WCAL Football 2019-20 - NCP's All NorCal Team + SF Chron All Metro & Merc Teams
- Thread starter Rmbr26
- Start date
WCAL Football 2019-20 - Last Minute Game Previews:
Clovis West vs VC: reading a bit more about the Clovis West Golden Eagles I may have underestimated them with my score prediction of VC 24-7. The loss to Liberty last week was actually much closer than the 17-7 score indicates. Clovis West was without its leading rusher from last season Brandon Wafer [703 yards last season with 6.5 APC & may return for the VC game. Without their top RB Clovis West had a total of 50-yards rushing for the game. The game was 10-7 Liberty in the 3rd quarter when Liberty returned a KO 93-yards for TD for the final score of the game. Without that TD we’re looking at a 3-point differential between Liberty a top ranked team in NorCal and Clovis West. “Trap Game” for VC?
Pitt vs Serra: there are several different angles to this game. First if you look at the “Weeks Pick’em Games” every single poster is picking Serra and some ranking at the 10-spot meaning a “guaranteed win”. We know St. Mary’s lost to Pitt in week 1 in a shoot-out by 42-35. The following week Serra drilled Pitt by 58-21 and so logic would tell us that Serra should handle St. Mary’s. Unfortunately logic does not always play out in HS football. Some say St. Mary’s had a down week in their opener vs Pitt while the Pitt QB had one of the best passing games in Pitt football history throwing for almost 400 yards and 6-TD’s. I have also read that some Pitt fans said Pitt just had an off game vs Serra and is much better than the Pirates showed in that game. St. Mary’s bounced back in week #2 and pounded Central Catholic by 42-7, which despite their 0-3 record is rated as a pretty decent team [Central Catholic lost by a similar margin to DLS last week – so St. Mary’s 42-7 then DLS 48-14]. St. Mary’s has a rising star in soph WR Jaydyn Marshall [6’0-185], which Serra will have to find a way to contain. IN the first game vs Pitt the St. Mary’s WR had 9-catches for 233 yards & 2 TD’s, ran 3 times for 21-yards and a 3rd TD while returning 2 KO’s for 68 yards - a total of 322 yards. In game #2 last week Marshall had 10 catches for nearly 200 yards incl TD’ while rushing 4 times for 58 yards and a TD. Those are eye-opening numbers with over 400 yards receiving and 4 TD’s and 79 yards rushing and 2 TD’s in 2 games. Serra did a great job on MA’s Troy Franklin limiting the talented WR to short receptions. Can the Padres also contain Jadyn Marshall which neither Pitt nor Central Catholic had any success in doing?
Justin-Siena vs Riordan: while Justin-Siena is 3-0 the team is difficult to rate as 2 of those wins have come across very weak teams which are both winless in their 3 games each. The one quality opponent that Justin-Siena beat was Piedmont 2-1 by a score of 35-7. Piedmont looks to be a solid team on D while the “Braves” big weapon on offense is WR Miles Williams [6’2-200] who accounted for 3 TD’s incl 2 long pass plays and also plays D blocking a punt which he ran in for a 3rd TD. This is the player Riordan will have to double up on while getting some pressure on the QB. This game is not a “given” for the Crusaders and if they come out flat they could come up short in this game.
Oakland vs Mitty: while Oakland has 2 wins over weak opposition that in itself does not make Oakland a bad team. Simply due to the fact both wins were by wide margins the Monarchs should not take this game lightly. No player stats or game recaps available on this team.
Gonzaga Prep vs S.I. is a “pick’em game with a slight edge to GP who has only played 1-game to S.I.’s 2 games. Gonzaga is strictly a run-team offense and rushed for over 400 yards in their win last week 45-13 over Coeur d’Alene of ID using 7 different RB’s. The main RB is Jayden Ortega 6’0-210 who scored 4 TD’s in the win. While using 7 RB’s there does not appear to be any “break-away” threats but rather this is a “ground and pound” type ball control offense. S.I.’s defensive plan for this game must center on stacking the line and preventing short runs for first downs. Gonzaga Prep only attempted 2 passes last week and S.I. will need to take some chances with help from their secondary in stopping GP’s RB’s.
Aptos vs SHC: the Aptos “Mariners” run a Wing-T offense and spread the ball around quite a bit. In the close loss to Oakdale last week Aptos had 376 yards offense with 239 in passing. Aptos big weapon on offense is WR Fisher Johnson 6’0-170 who had 9 catches for 122 yards last week. Aptos is solid on defense and the Irish will need to establish a run game to have a solid chance in this game.
Oak Grove vs SF: Oak Grove after an easy opening win over Oakland Tech got blasted 44-0 by Los Gatos with a running clock for the entire 2nd ½. So the question begs: is Los Gatos that good or is Oak Grove just that bad? Oak Grove is primarily a run team with one RB M. Sumier” who gets the bulk of the carries [this is not a difficult offense to plan against]. More than anything this game will give us a better idea of how SF stacks up in the WCAL vs VC & Serra.
Vintage vs Bells: Vintage is another team that spreads the ball around but is a run-first offense that averaged nearly 240 yards rushing in its first 3 games with another 76 passing per game. The “Crushers” [that name sounds quite ominous going into a game vs the depleted Bells] employ a stable of RB’s in which all 6 RB’s have high APC numbers – which tells me their O/L do a good job opening holes. Knowing that Vintage will be running the ball how well will Janda prepare his D to stop them? This IS a good team and the Bells having already played a very good team in M-A at least have that experience under their belt. Knowing Vintage is going to test the Bells D/L can the Bells stop or at least slow them down?? Bells have lost 2 games by a combined score of 89-17 and the question is “Can it get any worse?”
Clovis West vs VC: reading a bit more about the Clovis West Golden Eagles I may have underestimated them with my score prediction of VC 24-7. The loss to Liberty last week was actually much closer than the 17-7 score indicates. Clovis West was without its leading rusher from last season Brandon Wafer [703 yards last season with 6.5 APC & may return for the VC game. Without their top RB Clovis West had a total of 50-yards rushing for the game. The game was 10-7 Liberty in the 3rd quarter when Liberty returned a KO 93-yards for TD for the final score of the game. Without that TD we’re looking at a 3-point differential between Liberty a top ranked team in NorCal and Clovis West. “Trap Game” for VC?
Pitt vs Serra: there are several different angles to this game. First if you look at the “Weeks Pick’em Games” every single poster is picking Serra and some ranking at the 10-spot meaning a “guaranteed win”. We know St. Mary’s lost to Pitt in week 1 in a shoot-out by 42-35. The following week Serra drilled Pitt by 58-21 and so logic would tell us that Serra should handle St. Mary’s. Unfortunately logic does not always play out in HS football. Some say St. Mary’s had a down week in their opener vs Pitt while the Pitt QB had one of the best passing games in Pitt football history throwing for almost 400 yards and 6-TD’s. I have also read that some Pitt fans said Pitt just had an off game vs Serra and is much better than the Pirates showed in that game. St. Mary’s bounced back in week #2 and pounded Central Catholic by 42-7, which despite their 0-3 record is rated as a pretty decent team [Central Catholic lost by a similar margin to DLS last week – so St. Mary’s 42-7 then DLS 48-14]. St. Mary’s has a rising star in soph WR Jaydyn Marshall [6’0-185], which Serra will have to find a way to contain. IN the first game vs Pitt the St. Mary’s WR had 9-catches for 233 yards & 2 TD’s, ran 3 times for 21-yards and a 3rd TD while returning 2 KO’s for 68 yards - a total of 322 yards. In game #2 last week Marshall had 10 catches for nearly 200 yards incl TD’ while rushing 4 times for 58 yards and a TD. Those are eye-opening numbers with over 400 yards receiving and 4 TD’s and 79 yards rushing and 2 TD’s in 2 games. Serra did a great job on MA’s Troy Franklin limiting the talented WR to short receptions. Can the Padres also contain Jadyn Marshall which neither Pitt nor Central Catholic had any success in doing?
Justin-Siena vs Riordan: while Justin-Siena is 3-0 the team is difficult to rate as 2 of those wins have come across very weak teams which are both winless in their 3 games each. The one quality opponent that Justin-Siena beat was Piedmont 2-1 by a score of 35-7. Piedmont looks to be a solid team on D while the “Braves” big weapon on offense is WR Miles Williams [6’2-200] who accounted for 3 TD’s incl 2 long pass plays and also plays D blocking a punt which he ran in for a 3rd TD. This is the player Riordan will have to double up on while getting some pressure on the QB. This game is not a “given” for the Crusaders and if they come out flat they could come up short in this game.
Oakland vs Mitty: while Oakland has 2 wins over weak opposition that in itself does not make Oakland a bad team. Simply due to the fact both wins were by wide margins the Monarchs should not take this game lightly. No player stats or game recaps available on this team.
Gonzaga Prep vs S.I. is a “pick’em game with a slight edge to GP who has only played 1-game to S.I.’s 2 games. Gonzaga is strictly a run-team offense and rushed for over 400 yards in their win last week 45-13 over Coeur d’Alene of ID using 7 different RB’s. The main RB is Jayden Ortega 6’0-210 who scored 4 TD’s in the win. While using 7 RB’s there does not appear to be any “break-away” threats but rather this is a “ground and pound” type ball control offense. S.I.’s defensive plan for this game must center on stacking the line and preventing short runs for first downs. Gonzaga Prep only attempted 2 passes last week and S.I. will need to take some chances with help from their secondary in stopping GP’s RB’s.
Aptos vs SHC: the Aptos “Mariners” run a Wing-T offense and spread the ball around quite a bit. In the close loss to Oakdale last week Aptos had 376 yards offense with 239 in passing. Aptos big weapon on offense is WR Fisher Johnson 6’0-170 who had 9 catches for 122 yards last week. Aptos is solid on defense and the Irish will need to establish a run game to have a solid chance in this game.
Oak Grove vs SF: Oak Grove after an easy opening win over Oakland Tech got blasted 44-0 by Los Gatos with a running clock for the entire 2nd ½. So the question begs: is Los Gatos that good or is Oak Grove just that bad? Oak Grove is primarily a run team with one RB M. Sumier” who gets the bulk of the carries [this is not a difficult offense to plan against]. More than anything this game will give us a better idea of how SF stacks up in the WCAL vs VC & Serra.
Vintage vs Bells: Vintage is another team that spreads the ball around but is a run-first offense that averaged nearly 240 yards rushing in its first 3 games with another 76 passing per game. The “Crushers” [that name sounds quite ominous going into a game vs the depleted Bells] employ a stable of RB’s in which all 6 RB’s have high APC numbers – which tells me their O/L do a good job opening holes. Knowing that Vintage will be running the ball how well will Janda prepare his D to stop them? This IS a good team and the Bells having already played a very good team in M-A at least have that experience under their belt. Knowing Vintage is going to test the Bells D/L can the Bells stop or at least slow them down?? Bells have lost 2 games by a combined score of 89-17 and the question is “Can it get any worse?”
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Let's answer that last question: Yes, it most certainly can get worse.
Team Performance Ratings after 2 Games:
1. Serra
2. VC
3. SF
4. S.I.
5. Mitty
6. Riordan
7. SHC
8. Bells
Scores vs Opponents:
1. Serra 96/34 [+62]
2. VC 60/13 [+47]
3. Riordan 65/51 [+14]
4. S.I. 44/35 [+9]
5. Mitty 56/66 [-10]
6. SHC 35/79 [-44]
7. Bells 24/89 [-65]
8. SF 34/96 [-68]
Offense/Defense Avg Per Game after 2 Games:
1. Serra 48/17 = Margin +17
2. VC 30/6.5 = Margin +23.5
3. Riordan 32.5/25.5 = Margin +7
4. S.I. 22/17.5 = Margin +4.5
5. Mitty 28/33 = Margin -5
6. SHC 17.5/39.5 =Margin -22
7. Bells 12/44.5 = Margin -32.5
8. SF 7/45 = Margin -38
1. Serra
2. VC
3. SF
4. S.I.
5. Mitty
6. Riordan
7. SHC
8. Bells
Scores vs Opponents:
1. Serra 96/34 [+62]
2. VC 60/13 [+47]
3. Riordan 65/51 [+14]
4. S.I. 44/35 [+9]
5. Mitty 56/66 [-10]
6. SHC 35/79 [-44]
7. Bells 24/89 [-65]
8. SF 34/96 [-68]
Offense/Defense Avg Per Game after 2 Games:
1. Serra 48/17 = Margin +17
2. VC 30/6.5 = Margin +23.5
3. Riordan 32.5/25.5 = Margin +7
4. S.I. 22/17.5 = Margin +4.5
5. Mitty 28/33 = Margin -5
6. SHC 17.5/39.5 =Margin -22
7. Bells 12/44.5 = Margin -32.5
8. SF 7/45 = Margin -38
The following games are advertised as being streamed tonite by NFHS:
Serra vs St. Mary's
DLS vs Folsom
SF vs Oak Grove
Palma vs Oakdale
Los GAtos vs San Benito
Liberty vs Centennial
Serra vs St. Mary's
DLS vs Folsom
SF vs Oak Grove
Palma vs Oakdale
Los GAtos vs San Benito
Liberty vs Centennial
I've been posting on the score update thread for last couple hours.
It is now Serra 56-21 over St. Mary's as 4th quarter has started and a "running clock" has gone into effect.
It was a close game early on and tied 14-14 before Serra went up 28-21 at the 1/2. It was all Serra in the 3rd quarter and though St.Mary's has some terrific athletes Serra is too deep and too good. St. MAry's make no mistake is a very good team and would take down most NorCal teams. Serra on offense was simply unstoppable for St. Mary's.
My take: this seems to be like no Serra team I've seen before - they are very efficient, have an abundance of very good athletes and speed and the QB is much better than I expected AND the defense is very good & fast to the ball. I think this now dispels any notion of Pitt having an "off night" or M-A not being as good as hyped as the Padres are the "real deal" and will be difficult for any other WCAL team to derail from what I've seen this evening.
St. Mary's scores a TD in garbage time in closing minutes to make score 56-28 with under 2 min to go with running clock and Serra with ball. A bit of redemption for Serra having suffered 2 lopsided losses to St. Mary's the last several years.
It is now Serra 56-21 over St. Mary's as 4th quarter has started and a "running clock" has gone into effect.
It was a close game early on and tied 14-14 before Serra went up 28-21 at the 1/2. It was all Serra in the 3rd quarter and though St.Mary's has some terrific athletes Serra is too deep and too good. St. MAry's make no mistake is a very good team and would take down most NorCal teams. Serra on offense was simply unstoppable for St. Mary's.
My take: this seems to be like no Serra team I've seen before - they are very efficient, have an abundance of very good athletes and speed and the QB is much better than I expected AND the defense is very good & fast to the ball. I think this now dispels any notion of Pitt having an "off night" or M-A not being as good as hyped as the Padres are the "real deal" and will be difficult for any other WCAL team to derail from what I've seen this evening.
St. Mary's scores a TD in garbage time in closing minutes to make score 56-28 with under 2 min to go with running clock and Serra with ball. A bit of redemption for Serra having suffered 2 lopsided losses to St. Mary's the last several years.
Great assessment, totally agree. Right now it looks like a two horse race with VC, but after tonight the Padres look unstoppable.
From other posts I'm just now reading....
Riordan ahead gives up 2 TD's in last 3 minutes to lose a game in which they were a slim favorite - Ugh Crusaders!!
On another post from another thread - a "miracle takes place in Bellarmineville" apparently as I gave the Bells absolutely no chance in this game vs 3-0 Vintage.
According to a reliable source on this board the Bells have taken down Vintage.
Whoa!! Seriously..?? Bells beat Vintage?? That has GOT to be the upset of the nite in NorCal for sure!
A huge win for Bells & Janda and never more needed than now. Just saw an urgent news report that rabid Bells football fans are rioting in the streets of San Jose & PD is advising civilians to "shelter in place" until all calms down.
Be Safe Out There!
Riordan ahead gives up 2 TD's in last 3 minutes to lose a game in which they were a slim favorite - Ugh Crusaders!!
On another post from another thread - a "miracle takes place in Bellarmineville" apparently as I gave the Bells absolutely no chance in this game vs 3-0 Vintage.
According to a reliable source on this board the Bells have taken down Vintage.
Whoa!! Seriously..?? Bells beat Vintage?? That has GOT to be the upset of the nite in NorCal for sure!
A huge win for Bells & Janda and never more needed than now. Just saw an urgent news report that rabid Bells football fans are rioting in the streets of San Jose & PD is advising civilians to "shelter in place" until all calms down.
Be Safe Out There!
Justin-Siena’s Solomone Anitoni had a 90-yard kick return and then a 15-yard fumble return, with a good 2-pt try in the final 3 minutes of the game.
Thank you so much for This RE Cap!!!... I was watching 13 year old fall baseball tonight so all I could do was follow these games on here and I was very interested in this game!!!...
So far in Nor Cal no team has been as impressive as Serra, I say that reading this board and I watched most of the PITT game...
I was really impressed with the QB and the line play.... They look like a Legit D-1AA team this year that could win it all this year....
I’m assuming you are just not including DLS as it is a foregone conclusion that they are the most impressive team in NorCal? Or is DLS just meeting the high expectations we’ve come to have for them while Serra has really shown a lot of improvement?
There is no truth to the vicious rumor that God is a Jesuit.
I assume OC89 means to say that Serra is the most impressive team in NorCal in regards to expectation. At least that's how I think about it. DLS is the best team in NorCal but I expect them to be the best! Therefore, they are judged against themselves and this 2019 team is not especially impressive.
Serra, however, is especially impressive even against their best bygone years. We will see how they fair against better defenses like VC and SF. But in truth, it now appears Serra is the cream of the crop regarding their own history and in WCAL competition. It seems likely that Serra will dominate WCAL and CCS this year.
Serra has showed a lot of improvement against other then DLS the top schedule in Nor Cal so Far....
They have size, speed and a very good QB, and their play on the field shows they could very well be the second best team in Nor Cal right now, and no one expected that....
Especially after what Folsom did last night... I didn’t see the game but 42-14 in the 4th quarter? Doesn’t sound very competitive to me.... Folsom looks to have taken a huge step back....
Would Serra beat DLS?... Who knows... But they have played very competitive games with DLS and almost beat them before. Serra also has excellent coaching so right now, I would give Serra a better chance of beating DLS then Folsom....
I am hoping Serra can go undefeated and play Folsom in the D 1-AA game, that would be an outstanding matchup for us fans!!!
Serra's WCAL schedule will not be a walk in the papal park _ or, for that matter, the non-papal park (hello, Valley Christian).
It’s really to bad the Folsom Rule is still in effect, as it prevents a Serra - DLS matchup in a year where Serra just very well could pull off the victory with a good effort.
Kind of a naive question, but would it be possible for the WCAL to have two teams Valley and Serra playing in regional bowl games if both teams show well in playoffs or does one eliminate the other. I know Serra and lancers advanced a few years back. Obviously a long way away, anything can happen but I just don’t have a solid understanding of how regional and state bowl games get deliberated.
Your speculation is entirely possible and, in fact, quite likely at this juncture.
Forsure!!!... What is awesome is that VC and Serra will play twice this year, barring an upset of course....
What would be interesting is if they spilt the games... Would the CIF put a 1-Loss Serra or VC team in 1-AA vs Folsom or will they opt for an undefeated Fresno Area Team?....
Looking forward to seeing how it all plays out!
This is not Possible anymore as the “Loser Moves On” has been eliminated....
Only section winners go to the regional now...
The “Folsom Rule” is where the Folsom Parents, Coaches and Administration lobbied the CIF to do away with The Open Regional Playoff game....
Folsom said it was “Unfair” that they had to play DLS to go to a SBG so They conceded The Open to DLS allowing Folsom to play for 1-AA....
This was all done because Jake Browning was a Senior and Facing the reality of never playing in an SBG as his teams were dominated in the regional game by DLS....
Folsom knew they would lose again in 2014 so “They worked Closely” with the CIF to come up with a solution....
The Folsom rule sets up the open Bowl spot, now all but assured to be DLS again this year, to have a bye at regionals to move directly to the state bowl. The reason as fully explained and documented on last year's threads allows for the second place team to compete with the 3rd place team instead of the first place team at regionals.
2019 WCAL Predictions:
1. Serra
2. Valley Christian
3. St. Francis
4-8: For all intents and purposes, this will be the most intriguing as Mitty, SI, SHC, Bellarmine and Riordan are all matched up pretty closely based on each team's strengths and weaknesses... Time to rest up and prepare for the gauntlet, also know as the WCAL grind. Good luck and good health to all the teams!
1. Serra
2. Valley Christian
3. St. Francis
4-8: For all intents and purposes, this will be the most intriguing as Mitty, SI, SHC, Bellarmine and Riordan are all matched up pretty closely based on each team's strengths and weaknesses... Time to rest up and prepare for the gauntlet, also know as the WCAL grind. Good luck and good health to all the teams!
I think you’re being way too generous putting SH in that group. They clearly can’t stop anyone and they have no run game.
Yes unfortunately for the SHC Irish they have “under-performed” so to speak & with Bells surprising win the Irish are sinking Fast with a capital “F”. Riordan gave up the ship as well in a game expected to win, but close so still ahead of SHC. SHC is now the team in dire straits & coaching staff has major challenges before them.
#1 - you got a Good QB so recognize that.
#2 - Run game essential & come up with some feasible plan to gain minimal yards.
#3 - Defense! Defense! Defense! If you’re not getting it done on offense then switch those players to D & replace with other players (if you have ‘em).
A tough challenge for sure & we’ll see how SHC vs Bells complete league season.
#1 - you got a Good QB so recognize that.
#2 - Run game essential & come up with some feasible plan to gain minimal yards.
#3 - Defense! Defense! Defense! If you’re not getting it done on offense then switch those players to D & replace with other players (if you have ‘em).
A tough challenge for sure & we’ll see how SHC vs Bells complete league season.
What’s confusing was SH appeared to have the pieces to be competitive in the preseason discussion. Good size offensive line, a capable QB, a talented WR/DB, a stud DE. After 3 games it’s clear those “+’s” were not properly rated. They don’t have those galvanizers like Mateo, Heard, Watkins, and Dere. Coach Mac went into games with those Gamers. Either the guys he has this year aren’t ready to be that type of player which is fair, they are awfully young and unseasoned, or they aren’t as promising as we thought. All I know is 0-10 or 1-9 is very likely.
The first game was a throwaway. 30 players hadn't played on the Varsity before. They played better the second game but that bad call that cost them a touchdown changed the whole complexion of the game. I didn't see the Aptos game. It was close until they gave up two late scores. The Frosh played the Aptos JV's since the Mariners' Frosh played the day before.
When Serra and VC finally meet Nov. 2, it will be a serious contrast in styles. Old School grip and grind vs. New School flash and dash. Should be interesting. Oh, and by the way, St. Francis still lurks in the wings waiting to ruin everything for the two obvious WCAL front-runners.
This is a copy of a response to StreakOne of NCP's as to the new weekly rankings and Serra who is now #3 in the NorCal rankings behind #1 DLS and #2 Folsom. DLS is DLS and a notch above everyone else in NorCal. Folsom a very good program as well played and won against 2 very weak teams and then was down to DLS by 28-7 in a game DLS dominated before closing out FOlsom to the final score of 42-27. SO I guess the question is could Serra hold DLS under 42? Could Serra score more than 27 on the Spartans? No one knows for sure without them playing, but I'm guessing it would be close [and not 28-7 at the 1/2].
Here's the post:
Streak, I'll be the first to say you're usually accurate more than most and more knowledgeable as well on the bigger picture. I'm more specific as to the CCS and specifically the WCAL as you already know. For what its worth I already have Serra in the #2 spot after the showing Folsom put on vs DLS and how I saw DLS perform vs their first 2 opponents, one of which was St. Francis. Folsom has won its 2 games against very weak teams and then was behind badly in the 1/2 vs DLS - again this was not the close game Folsom fans hoped for. I could be wrong but at this stage in the early season I think Folsom is at #2 in some polls simply because they are Folsom - which begs the question: are they as good as the last several seasons and compared to their better teams? I could be wrong but I think if you took a poll many fans would put Serra in that same #2 spot as I have. Serra typically goes into WCAL league play with a losing record due to their tough pre-season schedule. This season its 3-0 against 3 solid opponents based upon what they've done against other teams. I think this Serra team is just a bit better than the other very good Serra teams of late.
Next Up: this weeks upcoming games and review of last weeks games.
Here's the post:
Streak, I'll be the first to say you're usually accurate more than most and more knowledgeable as well on the bigger picture. I'm more specific as to the CCS and specifically the WCAL as you already know. For what its worth I already have Serra in the #2 spot after the showing Folsom put on vs DLS and how I saw DLS perform vs their first 2 opponents, one of which was St. Francis. Folsom has won its 2 games against very weak teams and then was behind badly in the 1/2 vs DLS - again this was not the close game Folsom fans hoped for. I could be wrong but at this stage in the early season I think Folsom is at #2 in some polls simply because they are Folsom - which begs the question: are they as good as the last several seasons and compared to their better teams? I could be wrong but I think if you took a poll many fans would put Serra in that same #2 spot as I have. Serra typically goes into WCAL league play with a losing record due to their tough pre-season schedule. This season its 3-0 against 3 solid opponents based upon what they've done against other teams. I think this Serra team is just a bit better than the other very good Serra teams of late.
Next Up: this weeks upcoming games and review of last weeks games.
Hmm, interesting as read in the NorCal Top 20 that "maybe" if Serra goes undefeated then maybe they should be ahead of Folsom. A thought but Serra has already beaten 3 quality opponents while Folsom has beaten no team of consequence with their 2 wins over teams that are both miles below below the 3 teams Serra has won by wide margins.
I just looked at a Freeman's projections of Serra vs Foslom game along with a VC vs Folsom game and it seems the computers agree with me. A.I. [artificial intelligence] likes the Padres as well and has Serra taking down Folsom by 42-28 and Folsom. barely edging out VC by 33-31 in what would be a "pick-em" game. Folsom a great program, but may not have done enough to garner a #2 ranking with 2 "soft wins" and were down by 42-14 in the 4th vs DLS before scoring a couple of late TD's to make the score closer than the game appeared. So a question: Serra has 3 quality wins over 3 good teams by wide margins in all 3 games while Folsom has 2 soft wins over easy opponents and a decisive loss to DLS dominated from start to finish and which team is rated higher?
It would seem that placing Folsom in the #2 slot is based on past history...
I just looked at a Freeman's projections of Serra vs Foslom game along with a VC vs Folsom game and it seems the computers agree with me. A.I. [artificial intelligence] likes the Padres as well and has Serra taking down Folsom by 42-28 and Folsom. barely edging out VC by 33-31 in what would be a "pick-em" game. Folsom a great program, but may not have done enough to garner a #2 ranking with 2 "soft wins" and were down by 42-14 in the 4th vs DLS before scoring a couple of late TD's to make the score closer than the game appeared. So a question: Serra has 3 quality wins over 3 good teams by wide margins in all 3 games while Folsom has 2 soft wins over easy opponents and a decisive loss to DLS dominated from start to finish and which team is rated higher?
It would seem that placing Folsom in the #2 slot is based on past history...
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