gilroy, CA) at Alisal (Salinas, CA), 7:30pm: Christopher had a great 1st half vs Salinas and put a scare in the Cowboys. Alisal is getting hit by the injury bug. Christopher 24-7
Fri 10/22 Monte Vista Christian (Watsonville, CA) at Alvarez (Salinas, CA), 7:30pm: I had much higher hope for MVC pre-season. They laid an egg vs Seaside last week. Alvarez gets their 2nd league victory. Alvarez 28-21
Fri 10/22 San Benito (Hollister, CA) at Aptos (CA), 7:30pm Game canceled due to COVID
Fri 10/22 Palma (Salinas, CA) at Seaside (CA), 7:30pm; Tough loss for Palma vs Hollister last week. Great First win for Seaside! I hate seeing a team go winless through a season. Kids put in way too much work for no reward. It won’t be 2 game win streak. Palma 45-7
Mission
Fri 10/22 Gonzales (CA) at Gilroy (CA), 7:30pm- Gilroy needs to stay focused in order to keep playoff hopes alive. Gonzales just needs to play a complete game to get their first victory. Upset special. Gonzales 21-20
Fri 10/22 North Salinas (Salinas, CA) vs Monterey (CA) at Salinas Sports Complex (Salinas, CA), 7:00pm- Curios to see how Monterey bunces back from self inflicted loss to Gilroy. NS had a huge victory last week vs Carmel, can they make it 2 in a row. Nope. Monterey 24-14
Sat 10/23 Soquel (CA) at Carmel (CA), 2:00pm: Soquel finally had an easy victory vs Soledad. Carmel needs to scrimmage for 24 mins prior to kickoff, that way they think they will be in 2nd half when the game starts. Upset#3 in the Mission. Carmel 35-24
Sat 10/23 Soledad (CA) at Santa Cruz (CA), 7:30pm – The Mission upsets stop here. Santa Cruz 48-0
Cypress
Fri 10/22 Scotts Valley (CA) at King City (CA), 7:30pm – Winner in the drivers seat for the title. 2 great defenses. What more could you ask for. Scotts Valley will try to Run, KC likes to mix it up a little bit. I say King City gets 1 big offensive play. For the difference. King City 14-7
Fri 10/22 Watsonville (CA) at Pacific Grove (CA), 7:00pm- PG needs to win in order to challenge for the title. Watsonville is not a bad team, and PG lost its leading tackler for the year. Watsonville 24-21
Sat 10/23 San Lorenzo Valley (Felton, CA) at Los Altos (CA), 1:30pm- I believe this is a make up game, SLV has been very disappointing. Los Altos 35-14
Sat 10/23 North Monterey County (Castroville, CA) at Rancho San Juan (Salinas, CA), 1:00pm -Truth be told Rancho San Juan is one of the better stories this year, never thought I would be picking them to win their third game!. Rancho 20-18
Santa Lucia
Sat 10/23 St. Francis (Watsonville, CA) vs Harbor (Santa Cruz, CA) at Cabrillo College (Aptos, CA), 7:30pm
non-league game – St Francis is too good to lose to harbor, even if it is non-league. St Francis 28-14
Sat 10/23 Greenfield (CA) at Pajaro Valley (Watsonville, CA), 2:00pm non-league game: PV avenges earlier 3 point loss and gets its first W of the year. Pajaro 21-20
