Bay Area Blitz: 10 top games, 10 predictions, 10 takes

Six of the eight West Catholic Athletic League football teams are taking a bye week, which is customary heading into league play.

The idea is to rest up before playing in the seven-week grind of probably Northern California's most competitive league.

Valley Christian (San Jose) and head coach Mike Machado have taken a different tack.

The 16th-ranked Warriors travel to one of the Bay Area's biggest and most talented teams, No. 11 Milpitas in the best Metro matchup of the weekend 7 p.m. on Friday.

"From day one in 1997 when I took this job, we look for the most competitive game week-to-week no matter what time of year," Machado said. "We're always trying to test ourselves. And Milpitas will definitely do that."

Milpitas (2-0), coming off a 28-21 win over another WCAL foe Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco), has four starting linemen that weight at least 300 pounds, along with Division I playmakers receiver-defensive back Tre Hartley (6-foot, 180 pounds) running back-safety Squally Canada (6-0, 190).

Canada has already secured a scholarship to Boise State and Harley has offers from Oregon State, Colorado, Houston and Washington State.

Hartley is coming off a seven-catch, 218-yard, three-touchdown performance against SHC. He caught scoring tosses of 26, 72 and 52 yards from Ronnie Reed.

Though a 36-yard touchdown pass to David Kruskamp early in the fourth quarter broke a 21-21 tie, SHC coach Ken Peralta said Hartley was the difference.

"(Reed) would just heave the ball down field and Hartley would beat our guys to the ball," Peralta said. "We had two guys in great position but he's a tremendous athlete."

Canada is a big, fast, physical back who has rushed for 308 yards (9.38 per carry) but scored just one touchdown. He has 10 tackles and made an interception to preserve the win against SHC.

"He looks like a college strong safety to me," Peralta said. "He's a big, physical kid and he runs like the wind."

Valley Christian can counter with a big, fast back as well in 6-foot, 195-pound junior Kirk Johnson, who rushed for 1,469 yards and 21 touchdowns last season.

Johnson had 218 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns in a 38-10 win over Bishop O'Dowd-Oakland on Sept. 13, the last Warriors' game. They opened with a 20-17 loss at Sac-Joaquin Section power Vacaville.

Last year, Johnson shared carries with Ryan Severson (1,951 yards, 32 touchdowns), who is now at Colorado. This year, Johnson is the go-to back though junior Mark Quinby rushed for 116 yards and two scores against O'Dowd.

"He's a special back," Machado said of Johnson. "He could be an All-American."

Running the offense is Machado's son Michael Machado (6-0, 180), a junior who took for All-WCAL quarterback Jay MacIntyre, the son of former San Jose State coach Mike MacIntyre. When coach MacIntyre took the job at Colorado, his son, now a senior, transferred out of Valley Christian, leaving the job a year early for Michael Machado.

"He knows the offense better than most of the coaches," coach Machado said of his son.

Last year, a week before the WCAL season, host Valley Christian ran away from Milpitas 54-22 and Johnson and Severson each rushed for three touchdowns.

Valley Christian lost four WCAL games by a total of 18 points, but went on to win the Central Coast Section Division III title despite a 7-6 record. Milpitas, 9-4, lost in the CCS Division I finals to San Benito-Hollister 35-28.

10 GAMES OF THE WEEK

#14 Campolindo (Moraga) (4-0) at #24 Acalanes (Lafayette) (4-0), 7 p.m. Friday — It will be hard to be last year's 40-39 Campolindo win in Moraga. Great match-up of Acalanes running game featuring Peter Mitchell against Campolindo's strong passing attack led by Andrew Zolintakis and Phillip Rei, who last week hooped up last week for three touchdowns in a 42-27 upset of then El Cerrito. Prediction: Campolindo 35, Aclalanes 28

#7 Deer Valley (Antioch) (3-0) at San Leandro (1-3), 7 p.m. Friday — Throw out the records as San Leandro has played a rigorous schedule and played competitively. Deer Valley's bus broke down last week, had only 15 minutes to warm up and zoomed past Santa Rosa 50-16. The Wolverines have outscored foes 155-47. Prediction: Deer Valley 35, San Leandro 20.

Granada (Livermore) (3-1) at #9 California (San Ramon) (2-1), 7 p.m. Friday — The visiting Matadors can put themselves on the Bay Area map with a victory. They've won three straight since squandering a big lead in a 39-36 loss to Windsor. They've outscored next three opponents 94-28. Prediction: California 28, Granada 21

Granite Bay (2-1) at #8 Pittsburg (3-1), 7 p.m. Friday — Pittsburg's 28-27 road win was the last Granite Bay defeat last season en route to a state Division I Bowl title. Pittsburg's Harris Ross leads Bay Area with 969 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. Prediction: Pittsburg 31, Granite Bay 28

#17 Logan (Union City) (3-1) at Berkeley (2-2), 7 p.m. Friday — The two largest public schools in the Bay Area tangle. One of these years, Berkeley is going to put it all together. Prediction: Logan 28, Berkeley 14.

Monte Vista (Danville) (1-2) at #22 Amador Valley (Pleasanton), 7 p.m. Friday — Every Monte Vista game, if nothing else, has been fun to watch. Look for an upset. Prediction: Monte Vista 28, Amador Valley 27

#20 San Ramon Valley (Danville) (1-2) at #1 De La Salle (Concord) (4-0), 7 p.m. Friday — Ridiculously tough nonleague season ends for San Ramon Valley, which now needs to focus on run defense after allowing 598 yards through the air last week against Folsom. Prediction: De La Salle 42, San Ramon Valley 14

Montgomery (Santa Rosa) (3-0) at #18 Casa Grande (Petaluma) (3-0), 7:30 p.m. Friday — First-year Montgomery coach Dean Haskins has his team rolling, having outscored foes 144-25. Highly touted QB JaJuan Lawson and versatile John Porchivina leads Casa Grande. Prediction: Montgomery 22, Casa Grande 21

#13 Terra Nova (Pacifica) (3-0) at Salinas (2-1), 7:30 p.m. Friday — High-powered Terra Nova offense, which averages 50.1 points and 562 yards per game, will go against a defense that gives up 20 points per game. Prediction: Terra Nova 48, Salinas 28

#16 Valley Christian-San Jose (1-1) at #11 Milpitas (2-0), 7:30 p.m. Friday — Most WCAL teams try to either take a week off or a breather heading into league play, but Valley Christian takes on one of CCS's most physical and talented teams. Prediction: Valley Christian 28, Milpitas 21

10 TAKES

1. Terra Nova might just be the most entertaining team to watch in the Bay Area. Great system, outstanding strong-armed quarterback in Anthony Gordon and lots of speed, led by Jaylend Jones.

2. I want to see one of the region's best-kept secrets in 6-foot, 220-pound California running back Blake Bierwith (559 yards, 10 touchdowns).

3. Two players don't nearly make a team, but Hartley and Canada, of Milpitas, can cover a lot of ground and do a lot of things.

4. Though Kirk Johnson is getting loads of recruiting attention, and rightfully so, you can't miss his brother, 6-3, 180-pound sophomore receiver Collin Johnson who may turn out to be an even bigger recruit. See his highlight tape. Unfortunately, the younger Johnson is out with a shoulder injury for a couple weeks.

5. Campolindo coach Kevin Macy said Acalanes running back Mitchell is one of the most under-rated running backs in the East Bay.

6. Though Granite Bay is looking for a little payback, Pittsburg will have its own emotional lift. Its playing in its new refurbished stadium. 

7. There's a couple players I'd pay to watch in high school and one is Deer Valley quarterback Nsimba Webster, Dual-threat quarterbacks can simply dominate prep football games.

8. It's hard to really know, but the two coaches who get the most out of their players and program — other than De La Salle — is Campolindo's Macy and Foothill (Pleasanton) coach Matt Sweeney. That would be a tremendous game to see. Might need to certainly mention Concord coach Brian Hamilton in that group. 

9. That said, as far as turning around a program, Peralta at Sacred Heart Cathedral sure looks like his has a sudden WCAL contender. The Irish, after two resounding wins, took Milpitas to the mat and could have easily prevailed. Peralta, of course, turned Riordan into a WCAL champion and Marin Catholic (Kentfield) from a North Bay power to a Northern California power. Best part of Peralta, he'd say "hogwash" to all of it and deflect to all assistants. He turned over Marin Catholic to an exceptional one to in Mazi Moayed. 

10. El Cerrito (2-2), coming off humbling loss to Campolindo, won't lose another game until it reaches the North Coast Section Division III title game against Marin Catholic. Not saying the Gauchos will lose that one, but they'll be hellbent to get back to that game. If that game does materialize, it will be the Bay Area Game of the Year.