It’s football championship game weekend in the North Coast Section. Here is a preview of games involving teams in the Bay Area News Group’s coverage area:
NCS DIVISION I: NO. 2 PITTSBURG VS. NO. 3 SAN RAMON VALLEY
Records: Pittsburg 10-2, San Ramon Valley 11-1
Kickoff: Friday at Diablo Valley College, 7 p.m.
Series history: Pittsburg is 5-1 against SRV in the MaxPreps era (2004 to present) and most recently beat the Wolves 37-21 in the NCS Division I title game last year.
Storylines: It will be a rematch of the NCS Division I final from last season – a game in which Pittsburg pulled away in the second half thanks to stellar play from quarterback Marley Alcantara. … Pittsburg will be vying for its fourth consecutive Division I title just a week removed from a heartbreaking 10-7 loss to De La Salle in the Open Division final. … Look for Alcantara to be a focal point for the SRV defense. The senior has thrown for over 2,200 yards and 32 touchdowns this season with no interceptions. He will have plenty of options on the perimeter with wide receivers Makari Kenion, R.J. Mosely, Truly Bell and freshman speedster Kenny Ward at his disposal. … Should Pittsburg need to run the ball, Washington State commit Jamar Searcy will certainly get a bulk of the carries. Searcy has rushed for 1,315 yards this season and is averaging just under 10 yards per carry. … Pittsburg’s defense has Division I talent all over the field, with defensive end Juju Walls (UCLA), safeties Jadyn Hudson (UCLA) and Dominik Calhoun (Boise State) and linebacker Etene Pritchard (San Diego State) leading the way. … SRV is coming off a hard-fought 7-0 win over North Bay powerhouse Cardinal Newman. The Wolves will be looking to capture their fifth NCS title in school history. … Texas A&M-bound linebacker Marco Jones has arguably been the best player in the Bay Area. Jones has wreaked havoc on opposing offenses as he has racked up 9.5 sacks and 115 tackles – 31 of which were behind the line of scrimmage. … Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo-bound edge rusher Kaleb Pleis will also be an X-factor on Friday. Pleis has 15.5 sacks and 53 tackles through 12 games. … SRV’s offense will run through quarterback Rhett Thompson (2,613 yards and 34 touchdowns) and running back Matthew Garibaldi (780 yards, 10 touchdowns).
Computer projection: Calpreps.com predicts Pittsburg to win 28-19.
– Nathan Canilao
NCS DIVISION II: NO. 2 AMADOR VALLEY VS. NO. 4 BISHOP O’DOWD
Records: Amador Valley 8-4, O’Dowd 10-2
Kickoff: Friday at Dublin High School, 7 p.m.
Series history: First meeting between the teams in the MaxPreps era that began in 2004.
Storylines: Amador Valley, seeking its first section championship in program history, is red hot coming off an impressive 38-29 win over North Bay heavyweight Windsor last Friday. … Amador Valley’s Oregon State-bound quarterback Tristan Tia has been electric this season, throwing for 3,452 yards and 29 touchdowns. He has also rushed for 731 yards and 16 scores. … Tia has had a …read more
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
