Bellarmine continues to be a threat in the Northern California region, keeping its spot at No. 3 in this week's Top 25.
Photo by Ernie Abrea
The Spartans took a part a solid San Ramon Valley (Danville) team 34-9 in outscoring the Wolves 21-6 in the second half. There may not be a better 1-2 running back punch going these days in all of NorCal than
Tiapepe Vitale and
Das Tautalatasi, with T.V. going for 131 yards and D.T. 114. Add in quarterback
Chris Williams and the veer offensive line surge, and you have a machine. Williams scored three touchdowns against San Ramon Valley. At No. 20 California (San Ramon) on Friday. The Spartans have won 20 consecutive games and have clinched the program's ongoing NorCal record 31st consecutive playoff berth.
2. Franklin (Elk Grove) (2) 9-0A week after topping then-No. 1 Elk Grove 17-7, the Wildcats moved to 9-0 for the first time in the program's 10-year varsity history with a 66-8 rout over Laguna Creek (Elk Grove) in Delta Valley Conference action, with
Christian Fonbuena kick-starting the fireworks with a 97-yard kickoff for a score. This is a very balanced team on offense, a unit that is fast and aggressive on defense. Still, coach Mike Johnson provides constant doses of reality, reminding the troops, "We haven't done anything yet." "Yet" would signify a first Section Division I championship. At Monterey Trail next.
3. Bellarmine (San Jose) (3) 7-1Beat St. Ignatius 35-28 in your typical West Catholic Athletic League show of title contenders. A program with two state-bowl game appearances to its resume, Bellarmine rushed for 303 yards and received another strong effort from junior quarterback
K.J. Carta-Samuels. The Vanderbilt commit passed for 101 yards, ran for 92 and accounted for four touchdowns.
Kenny Olugbode had 109 yards. Another big WCAL win was a 35-34 overtime effort over Serra. The loss was season opener to De La Salle, 41-7. The Bells continue to improve. At Valley Christian on Friday in another meat-grinder, danger game.
4. Folsom (4) 9-0Clinched at least a share of its third Delta River League championship in four seasons with a 42-25 victory over upset-minded Ponderosa, a physical team that lead 25-21 at the half. Sophomore quarterback
Jake Browning overcame three first-half interceptions to fire four touchdown passes. He had 393 yards.
Lucas Owan had 212 yards receiving. Browning now has 3,438 yards passing and 40 touchdowns. Host Pleasant Grove on Friday and then it's a sprint to the D-II section finals. Have wins over Oak Ridge and Deer Valley.
Tommy Arnold, Elk Grove
Photo by Derek Carroll
Bounced back from its 17-7 loss to Franklin to outscore Monterey Trail 54-40 in a crazy shootout. Elk Grove welcomed the return of quarterback
Tommy Arnold, who sat the Franklin game, and it unleashed its two-headed backfield of
Robert Frazier and
Wadus Parker, who went for a combined 400 yards and seven scores. The Thundering Herd closes the DVC schedule at Davis before a race to the D-II section finals, having lost to Folsom in the semifinals last season.
6. Serra (San Mateo) (6) 7-1Beat Valley Christian (San Jose) 38-35 in a West Catholic Athletic League shootout as
Eric Redwood scored four touchdowns, including the winner with just under three minutes to go. The lead changed five times in the second half. Loss was in overtime 35-34 to Bellarmine when the Padres went for two and the win and were stopped. Host St. Ignatius (San Francisco) on Saturday.
7. Burbank (Sacramento) (7) 9-0Rolled McClatchy 50-0 in Metropolitan Conference action as a 10-0 regular season seems clear before a chance to win the program's first section title. The run game out of the triple option is dominant and so is the defense. Yes, the Metro isn' the greatest league assembled, but talent is talent, and Burbank has it. Finish against winless Kennedy (Sacramento). Own wins over Grant and Del Oro (which beat then-NorCal No. 2 Logan).
8. Logan (Union City) (8) 8-1Belted Irvington 66-0 in nonleague play behind quarterback
Jeffrey Prothro, who was in on six touchdowns - all in the first half. That's three impressive showings since losing at Del Oro 20-13 in overtime - the wake-up call. At Mission (San Jose) on Friday.
9. St. Mary's (Stockton) (9) 7-2Beat Stagg (Stockton) 43-34 in a thriller to clinch at least the share of yet another Tri-City Athletic League championship. The Rams have won 29 in a row in league play and have not lost a TCAL game since 2006. St. Mary's junior
Kaleb Parrish passed for 321 yards and three touchdowns, two to
Jalen Ratliff. Losses are to Central Catholic (Modesto) 28-21 and De La Salle (21-13). At McNair (Stockton) on Friday.
10. Buhach Colony (Atwater) (10) 7-2Rolled Turlock 61-27 to clinch at least a share of another Central California Conference title, thanks to more bruising running and defense under coach Kevin Swartwood. The Thunder have gone 24-2 in the previous two seasons combined but are more battle tested now with a stronger nonleague schedule, making for another D-II title threat. BC has four straight impressive wins since the crushing 36-35 home loss to NorCal power Serra (San Mateo), which won it with a two-point run. Play Atwater on Friday.
11. Granite Bay (11) 6-3The wheels are back in place for the defending D-I section champions, starting with the double-overtime 41-34 win over Rocklin and a 21-7 triumph of Del Oro and then Friday's 48-13 rout of Woodcreek to clinch at least a share of the Sierra Foothill League title.
Tony Ellison had four total scores - two rushing and two receiving - as the next terrific fly back under coach Ernie Cooper. At Nevada Union on Friday. Losses are to Westlake, Oaks Christian and Pittsburg. Wins over Lincoln (Stockton), Del Oro and Vacaville.
12. Placer (Auburn) (12) 9-0Beat rival Colfax 24-7 to set up a Pioneer Valley League showdown in Auburn this Friday against Center (Antelope). The Hillmen had five interceptions, and received a monster effort from defensive end
Stone Sander, who had two sacks and a pick.
Isaiah Pineiro had two picks, including one he returned for a score.
Isaac Brahce rushed for 172 yards. The coaches want better execution on offense and continue to rave about the D. Wins include Central Catholic.
13. Marin Catholic (Kentfield) (13) 8-1Idle. In their last game, the Wildcats rolled Drake (San Anselmo) 52-8 in a Marin County Athletic League contest. Cal-bound
Jared Goff passed for 209 yards on 12 of 15 passes for a 35-0 halftime lead. Goff's line was again superb, allowing no sacks, and it helped pave the way for
Akili Terry to rush for 100 yards and three scores. Loss was to Vacaville in a shootout, and Vacaville got bombed by Granite Bay, which explains why Granite Bay is ranked higher. Host Tamalpais (Mill Valley) on Saturday.
Ray Lomas, Central Catholic
Photo by Mark Bahrenfuss
Beat Central Valley (Ceres) 38-6 to maintain control of the Wetern Football League standings with a Week 10 encounter against second-place Patterson. The run game of
Rey Vega and
Ray Lomas has been strong, as has the defense. At Patterson on Friday. Wins include St. Mary's (28-21) with losses to Placer and Downey.
15. Oak Grove (San Jose) (16) 8-0Beat Pioneer (San Jose) 30-23 in Mount Hamilton play by rushing 42 times for 403 yards, including 160 yards from
Chidobe Awuzie and 221 from
Nick Bernardo, who had two touchdowns and added 15 tackles for kicks. Host Sobrato (Morgan Hill) on Friday.
16. Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) (17) 8-1Beat defending Delta River League champion Pleasant Grove 38-19 to keep pace in the championship chase. Balance on offense and a dominating defensive line effort were key in rallying from an early 12-0 hole.
Jason Samuels passed for 233 yards and a touchdown and the Trojans ran for 243 yards, with
Blake Martin going for 115 and two scores and
Tanner Hughes battering away for 59 and two.
Zack Claiborne had four of his team's seven sacks and has a NorCal-leading 16.5 on the season a year after having 11.5. He's 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds of unblockable fury at defensive end. Play Jesuit before talking on the D-I playoff field.
17. Freedom (Oakley) (NR) 7-2Welcome back, Falcons of the Bay Valley Athletic League. Beat previous No. 20 Deer Valley 34-14 behind
Dante Mayes, who passed for 357 yards. Washington-commit
Darrell Daniels had 11 catches for 195 yards in showcasing his amazing talents. One loss was to NorCal No. 2 Franklin, 35-21, after Freedom led 21-0. Other wins include Foothill (Pleasanton) 41-28 and Pittsburg, 49-48.
18. Oakdale (19) 8-1Beat Manteca 28-7 to lock up the Valley Oak League yet again with more ground-and-pound offense and unyielding defense.
Spencer Thomas is as steady as they come at quarterback, too. Loss was to San Diego-area No.1 Oceanside in SoCal showcase. Week 10 is Senior Night against Sonora, and then it's on to the D-III section race.
19. St. Ignatius (San Francisco) (18) 6-2The Wildcats lost 35-28 to Bellarmine in a battle for first place in the rough-and-tumble West Catholic Athletic League, snapping a six-game winning streak since opening with a 28-21 loss to Marin Catholic. More monster tests loom with Serra and Mitty.
20. California (San Ramon) (21) 7-1Beat Granada 56-35 with
Cameron Owen passing for 187 yards and four touchdowns in the first half in clinching at least a share of the East Bay Athletic League crown. This comes three weeks since falling 44-26 to Monte Vista, which falls out of these rankings after a surprising 24-21 loss to Amador Valley. California remains because it has just the one loss and it has a 40-34 win at Pittsburg, among others. Now the ultimate test: a home game against No. 1 De La Salle.
Harris Ross, Pittsburg
Photo by Ernie Abrea
The Pirates of the East Bay are always a factor, and here they are again, warming up for the playoffs with a bit of unique history, too: this is the last NorCal program to beat De La Salle, in 1991 - well before any current high school kid in the land was born. Wins this season under coach Vic Galli include Clayton Valley, 40-27, a club that is now 8-1, Granite Bay 29-28 with a last-play two-point conversion win and Deer Valley 42-29. Losses are to California 40-34, Monte Vista 44-14 and Freedom 49-48.
Harris Ross rushed for 237 yards in beating Heritage 34-18.
22. El Cerrito (22) 9-0Rolled St. Mary's (Albany) 57-6 to maintain control of the Tri-County Athletic League and continue to be a factor in the Division III bowl picture. EC has scored 50 or more points six times. The one tough contest was a 16-14 win over Campolindo (Moraga) on Sept. 14. Campolindo is 8-1. At St. Patrick/St. Vincent on Friday.
23. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) (24) 6-2Beat Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) 38-13 in a West Catholic Athletic League contest. Mitty is proof of just how talented and deep the WCAL is - the best league in Northern California. One loss was a 14-10 crusher to Bellarmine and the other was 30-21 to Serra, teams that are a combined 15-2. At St. Francis (Mountain View) on Friday.
24. Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park) (25) 9-0The Cougars of the North Bay League beat longtime regional power Cardinal Newman 21-14 in a battle of Sonoma County unbeatens in moving to 15-1 at home since 2010, the lone loss coming to Concord in last fall's North Coast Section playoffs. What's more, RC had just one victory over Newman since 2003. RC stopped Newman twice on downs down the stretch, and there was a 34-yard pick-six by
Josh Belda to highlight a spirited defensive charge. Host Santa Rosa on Friday.
25. Sutter (25) 9-0The Huskies of the Northern Section are the class of the entire North state, never mind its 600-student enrollment (that makes Sutter a D-II team in the region. The signature win came over larger-school heavy Enterprise (Redding) 34-27 in a nonleague contest in Week 8. In Week 9 play, Sutter rolled Las Plumas 46-7 in holding steady in state-wide bowl rankings for D-III as
Nathan Ahlers rushed for 180 yards and four total touchdowns in clinching the Butte View League title.
Trent Little passed for 217 yards and three scores as the Huskies had 528 yards of offense. At Oroville on Friday.
NorCal news and notes...*
Fremont (Sunnyvale) beat Harker 90-56 after trailing 50-49 at the half, and no, this is not a typo, nor is it 8-man football. The 90 points represents a
Central Coast Section single-game record, but at what cost? Fremont coach Ron DeMonner elected to go for two when his team scored to make it 81-56, as someone passed the word that the existing scoring mark was 82 set by Evergreen Valley in 2005 and matched by Leland in 2008. Harker coach Ron Forbes told the San Jose Mercury News that he didn't take it personal, saying, "That would be exciting for his kids to be a part of a record-setting performance. I don't fault him for that. The way I look at it, it's my job to stop him, not his job to stop playing football."
Said DeMonner, "I have mixed feelings about the thing. I know our kids made some publicity. But at the same token, I have a lot of respect for the kids that play on the other side. I meant not to do anything that would harm their self-respect."
* Cole Hannum of Nevada Union (Grass Valley) was denied a chance to play football despite a lengthy, season-long appeal. A 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker and fullback with recruiting interest, Hannum transferred from small-school Marysville over the summer after attending a Nevada Union team camp as an individual. He rushed for 1,800 yards last fall. The Sac-Joaquin Section deemed his transfer one rooted out of first-contact and in following a coach. A CIF committee upheld the ruling this week.
* One of the biggest prep names in NorCal history a generation ago was Kevin Willhite, the National Player of the Year by five publications in 1981 out of Cordova near Sacramento. His son Kaelin Willhite had 211 yards and four touchdowns for Cosumnes Oaks (Elk Grove) in a rout of Liberty Ranch, and the intrigue carried right into the late evening. Young Willhite had a 95-yard touchdown run, something the old man never did. Old Willhite said he is glad his emerging senior son does not have to endure the recruiting madness and expectations of greatness that soured his experiences. Here's a
Sacramento Bee link to a follow-up column.
* The Placer-Colfax game included an odd scene: a shirtless spectator who wandered onto the field. He was picked up the football and was then tackled by Troy Minton-Sander, a 1988 Placer player and off-duty law enforcement officer in the region. He is the father of Placer player Stone Sander. Placer national recruit lineman Eddie Vanderdoes to the Auburn Journal, "Hit of the year."
The shirtless fellow was identified as Patrick Hurley, 26. He was booked into the Placer County Jail on a charge of disorderly conduct and being under the influence.
Here is the video link.
Joe Davidson has covered high schools with The Sacramento Bee since 1988. Follow him on Twitter: @SacBee_JoeD; on Facebook: sacbeepreps; and online: sacbee.com/preps; and radio podcasts: ESPN1320.net.
