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WCAL 2014 - Returning Impact Players for 2015

Re: WCAL 2014 - Serra & Valley Christian are Co-Champs

No WCAL team is overwhelming this year. The Open is wide open. A public school could win it without upsetting anyone.
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - Serra & Valley Christian are Co-Champs

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This post was edited on 11/15 9:35 PM by Sir Lancealot
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - Serra & Valley Christian are Co-Champs

Originally posted by colhenrylives:
No WCAL team is overwhelming this year. The Open is wide open. A public school could win it without upsetting anyone.
So far Milpitas is named as possibly the "clear favorite" to take the CCS open division. I agree the Open division is wide open this year and that will make it more interesting than usual, especially if VC, Serra, & Mitty are considered underdogs to Milpitas, Los Gatos, Palma & SHP because of their overall records.
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - Serra & Valley Christian are Co-Champs

No one is a "favorite" in the Open this year (and I don't think Mitty is in the Open).
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - Serra & Valley Christian are Co-Champs


Re: Serra 28 - Bells 14 game yesterday:

I read that the Bells had to go with Troy Martig exclusively as their other QB Griffin Quinn was out with an ankle injury, which did not help the Bells cause. Serra's QB Hunter Bishop who left in the 3rd quarter with a leg injury is questionable for next week.
Serra's D held the Bells to under 100 yards offense for the game. At the time I didn't realize it, but Serra scored all 4 of its TD's within a 6 minute span in the 2nd quarter.

So with the conclusion of the regular season games yesterday here are the top 10 teams in the 94 team CCS along with their overall records and rating as well:

1] Milpitas 9-0, (44.5)
2] Serra 7-3 (43.9)
3] VC 8-2 (42.0)

4] Bellarmine (39.4)
5] Palma 9-1 (35.4]
6] Mitty 6-4 (35.1)
7] Los Gatos 8-2 (34.8)
8] St. Francis 6-4 (34.5)
9] SHP 10-0 (31.0)
10] St. Ignatius 5-5 (30.7)


This post was edited on 11/16 8:56 AM by Rmbr26
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - Serra & Valley Christian are Co-Champs


WCAL Teams First Round Games in CCS Open Division:

Los Gatos 8-2 at Serra 7-3 Sat. 1:00 PM

Valley Christian 8-2 at Palma 9-1 Friday 7:00 PM

Bellarmine 8-2 at Milpitas 10-0 Friday 7:00 PM

Also: Oak Grove 7-3 at SHP 10-0 Sat. 1:00 PM


Here is how the 8 teams were seeded based upon league champions and the CCS power point rules:

#1 Sacred Heart Prep 10-0
#2 Milpitas 10-0
#3Palma 9-1
#4 Serra 7-3
#5 Los Gatos 8-2
#6 Valley Christian 8-2
#7 Bellarmine 8-2
#8 Oak Grove 7-3

AT first glance it appears SHP has the easiest game vs Oak Grove who was easily beaten by SF 28-0 and then VC 41-14 in pre-season. Oak Grove the Mt. Hamilton League Champ at 7-0 eased into the Open Division by virtue of a win over the other best team in their league Pioneer by 14-6 last week [VC won over Pioneer by 55-0 in pre-season as well]. SHP would appear to have no trouble dispatching Oak Grove.

Serra and Los Gatos should be one of the best games with 2 physical teams. Los Gatos has a punishing ground game with Joey Wood and a very good QB as well in Dru Brown. Serra will enter as a slight favorite although Los Gatos won over Mitty early on by 21-13, of which Mitty handed Serra its only loss by 27-14.

Valley Christian vs Palma should be interesting as Palma has a solid team this season suffering their only loss to San Benito 17-13 2 weeks ago. Palma also won over St. Francis in the 2nd game of the season by 21-12. VC has their early loss to Milpitas by 31-17 and a 24-10 loss to Serra.

Bellarmine vs Milpitas is an interesting game again as many fans pick Milpitas as the slight favorite going in based upon their unbeaten record & wins over both Valley Christian & Los Gatos. The Bells are a good team however their lopsided loss to Valley Christian is not a good omen as both VC & Milpitas are big physical teams and the Bells are not. If the Bells execute better tha against Serra and have their 2 QB's back in action they could give Milpitas a battle.

I'll break the games down further during the week so fans have a better knowledge of the teams that Serra, VC & the Bells will be facing.
This post was edited on 11/17 10:31 AM by Rmbr26
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - Serra & Valley Christian are Co-Champs


Nice preview.

I think Milpitas physicality could be an issue for Bells. I can see Bells breaking some long plays though. VC without the turnovers and penalties could have won the game or at least would have been close. Milpitas also will have to bring their game as it seems they don't always play at their best. Serra seemed to manhandle Bells physically, and that could be the crux of this game.

Los Gatos v Serra looks like a very good matchup. LG will have to throw the ball though. I think Serra's defense is the best from what I have seen in terms of quickness to the ball. Joey Wood is tough to stop with momentum, but Serra is good at getting to point of attack. Los Gatos defense is good, so won't be easy for Serra to score. This looks like a great game to see.

SHP v Oak Grove - I think SHP will have the advantage in this one.

VC v Palma - depends what Palma team shows up. Palma offense is more balanced this season, but their RB will need to have a good game to control the ball. The Hollister loss was probably good for them in that they know they can lose and ups the urgency. Palma defense should have enough speed to matchup with VC, but their LBs will need to play better than they did against Hollister. Palma DBs are relatively fast and they do have a little size to matchup with taller fast receivers-so that will be interesting matchup. If Valdez 6-1 or Kory 6-3 and very fast (plays DB instead of DE) to match up with C. Johnson. Palma will have to do a better job at not biting against fakes in the backfield. They also tend to have some trouble against more mobile QBs but did well this year so if Palma receivers don't have the dropsies, they could be in this game. VC lo-line ill be bigger than Palma's d-line-but Palma's defensive line is very quick and strong. Two on the defensive line are getting some FBS interest. Palma kicker also is almost automatic on kicking into the end zone on kicks and can hit 40+ yard FGs. He will be playing at some college next year.
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - Serra & Valley Christian are Co-Champs

Nice preview as always Rmbr26. None of these games are gimmes unlike previous years. Looking forward to a great two days of football. NFHS Networks does not seem to list any of these games on their upcoming schedule even though CSS has advertised they will be. Anyone have info on other streaming options?
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - Serra & Valley Christian are Co-Champs

Game Preview: Serra vs Los Gatos - Saturday 1:00 PM @ Serra

Serra at 7-3 is the Co-Champ of the WCAL while Los Gatos at 8-2 is the 2nd place finisher in the De Anza League behind Milpitas.
Serra is rated as the 2nd best team in CCS while Los Gatos comes in at #7.
Serra's overall power rating is 43.9 and Los Gatos 34.8
Serra's strength of schedule is 34.3 while Los Gatos is 15.0
Serra averages 26 points per while while allowing 16.5 points per game.
Los Gatos averages 38.9 points per game while allowing 14.3 points per game.
Serra's top win this season was 24-10 over Valley Christian.
Los Gatos top win was 24-10 over Mitty.

Here are the season's records for both teams:
Serra - Overall Record 7-3
DLS 41 Serra 13 - Loss
Notre Dame Sherman Oaks 24- Serra 14 - Loss
Serra 50 - So. SF 0 - Win
Serra 24 - Valley Christian 10 - Win
Serra 32 - St. Ignatius 20 - Win
Serra 14 - St. Francis 2 - Win
Serra 36 - Riordan 10 - Win
Mitty 27 - Serra 14 - Loss
Serra 35 - SHC 17 - Win
Serra 28 - Bellarmine 14 - Win

Los Gatos - Overall Record 8-2
Los Gatos 21 - Mitty 13 - Win
Los Gatos 35 - Menlo-Atherton 7 - Win
Los Gatos 35 - San Benito 14 - Win
St. Mary's 35 - Los Gatos 32 - Loss
Los Gatos 63 - Monte Vista 14 - Win
Los Gatos 63 - Santa Clara 7 - Win
Los Gatos 49 - Palo Alto 7 - Win
Milpitas 27 - Los Gatos 21 - Loss
Los Gatos 42 - Saratoga 6 - Win
Los Gatos 28 - Wilcox 13 - Win

Team Overview - Serra
Serra has a roster of 59 players of which 23 players weigh in at 200 or over. Of the 23 players 13 are 225 or larger and 6 players are 250+. Serra averages 300 yards offense per game with 161 rushing + 139 passing. The defense has 34 sacks + 10 INT's to date. Serra has used 2 QB's this season and the current QB Hunter Bishop 6'3 - 180 is 75/122 passing for 865 yards, 4 TD's & 9 INT's with a QB rating of 63.0. Serra's ground game is by committee and will likely use 4-5 RB's during this game. The 2 primary RB's will be Leki Nunn 5'10 - 160 [107 carries for 566 yards 5.3 YPC average & 7 TD's], and also Kava Cassidy 6'0 - 195 [56 carries for 214 yards 3.8 YPC average]. Other RB's who will likely get carries are Ladislao Rodrigues 5'9 - 165, Billy Tuitavake 6'2 - 225 and TC Lavulo 5'10 - 190. Serra has a number of sure-handed receivers including Demitri McCoy 6'0 - 185 [33 catches 419 yards], Brandon Monroe 6'1 - 170 [23 catches 307 yards] and Rory Uniacke 6'1 - 200 [13 catches - 214 yards]. Serra's defense is anchored by Justin Tatola 6'0 - 195 [LB], Tevita Tuitavake 6'1 -185 [DB], Billy Tuitavake 6'2 - 225 [DL], Marco Mosqueda 5'9-180 [DB] and team leader in tackles James Outman 6'0-200 [LB]. Serra's kicker has 14 of 35 kickoff TB's and the current punter is averaging 37 yards per punt. The kicker has limited range for FG's and Serra will not likely attempt FG's over 25-30 yards dependent on wind. On offense Serra will switch formations using mostly a spread offense or double-wing and coach Walsh is not afraid to take calculated risks depending on field position. The Serra defense is aggressive and likes to put pressure on the opposing QB and will occasionally blitz and has a better than average secondary in passing situations. Serra's run game has not produced as expected this season and Serra has relied on big plays to beat most of its opponents. Serra has very good special teams when returning punts and they also covers kick-offs well.

Team Overview - Los Gatos
Los Gatos has a roster of 45 players of which 16 players weigh in at 200 or over. Of the 16 players 10 are 225 or larger and 4 players are over 250. Los Gatos averages 391 yards offense per game with 209 rushing + 182 passing. The defense has 17 sacks + 9 INT's to date. Los Gatos has a very good QB in Dru Brown 6'0 - 200 who is 125/185 passing for 1809 yards + 15 TD's with only 4 INT's and QB rating of 117 [excellent]. Los Gatos run game centers on Joey Wood who missed several games with an injury, but is now back. Wood is an imposing RB at the HS level at 5'10" - 225 and will get most of the carries. There are 4 other RB's who regularly contribute along with the QB Brown who can run. Look for Quinn Spiteri 5'8 - 156 [29 carries 215 yards], Jack Salcido 5'10-170 [26 carries - 222 yards], Jordan Howell 5'8-157 [23 carries 135 yards] and Ryan Gault 5'11-163 [20 carries 184 yards] to contribute if the defense keys on Joey Wood. In the pass catching dept the primary target for QB Brown is Matt Wilcox 6'1-172 who has 48 catches for 730 yards [15.2 avg]. Brown will also look for Nick Occhipinti 5'8-178 and Dylan Plane 6'1-193 who both avg 1-2 catches per game. On kick-offs the Los Gatos kicker has 10 of 66 touch-backs so returns are likely. The punter averages 30 yards per punt. It would appear the Los Gatos kicker may have limited range as well with only 2 FG's attempted this season with one made for 26 yards. Based upon stats it appears the Los Gatos defense is very active by player and a host of players have high tackle ratio's per game. The team leader in tackles is Jake Holton 5'11-208 [OLB] along with Mitchell Schwager 6'2-162 [DB], Colt Doughty 6'2-211 [LB], Quinn Spiteri 5'8-156 [DB], Jack Jarnigan 6'2-261 [DL] and Brendan Ross 6'3-234 [DL]. Los Gatos has a well balanced offense and uses a high percentage short passing game to complete an average of 12-14 passes per game with an average completion of 12-15 yards. While Los Gatos has a number of RB's who contribute, the ground game relies heavily on Joey Wood who accounts for nearly 50% of the rushing yardage per game.

Overview:
These 2 teams have contrasting styles of play which should make for a close game. Los Gatos is a more well balanced team all around while Serra has a somewhat sporadic offense with a high turn-over ratio that relies on the big play capability of Leki Nunn & its WR's along with a very solid defense. Los Gatos relies heavily on RB Joey Wood along with throwing to Wilcox, Plane & Ochipinti as needed. Serra during the season has been a "slow-starting" team in the first 1/2 and will need to get its offense untracked early against Los Gatos. Serra will be facing the best CCS QB it has seen this season in Dru Brown and will have to put pressure on Brown in order to disrupt LG's offensive rhythm as well as slow down Joey Wood. In the 2 Los Gatos losses both St. Mary's & Milpitas were able to contain LG's run game and force Dru Brown to throw more passes than Los Gatos is comfortable doing. In both losses Los Gatos had their lowest rushing yardage totals for the season & their highest number of passes attempted.
So Serra will have to #1 slow down Joey Brown and force 3rd & longs and #2 put pressure on LG's QB in passing situations. For Serra to win they will need to contain LG's rushing attack and limit rushing yards to 160 or less. If Joey Wood has a big day and rushes for over 100 yards Serra's chances of winning go down considerably. As to LG's passing attack Serra will need 3-4 sacks and constant pressure. For Los Gatos they will need to limit Serra's big-play capability and take advantage of any Serra turn-overs and convert them into points. It appears LG should have a slight edge in offense while the edge goes to Serra on defense. Serra's QB Hunter Bishop was injured in the 2nd 1/2 of last weeks win over Bellarmine and was questionable for this week's game. Should Bishop not be able to go then Serra will turn to its other QB Leki Nunn who moved to RB when Bishop became eligible to play.

Predictions to follow review of the other 3 CCS Open games this week.
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Serra vs Los Gatos Game Preview

Which team has the advantage in terms of overall speed and special teams?
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Serra vs Los Gatos Game Preview



Originally posted by colhenrylives:
Which team has the advantage in terms of overall speed and special teams?
Great question colhenry. From the couple of games I've watched such as against St. Mary's and films of other games there are no real "burners" that stand out for Los Gatos. They are a very well coached team and their QB is impressive. They have a very successful pass game, but the WR's are more possession receivers than long ball threats as speedsters. Joey Wood pounds the ball and while he has a run of 56 yards he is not what you'd call a "break-away" runner. The defense reacts well to the ball and seems to have adequate speed [although Los Gatos did look fast compared to the huge players they faced in Milpitas]. One thing I noticed is how quick & elusive Los Gatos QB Dru Brown is and will be a challenge for Serra to get many sacks on him. Serra had a tough time with the Mitty QB Foley who could also run well.

Serra lost its fastest player Kelepi Latamua to injury 2 weeks ago who was perhaps the fastest player in the WCAL. Serra still has some speed in Leki Nunn who has broken a number of long runs & punt returns along with receiver Brandon Monroe who also returns punts. Serra's defense is not huge but they do react quickly to the ball. I would say from viewing both teams they are likely close in team speed with a small possible edge to Serra overall.
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Serra vs Los Gatos Game Preview

It should be mentioned that in the loss to St. Marys, LG's Wood was injured in the 1st quarter, played sporadically after that, until leaving for good, early in the 4th qtr. I beleive that he ran well when he was healthy. Might have helped had he been present at the end of the game when Lg had the ball at the 5 yd line.

Also in both losses, LG was in the redzone at the end of the games. A little luck, here or there and they could have been undefeated. Of course you might be able to say that for a number of teams.

Should be a good game.
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Serra vs Los Gatos Game Preview

Excellent point Dooer about Wood getting injured early in the St. Mary's game that went down to the wire 35-32. Los Gatos is not quite the same team without Wood & I recall thinking St. Mary's was going to pull away when Wood came out early in the game due to a leg injury of some sort. In spite of that LG still hung in there and almost pulled the game out.

I agree LG could have won either of their 2 losses and if they get by Serra they have as good a chance of any team of taking the Open Division.
This post was edited on 11/19 8:40 AM by Rmbr26
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Serra vs Los Gatos Game Preview

Game Preview: Valley Christian vs Palma - Friday 7:00 PM @ Palma

* Valley Christian at 8-2 is the Co-Champ of the WCAL with Serra while Palma at 9-1 are Co-Champs of the Monterey Bay-
Gabilan League along with Salinas.
* Valley Christian is rated the 3rd best team in the CCS and Palma comes in at #5.
* Valley Christian has a overall power rating of 42.0 and Palma 35.4
* Valley Christian strength of schedule is 29.9 while Palma is 11.7
* Valley Christian averages 27.9 points per game while allowing 13.6
* Palma averages 34 points per game while allowing 9.7
* Valley Christian's top win this season was 42-17 over Bellarmine.
* Palma's top win this season was 21-12 over St. Francis.

Here are the season records for both teams:
Valley Christian - Overall Record 8-2
VC 55 - Pioneer 0 - Win
VC 41 - Oak Grove 14 - Win
Milpitas 31 - VC 17 - Loss
Serra 24 - VC 10 - Loss
VC 42 - Bellarmine 17 - Win
VC 33 - Riordan 7 - Win
VC 21 - St. Francis 14 - Win - 2 OT's
VC 17 - ST. Ignatius 15 - Win
VC 15 - Mitty 14 - Win
VC 28 - SHC 0 - Win

Palma - Overall Record 9-1
Palma 30 - Carmel 7 - Win
Palma 21 - St. Francis 12 - Win
Palma 36 - Willow Glen 6 - Win
Palma 35 - Palo Alto 7 - Win
Palma 44 - Seaside 0 - Win
Palma 55 - North Salinas 0 - Win
Palma 45 - Salinas 35 - Win
Palma 21 - Monterey 7 - Win
San Benito 17 - Palma 13 - Loss
Palma 41 - Alvarez 6 - Win

Team Overview - Valley Christian
Valley Christian has a roster of 50 players of which 25 players are 200 or over. Of the 25 players 12 players are 225 or larger and 9 players are 250 or larger. Valley Christian averages 349 yards of offense per game with 263 yards rushing and 86 yards passing. The defense has 21 QB sacks + 8 INT's for the season. VC's QB is Michael Machado 5'11 - 180 in his 2nd year as QB of the Warrior's. Machado does not throw a lot of passes, but when he does he is very accurate and efficient completing 52 of 96 passes for 865 yards, 14 - TD's and only 2 INT's with an excellent QB passer rating of 115.7. VC's ground game is perhaps the best in the WCAL when all their RB's are healthy. The main go-to guy is Kirk Johnson a 3-year varsity starter who has been plagued with ankle injuries the last 2 season's. Missing several games this season K-J is 112 carries for 921 yards [8.2 YPC avg] with 11 TD's. The 2nd primary RB is Tre McCloud 115 carries 824 yards [7.2 YPC avg] and 6 TD's. If Kirk Johnson is unable to perform the 3rd RB in the rotation is Mark Quimby 69 carries 422 yards [6.1 YPC avg] who is also an excellent RB. For the wide-outs the go-to WR is Colin Johnson [Kirk Johnson's younger brother]. Colin Johnson presents a big target at 6'5 - 200 and has speed to get open in catching 36 passes for 632 yards [17.6 YPC avg] and 9 TD's [C-J has caught 36 of VC's 52 completions this season].
On defense VC's team leader in tackles by a wide margin is Mark Quinby 5'11 - 180 [LB] with other help coming from Victor Lopez 6'3 - 200 and Akil Jones 6'1 - 200 [LB]. VC's kicker on kickoffs has 8 touch-backs in 50 kick-offs so returns are likely. The punter averages 31 yards per kick and in the field goal dept VC is 4 of 6 with a long of 34 yards. When Valley Christian's RB's are healthy and Kirk Johnson gets in a rhythm then everything else for VC seems to click as they did in the Bellarmine game. Kirk Johnson is good enough at the HS level to take over the game if he is having a big game. Quinby also is capable of beaking a game open & either RB is a break-away threat. If both K-J & Quinby are gaining yard VC will be difficult to stop.

Team Overview - Palma
Palma has a roster of 50 players of which 17 players are 200 or over. Of the 17 players 10 players are 225 or larger and 6 players are 250 or larger. Palma similar to Bellarmine for some reason does not submit any team/player statistics, so the following info is loosely put together from their games this season. Palma's QB is Jack Richardson 6'4 - 195 who has thrown for approx. 1600 yards and 21 TD's this season completing approx. 60% of his passes. The Chieftains run game is centered around RB Emilio Martinez 5'9 - 170 who gains the bulk of yards on the ground. Martinez has been a steady workhorse for Palma and contributed in every game they've played gaining approx. 1400 yards &16 TD's [6.5 YPC average]. Richardson's main target's at WR are Marques Cannon 6'3 -170, Liam McMillin 6'2 - 210 & Adrian Valdez 6'1 - 195. Palma has an excellent kicker in Miguel Mendez who has good range up to 40 yards plus and is accurate as well. The Chieftains on defense are solid and especially tough stopping teams in the red zone as they have done numerous times throughout the season.

Game Overview:
This is a difficult game to predict as Palma has had a much weaker schedule than Valley Christian. We do know Palma is good enough to take down St. Francis 21-12 although that was in the first game of the season. After the win over St. Francis Palma's next quality win was over Salinas. In comparison VC's losses were to higher ranked Milpitas & Serra [ranked #1&2 in CCS] along with quality wins over Bells, Mitty, St. Francis & St. Ignatius. Going into this game Valley Christian will be considered the favorite although Palma is ranked as the higher seed [Palma is #3 while VC is #6]. VC has more quality depth at the RB positions and if VC can slow down Martinez then Palma will have to stop Kirk Johnson, Quinby & McCloud. On the passing side Palma throws a lot more than VC and completes a high percentage of their passes to 3 WR's who are all over 6'0 tall - so potential problems for VC's DB's/Safety. On the flip side VC has WR Colin Johnson at 6'5 who could be the X-factor in this game. From games & film I've seen this game will be won on the ground most likely. Both teams rely first and foremost on their runn games and both teams have a stingy defense that allows them to control the ball on offense. Palma throws a lot more than WCAL teams [except maybe SI] so it will be interesting to see how much pressure VC puts on Richardson & how well the VC secondary can cover their WR's. Palma lost the last couple times it was in the Open Division playoffs to WCAL teams so there will be extra incentive in this game for the Palma Chieftains on their home turf with what should be a big crowd.
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Serra vs Los Gatos Game Preview



RMbr26 - great preview and breakdown.

Yes. Palma has some tall receivers and also some speed. Palma's McMillian TE is out for season from a few games back, but Adrian Valdez moved to TE (He is also a starter at CB) and has good hands and football speed. Other Palma receivers are Jr. Wesley Johnson (6-2, 190) and Justin Nobida-Lagrimas a very speedy receiver. Marques Cannon, 6-3, 180, has been a big playmaker as well and has decent speed. Casey Kory (6-3 200 lbs, DE/OLB) plays some receiver as well and he is among the faster sprinters in CCS. Palma receivers at times have been somewhat of a Jeckle and Hyde experience. If they aren't dropping passes but executing, they are very good. They run nice routes and some games really execute well. They have a few kids that have speed and can make athletic catches and have more big play potential than in the past as well.


VC is the favorite, but I will be surprised if this game is a blowout as far as matchups. This seems to be a Palma team that can matchup athletically and physically with VC and has balance on offense to make defenses honest if they are executing. The winner of this game will have to play a good game. Turnovers could impact this game on either side. Palma definitely will have to limit VC's big playmakers if they want to be in this one. One good thing about this Palma team is that they seem to be playing better than earlier in the season (even with the Hollister loss as an exception). VC seems to be playing better as well and healthier.
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Valley Christian vs Palma Preview

When they are clicking on all cylinders, VC can be scary good. Plus their 2014 schedule has been far, far more challenging than Palma's.
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Valley Christian vs Palma Preview

Rmbr26: Wow, Great analysis and preview of the valley palma game. I can not wait on how you see the rest of the open games. Thank you! I am just a fan of high school football especially wcal games. Never played, but have learned a lot from your posts and it makes the open games intriguing.
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Valley Christian vs Palma Preview

Originally posted by ds1968:
Rmbr26: Wow, Great analysis and preview of the valley palma game. I can not wait on how you see the rest of the open games. Thank you! I am just a fan of high school football especially wcal games. Never played, but have learned a lot from your posts and it makes the open games intriguing.
Thanks ds1968 & appreciate your comments greatly - study & watch the games & therefore don't mind sharing my thoughts with the other fans hoping to give some of them a bit of insight. These Open Division games have some really good match-ups!
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Serra vs Los Gatos Game Preview

Originally posted by NorCalSportsFan:



RMbr26 - great preview and breakdown.

Yes. Palma has some tall receivers and also some speed. Palma's McMillian TE is out for season from a few games back, but Adrian Valdez moved to TE (He is also a starter at CB) and has good hands and football speed. Other Palma receivers are Jr. Wesley Johnson (6-2, 190) and Justin Nobida-Lagrimas a very speedy receiver. Marques Cannon, 6-3, 180, has been a big playmaker as well and has decent speed. Casey Kory (6-3 200 lbs, DE/OLB) plays some receiver as well and he is among the faster sprinters in CCS. Palma receivers at times have been somewhat of a Jeckle and Hyde experience. If they aren't dropping passes but executing, they are very good. They run nice routes and some games really execute well. They have a few kids that have speed and can make athletic catches and have more big play potential than in the past as well.


VC is the favorite, but I will be surprised if this game is a blowout as far as matchups. This seems to be a Palma team that can matchup athletically and physically with VC and has balance on offense to make defenses honest if they are executing. The winner of this game will have to play a good game. Turnovers could impact this game on either side. Palma definitely will have to limit VC's big playmakers if they want to be in this one. One good thing about this Palma team is that they seem to be playing better than earlier in the season (even with the Hollister loss as an exception). VC seems to be playing better as well and healthier.
NorCalSportsFan: Thanks much for your excellent feedback on Palma as I was hoping you would give the rest of us some insight on the Palma Chieftains [mainly us WCAL die-hards who are not as familiar with Palma being outside outside the WCAL league -though at times it feels like they are part of our league]. For those of you unfamiliar NorCalSportsFan is the foremost expert on Palma football on this post board for a number of years and usually gives great insight into the players and team.

Its interesting NorCal as most of us here have not seen Palma play in person except on highlight films & difficult to assess just how good they are. They seem very well balanced, have an excellent QB & excellent RB and solid defense. So how will they match up with VC? The most interesting comparison is the Palma soph RB Martinez who has been simply amazing as a soph RB on varsity [similar to Serra's Nunn]. Will VC's Kirk Johnson take over the game or will Palma's Martinez shock everyone by running through VC?

Only bummer is many fans cannot travel to Salinas and checking the game is not being televised live-stream by PlayOnSports or HighScholCube like many other of the games.

Hopefully NorCal or someone else there can text us a few updates on the games progress.
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Valley Christian vs Palma Preview

Palmas defense has yet to face a RB like Kirk Johnson or really anywhere near as talented as him this year. In previous matchups, Palma has never had success against VC talented RBs. I think the only way Palma has a chance in this game is if they get their passing game going. There was a lot of hype on the athletes that palma has at the skill positions but they have been average at best this year. They do have the size and speed but they are all very inconsistent with route running and catching. If I were VC I would test Palmas passing attack by stacking the box and forcing them to throw the ball. Richardson has had a solid year despite the inconsistent play at WR. Palmas biggest strength is their Oline. Coach Dalman is a guru with the zone blocking scheme and this is a physical athletic line that excels in the scheme. Emilio is also a very nimble runner who is patient and slashes through holes. This palma team is very young especially on offense. I think they have only 4 seniors and 3 Sophomores starting on offense. In palmas only loss against Hollister(san benito), Hollister stacked the box and kept Emilio in check. Word is he was a little under the weather but it just shows that if you shut down the run palma will struggle.
Palmas defense has been impressive this year. They arent the biggest most talented group that palma has had but they are all hard nose football players. They are actually pretty small up front but have been excelling due to their quickness, They have all 11 guys swarming to the football. Palmas DBs have very good size and speed but they will have their hands full with the 6'5 younger Johnson. VC should really focus on the run game though. Palma has struggled against good RBs this year. If KJ is healthy I think he can run all over this defense. While I would love to see palma beat VC especially because they have a history of losing to them in the open, I think VC gets the win here. Palmas youth and inconsistent play in the passing game is the main reason I think VC wins. I hope they prove me wrong though. I say VC wins 35-24.

For Palmas game results and stats mbaypreps.com has them seems to be pretty accurate. KION 1460 has radio coverage of Palma football games if your interested in listening to it on the radio or online. Jack Richardsons dad calls the game. He also does the SJSU games.

This post was edited on 11/19 10:03 PM by thehookup55
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Serra vs Los Gatos Game Preview

Palma is a good team with physical, quick and disciplined lines and good team speed. I think they will match up pretty well. VC WR C Johnson will be a tough matchup, but Palma has some 6 foot to 6'1 DBs that are quick and a very quick pass rush. They also have a good pass rush. Will be interesting to see how they scheme C. Johnson. They also have OLB Cory who is 6-3, 198 lbs and one of the faster kids in CCS (will run sub 11 in the 100Min track) they can move to DB. One of the other DBs is smaller but also very fast 100M in track.

As far as line - Palma DTs are very good. One Eduardo Barbosa I hear will be visiting Oregon (not sure if state or U) and is very strong and quick (He is a beast). Will be interesting to see him against VCs big line. Also Christian Auoella the other tackle is very fast. MLBs are young but one is very physical and both read plays really well. If Palma can keep VC from getting outside the edges, they should do fine. Palma run defense is very good. VC d-line is very good and I think Palma's o-line should match up fine. Palma will air it out and they run a lot of play action which buys enough time or roll out. Richardson while not a real threat to scramble is 6-4 and moves pretty good in the pocket and throws really well on the run to spots. He's pretty polished. He used to look at his receiver but seems to have fixed that and reads defenses well.

RBs

K Johnson is bigger and overall faster than Emilio Martinez, but Emilio is more quick to the hole and next level than fast (although only a soph and he had one of Palmas fastest times ever for frosh in the 100M) and he reads blocks really well.He can cut sideways and back at full speed. He will probably break every Palma rushing record by the time he is done if he stays healthy. VC has the advantage of several RBs that are a threat so Palma will have to play very disciplined. I think VC will break one of two long plays, but overall I think Palma is going to be in this game.

Overall VC has more high profile athletes, but Palma has a few that will be playing after high school and overall are a good team. I think this game will surprise some people in the north CCS. Should be a good game.
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Serra vs Los Gatos Game Preview

Game Preview: Bellarmine vs Milpitas - Fri. 7:00 PM @ Milpitas

Bellarmine 8-2 finished in 2nd place in the WCAL while Milpitas 10-0 is the Champ of the De Anza League.
Bellarmine is ranked as the 4th best team in CCS while Milpitas is ranked #1.
Bellarmine's power rating is 39.4 while Milpitas is 43.9.
Bellarmine's strength of schedule is 28.3 while Milpitas is 7.7
Bellarmine averages 28.8 points per game while allowing 22.3 points per game.
Milpitas averages 40.8 per game and allows 5.8 points per game.
Bellarmine's top win this season was Franklin - Elk Grove 42-28.
Milpitas top win this season was Valley Christian 31-17.

Here are the season's records for both teams:
Bellarmine - Overall Record 8-2
Bellarmine 42 - Franklin-Elk Grove 28 - Win
Bellarmine 28 - San Leandro 17 - Win
Bellarmine 56 - Piedmont Hills 20 - Win
Bellarmine 31 - St. Ignatius 28 - Win
Valley Christian 42 - Bellarmine 17 - Loss
Bellarmine 35 - SHC 14 - Win
Bellarmine 20 - Mitty 17 - Win
Bellarmine 28 - Riordan 15 - Win
Bellarmine 17 - St. Francis 14 - Win
Serra 28 - Bellarmine 14 - Loss

Milpitas - Overall Record 10-0
Milpitas 27 - Riordan 0 - Win
Milpitas 54 - Mission Valley [North Coast] 0 - Win
Milpitas 31 - Valley Christian 17 - Win
Milpitas 27 - Homestead 3 - Win
Milpitas 62 - Monte Vista 3 - Win
Milpitas 49 - Saratoga 0 - Win
Milpitas 28- Wilcox 0 -Win
Milpitas 27 - Los Gatos 21 - Win
Milpitas 49 - Palo Alto 0 - Win
Milpitas 56 - Santa Clara 0 - Win

Team Overview: Bellarmine
Bellarmine has a roster of 57 players of which 19 players are 200 or over. Of the 19 players 9 players are 225 or larger and no players are shown over 250 [in this respect the Bells are one of the smaller WCAL teams in sheer physical size]. Bellarmine does not submit game/player stats to any site so the following info is based loosely upon numerous games the Bells played where stats were reported. The Bells are the 2nd highest scoring of the WCAL teams behind Serra and ahead of Valley Christian. The Bells employ a dual QB system changing the QB on every play. The 2 QB's are Troy Martig and Griffin Quinn who are both talented athletes and either can run or pass. The Bells are a conservative team as is their coach and do not like to take risks such as 4th down and short yardage situations. Bellarmine employs a double-wing offense and like to stick with the run as long as it is working, but will occasionally mix in a pass play. The Bells most exciting player is Kyle Macauley 5'10 - 170 who plays RB,WR,DB and kick-punt returner and usually accounts for several big plays in every game. Another player to watch is Anthony Guttadauro 5'10 - 170 who plays RB & DB and is one of the better 2-way players in the WCAL. Another good 2-way player is Josh Bringuel 6'3 - 210 who plays TE,LB. Bellarmine this season has relied on big plays from its offense or special teams to win a number of close games including 3-point wins over St. Ignatius, St. Francis & Mitty. Bellarmine likes to grind it out on the ground and keep the score close and wait for the other team to make mistakes. Bellarmine in most of its games does not incur many penalties and is a well disciplined team. Bell's coach Janda is one of the better coaches in the CCS and has coached many very good teams and makes the best use out of the players he has in any given year.

Team Overview - Milpitas
Milpitas has a roster showing 58 players of which 17 players weigh in at 200 or over. Of the 17 players 13 are 225 or larger and 7 are over 250 - with 4 over 300. Milpitas averages about 275 yards offense per game with 231 yards rushing & 133 passing per game with 59 TD's. The defense has 21 sacks & 16 INT's to date. The QB John Keller6'0 - 180 is 38/75 for 994 yards, 13 TD's and 4 INT's with a 113 QB rating [excellent]. The 2 primary RB's are Cros Chavez 5'9 -175 who gets most of the carries 93 for 838 yards [9.0 APC] & 8 TDs, followed by Sean Barnes 5'10 -175 with 55 carries for 426 yards [7.7 APC] and 7 TD's. The top WR is Christian Rita with 13 catches for 392 yards & 8 TD's. Christian Rita is also the big playmaker as a 2-way player for Milpitas playing both ways as WR/RB/DB & also as KR [both punts & KO's] and has 16 TD's total. Between the 2 RB's & Rita the 3 players account for 31 of Milpitas TD's this season. On kickoffs Mipitas kicker has 26 of 70 touch-backs [averages 57 yards a kickoff] so returns are likely for Bellarmine. The punter averages 36 yards per punt which is above average. On field goals the Milpitas kicke is 1 of 5 this season so do not look for FG tries on 4th and short in Bellarmine territory. On defense the 4 leading tacklers on the team are: Solomon Foketi 6'2 - 255 [LB], Victor Rodriguez 5'9-160 [DB], Jarred Greene 6'1-215 [LB] and Tevita Musika 6'2 -330 [DL].

Game Overview:
Bellarmine is a slightly under-size team for the WCAL and will be facing a HUGE Milpitas team [forget big, HUGE is much more appropriate]. The physical size differential is substantial as would be with most teams facing Milpitas. The difference is largely in the OL & DL positions however and the skill positions are much more in line with each other. Bellarmine over the season has been outsized by most other teams it has played, however make no mistake this is the largest team physically the Bells will have faced. IN their favor the Bells are a well executing team and do not usually make an abundance of mistakes, but try to capitalize on their opponents mistakes. Milpitas does not pass a lot and scores most of their TD's on either rushing on special teams/Interceptions returns. For the Bells to win they must slow down Milpitas run game and of course prevent Christian Rita from making big plays on pass receptions or kick returns and/or INT's. If the Bells can limit the rushing yardage and cover Rita [kick away from him] along with mistake free execution then the Bells could have a chance. Milpitas on their side must limit mistakes in form of penalties and turn-overs to keep Bellarmine in the game and also prevent Bellarmine's Macauley from big plays similar to Bells stopping Rita.
While Milpitas is a decided favorite going into this game Bellarmine has a number of good wins and has an excellent coach in Janda and should give Milpitas one of the best opponents they've faced this season.
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Serra vs Los Gatos Game Preview


CCS Open and QB Sacks this Season:

Of the 8 teams in the CCS Open Division I happened to notice the disparity in QB sacks - ie: pressure on the QB usually in passing situations. Its interesting as there are teams in the Open with very low "SOS" [strength of schedules] which relates to weaker schedules and more lop-sided wins as compared to teams with lower win records and higher SOS ratings. So take a look below & see the comparison & draw your own conclusions. [Bellarmine excluded as do not make stats available].

CCS Open Division Leaders in QB Sacks:
SHP - 37
Oak Grove - 37
Serra - 34.5
Valley Christian - 21.0
Milpitas - 21.0
Los Gatos - 17
Palma - 6

Strength of Schedule Ratings of CCS Open Teams:
Serra - 34.3
Valley Christian - 29.9
Los Gatos - 12.0
Palma - 11.7
SHP - 10.4
Oak Grove - 8.6
Milpitas - 7.7
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Valley Christian vs Palma Preview

Predictions for WCAL Playoff Games in Open, Div.II & Div.III

Open Division:
SHP 31-17
over Oak Grove - Oak Grove by far the weakest team in the Open Division
Serra 20-14 over Los Gatos - Serra's D will be the difference
VC 28-24 over Palma - VC's size and RB's too much for Palma/Martinez to overcome
Milpitas 28-21 over Bells - Milpitas size and Christian Rita is the difference

Division II:
St. Francis 45-6
over Mt. Pleasant - a monumental mismatch and score could be worse - reserves play 2nd 1/2 for SF.
Mitty 42-13 over Willow Glen - Willow Glen lost to Palma 35-6 and best game was a loss to Oak Grove.

Division III:
St. Ignatius 27-21
over Monterey - SI should remember last year's upset loss to Aptos 41-35 in Div. III Championship.

Other Div. III Game of Interest:
Burlingame 35-21 over Aragon
- both teams had 1 loss, BGame to SHP, Aragon lost to Hillsdale [who lost to SSF by 2 TD's]
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Valley Christian vs Palma Preview

Oak Grove 21-13 over SHP
Los Gatos 24-10 over Serra
VC 31-21 over Palma
Milpitas 28 - 17 over Bellarmine
St. Francis 31-10 over Mt. Pleasant
Mitty 38 - 14 over Willow Glen
St. Ignatius 27 - 21 over Monterey
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Valley Christian vs Palma Preview

Originally posted by wcalaholic:
When did SHP join the WCAL in football?
They didn't. They're in the PAL.
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Valley Christian vs Palma Preview

A few of tonite & tomorrow's games are being televised as shown below:

St. Francis vs Mt. Pleasant at 7:00 PM tonite on www.highschoolcube.com FREE
http://www.highschoolcube.com/schools/st-francis-high-school-mountain-view-California

Mitty vs Willow Glen at 7:00 PM tonite on www.highschoolcube.com FREE
http://www.highschoolcube.com/schools/willow-glen-high-school-san-jose-california

Bellarmine vs Milpitas tonite at 6:50 PM on www.playonsports.com network - Requires subscription of $14.95 for 1-month, but covers lots of playoff games including North Coast & Sac Joaquin regions


http://www.nfhsnetwork.com/explore/upcoming/school/33809ecbaa [Bell-Milpitas game]
http://www.nfhsnetwork.com/explore/upcoming [all playoff games being shown]

Live game updates on Valley Christian vs Palma game tonite starting at 7:00 PM


http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/palma-chieftains-(salinas,ca)/football/home.htm
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Valley Christian vs Palma Preview


Interesting that both the Valley Christian-Palma game and Bellarmine-MIlpitas game were so low-scoring. Valley Christian won 14-7 over Palma so not a lot of offense on either side. In the Bell's -Milpitas game it is 3-3 in the 4th quarter. I saw just a bit of this game and early in the first quarter it looked like Milpitas was going to crush the Bells after a few series. Have to give it to coach Janda of Bells though as he made adjustments and so far "undersized" Bells have hung in there against odds against the biggest HS team I've ever seen. In first half that Bells recovered a fumble by Milpitas on the Bells 1-yard line - typical Bells football causing mistakes and then taking advantage of them [which is what they do].
This post was edited on 11/21 9:25 PM by Rmbr26
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open Predictions + Mitty, SF & SI


Guess you missed the other post Sir Lancealot, the Bells unbelievably hung in against a overwhelmingly huge Milpitas team to end the game 3-3 and then win in O/T 9-6. Had you seen the start of the game you would not believe the final score. The Bells looked like they were going to be overwhelmed in the beginning of the game & in the 2nd quarter recovered a fumble by Milpitas on their own 1-yard line. Bellarmine defied all the odds in this game credit to their coaching and disciplined play by the team [well done Bells!].
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open Predictions + Mitty, SF & SI

If Serra wins tomorrow, another WCAL sweep is in the works.
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open Predictions + Mitty, SF & SI

It was a great win for the Bells, but I will have to say right before Milpitas fumbled on their 1 yrd line they scored a td which the ref said the runners knee was down, but clearly wasnt. This call lost the game for Milpitas. But you have to credit the Bells defense in this one.
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Valley Christian vs Palma Preview

Originally posted by Rmbr26:
Predictions for WCAL Playoff Games in Open, Div.II & Div.III
Open Division:
SHP 31-17
over Oak Grove - Oak Grove by far the weakest team in the Open Division
Serra 20-14 over Los Gatos - Serra's D will be the difference
VC 28-24 over Palma - VC's size and RB's too much for Palma/Martinez to overcome
Milpitas 28-21 over Bells - Milpitas size and Christian Rita is the difference

Division II:
St. Francis 45-6
over Mt. Pleasant - a monumental mismatch and score could be worse - reserves play 2nd 1/2 for SF.
Mitty 42-13 over Willow Glen - Willow Glen lost to Palma 35-6 and best game was a loss to Oak Grove.

Division III:
St. Ignatius 27-21
over Monterey - SI should remember last year's upset loss to Aptos 41-35 in Div. III Championship.

Other Div. III Game of Interest:
Burlingame 35-21 over Aragon
- both teams had 1 loss, BGame to SHP, Aragon lost to Hillsdale [who lost to SSF by 2 TD's]
FRIDAY NITE GAME RESULTS:
Bellarmine 9-6 over Milpitas
VC 14-7 over Palma
Mitty 49-15 over Willow Glen
SF 55-6 over Mt. Pleasant

Burlingame 21-7 over Aragon

Observations: In both the Bells and Valley Christian games the high powered offense of both teams disappeared to large extent and the games became defensive battles. The Bells and Milpitas who have thrived on big plays throughout the season simply did not create them last night in what was a huge defensive battle ending 3-3 in regulation. Both teams squandered opportunities with Bellarmine uncharacteristically going on 4th down for a TD and missing on a pass play instead of taking an easy FG which could have won the game later on. Milpitas likewise fumbled at the Bells 1-yard line which a TD would have put Milpitas up 10-0 and potentially won the game for them. The Bells did what they've done in many other games in sticking close with the hope they could make one or 2 big plays at the end of the game to win. I thought it was clever that Janda had his QB Martig in overtime throw the winning pass on first down - which Milpitas was likely not expecting.

BTW someone on the board was the only person to predict a Bells win, but not finding it right now - anyone remember who?

Next week's games: Div. Semi-Finals
Open

Bellarmine vs Valley Christian
Serra or Los Gatos vs winner of SHP-Oak Grove game today
Div. II
St. Francis vs Leland of San Jose
Mitty vs Wilcox of Santa Clara
Div. III
St. Ignatius or Monterey vs Pioneer

* Would I be jumping ahead in saying I expect either Serra/Los Gatos or VC to take the Open Division with the Bells a long shot, SHP a longer shot & Oak Grove needing a miracle?

This post was edited on 11/22 11:39 AM by Rmbr26
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Valley Christian vs Palma Preview

Originally posted by Rmbr26:
Originally posted by Rmbr26:
Predictions for WCAL Playoff Games in Open, Div.II & Div.III
Open Division:
SHP 31-17
over Oak Grove - Oak Grove by far the weakest team in the Open Division
Serra 20-14 over Los Gatos - Serra's D will be the difference
VC 28-24 over Palma - VC's size and RB's too much for Palma/Martinez to overcome
Milpitas 28-21 over Bells - Milpitas size and Christian Rita is the difference

Division II:
St. Francis 45-6
over Mt. Pleasant - a monumental mismatch and score could be worse - reserves play 2nd 1/2 for SF.
Mitty 42-13 over Willow Glen - Willow Glen lost to Palma 35-6 and best game was a loss to Oak Grove.

Division III:
St. Ignatius 27-21
over Monterey - SI should remember last year's upset loss to Aptos 41-35 in Div. III Championship.

Other Div. III Game of Interest:
Burlingame 35-21 over Aragon
- both teams had 1 loss, BGame to SHP, Aragon lost to Hillsdale [who lost to SSF by 2 TD's]
FRIDAY NITE GAME RESULTS:
Bellarmine 9-6 over Milpitas
VC 14-7 over Palma
Mitty 49-15 over Willow Glen
SF 55-6 over Mt. Pleasant

Burlingame 21-7 over Aragon

Observations: In both the Bells and Valley Christian games the high powered offense of both teams disappeared to large extent and the games became defensive battles. The Bells and Milpitas who have thrived on big plays throughout the season simply did not create them last night in what was a huge defensive battle ending 3-3 in regulation. Both teams squandered opportunities with Bellarmine uncharacteristically going on 4th down for a TD and missing on a pass play instead of taking an easy FG which could have won the game later on. Milpitas likewise fumbled at the Bells 1-yard line which a TD would have put Milpitas up 10-0 and potentially won the game for them. The Bells did what they've done in many other games in sticking close with the hope they could make one or 2 big plays at the end of the game to win. I thought it was clever that Janda had his QB Martig in overtime throw the winning pass on first down - which Milpitas was likely not expecting.

BTW someone on the board was the only person to predict a Bells win, but not finding it right now - anyone remember who?

Next week's games: Div. Semi-Finals
Open

Bellarmine vs Valley Christian
Serra or Los Gatos vs winner of SHP-Oak Grove game today
Div. II
St. Francis vs Leland of San Jose
Mitty vs Wilcox of Santa Clara
Div. III
St. Ignatius or Monterey vs Pioneer

* Would I be jumping ahead in saying I expect either Serra/Los Gatos or VC to take the Open Division with the Bells a long shot, SHP a longer shot & Oak Grove needing a miracle?

This post was edited on 11/22 11:39 AM by Rmbr26
That would be me. I posted it in the CCS open division thread. Although I wasn't close on the score.
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Valley Christian vs Palma Preview

Originally posted by Rmbr26
BTW someone on the board was the only person to predict a Bells win, but not finding it right now - anyone remember who?
__________________________________________________________________________________
Originally posted by WCAL75:
That would be me. I posted it in the CCS open division thread. Although I wasn't close on the score.
WCAL75 - pretty good predict whether or not score was close or not - I think 99 out of a 100 people would have picked Milpitas.
I actually thought Bells might have a chance, but just did not have the confidence they could overcome Milpitas size.
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open - Los Gatos 28 - Serra 0

Final Los Gatos 28-0 over Serra

This game was not very entertaining unless you are a Los Gatos fan. I felt LG was a good team going in and they showed it today.
Their QB Dru Brown is excellent with a strong arm and very accurate. Joey Wood at 5'10-220 is an imposing RB at the HS level and able to get extra yards most of the time. LG moved the ball well most of the game. When Serra was able to do anything at all it seemed like there was a penalty and there were a lot of penalties in this game [LG called for holding numerous times]. Serra's run game struggled and I was wondering if Serra's RB Cassidy is still favoring his shoulder [previously injured] as he seemed on runs up the middle to run straight up tentatively and most runs gained little if any yardage. It wasn't just Cassidy though as a team Serra did not play well with WR's dropping passes, passes being thrown into double coverage and towards the end of the game 2 passes were thrown directly to Los Gatos DB's [one of which resulted in another LG TD & 3 INT's by Serra's Bishop]. Also a number of fumbles in this game, 1 by LG and 2-3 by Serra. The 2nd TD by LG's Joey Wood was a 58 yarder off a screen pass which Dru Brown worked to perfection and a 2nd one went for another 23 yards until Serra made an adjustment on defense. So Serra had 4 [maybe 5 turnovers] and inopportune penalties at the wrong time such as running into LG's punter on 4th and 26 yards giving LG an automatic first down in Serra territory & another holding LG to 4th & 12 and drawing a personal foul again moving the ball into Serra territory - there were many others but you get the idea [penalties that make coaches crazy].

I would have to say now that LG & VC would be my 2 picks to meet in the final, but then again you can never count out the Bells.
Of those 3 teams LG would have the most balanced offense IMO.
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open Predictions + Mitty, SF & SI

So SHP is not just a non-factor but a complete afterthought?
 
Re: WCAL 2014 - CCS Open Predictions + Mitty, SF & SI



Originally posted by colhenrylives:
So SHP is not just a non-factor but a complete afterthought?

SHP 37-13 over Oak Grove so a good showing by SHP.

SHP of course has a chance like the other 3 remaining teams and is the only one undefeated now that Milpitas has been vanquished by Bellarmine. SHP is a bit hard to judge against the other 3 teams I mentioned as SHP has not played any other highly ranked/rated team to compare with. Both Burlingame & Aragon were also undefeated 2 weeks ago until Aragon lost to Hillsdale & BGame to SHP. Now SHP could completely surprise me & others by rolling over Los Gatos next week and then taking down either Valley Christian or the Bells. It is possible and that's why the games are played. The Bells upset Milpitas & today Los Gatos rolled Serra by 28 both of which the computers picked the opposite team to win. Curious Colhenry are you familiar with SHP's roster and where would you place them among the remaining teams?
 
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