SAN JOSE –The Serra football team left no doubt. In regards to the Central Coast Section,, there’s Serra, and then there’s everyone else.
Serra won the CCS Open Division championship Friday at San Jose City College by a 63-27 margin over Wilcox.
It was Serra’s fourth consecutive championship in the CCS’ top division.
“A lot goes into the DNA of a championship,” Serra coach Patrick Walsh said. “But at the end of the day it’s the players. These guys have exceeded everyone’s expectations. This senior class is arguably the best to ever play in the CCS. Everyone who watched us play got to see some of the most fantastic football players the San Francisco Peninsula has ever seen. I’m honored and proud they decided to come to Serra.”
Serra (12-0) will almost assuredly have the next two weeks off before playing in the state championship game Dec. 9 against the Southern California finalist. The CIF will make the official announcement Nov. 26, but with Serra having beaten both De La Salle and Folsom the first two weeks of the season, who else but the Padres could realistically be chosen to represent Northern California?
“That’s the best team I’ve ever played against in all the years, and we’ve played some pretty good teams,” Wilcox coach Paul Rosa said. “They’ve got talent at every position and they’re focused. That’s tough to deal with.”
Serra team celebrate the victory against Wilcox (33) in the Central Coast Section Open Division championship game in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, October 17, 2023. Serra won 63-27. Tony Avelar for the Bay Area News Group
Wilcox (8-4) will play league rival Los Gatos, a 21-17 winner over St. Ignatius, on Friday at SJCC for the CCS Division I title. Wilcox lost to Los Gatos 24-21 on Oct. 27.
Heading into the matchup with Serra, Wilcox was coming off a terrific performance the previous week, scoring the final four touchdowns of the game in a 52-28 upset win over St. Francis. But the Chargers were never in this one. Serra led 49-13 at halftime and a running clock was in use the entire second half.
Rosa was asked if there was any benefit in playing Serra before moving on in the playoffs to take on teams at its own level:
“I’ll let you know next week,” he said. “I think sometimes it can be. You kind of figure out who can play against real players. There’s definitely some positives.”
Wilcox wide receiver Jeramiah Lewis (32) catches pass Serra safety Joseph Bey (10) during the first half of the Central Coast Section Open Division championship game in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, October 17, 2023. Serra won 63-27. Tony Avelar for the Bay Area News Group
Wilcox needed to be effective with the ground game out of its veer-option offense and control time of possession to have a shot against Serra. But the Padres’ defense was up to the challenge, forcing three-and-outs on Wilcox’s first two possessions and scoring both times they touched the ball: on a 21-yard run by Danny …read more
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
