Bay Area News Group high school football predictions: Section championship weekend
In the 14th week of the high school football season, our guys make their CCS, NCS and OAL championships picks.
We’re nearing the end of our all-in-fun Bay Area News Group picks competition.
The race now between yours truly, Mike Lefkow and The Kid — aka Joseph Dycus — might be for second place as Lefkow’s lead over Dycus has shrunk to three games while my advantage over Lefkow has stretched to seven.
We pick 12 games this weekend — all five Central Coast Section finals, five North Coast Section finals, the Oakland Athletic League championship game and, as a bonus, the Southern Section Division I final at Rose Bowl between Mater Dei and St. John Bosco.
In the video podcast, we discuss the fascinating matchup in the CCS Division I final on Friday night between Serra and Archbishop Mitty of the West Catholic Athletic League. Serra, given the teams it has beaten and how it has played, is clearly one of the CCS’s all-time great teams. Mitty, given that it won one game last season, is one of the CCS’s all-time great stories.
We also discuss the wild storylines in the NCS Division I final between Clayton Valley Charter and Pittsburg. Who will feel more pressure in this game — CVC quarterback Christian Aguilar, Pittsburg quarterback Jaden Rashada or Pittsburg coach Victor Galli?
Aguilar, before transferring to Clayton Valley, started in place of the injured Rashada in last year’s NCS Division I final and beat Clayton Valley. Galli, after 21 years as Pittsburg’s coach, has announced that he will step down when the season ends. He and the Pirates obviously hope that won’t happen Friday.
If you want just this week’s predictions, keep scrolling.
And, if you haven’t done so, please subscribe here for digital access all school year long. Our high school coverage does not stop when football season ends.
Enjoy the video.
WEEK 14 PICKS
Saturday’s CCS Division II final: No. 5 Bellarmine (6-6) vs. No. 2 St. Ignatius (6-6) at San Jose City College, 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Bellarmine
Dycus: Bellarmine
Lefkow: Bellarmine
Saturday’s CCS Division III final: No. 5 Hollister (7-5) vs. No. 3 Menlo School (7-5) at Rabobank Stadium in Salinas, 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Hollister
Dycus: Hollister
Lefkow: Menlo School
Saturday’s CCS Division IV final: No. 4 Santa Teresa (7-5) vs. No. 3 Branham (11-1) at San Jose City College, 1 p.m.
Sabedra: Branham
Dycus: Santa Teresa
Lefkow: Santa Teresa
Friday’s CCS Division V final: No. 5 Monterey (8-4) vs. No. 2 Palo Alto (6-6) at Sequoia HS, 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Palo Alto
Dycus: Palo Alto
Lefkow: Palo Alto
Friday’s NCS Division III final: No. 2 Windsor (9-2) vs. No. 1 El Cerrito (12-0) at Benicia HS, 7 p.m.
Sabedra: El Cerrito
Dycus: El Cerrito
Lefkow: El Cerrito
Friday’s NCS Division V final: No. 2 Miramonte (8-4) vs. No. 1 San Marin (10-2) at Rancho Cotate HS, 7 p.m.
Sabedra: San Marin
Dycus: Miramonte
Lefkow: San Marin
Friday’s NCS Division VI final: No. 4 Pinole Valley (7-4) vs. No. 3 Justin-Siena (7-5) at Memorial Stadium in Napa, 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Pinole Valley
Dycus: Pinole Valley
Lefkow: Pinole Valley
Saturday’s Oakland Section final: McClymonds (10-1) vs. Castlemont (6-5) at Fremont-Oakland HS, 6 p.m.
Sabedra: McClymonds
Dycus: McClymonds
Lefkow: McClymonds
Friday’s NCS Division II final: No. 2 Campolindo (12-0) vs. No. 1 San Ramon Valley (10-2) at Dublin HS, 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Campolindo
Dycus: San Ramon Valley
Lefkow:San Ramon Valley
Friday’s CCS Division I final: No. 6 Archbishop Mitty (9-3) vs. No. 1 Serra (12-0) at San Jose City College, 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Serra
Dycus: Serra
Lefkow: Serra
Friday’s NCS Division I final: No. 3 Clayton Valley Charter (8-4) vs. No. 2 Pittsburg (10-2) at Heritage HS, 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Pittsburg
Dycus: Clayton Valley
Lefkow: Pittsburg
Friday’s Southern Section Division I final: No. 1 Mater Dei-Santa Ana (12-0) vs. No. 2 St. John Bosco-Bellflower (11-1) at Rose Bowl, 7:30 p.m.
Sabedra: Mater Dei
Dycus: St. John Bosco
Lefkow: Mater Dei
WEEK 13 RESULTS
CCS Division I: No. 6 Archbishop Mitty 42, No. 2 St. Francis 41 (OT)
Sabedra: St. Francis (L)
Dycus: Archbishop Mitty (W)
Lefkow: St. Francis (L)
CCS Division II: No. 5 Bellarmine 21, No. 1 Wilcox 17
Sabedra: Wilcox (L)
Dycus: Wilcox (L)
Lefkow: Wilcox (L)
CCS Division II: No. 2 St. Ignatius 28, No. 3 Aptos 14
Sabedra: St. Ignatius (W)
Dycus: St. Ignatius (W)
Lefkow: Aptos (L)
CCS Division III: No. 3 Menlo School 21, No. 2 Live Oak 14
Sabedra: Menlo School (W)
Dycus: Live Oak (L)
Lefkow: Live Oak (L)
CCS Division IV: No. 3 Branham 68, No. 2 Mountain View 45
Sabedra: Branham (W)
Dycus: Branham (W)
Lefkow: Branham (W)
CCS Division IV: No. 4 Santa Teresa 31, No. 1 Sequoia 18
Sabedra: Santa Teresa (W)
Dycus: Santa Teresa (W)
Lefkow: Sequoia (L)
CCS Division V: No. 5 Monterey 37, No. 1 Westmont 14
Sabedra: Westmont (L)
Dycus: Westmont (L)
Lefkow: Westmont (L)
NCS Open/Division I: No. 3 Clayton Valley Charter 21, No. 4 Liberty 13
Sabedra: Clayton Valley Charter (W)
Dycus: Clayton Valley Charter (W)
Lefkow: Clayton Valley Charter (W)
NCS Division II: No. 1 San Ramon Valley 42, No. 4 Foothill 13
Sabedra: San Ramon Valley (W)
Dycus: San Ramon Valley (W)
Lefkow: San Ramon Valley (W)
NCS Division II: No. 2 Campolindo 42, No. 3 Rancho Cotate 41
Sabedra: Campolindo (W)
Dycus: Campolindo (W)
Lefkow: Campolindo (W)
NCS Division IV: No. 3 Cardinal Newman 17, No. 2 Acalanes 14
Sabedra: Acalanes (L)
Dycus: Acalanes (L)
Lefkow: Acalanes (L)
NCS Division V: No. 2 Miramonte 34, No. 3 Analy 6
Sabedra: Miramonte (W)
Dycus: Miramonte (W)
Lefkow: Miramonte (W)
NCS Open final: No. 1 De La Salle 30, No. 2 Pittsburg 23
Sabedra: De La Salle (W)
Dycus: De La Salle (W)
Lefkow: De La Salle (W)
CCS Division I: No. 1 Serra 57, No. 4 Salinas 21
Sabedra: Serra (W)
Dycus: Serra (W)
Lefkow: Serra (W)
NCS Division VI: No. 4 Pinole Valley 20, No. 1 St. Mary’s-Berkeley 7
Sabedra: St. Mary’s-Berkeley (L)
Dycus: St. Mary’s-Berkeley (L)
Lefkow: St. Mary’s-Berkeley (L)
WEEK 13 STANDINGS
Dycus: 10-5
Sabedra: 10-5
Lefkow: 7-8
SEASON STANDINGS
Sabedra: 136-61
Lefkow: 129-68
Dycus:126-71