The high school football season has reached regional championship weekend.
Nine teams from the Bay Area News Group’s coverage area will be in action, aiming to join Serra in Southern California next weekend for the state championships.
Serra has secured its spot, having been picked by the California Interscholastic Federation to represent Northern California in the Open Division title game for the third consecutive season.
The Padres will play Mater Dei-Santa Ana on Dec. 9 at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo.
The top games this weekend include Clovis North at De La Salle, Pittsburg at Folsom and El Cerrito at Los Gatos.
We preview all the games involving Bay Area News Group teams here:
NORCAL DIVISION 1-AA: CLOVIS NORTH AT DE LA SALLE
Records: Clovis North 13-0; De La Salle 10-2
Kickoff: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Series history: First meeting between the teams.
Storylines: Given that both teams are run-heavy, DLS coach Justin Alumbaugh said this one could be over in a hurry. … Clovis North has a three-pronged rushing attack led by junior Jackson Cinfel, who has 1,863 yards and 17 touchdowns in 240 carries. He held the team lead in rushing TDs until McKay Madsen ran for three in the Central Section Division I final last week Madsen has 18 TDs on the ground, to go with 985 yards in 114 attempts. … Andrew Chavez is the third running threat out of the Clovis North backfield. He had 88 yards in nine carries last week, giving him 574 yards for the season. He has rushed for nine TDs. … QB Mario Cosma probably passes enough to keep defenses from clogging the line of scrimmage. He has thrown for 1,128 yards and nine touchdowns without an interception. … Clovis North rallied from a 14-7 deficit to beat Central-Fresno 24-7 last week for the program’s first section championship in 11 years. … The best win for Clovis North this season was probably its 23-7 victory over JSerra, a team from Southern California’s heralded Trinity League. … De La Salle had last week off after rallying in the fourth quarter to beat San Ramon Valley 17-7 for the North Coast Section Open Division title. … The Spartans have relied heavily on their defense and a rushing attack led by Derrick Blanche and Dominic Kelley to win 10 consecutive games after opening the season with losses to Orange Lutheran and Serra. … QB Toa Faavae put the NCS championship game away with two fourth-quarter runs around the edge. … Kelley (818), Blanche (793) and Faavae (722) have all rushed for more than 700 yards and combined to rush for 31 TDs. … DLS is 3-1 in regional games, all against Folsom, and is the reigning 1-AA NorCal champion. … Clovis North is 0-1 in regional play, its defeat coming against Long Beach Poly 28-7 in a Division I South game in 2012.
Computer projection: Calpreps.com says Clovis North wins 19-14.
– Darren Sabedra
NORCAL DIVISION 1-A: PITTSBURG AT FOLSOM
Records: Pittsburg 13-0; Folsom 11-2
Kickoff: Saturday, 6 p.m.
Series history: The teams have met in each of the past two seasons, with Folsom winning at home 38-17 in 2021 and at Pittsburg 23-15 last year.
Storylines: Folsom is 0-2 against Bay Area teams this season, losing to Serra and De La Salle, and undefeated against everyone else. … The Sacramento-area powerhouse will be making its ninth regional appearance. It is 4-4 in the previous eight. … Pittsburg has played in three regionals, beating Granite Bay in 2017 and Manteca last season and losing to Liberty-Bakersfield in 2021. … The Pirates have had a storybook ride under first-year head coach Charlie Ramirez, a linebacker for Pittsburg on the last NCS team to beat De La Salle (1991). He was the program’s longtime defensive coordinator before taking over from Victor Galli this season. … Folsom is again led by a dynamic quarterback, with 6-4, 205-pound sophomore Ryder Lyons the latest to put up huge statistics for the Bulldogs. Through 13 games, he has passed for 3,242 yards and 36 touchdowns with eight interceptions and rushed for 707 yards and 19 TDs. Yes, he has accounted for 54 touchdowns. … Lyons’ primary targets are sophomore Jameson Powell and senior Brian Ray III. Each has 12 touchdown receptions. … Pittsburg captured its third consecutive NCS Division I championship with a 37-21 victory over San Ramon Valley last week as Jamar Searcy, a transfer from Liberty, ran for 134 yards and three touchdowns and Marley Alcantara passed for 317 yards and one touchdown, a 99-yard pass to Bobby Shaw III on third-and-14 with the score tied early in the second half. … Alcantara has thrown for 2,515 yards and 35 TDs while completing 64.9 percent of his attempts. … Noah Quesada leads Pittsburg in receptions with 40 for 759 yards and seven TDs.
Computer projection: Calpreps.com picks Folsom, 35-26
– Darren Sabedra
NORCAL DIVISION 2-A: EL CERRITO AT LOS GATOS
Records: El Cerrito 12-1; Los Gatos 11-2
Kickoff: Saturday, 6 p.m.
Series history: First meeting between the teams in at least the MaxPreps era (2004 to present).
Storylines: The winner will capture its first regional championship. … Los Gatos has appeared in one previous regional, losing on the road to Cardinal Newman 42-7 in 2019. El Cerrito is 0-2 in regionals, losing to Sacred Heart Prep 42-7 in 2013 and Grant-Sacramento 25-7 last season. … Los Gatos won the CCS’s Division I championship last week with a 49-14 rout of Wilcox at San Jose City College. In the previous two rounds, the Wildcats beat Archbishop Riordan at home and St. Ignatius on the road. … El Cerrito reached NorCals by winning the NCS Division II championship. The Gauchos defeated Berkeley, Heritage and Windsor in their run to the title. … Both teams have its share of playmakers. … Los Gatos senior Jaylen Thomas is a threat to score in many ways, as he showed against Wilcox when he crossed the goal line for a touchdown on a kickoff, two receptions and a run. … If Thomas isn’t scoring touchdowns, running back Boxer Kopcsak-Yeung is likely to be gaining yards and accounting for TDs himself with big plays on the ground. … Kopcsak-Yeung has gained 1,508 yards and 24 touchdowns in 205 carries. … Thomas leads the Wildcats in receptions with 54 for 1,011 yards and 12 TDs. … QB AJ Minyard has thrown for 1,925 yards and 17 touchdowns for a Los Gatos team that has won eight in a row since losing 37-27 to Pittsburg in late September. … El Cerrito’s Gary Youngblood had a big game in the NCS final against Windsor, intercepting two passes, returning one 31 yards for a touchdown. He also had a 68-yard touchdown reception. … RB Micah Avery, a transfer from Clayton Valley, ran for 144 yards in 18 carries as El Cerrito overcame a 10-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter to win its second consecutive section championship, both against Windsor. … El Cerrito intercepted three passes and recovered two fumbles in last week’s title game.
Computer projection: Calpreps.com says Los Gatos wins, 31-17
– Darren Sabedra
DIVISION 3-AA: ESCALON AT ACALANES
Records: Acalanes 9-4; Escalon 12-1
Kickoff: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Series history: The teams have never met in the MaxPreps era (2004 to present)
Storylines: Acalanes beat San Marin 24-7 in the NCS Division IV title game to reach the first NorCal regional championship in program history. … The section title was Floyd Burnsed’s fifth as a head coach. He won his previous four at Miramonte … Escalon slipped past Patterson 36-35 in the Sac-Joaquin Division IV championship. … Acalanes’ passing game has sprinters speed on the outside in receivers Paul Kuhner, Trevor Rogers, Henry Souza and Niko White. … Senior left-hander Sully Bailey has thrown for 30 touchdowns and 2,657 yards for the Dons. … On the other side, Escalon defensive back Sam Jimenez has eight interceptions and 18 touchdown receptions this season. … Joshua Graham and Jamin Miller have combined for over 2,200 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns in a run-heavy attack, but quarterback Donovan Rozevink has also thrown for 35 touchdowns on just 208 attempts. … Drew McKenzie, Collin Malmquist and Deonte Littlejohn are tied for the Acalanes lead with five sacks each. … Paul Kuhner is always a threat to score on special teams. He returned the opening kickoff against San Marin 97 yards for a touchdown. He also has taken back a punt for a TD this season. … The winner will play either Birmingham or Del Norte-San Diego for the Division 3-AA state championship next week in Southern California.
Computer projection: Calpreps.com has Acalanes winning 31-28
– Joseph Dycus
DIVISION 3-A: MCCLYMONDS AT MARIN CATHOLIC
Records: McClymonds 8-2; Marin Catholic 12-1
Kickoff: Saturday, 1 p.m.
Series history: McClymonds is 3-0 vs. Marin Catholic in the MaxPreps era (2004 to present). When the teams last met, in 2021, Mack won 33-22.
Storylines: Marin Catholic lost in the 2-A title game at San Ramon Valley last season on a last-second field goal in the rain … McClymonds defeated Lemoore 49-35 in the 2-AA regional championship game before losing 26-18 to Mater Dei Catholic-Chula Vista in the state game season season. … McClymonds cruised the Oakland Athletic League, outscoring opponents 307-0 in six games. … Mack is aiming for its seventh regional crown under Michael Peters, who has announced that he will retire after the season … Marin Catholic has won three consecutive NCS titles. … The Wildcats will have to slow down Mack’s three-headed rushing attack of Tajir Golden, Sharky Tamale and quarterback Redmani Albert, which runs behind a big offensive line led by Ahmad Robinson and Sione Vailea … Troy Hill Jr. is McClymonds’ top pass rusher. He will be needed as Mack tries to defend quarterback Peter Macaulay, who ran for 85 yards in Marin Catholic’s 24-3 victory over Cardinal Newman for the NCS Division III title last week. … Running back Charles Williams scored twice against Cardinal Newman for Marin Catholic, which moved up from Division IV to III in the NCS this season. … The winner will play Mt. Miguel or Mayfair for the Division 3-A state title.
Computer projection: Calpreps.com has Marin Catholic winning 27-17
– Joseph Dycus
DIVISION 5-AA: MIRAMONTE AT PLEASANT VALLEY-CHICO
Records: Miramonte 9-3; Pleasant Valley 9-3
Kickoff: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Series history: These teams will be playing for the first time in the MaxPreps era that dates back to 2004. It’s possible they could have opposed each other before that. Miramonte opened in 1955. Pleasant Valley has been in existence since 1965.
Storylines: Both teams hit rough patches during the regular season. Miramonte lost its last three Diablo Athletic League Foothill contests by a combined score of 128-28. Pleasant Valley played Sac Joaquin Section powers Oak Ridge and Central Catholic-Modesto on back-to-back Fridays and lost by a total of 66 points. … Neither team won its league. … The Matadors and Pleasant Valley have rich football histories. Miramonte won its ninth North Coast Section title when it polished off St. Bernard’s-Eureka 42-20 for the Division V crown. It was Miramonte’s first NCS championship since 2013. … Pleasant Valley has won at least five Northern Section titles, including a 28-19 victory over Chico in the D-II title game that avenged a 35-0 loss during the regular season. The Vikings won CIF state crowns in 2016 and 2018. They lost NorCal regional contests in 2019 and 2015. … Win or lose Friday night, Miramonte is a young team that will only get better. Sophomore QB Carson Blair is already capturing attention from recruiting services such as Prep Redzone. He passed for 271 yards and four touchdowns against St. Bernard’s. Sophomore Andrew Bjornson caught six balls for 187 yards and two TDs vs. St. Bernard’s, and junior Jack Quinnild had three receptions for 98 yards in a first-round NCS win over Alhambra. All three catches were for six points. … Miramonte will pass more than run, but sophomore Charlie Hwang might give coach Jack Schram something to think about next season. Hwang has rushed for 266 yards in three playoff games after gaining 209 yards on the ground during the regular season. … Hwang’s emergence has allowed two-way star Gabe Roman (MLB/RB) to spend more time on defense, and last week he led the Matadors with 15 tackles. Junior Luke Milmoe, Miramonte’s leading tackler this season, had 12 stops. … Pleasant Valley’s leading player is 6-7, 230-pound DE/TE Gavin Garretson. The junior had 11.5 sacks this season and earned an offer from Eastern Washington. He has also caught the eye of Arizona and USC, according to his X (formerly Twitter) account. … The Vikings run more than pass, gaining about two-thirds of their yards on the ground. … After going 6-14 in his first two years at Pleasant Valley, veteran coach Mark Cooley is 84-36 in his last 10 seasons. … The Vikings have not played a single game this season that was decided by one score. Closest was their nine-point win over Chico in the Northern Section final. … Pleasant Valley’s most famous football alum? Jets QB and former Cal great Aaron Rodgers.
Computer projection: Calpreps.com picks Pleasant Valley 35-17.
– Mike Lefkow
DIVISION 6-AA: PALO ALTO VS. ST. VINCENT DE PAUL
Records: Palo Alto 8-5; St. Vincent de Paul 11-2
Kickoff: Friday at Casa Grande High School in Petaluma, 7:30 p.m.
Series history: Two more teams that have never met in the MaxPreps era that dates back to 2004, but both schools have been around longer than that. Palo Alto opened in 1898, 13 years after Stanford University, which is located directly across the El Camino Real. St. Vincent de Paul has won six North Coast Section titles. Its first was in 1984.
Storylines: For Palo Alto, this has been like a story of two separate seasons, the first eight games and the last five. The Vikings were 3-5 after losing to PAL De Anza rival Hillsdale 16-13 on Oct. 20. The offense was struggling. At one point it was shutout in three straight games. … Now Paly has won five in a row. It hasn’t scored fewer than 34 points in any of those victories. Last week the Vikings had to stop a 2-point conversion attempt with 42 seconds left to hold off Mountain View 34-33 in the D-IV Central Coast Section final. It was Palo Alto’s second straight section championship. … The Vikings’ offense is averaging 42 points during the five-game streak that has propelled them into the CIF NorCal match against St. Vincent de Paul. QB Declan Parker has 2,488 passing yards. The Vikes have a pair of excellent receivers in Jason Auzenne (56 catches, 1,120 yards, 14 TDs) and 6-foot-3 junior Jeremiah Fung, who has 48 receptions including six TDs. RB Jeremiah Madrigal has 809 yards rushing. … Although Casa Grande is a neutral site, this will feel like a home game for St. Vincent de Paul coach Trent Herzog, who coached there before taking over the Mustangs. He’s 51-14-1 for at St. Vincent de Paul. … Both teams have players being recruited by the colleges. Palo Alto’s Ikinasio Tupou is a 6-6, 290-pound OL/DL who has offers from seven Pac-12 schools as well as Tennessee. He is a three-star recruit, according to 247sports. … The Mustangs’ standout is sophomore QB Gabe Casanovas. He can run and throw. He is hearing from Cal, USC and Arizona State. … Palo Alto has won six CCS titles dating back to 1995. This will be its fifth appearance in a NorCal game. It split the last four. Paly’s most recent appearance was last season, when it lost to CCS rival Santa Teresa 30-20. The Vikings have twice played for CIF State titles. They beat Centennial Corona to capture the Division I crown in 2010 and lost to Orange Lutheran in 2006. … Prior to beating Salesian for the D-VI NCS title last week, St. Vincent de Paul had won four section titles, the first being in 1984. The Mustangs also won championships in 1993, 2005 and 2008.
Computer projection: Calpreps.com picks St. Vincent de Paul 35-17.
– Mike Lefkow
DIVISION 6-A: COLUSA AT SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
Records: Colusa 12-0; South San Francisco 12-1
Kickoff: Saturday, 6 p.m.
Series history: The teams have never met in at least the MaxPreps era (2004 to present)
Storylines: South San Francisco’s magical ride continues with a home game in the program’s first NorCal regional appearance. … South City did not play varsity football in 2021, a low point for a program with a rich history, and went 6-4 in its return season in 2022. … Frank Moro revived the program, then became an assistant coach on Kolone Pua’s staff … South City defeated Santa Teresa 13-7 in the CCS Division V title game, the program’s first section championship since 1989 … The Warriors’ defense has allowed 6.2 points per game this season. … SSF has given up less than 10 points in each of its last eight games. … The Bay Area team will be tested by Colusa running back Adan Thomas and his 18 rushing TDs. … South San Francisco runs an old-school three-back offense. … The Warriors ran on 55 of their 68 plays against Santa Teresa … Marcus Mercurio rushed for a team-high 105 yards and two touchdowns and Elijah Fields rushed for 79 yards on 21 carries for SSF against Santa Teresa. … SSF safety Darren Miller could have a busy night trying to defend Isaiah Travis and Landon Humphrey, who have combined for 19 Colusa touchdown receptions. … Colusa is 130 miles north of South City. … The RedHawks defeated Winters 42-13 in the Northern Section Division IV title game. … The winner will play either St. Monica or Sweetwater for the Division 6-A state crown.
Computer projection: Calpreps.com says Colusa prevails 22-13
– Joseph Dycus