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The final of the undefeated groups
There are greater than 132 highschool soccer groups within the Bay Space Information Group protection space.
Six weekends into the season, solely 18 have unbeaten information.
Some are extremely ranked (Serra, Wilcox, Campolindo), and a few are extra on the stunning aspect (Sequoia, Dougherty Valley).
Others that might have been on the listing final week are not undefeated after losses over the weekend (McClymonds, Archbishop Mitty, Branham).
Right here’s a take a look at who’s nonetheless obtained a shot at an ideal season (listed in alphabetical order):
ACALANES (5-0): The Dons’ finest win is a 42-35 conquer Sheldon-Sacramento. Junior receiver Trevor Rogers has eight landing receptions.
CAMPOLINDO (5-0): Coach Kevin Macy appears effectively on his method to main the Moraga faculty to its eleventh consecutive full season with at the least 10 wins. Campolindo’s again half of the schedule contains league video games in opposition to fellow undefeated groups, Northgate and Acalanes.
CHRISTOPHER (5-0): Sophomore quarterback Jaxen Robinson and senior working again Eric Argumedo have the Gilroy faculty rolling because it begins its first season within the Blossom Valley Athletic League’s Mt. Hamilton Division. The workforce will play host to a different undefeated workforce, Lincoln-San Jose, in a league opener Thursday.
CONCORD (5-0): After going 1-9 final season, the Minutemen have dramatically turned issues round. Junior working again Monte Beam has rushed for 657 yards and eight touchdowns.
DOUGHERTY VALLEY (6-0): Three seasons faraway from a 1-9 end, Dougherty Valley is tied with Livermore for probably the most wins within the North Coast Part. The San Ramon faculty, off to its finest begin in program historical past, scored 50 factors final week in opposition to Vallejo.
EL CERRITO (5-0): The Gauchos have given up solely 6.4 factors per sport thanks largely to what may very well be the Bay Space’s finest secondary. Cornerbacks Warren Smith and Kamani Jackson have Division I faculty provides. Smith has dedicated to Washington State.
HALF MOON BAY (5-0): Picked by the Bay Space Information Group to complete third within the PAL/SCVAL Bay Division, the Cougars are headed for a greater end than that prognostication after edging league favourite Menlo-Atherton 22-21 on Friday. The league championship for HMB might come all the way down to its sport Saturday at Sacred Coronary heart Prep.
KENNEDY-RICHMOND (5-0): The Eagles have received every of their video games by no fewer than 14 factors, together with a 24-7 victory over Millenium-Tracy on Saturday. Their subsequent two opponents, St. Mary’s-Berkeley and St. Patrick-St. Vincent, are additionally undefeated.
LINCOLN-SAN JOSE (5-0): The Lions scored 16 fourth-quarter factors to edge Leigh by three of their season opener and received a decent sport over Aragon. The remainder of the victories, together with a sport Friday in opposition to beforehand undefeated Branham, have been blowouts.
LIVERMORE (6-0): The Cowboys have already matched final 12 months’s win whole. Elijah Hodgers (768 yards speeding) is main the best way.
NORTHGATE (5-0): The Broncos have performed stout protection, permitting solely 28 factors to this point. Their largest problem but might come Friday because the Walnut Creek faculty opens Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division play in opposition to high-powered Miramonte.
ST. MARY’S-BERKELEY (5-0): The Panthers have shut out three of their 5 opponents. They open league play at residence Saturday in opposition to Kennedy-Richmond.
ST. PATRICK ST. VINCENT (5-0): If there’s such a factor as momentum, SPSV ought to have it in spades when it begins its league schedule Friday at residence in opposition to Richmond. The Bruins demolished Salesian 50-14 on Saturday.
SAN RAMON VALLEY (5-0): Quarterback Luke Baker is finishing 73% of his passes as SRV boasts an offense that's averaging 38 factors per sport. The Wolves have a troublesome sport Friday at McClymonds, then comes East Bay Athletic League Mountain Division play.
SERRA (5-0): The Bay Space Information Group’s top-ranked workforce cleared its hardest hurdles within the first two video games, successful on the street over Folsom and De La Salle. The San Mateo powerhouse has opened West Catholic Athletic League play with lopsided wins over St. Francis and Mitty and is closely favored to seize league and part titles.
SEQUOIA (5-0): The Ravens surpassed final 12 months’s win whole after they beat Los Altos 20-14 on Thursday in a league opener. Johnny Larios is finishing 63% of his go makes an attempt.
WESTMONT (5-0): The Warriors had final week off after a dramatic second-half comeback on Sept. 22 to edge Leland 28-25. The Campbell faculty opens league play Friday at residence in opposition to Sobrato.
WILCOX (5-0): With Elijah Walker and Andrew Palacios main the bottom assault, the Santa Clara powerhouse continues to roll. The Chargers survived their hardest check but, beating Menlo-Atherton 21-20 on Sept. 23. An ideal common season will doubtless come all the way down to a go to to Los Gatos on Oct. 21.
— Darren Sabedra and Joseph Dycus
Pittsburg adjusts on the fly
Pittsburg has a four-star quarterback and one of the best large receiver group within the Bay Space, so it clearly is sensible that the Pirates’ default technique is to have Jaden Rashada throw to Washington-bound Rashid Williams, three-star Khai Taylor and several other different nice pass-catchers.
However in a few of their largest matchups to this point, a regarding pattern has developed for the Pirates.
In a 23-15 loss to Folsom on Sept. 16, the Pirates gave up three sacks and lots of extra pressures as Rashada was consistently pressured to scramble and throw beneath duress.
Friday, it was extra of the identical.
Pittsburg beat McClymonds 39-21, however the Oakland powerhouse had six sacks and induced mayhem within the backfield.
However slightly than sticking with the passing sport, coach Victor Galli made a necessary adjustment.
He scrapped the airial assault in favor of a methodical working sport.
With McClymonds pass-rushers making use of fixed warmth, there have been gaps available for working again Elijah Bow, a sophomore who completed with 184 yards and a landing.
Pittsburg’s receivers, to their credit score, did their half to make the bottom sport go.
“I need him to go rating for us, and I need him to be nice,” Taylor mentioned. “Elijah brings that power each week, and by the point he’s a senior, he’s gonna be that boy.”
— Joseph Dycus
Santa Clara’s break-out sport
It hadn’t been a very good begin to the season for Santa Clara. The Bruins had misplaced three of their first 4 video games, together with a 17-7 defeat on the street in opposition to Carlmont on Sept. 16 by which the guests had 5 turnovers within the pink zone.
Santa Clara had the next weekend off after which erupted Friday for a 43-0 win over Cupertino.
The Bruins returned a blocked punt for a landing, a fumble for a landing and an interception for a landing.
Not a nasty method to open the league schedule.
“You open up league play and so they needed to make a press release,” coach Andrew Calderon mentioned. “They labored arduous this week in observe and made slightly assertion for themselves.”
Santa Clara has 17 seniors on its roster and eight have by no means performed soccer, in keeping with the coach.
“Baseball child, water polo child, soccer child, basketball guys and like 5 of them begin,” Calderon mentioned. “We knew this preseason was them getting accustomed to the sport and them understanding the best way to end a win. It simply took a while.
“However I instructed them we anticipated that. You guys are taking some lumps proper now, nevertheless it’s going to repay in the long term. Typically you must fail to discover ways to win.”
— Darren Sabedra
How Monta Vista rallied in opposition to Saratoga
Monta Vista appeared on its method to a fourth loss in 5 video games on Friday. The Cupertino faculty trailed Saratoga 28-6 at halftime. Isaiah Dimaya’s speeding landing supplied the Matadors’ solely factors of the half.
As an alternative of permitting his workforce to sulk, coach Ceazar Agront uplifted his gamers.
“At halftime, my employees and I attempted to breathe life again into the workforce, and requested they trusted us and our perception in them as a workforce,” Agront mentioned. “I promised them in the event that they obtained a cease on the opening defensive stand then they might win the sport.”
Minta Vistra outscored Saratoga by 29 within the second half to win 42-35.
Working again Greyson Mobley ran for 127 yards and 4 of the workforce’s 5 second-half touchdowns.
The Matadors’ protection was additionally very good, with Mobley ending the sport with an interception and the protection ending with 4 second-half sacks.
Monta Vista is 2-3 general and 1-2 in league play.
— Joseph Dycus
Peek forward to Week 7
Thursday
Lincoln-San Jose (5-0) at Christopher (5-0), 7 p.m.: Not a nasty BVAL Mt. Hamilton Division opener. Each groups have been very good so far.
Friday
De La Salle (3-2) at St. Mary’s-Stockton (6-0), 7 p.m.: De La Salle will attempt to keep away from a 3rd loss to a NorCal workforce this season.
San Ramon Valley (5-0) at McClymonds (3-1), 7 p.m.: SRV QB Luke Baker vs. the McClymonds protection will likely be definitely worth the value of admission.
Serra (5-0) vs. Bellarmine (3-2) at San Jose Metropolis School, 7 p.m.: Bellarmine scored solely three factors in a win over Riordan on Saturday. Will want many extra to maintain tempo with Serra.
Clayton Valley Constitution (2-3) at Amador Valley (3-1), 7 p.m.: After a 3rd powerful loss at residence, Clayton Valley went on the street and beat beforehand undefeated Jesuit-Carmichael on Saturday.
Miramonte (4-1) at Northgate (5-0), 7 p.m.: Miramonte averages 37.4 factors per sport. Northgate is giving up 5.6 per sport.
— Darren Sabedra