HMB is run-heavy. Wilcox, a bigger and deeper version of The Moon, is also run-heavy. Padres have their hands full.
WCAL Football 2019-20 - NCP's All NorCal Team + SF Chron All Metro & Merc Teams
- Thread starter Rmbr26
- Start date
No way HMB should have been down in D3 or D4 - they were too good for that level. But they should have been in D2. Its just that many of the normal powerhouse teams were less than expected this year. The new CCS system will work better if the top 15-20 teams of CCS are doing well.
In other HMB news, you could state that The Moon should never have been relegated to the PAL Ocean (B) Division in the first place at the end of the 2018 season. But that's convenient hindsight now. So it wasn't just the adjusted 2019 CCS playoff formula that misdirected the gritty and well-coached Cougars. Then again, it's entirely possible that they would have gone 5-0 or 4-1 in the upper Bay (A) Division, again, perhaps, shoving them into CCS Division I anyway at 10-0 or 9-1.
This note is for Defense Rules: Would you say that Wilcox bears some resemblance to VC? Or is that a bogus view right off the bat?
I think they are very similar offensively. but VC has big advantage defensively. I wish VC had Rosa in its backfield. He’s a game changer.
Recent Scores of Round 1 Playoff Games:
SHP 27-7 over Bells who finish season at 3-8
S.I. 28-7 over Mitty who finishes season 6-5
VC 25-3 over SF who finishes season 4-7
Serra 42-14 over HMB who finishes season 10-1
VC & Serra move on to round #2 semi-finals with VC facing S.I. in a rematch of first game in which VC pulled out the win in the 4th quarter by 17-7. This time S.I. travels to VC's home turf. Serra moves on to host Wilcox who defeated M-A in O/T by 42-35.
* Bells performed slightly better than the pre-season forecast as I had picked the Bells to finish in last place [8th] in WCAL. The Bells were able to squeak out a win against Riordan in O/T when Crusaders went for the win and then a close win over the winless SHC Irish. This was the 4th consecutive losing season for Bellarmine who with a young team this season Bells fans can only pray they will be better in 2020.
* SF finished one spot lower than predicted as the Lancers had lost too many impact players to graduation. SF moved down a spot while S.I. surged past both SF & Mitty. Lancers a young team like Bells look to be better in 2020 as well.
* Mitty a bit of a disappointing year and like last season started the season well and ended the season losing its last 3 games in a row by a combined score of 77-14.
* Riordan finishes season at 3-7 and 1-6 in WCAL with its lone league win over SHC by 44-7. I'd thought the Crusaders would take down the Bells for another league win which wasn't to be losing by 28-27 in 2 O/T's. The fact that the Bells struggled with SHC pulling out a 34-26 win makes the loss to the Bells a bit more disappointing. All indications are of a turn-around of the Crusader FB program and next season's prospects look bright.
* SHC finishes the season winless at 0-10 despite combining their JV and varsity together. Even with the 2 rosters merged the Irish were lacking in roster numbers and talent on both sides of the ball. Next year they again return their 3 year starter at QB, but will the Irish be any better? With the 2 rosters having merged any help upcoming has to come from this years' frosh roster which went 3-6 overall and 2-5 in league win's over S.I. frosh by 18-0 and VC frosh by 28-12].
Upcoming: VC vs S.I. & Serra vs Wilcox
SHP 27-7 over Bells who finish season at 3-8
S.I. 28-7 over Mitty who finishes season 6-5
VC 25-3 over SF who finishes season 4-7
Serra 42-14 over HMB who finishes season 10-1
VC & Serra move on to round #2 semi-finals with VC facing S.I. in a rematch of first game in which VC pulled out the win in the 4th quarter by 17-7. This time S.I. travels to VC's home turf. Serra moves on to host Wilcox who defeated M-A in O/T by 42-35.
* Bells performed slightly better than the pre-season forecast as I had picked the Bells to finish in last place [8th] in WCAL. The Bells were able to squeak out a win against Riordan in O/T when Crusaders went for the win and then a close win over the winless SHC Irish. This was the 4th consecutive losing season for Bellarmine who with a young team this season Bells fans can only pray they will be better in 2020.
* SF finished one spot lower than predicted as the Lancers had lost too many impact players to graduation. SF moved down a spot while S.I. surged past both SF & Mitty. Lancers a young team like Bells look to be better in 2020 as well.
* Mitty a bit of a disappointing year and like last season started the season well and ended the season losing its last 3 games in a row by a combined score of 77-14.
* Riordan finishes season at 3-7 and 1-6 in WCAL with its lone league win over SHC by 44-7. I'd thought the Crusaders would take down the Bells for another league win which wasn't to be losing by 28-27 in 2 O/T's. The fact that the Bells struggled with SHC pulling out a 34-26 win makes the loss to the Bells a bit more disappointing. All indications are of a turn-around of the Crusader FB program and next season's prospects look bright.
* SHC finishes the season winless at 0-10 despite combining their JV and varsity together. Even with the 2 rosters merged the Irish were lacking in roster numbers and talent on both sides of the ball. Next year they again return their 3 year starter at QB, but will the Irish be any better? With the 2 rosters having merged any help upcoming has to come from this years' frosh roster which went 3-6 overall and 2-5 in league win's over S.I. frosh by 18-0 and VC frosh by 28-12].
Upcoming: VC vs S.I. & Serra vs Wilcox
I can only hope SHC will play better defense. If anybody wants playing time, it's at Sacred Heart.
On the offense, Jerry Mixon and R. L. Miller are both good running backs and they will add some variety to the offense. Also, that game against Riordan was 7-6 where they couldn't convert a last-second 2-pointer. Of course, there was a TD before the first half expired that the refs had to steal from us on a bogus call. I wouldn't count that Aptos game either. That was against their JV's as Aptos' frosh had played the day prior.
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Always appreciate your views but HMB was 0-5 in the Bay last year . This is another issue with the PAL. If you win you go up if you lose you go down. This is High School football for most teams things change drastically every year. Most savvy PAL fans know what teams are Bay,Ocean and Lake and they should stay in those divisions for say five years and then realize as needed. No team is supposed to win every year.
WCAL Football 2019-20: Round II CCS Semi-Finals - Div I [aka "Big Boys Division"]
Serra Padres 10-1 vs Wilcox Chargers 9-2
Wilcox Season Game Results:
Valley Christian 23-13 = Loss [VC had 3 FG's in game incl a 43-yarder]
San Benito 34-20 = Win
Leland 49-34 = W
Pitt 35-31 = L
Paly 26-15 = W
Los Gatos 37-0 = W
Mt View 42-3 = W
Milpitas 49-21 = W
Santa Clara 63-7 = W
Fremont 44-0 = W
M-A 42-35 = W, Round 1 Div I Playoffs
* Wilcox offense avg 39 points per game [PPG] while Serra avg 36 PPG.
* Wilcox defense allows 17.5 PPG whereas Serra allows 13 PPG.
* For the season Wilcox has scored 60 TD's to the Padres 50.
* Common opponent Pittsburg Wilcox lost 35-31 and Serra won 58-21.
* 2nd common opponent Valley Christian Wilcox lost 23-13 and Serra won 10-0.
* Serra is ranked #1 in CCS while Wilcox is ranked #4.
* Serra roster shows 61 players and Wilcox 49.
As one poster alluded to that Wilcox is a "run heavy team & bigger version of HMB" is an accurate description.
If there is any team that Wilcox resembles in the WCAL it is Valley Christian. Wilcox defense is not quite as good as VC's, however VC has the top defense in NorCal other than DLS. On offense Wilcox has rushed for more yardage and more TD's than VC which is also saying something. The Padres are up against the top ground game they will have faced this season in Wilcox. With that rushing attack comes possibly the best RB Serra will see for the season in Paul Rosa [5'8-180] the #3 RB in CCS for yards gained at over 1800 + 17 TD's. Rosa ran for 239 yards + 3 TD's vs M-A. The Chargers feature a 3 pronged rushing attack featuring Rosa along with their#2 RB Isaiah Flores [5'11-185] who has added another 1000+ yards and 7 TD's and then the QB Geremy Mccollough [6'3-175] with approx. 500 yards and 7 TD's. The Wilcox O-line will be a chore for the Padres to handle much like the first 1/2 of the HMB game. Of the 3 players who run the ball Rosa averages 8.4 YPC, Flores averages 7.2 YPC and the QB Mccollough 6.0 YPC. Wilcox does not utilize a pass game to much extent as they pass even fewer times than Valley Christian averaging just 4 completions per game. When the Chargers QB Mccollough does pass the primary WR is Aaron Ah Sing [5'11-168] who is also their KR and has 4 TD catches.
Serra has started slow in its last 2 games vs HMB and S.I. and had trouble with both teams in stopping/limiting the run. The HMB opening drive against Serra was 23 plays and used up the entire 1rst quarter culminating in HMB's first score on the first play of the 2nd quarter. In that drive HMB converted 3 - 3rd downs and more impressive 3 - 4th downs to keep the drive alive [so 6 crucial downs when Serra was unable to stop the Cougars].Knowing Wilcox is going to run the ball 90% of the time how will the Padres counter on defense? Its an interesting question as Serra limited VC to its lowest offensive output of the season in the Padres 10-0 win, yet had difficulty with HMB & S.I. until adjustments were made at 1/2 time. Lie the S.I. game Serra also had its share of penalties against HMB helping the Cougars advance the ball and also pushing Serra back on offense at times.
Serra's new QB Lampkin shines at times and also shows the inexperience you'd expect from a soph after playing his first couple full games [facing VC, then S.I. and then HMB in your first 3 starts would give most soph's a full blown anxiety attack for sure - so props to Lampkin for hanging in there]. Once Lampkin settles down and understands when & when not to throw he'll rise to the next level. At times his hesitation is clear when getting ready to pass. With that Serra will be one of the best passing teams other than Pitt & M-A that Wilcox will have faced. Both Pitt and M-A had success passing against Wilcox. In the case of the Pitt game Pittsburg was unable to run against Wilcox, but was able to pass for over 300-yards mostly on short pass routes. Turn-overs and penalties key for Serra to keep to a minimum.
Projection: Serra 27-21
Serra Padres 10-1 vs Wilcox Chargers 9-2
Wilcox Season Game Results:
Valley Christian 23-13 = Loss [VC had 3 FG's in game incl a 43-yarder]
San Benito 34-20 = Win
Leland 49-34 = W
Pitt 35-31 = L
Paly 26-15 = W
Los Gatos 37-0 = W
Mt View 42-3 = W
Milpitas 49-21 = W
Santa Clara 63-7 = W
Fremont 44-0 = W
M-A 42-35 = W, Round 1 Div I Playoffs
* Wilcox offense avg 39 points per game [PPG] while Serra avg 36 PPG.
* Wilcox defense allows 17.5 PPG whereas Serra allows 13 PPG.
* For the season Wilcox has scored 60 TD's to the Padres 50.
* Common opponent Pittsburg Wilcox lost 35-31 and Serra won 58-21.
* 2nd common opponent Valley Christian Wilcox lost 23-13 and Serra won 10-0.
* Serra is ranked #1 in CCS while Wilcox is ranked #4.
* Serra roster shows 61 players and Wilcox 49.
As one poster alluded to that Wilcox is a "run heavy team & bigger version of HMB" is an accurate description.
If there is any team that Wilcox resembles in the WCAL it is Valley Christian. Wilcox defense is not quite as good as VC's, however VC has the top defense in NorCal other than DLS. On offense Wilcox has rushed for more yardage and more TD's than VC which is also saying something. The Padres are up against the top ground game they will have faced this season in Wilcox. With that rushing attack comes possibly the best RB Serra will see for the season in Paul Rosa [5'8-180] the #3 RB in CCS for yards gained at over 1800 + 17 TD's. Rosa ran for 239 yards + 3 TD's vs M-A. The Chargers feature a 3 pronged rushing attack featuring Rosa along with their#2 RB Isaiah Flores [5'11-185] who has added another 1000+ yards and 7 TD's and then the QB Geremy Mccollough [6'3-175] with approx. 500 yards and 7 TD's. The Wilcox O-line will be a chore for the Padres to handle much like the first 1/2 of the HMB game. Of the 3 players who run the ball Rosa averages 8.4 YPC, Flores averages 7.2 YPC and the QB Mccollough 6.0 YPC. Wilcox does not utilize a pass game to much extent as they pass even fewer times than Valley Christian averaging just 4 completions per game. When the Chargers QB Mccollough does pass the primary WR is Aaron Ah Sing [5'11-168] who is also their KR and has 4 TD catches.
Serra has started slow in its last 2 games vs HMB and S.I. and had trouble with both teams in stopping/limiting the run. The HMB opening drive against Serra was 23 plays and used up the entire 1rst quarter culminating in HMB's first score on the first play of the 2nd quarter. In that drive HMB converted 3 - 3rd downs and more impressive 3 - 4th downs to keep the drive alive [so 6 crucial downs when Serra was unable to stop the Cougars].Knowing Wilcox is going to run the ball 90% of the time how will the Padres counter on defense? Its an interesting question as Serra limited VC to its lowest offensive output of the season in the Padres 10-0 win, yet had difficulty with HMB & S.I. until adjustments were made at 1/2 time. Lie the S.I. game Serra also had its share of penalties against HMB helping the Cougars advance the ball and also pushing Serra back on offense at times.
Serra's new QB Lampkin shines at times and also shows the inexperience you'd expect from a soph after playing his first couple full games [facing VC, then S.I. and then HMB in your first 3 starts would give most soph's a full blown anxiety attack for sure - so props to Lampkin for hanging in there]. Once Lampkin settles down and understands when & when not to throw he'll rise to the next level. At times his hesitation is clear when getting ready to pass. With that Serra will be one of the best passing teams other than Pitt & M-A that Wilcox will have faced. Both Pitt and M-A had success passing against Wilcox. In the case of the Pitt game Pittsburg was unable to run against Wilcox, but was able to pass for over 300-yards mostly on short pass routes. Turn-overs and penalties key for Serra to keep to a minimum.
Projection: Serra 27-21
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Great analysis. Going with my gut on this one. I’m going with Wilcox. Hope I’m wrong, but it just a feeling I have.
VC has already played all three of the semi-finalists, going 2-1 against them. SI is playing great ball. VC has given up a little over 5 points per game this year. Take away the kickoff return that SF took to the house, the VC defense has given up a little over 4.5 points per game this year. Despite that, my gut has SI over VC in a nailbiter. I sure hope I’m wrong on both accounts. I really want to see a Serra-VC rematch for all the marbles.
Does Serra have enough speed and athleticism on the perimeter to make Wilcox defend them in space?
They certainly do. That's their strength. However, a key question is this: Can Serra's young QB get those athletes the ball in the right place at the right time? This would include going deep with accuracy on occasion. And, further, will Wilcox devise a way not to allow those same athletes to return punts and kickoffs for big chunks of yardage?
You raised my next question, can the young QB get the ball into their playmakers hands in positions to make plays. Styles make great games, and it seems it's Wilcox's big physical line play and running attack vs Serra's athleticism. Serra seems like Pittsburg but with much better line play
Serra is a much different (and limited) offensive unit without its starting QB as the team's recent lower scoring output would indicate _ 10, 14 and 42, averaging 22 points per game since his injury vs. twice that figure before he got hurt and lost for the season.
[B said:
Serra's QB Lampkin - the "X-Factor" for Padres
OK as to answering your question about the "new" Serra QB Dominique Lampkin and his ability to run the offense and get the ball to the talented playmakers he has at his disposal. As to the Serra offense suffering as to the loss of Daylin Mclemore there is no question his senior leadership and experience are missed, period. There is also Dylan Eaton who was without a doubt a quality resource to the Padres as either a QB, RB or WR lost early on to injury as well. Its only because of Serra's roster depth they have continued to roll. Now back to Lampkin and the Padres scoring in their last 3 games and to put that discussion into perspective & to rest. The Padres last 3 opponents being VC, S.I. & then undefeated HMB represented the top 3 opponents Serra has played this year. The fact the Padres scoring was below their average was to be expected and especially against VC. Yes Pitt is ranked higher than S.I. and HMB , however Serra soundly defeated Pitt while losing to S.I. [S.I. & Pitt currently ranked as almost dead-even] and being down 14-0 to HMB before storming back. The Serra win over Pitt was a blow-out and HMB not so much with 2 scores coming in the closing minutes + Pitt never led in the game vs Serra [Pitt was down 21-7 end of 1rst and shut out in 2nd 1/2 while Serra extended lead in both 3rd & 4th quarters]. While Pitt is 10-1 currently I'm not certain how they would do against either S.I. and to lesser extent HMB. I would def take VC in a match-up vs Pitt with VC's defense and wonder how others think that would play out[?]. Serra's Lampkin lacks experience, but is a raw talent with speed and elusiveness not often seen at his age level [ie: Leki Nunn..?].
While I would agree Serra lost an edge having McLemore as QB then possibly Lampkin as the "unknown" to opposing teams represents the "X-Factor". I like the X-Factor Lampkin upcoming vs Wilcox..
For Wilcox, the formula is fairly simple: Force Serra's young QB to make plays to beat them; load up to stop the run, force him to throw deep and take your chances. Will it work? We'll see Saturday on West 20th Avenue.
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I'd point out that Pitt played Serra at full strength, VC, HMB, and SI did not.Hard to compare without that factored in
I'd also point out that Pitts QB was making his first varsity start. Don't get me wrong, Serra was clearly the better team, but Pitt is rebuilding this year, having lost all of their linemen from the previous two seasons. They've improved a lot since. In a rematch Serra would still win but not nearly like the season opener. I'd take Pitt right now over HMB and SI. VC? That's another story. But I'd give Pitt a good shot. VC 's line play is better, but Pitt has a lot of athletes and speed on the perimeter. Don't know how VC would match up out there
Actually Pitt has been consistently good from the start of the season and the game vs Serra was by far their worst showing. I don't know that I'd call Pitt in a "rebuilding year" as they're, 10-1 with wins over Liberty and Wilcox and one of the top teams in the North Coast section.
I'd go with VC over PItt, S.I. and Pitt as a pick 'em and actually think HMB would have a shot as well. HMB played Serra very well for the 1rst 1/2 whereas Serra dominated Pitt from the start of the game.
As for Pitt's QB against Serra that was Jerry Johnson & actually his 2nd start. Pitt's QB Johnson tied a school record the prior week in the win over St. Mary's by throwing for 6-TD's going 21/31 for 368 yards. Johnson against Serra had his weakest game of the season going 14/36 for 225 yards, 1-TD, 1-INT which I credit to Serra's defense in that game.
Yeah, they're 10-1 but the BVAL is down this year, not a typical 10-1 for Pitt. Serra is just a great team this year(at full strength) and at the beginning of the year I'd say DLS ,Folsom, Serra and probably Central of Fresno as the best teams in NorCal.Would have liked to see Serra vs DLS or Serra vs Folsom. I think VC, Pitt, Wilcox, SI, Liberty, Oak Ridge and Inderkum are just below the top four
I think most of us would like to see a 4 team playoff of the top teams in NorCal every year. I’d be more interested in seeing the winners of say DLS vs Central and Serra vs Folsom square off for an actual NorCal championship than have the Folsom Rule and see DLS automatically move on to play a college team in the Open.
Couldn't agree more. The time has come for the removal of the "Folsom rule" and let's have the best play the best for a true NorCal championship. The question is what needs to be done to bring this about?
It's a shame Serra lost not 1 but 2 QB's to injury and the #2 would have been playing WR/DB and yet another weapon on offense for Serra. The #2 BTW was one of the fastest players on the Serra team - the other "burners" being Sanchez, Poni, Loville [other than 100M times for Dylan Eaton, Sanchez & Poni can any Serra fan tell me who is the fastest player & if I omitted anyone].
From what I've seen Pitt like S.I. has improved dramatically since early season and are much better now. The S.I. vs VC game should be a good rematch, however extra motivation for VC and on their home turf.
I was at the SF/VC game last Friday. I think VC would be just fine on the perimeter. They have some incredibly fast and athletic DB's, a freshman receiver who can fly and a punt returner who always made the first two Lancers miss. I also was at the Pitt/Serra game so Pitt must have improved. I just don't see Pitt getting the better of VC.
[B said:
Only other player shown on roster as a QB is "Trace La Mar" a 6'2 jr. who was QB of frosh team and JV's last season. Watched videos and he looks to be an accurate pocket passer and can throw deep, but without the speed of Lampkin who seems to have leap-frogged him on the depth chart.
WCAL Football 2019-20: CCS Div I Semi-Final St. Ignatius 9-2 at VC 10-1
Last Week's Round I Opponents:
S.I. defeated Mitty 28-7
VC defeated SF 25-3
St. Ignatius won their first meeting with Mitty 21-7 in a game in which both starting QB's did not play due to injuries. 2 weeks later the 2 teams met again with both starters back and the outcome was not much different with S.I. winning again by 28-7. S.I.'s Teddye Buchanan had another impressive game passing, running and on defense. Buchanan went 15 of 17 passing for 143 yards and a TD while running 11 times for another 62 yards. VC's RB's both contributed to the scoring with Joe Celetano rushing for 104 yards and Jahsai Shannon 62 yards. The Wildcats defense turned in another good performance holding the Monarchs to just the one score for the 2nd time.
S.I.'s defense ranked right up there with Serra's having held 6 of its opponents to one score or less this season.
VC took down the Lancers as expected with the Warriors winning the first meeting 28-7 and the rematch last week 25-3. VC has allowed a mere 55 points on defense for the 11 games so far this season - an avg of 5 PPG and a total of 7 TD's. VC's offense has scored 45 TD's while churning out almost 2800 yards rushing.
The Rematch - Game 2: this game has all the signs of being a classic nail-biter coming down to the wire. While VC won the first meeting S.I. led 7-3 going into the 4th quarter. With 10 minutes left in the game VC in their own territory converted on a 3rd and 18 with a 44-yard pass to Devan Vanderbilt. VC then converted again on a 4th and 3 at the S.I. 26 with another short pass - 2 crucial conversions from a team that averages 6 completions per game. VC then scored on a short run to take their first lead of the game. S.I.'s Buchanan was then intercepted on the next possession which set up VC's 2nd TD with 4 minutes remaining. S.I. had one more chance but Buchanan's 2nd INT effectively ended the game.
Conclusion: S.I. has improved tremendously during this season in which the Wildcats were able to take down an undefeated Serra team which had won over VC the week prior 10-0. S.I. could be the most improved team of the WCAL and could be playing its best game currently. As for VC the Warriors have been solid for the entire season except for the hiccup against Serra. VC showed how talented they are in taking over the S.I. game in the 4th to pull out the win. This game will be at VC on the hill with a large home crowd - +plus to Warrior's. This VC team has playoff experience from last year reaching the NorCal sectionals with many of the same players - +plus to Warriors. VC has the #2 defense in NorCal - ++plus to VC. St. Ignatius has the better passing offense - +plus to Wildcats. S.I. has the best player on the field in one Teddye Buchanan who is the X-Factor on offense - +plus to S.I. Looking at all factors the VC defense gives the edge to the Warriors - if S.I. can't score they can't win. S.I. must score at least 2 TD's to win this game and only one team this season Wilcox was able to score 2 TD's against the VC "D". If S.I.'s defense plays a great game and Teddye Buchanan can scramble and play a superb game then S.I. has a shot and that is IF the Wildcats can avoid penalties and turnovers. Make no mistake that VC is the favorite in this semi-final.
Prediction: VC 14-7 over S.I.
Last Week's Round I Opponents:
S.I. defeated Mitty 28-7
VC defeated SF 25-3
St. Ignatius won their first meeting with Mitty 21-7 in a game in which both starting QB's did not play due to injuries. 2 weeks later the 2 teams met again with both starters back and the outcome was not much different with S.I. winning again by 28-7. S.I.'s Teddye Buchanan had another impressive game passing, running and on defense. Buchanan went 15 of 17 passing for 143 yards and a TD while running 11 times for another 62 yards. VC's RB's both contributed to the scoring with Joe Celetano rushing for 104 yards and Jahsai Shannon 62 yards. The Wildcats defense turned in another good performance holding the Monarchs to just the one score for the 2nd time.
S.I.'s defense ranked right up there with Serra's having held 6 of its opponents to one score or less this season.
VC took down the Lancers as expected with the Warriors winning the first meeting 28-7 and the rematch last week 25-3. VC has allowed a mere 55 points on defense for the 11 games so far this season - an avg of 5 PPG and a total of 7 TD's. VC's offense has scored 45 TD's while churning out almost 2800 yards rushing.
The Rematch - Game 2: this game has all the signs of being a classic nail-biter coming down to the wire. While VC won the first meeting S.I. led 7-3 going into the 4th quarter. With 10 minutes left in the game VC in their own territory converted on a 3rd and 18 with a 44-yard pass to Devan Vanderbilt. VC then converted again on a 4th and 3 at the S.I. 26 with another short pass - 2 crucial conversions from a team that averages 6 completions per game. VC then scored on a short run to take their first lead of the game. S.I.'s Buchanan was then intercepted on the next possession which set up VC's 2nd TD with 4 minutes remaining. S.I. had one more chance but Buchanan's 2nd INT effectively ended the game.
Conclusion: S.I. has improved tremendously during this season in which the Wildcats were able to take down an undefeated Serra team which had won over VC the week prior 10-0. S.I. could be the most improved team of the WCAL and could be playing its best game currently. As for VC the Warriors have been solid for the entire season except for the hiccup against Serra. VC showed how talented they are in taking over the S.I. game in the 4th to pull out the win. This game will be at VC on the hill with a large home crowd - +plus to Warrior's. This VC team has playoff experience from last year reaching the NorCal sectionals with many of the same players - +plus to Warriors. VC has the #2 defense in NorCal - ++plus to VC. St. Ignatius has the better passing offense - +plus to Wildcats. S.I. has the best player on the field in one Teddye Buchanan who is the X-Factor on offense - +plus to S.I. Looking at all factors the VC defense gives the edge to the Warriors - if S.I. can't score they can't win. S.I. must score at least 2 TD's to win this game and only one team this season Wilcox was able to score 2 TD's against the VC "D". If S.I.'s defense plays a great game and Teddye Buchanan can scramble and play a superb game then S.I. has a shot and that is IF the Wildcats can avoid penalties and turnovers. Make no mistake that VC is the favorite in this semi-final.
Prediction: VC 14-7 over S.I.
[B said:
Yes seems strange, but not streamed last week either, so maybe VC doesn't participate in the program[?].
It is a shame as not everyone can get down to San Jose to view the game.
I'll post the question in thread topics to see if we're missing anything..
Here’s a link from the CCS for the VC/SI game.
https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/valley-christian-high-school-san-jose-san-jose-ca/gam48a5439210
https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/valley-christian-high-school-san-jose-san-jose-ca/gam48a5439210
Wonderful & Thank You to Panther_81. I just went on the NFHS site and did a search multiple ways and does NOT appear to show anywhere - however I tried your link and it def shows the game being broadcast. Thanks for making my day & sharing the info with everyone.
https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/valley-christian-high-school-san-jose-san-jose-ca/gam48a5439210
CCS Semi-Final Games - Round II of the Playoffs
Tonight:
S.I. @ VC
SHP @ Los Gatos
Oak Grove @ Paly
Aptos @ King's Academy
Burlingame @ Terra Nova
Carmel @ Branham
Hillsdale @ Milpitas
Homestead @ Leland
Santa Teresa @ Santa Cruz
Saturday:
Wilcox @ Serra
Favored Teams to Move On:
VC
Los Gatos
Paly
King's Academy
Terra Nova
Branham
Milpitas
Leland
Santa Cruz
Serra
Possible Upset Teams vs Heavy Favorites:
* S.I. has a shot if Wildcats play a perfect game [and otherwise could get away from them]
* SHP a Jeckle & Hyde team, beat S.I. & got blown out by HMB, upset not likely
* Oak Grove probably does not have enough to get by Paly
* Aptos faces an uphill battle against King's Academy who rolled SM last week
* Burlingame could surprise TN who is a slight favorite
* Carmel a slight underdog could pull the upset
* Hillsdale playing well and possibility of the big upset
* Homestead a decided "dog" in this one
* Santa Teresa faces tough task against Santa Cruz
* Wilcox has a shot facing a Serra team still adjusting to a new QB
Tonight:
S.I. @ VC
SHP @ Los Gatos
Oak Grove @ Paly
Aptos @ King's Academy
Burlingame @ Terra Nova
Carmel @ Branham
Hillsdale @ Milpitas
Homestead @ Leland
Santa Teresa @ Santa Cruz
Saturday:
Wilcox @ Serra
Favored Teams to Move On:
VC
Los Gatos
Paly
King's Academy
Terra Nova
Branham
Milpitas
Leland
Santa Cruz
Serra
Possible Upset Teams vs Heavy Favorites:
* S.I. has a shot if Wildcats play a perfect game [and otherwise could get away from them]
* SHP a Jeckle & Hyde team, beat S.I. & got blown out by HMB, upset not likely
* Oak Grove probably does not have enough to get by Paly
* Aptos faces an uphill battle against King's Academy who rolled SM last week
* Burlingame could surprise TN who is a slight favorite
* Carmel a slight underdog could pull the upset
* Hillsdale playing well and possibility of the big upset
* Homestead a decided "dog" in this one
* Santa Teresa faces tough task against Santa Cruz
* Wilcox has a shot facing a Serra team still adjusting to a new QB
One final prediction..
Looking at the games one more time the most unlikely upset is S.I. over VC and why I'll pick that as my upset of the night. When it seems 2 teams are close in talent yet one is an overwhelming favorite then that is where upsets can occur. VC an easy pick as the best defensive team while actually S.I. has the better rounded offense. All things considered this game should be a low scoring affair and that is what is in S.I.'s favor. VC is not going to give up a lot of points, but S.I. with its good D doesn;t have to score a lot of points to win. What S.I. needs is a big game from Teddye Buchanan and its defense and a lucky turnover or big play and the Wildcats are capable of a major upset on the hill at VC. We'll soon see...
Looking at the games one more time the most unlikely upset is S.I. over VC and why I'll pick that as my upset of the night. When it seems 2 teams are close in talent yet one is an overwhelming favorite then that is where upsets can occur. VC an easy pick as the best defensive team while actually S.I. has the better rounded offense. All things considered this game should be a low scoring affair and that is what is in S.I.'s favor. VC is not going to give up a lot of points, but S.I. with its good D doesn;t have to score a lot of points to win. What S.I. needs is a big game from Teddye Buchanan and its defense and a lucky turnover or big play and the Wildcats are capable of a major upset on the hill at VC. We'll soon see...
