6. Northern Golden State swing
After Northern California teams lost 12 of the first 16 games in the California State Bowl football championships since its inception in 2006, the Southern stranglehold seemed right in place when The Bishop's School (San Diego) opened the 2010 games with a 40-14 victory over Brookside Christian (Stockton). But as the weather turned soggy at the Home Depot Center in Carson so turned the tide northward. The North won then next four games - all in convincing fashion over favored schools, the biggest upset being unranked Palo Alto defeating then fifth-ranked Centennial (Corona) 15-13 and the biggest stunner, De La Salle (Concord) absolutely manhandling then fourth-ranked Servite (Anaheim) 48-8 in the finale. Escalon (Division III) and Folsom (Division I) were other big winners from the North.

Coach Hansen of Palo Alto.
Photo by Todd Shurtleff
Like football, Southern California has had a stranglehold on volleyball state championships. But like football in 2010, the swing quite literally went North which took
four of the five matches at San Jose State University. The biggest upset finished off the day with then unranked
Palo Alto pulling out a wild five-game Division I match over then 11th-ranked Long Beach Poly 25-17, 20-25, 25-21, 11-25 and 17-15. The other signature victory came at Division III where
Campolindo (Moraga) pulled out a 27-25, 25-23, 21-25, 18-25, 15-10 win over two-time defending champion Cathedral Catholic (San Diego).
St. Francis (Mountain View) won its record ninth state title at Division II,
Branson (Ross) won its second straight title at Division V as did Southern California's only victor
La Jolla Country Day at Division IV.

St. Francis.
Photo by David Steutel