CIF football: State championship preview for Bay Area teams

De La Salle, Serra, Clayton Valley, McClymonds among the teams aiming for a state championship.

Open Division

De La Salle (12-1) vs. St. John Bosco (12-1) at Cerritos College in Norwalk, Saturday, 8 p.m.: Since the California Interscholastic Federation instituted a state championship in 2006, De La Salle has been the one constant. The Spartans have reached a championship game every season — 14 in all — since the CIF added games beyond the section playoffs. De La Salle also is the only seven-time champion. But the Spartans have been in a drought since two Southern California Catholic powers elevated high school football in the state to a level beyond anyone’s imagination. St. John Bosco is the opponent Saturday night. The Braves beat Mater Dei to reach this stage. Mater Dei had won the previous two Open Division state championships with wins over De La Salle (blowout in 2017, closer game last year) after Bosco walloped De La Salle for the 2016 Open Division crown. Bosco is a heavy favorite to make it four in a row for Southern California in the state’s top division. Calpreps.com’s computer projects Bosco to roll 42-24. Let that sink in for a second. De La Salle has been spectacular this fall, winning 12 consecutive games since losing by 10 points on national TV to Florida powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas in the season opener. But Bosco has 10 players in its senior class committed to Power 5 colleges, led by Clemson-bound quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, who has passed for 3,815 yards and 44 touchdowns with only two interceptions this season. The Braves also have four players ranked among the state’s Top 100 in the junior class, according to 247Sports.com. De La Salle is 0-2 against Bosco in Open championship games, losing 20-14 in 2013 and 56-33 in 2016. The Spartans’ most recent state title came in 2015, 28-21 over Centennial-Corona.

— Darren Sabedra

Division 1-A

Serra (13-1) vs. Corona del Mar (15-0) at Cerritos College in Norwalk, Saturday, 4 p.m.: St. Francis lost its Aug. 30 season opener 42-14 to Corona del Mar. The traditional Bay Area power is the only common denominator in this state final. Serra also defeated its rival St. Francis by a 35-21 margin on Oct. 18. That probably makes unbeaten Corona del Mar, which beat Sacred Heart Prep in a 2013 CIF state championship, the favorite this weekend. CalPreps.com’s computer is predicting Serra to lose 31-21. Serra advanced to a state final for a third time in four years, claiming its only CIF title in 2017. A stout defense led by 6-foot-6, 250-pound end Nusi Malani has empowered the Padres after the loss of quarterback Daylin McLemore to a broken collarbone. In his absence, dual-threat QB Dominique Lampkin keeps rising to the occasion, with the help of athletes such as Terence Loville, Nate Sanchez and Jackson Lataimua. The trio of two-way players must contend with CDM’s pro-style QB, Washington-bound Ethan Garbers, who was 27 of 43 for 329 yards and five TDs against St. Francis. In that game, Bradley Schlom finished with nine catches for 123 yards and three touchdowns, plus a kickoff return to the house. Both teams are capable of lighting up the scoreboard, but a CIF state title could come down to which one makes a key stop on defense.

— Vytas Mazeika

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Division 2-AA

Clayton Valley Charter (9-5) vs. Aquinas-San Bernardino (13-2) at Cerritos College in Norwalk, Friday, 4 p.m.: Clayton Valley is making its third appearance in a CIF state championship game after a miraculous rally in the NorCal regionals. Down 12 points, 40 yards from the end zone, fourth down and 2 1/2 minutes on the clock against Elk Grove last week, the Ugly Eagles found lightning in the bottle. Jake Kern threw a 40-yard bomb to Rayshawn Jackson for a touchdown with 2:22 left, the defense made a stop on fourth-and-1 near midfield, Kern threw a 42-yard strike to Seth Gwynn for the go-ahead touchdown and Charlie Saylor iced the epic comeback with an interception in the end zone. “I definitely aged a few years in those four minutes,” Clayton Valley coach Tim Murphy said in a text Monday. The victory was the Ugly Eagles’ fourth in a row since the playoffs started after a 5-5 regular season in which the team lost tight games to Monte Vista, San Ramon Valley and California in their first go-around through the East Bay Athletic League, as well as an overtime non-league loss to Liberty. Overshadowed by the miracle finish was running back Omari Taylor, who ran for 128 yards and two first-half touchdowns against Elk Grove. Aquinas won the Ambassador League with a 5-0 record and four playoff games to claim the Southern Section Division V championship. The Falcons beat San Juan Hills 24-10 in the regionals last week. Calpreps.com’s computer has projected Aquinas to lose the past four weeks. That might not be a good sign for Clayton Valley, which is projected by calpreps to return home to Concord with its first state championship, 22-19.

— Darren Sabedra

Division 2-A

McClymonds (11-0) vs. Pacifica-Oxnard (14-1) at Cerritos College in Norwalk, Saturday, noon: High school championships can create strange circumstances. Take the CIF state matchup between McClymonds and Pacifica-Oxnard. Two of the best players on the field are likely to become teammates four days after the final whistle Saturday. Mack cornerback Edward Woods and Pacifica inside linebacker Caleb McCullough are committed to Arizona State. It doesn’t appear that McCullough plays much on the other side of the ball, but Woods is a two-way star. On offense, he’s one of the Warriors’ most explosive receivers, so he could run into McCullough. Although McClymonds is taking a huge leap this year, stepping up from Division 4-A to 2-A, the Oakland Athletic League champs won’t be overmatched or overwhelmed. This is the Warriors’ fourth straight appearance in a CIF state championship game. McClymonds won the previous three. Pacifica is a member of Southern Section and plays in the Pacific View League, which is probably on a par with the East Bay Athletic League, though not as deep. Oxnard won the league this season for the third time in five years but lost to Aquinas-San Bernardino in the section playoffs. Pacifica’s last league title was in 2016. The Tritons do have a prolific offense. They are averaging exactly 50 points per game. Pacifica runs more than passes, but is averaging more than 200 yards per game through the air. On the ground, the key for Mack will be limiting Malik Sherrod, another college prospect who has rushed for 1,608 yards and 24 touchdowns. McClymonds coach Michael Peters said Pacifica reminds him of Marin Catholic, but with more speed. Mack beat Marin Catholic this season 19-7. Sophomore quarterback Dreyan Paul has speedy, shifty running back Montrell Smith to hand off to, and a host of good receivers as the Warriors don’t lack for playmakers  Besides Smith and Woods, running back Gary Alexander Jr. can run and catch, receiver Caleb Kendricks blocked a punt that led to a safety in the NorCal regional final last Saturday against Manteca, and cornerback Jebril White returned the second-half kickoff 67 yards for a touchdown. McClymonds blew out Manteca 46-13, scoring three touchdowns on its first five plays from scrimmage to take an 18-7 lead. It won’t be the same against Pacifica, but a fourth straight state title is definitely within reach.

— Mike Lefkow

Division 3-AA

El Camino-Oceanside (9-6) at Cardinal Newman (13-1), Saturday, 6 p.m.: After last year’s hopes of a state title ended on a coin flip, the Cardinals have moved on. Last week’s CIF NorCal title closed a chapter for Cardinal Newman and provides an opportunity in Santa Rosa to make history. Dual-threat quarterback Jackson Pavitt, who’s thrown for 29 TDs with one interception — on top of 500-plus rushing yards and nine TDs — powers an offense that features wide receivers Tsion Nunnally (6-3, 175) and senior Giancarlo Woods (6-1, 185), who’ve accounted for 22 touchdown catches. Under a downpour in the NorCal regional, a 42-7 victory over Los Gatos, the Cardinals relied on the ground game as junior Shane Moran set career-highs of 23 carries for 143 yards, while crossing the goal line twice. El Camino, a 2017 runner-up in Division 4-AA, is riding a six-game win streak in which it has scored at least 34 points. Cardinal Newman’s lone loss came on Nov. 21 — 17-13 on the road against Liberty, a 2018 state champion with Oregon commit Jay Butterfield at quarterback. The Cardinals are a two-time CIF state runner-up.

— Vytas Mazeika

Division 3-A

Bakersfield Christian (11-3) at Rancho Cotate (11-3), Saturday, 6 p.m.: Only 13 miles away from Cardinal Newman in Santa Rosa, another CIF state final is scheduled to kick off at the same time at Rohnert Park. After prevailing 10-0 in a “mud game” on a grass field in it’s first-ever NorCal regional appearance, Rancho Cotate will close out its season at home with a CIF state title on the line. The Cougars will count on running back Rasheed Rankin, a 6-foot-1, 225-pound senior who scored the only touchdown in the North Coast Section Division IV final and set up the lone TD in last week’s NorCal title game — both games shutouts by the Rancho Cotate defense. Bakersfield Christian is on a six-game win streak with each victory by at least two touchdowns en route to its first appearance in a state final.

— Vytas Mazeika

Division 5-A

Reseda (11-3) at Milpitas (8-6), Saturday, 6 p.m.: For the second time in three years, Milpitas will battle for a CIF state championship. Only this time, the Trojans’ involvement is more than just their results on the field. In 2017, Milpitas won its first state football title in school history after a dominant 14-1 campaign. This season, as benefactors of a new competitive equity system in the CCS, the Trojans were able to carve a path to the 5-A state championship game despite a tie for third place in their own division. But after a 1-6 start, they’ve rattled off seven straight wins on the back of running back Josue Torres, who’s rushed for 1,565 yards and 11 touchdowns — all of which, as well as 1,291 of those yards, have come during the seven-game winning streak. The 5-8 senior carried 40 times for 285 yards in their 26-19 win over Caruthers last week. The Trojans will face off an equally hot team in Reseda. The Regents have reeled off eight straight wins, including a 28-0 final over Esperanza-Anaheim to earn their championship berth. They forced four turnovers in the win, and their tandem of senior wide receivers has led the charge the last two weeks offensively. Dranel Rhodes caught five passes for 150 yards and scored four times in their section championship game, while Mario Martinez caught one TD and returned an interception for another score against Esperanza.

— Evan Webeck

Division 6-A

Bishop Union (12-2) at Salesian (12-2), Saturday, noon.: Bishop Union started the season 1-2 before turning things around in a big way. Its scoring defense has been stout — it has not allowed more than 16 points in a game in its 11-game winning streak and has three shutouts. Bishop Union’s major offensive weapon is quarterback Luke McClean, who has rushed for a team-high 1,173 yards and 18 touchdowns in addition to throwing for 879 yards and nine more TD’s. When Bishop Union does go to the air, it generates big plays; it has three receivers with double-digit receptions who average 15.2 yards per catch or more. Since a season-opening loss to Bradshaw Christian-Sacramento, Salesian has scored at least 21 points in 12 games, including a two-point loss to Kennedy-Richmond on Nov. 1. In a 35-14 victory over Santa Cruz last week, Salesian’s Kareem Sullivan rushed for 165 yards and quarterback Ronald Robertson added 90 yards on the ground, including four straight kneels in the fourth quarter. Robertson threw for three touchdown passes in a victory over Ferndale in the North Coast Section Division VII championship game.

— Phil Jensen

Division 7-AA

Gardena (11-4) vs. Lincoln-San Francisco (11-1) at City College of San Francisco, Saturday, noon: Lincoln is aiming for back-to-back CIF state championships. The Mustangs beat George Glen 24-13 to claim the Division 6-A title and complete a 13-0 campaign last year. This season began with a little hiccup in September, a 17-14 loss to Piedmont. Since then, Lincoln has won 10 in a row behind Luis Contreras, who has rushed for 2,323 yards and 27 touchdowns. When Lincoln beat Mariposa 21-14 for a regional championship last week, Contreras led the way with 212 yards and two touchdowns in 37 carries. Gardena beat Francis Park in a regional last week as Daquan Paul threw for touchdowns to lead the way.

— Darren Sabedra

Other games

Central-Fresno (14-0) vs. Sierra Canyon (14-1) for Division 1-AA championship at Cerritos College in Norwalk, Friday, 8 p.m.

Highland-Palmdale (12-3) at Ripon (13-1) for Division 4-AA championship, Saturday, 6 p.m.

El Monte (15-0) at Del Norte-Crescent City (13-2) for Division 5-AA championship, Saturday, 6 p.m.

South-Torrance (11-4) vs. St. Bernard’s (11-3) for Division 6-AA championship at Humboldt State, Saturday, 6 p.m.