Who will join De La Salle, Archbishop Riordan and McClymonds in the CIF state football playoffs?
We’ll find out this weekend as a number of teams from the Bay Area News Group’s coverage area will play for section championships and a spot in next week’s regionals.
Heavyweights Pittsburg, Serra and Los Gatos will be in action. So will Monte Vista, Clayton Valley Charter, St. Ignatius and Sacred Heart Cathedral.
They’ll all be aiming to extend their season by at least one more week.
The CIF will unveil matchups for the regionals and Open Division state championship game on Sunday.
Here is a breakdown of this week’s matchups:
Central Coast Section
Division I
No. 3 Los Gatos (9-3) vs. No. 2 Serra (7-5) at San Jose City College, Friday, 7 p.m.: Two of the perennial powers in the Central Coast Section will match up once again, this time to decide the Division I championship. The teams have played twice in the MaxPreps era (2004-present), both at Serra, both in the CCS playoffs, both Los Gatos victories, including last season’s quarterfinal game. Los Gatos ranks second all time with 16 CCS titles; Serra has won nine section championships and had not lost a title game before falling 33-13 to Riordan in the CCS Open championship last week at San Jose City. Under the section’s Open/Division I format, now three years old, the Padres were given a second chance to compete for a CCS title and a spot in the CIF NorCal regional playoffs. Serra did not have its best game against Riordan and played three different quarterbacks. Freshman William Orr took over as the starter late in the season and played well against Riordan in the teams’ first meeting three weeks ago. He struggled last week, though, completing 5 of 17 passes for 115 yards, a touchdown and an interception. No Serra player rushed for more than 40 yards against Riordan in the Open final, and the Padres’ leading rusher that night, Malakai Taufoou, is primarily a defensive player who comes in at QB when Serra runs its patented double-wing formation, usually in short-yardage or goal line situations. But that formation was the Padres’ most consistently successful in the Open game and might factor in more this week. Los Gatos has a dynamic offense with QB Callum Schweitzer, running backs Grayson Doslak, Hayden Benjamin and Devonte Troutt and wide receivers Max Thomas and Beau Musser. The Cats’ senior-laden squad will try to reach a NorCal game for the second time in three years after falling short in the 2024 Division I championship game against St. Francis. HSRatings.com projects a 28-22 Serra win. – Christian Babcock
Division II
No. 2 Sacred Heart Cathedral (6-6) vs. No. 1 St. Ignatius (6-6) at San Jose City College, Saturday, 1 p.m.: The Bruce-Mahoney classic rematch that was set up by the seeds in the Division II bracket has come to fruition. Though the teams won’t be playing this edition in San Francisco, the rivalry should be as fierce as ever. The last game between the teams, in a regular-season finale at Kezar Stadium three weeks ago, ended in a 23-14 SI win and a brief scuffle on the field after the game. This matchup should be no less intense with a section title at stake. After returning from a nondisplaced ankle fracture suffered earlier this season, SI senior quarterback Caedon Afsharipour has regained his rhythm, most recently completing 13 of 15 passes for 181 yards and five TDs as SI beat Menlo School 42-6 to reach the section final. Afsharipour will look for WR/DB Zui Shelton, a dynamic senior playmaker with 10.6 speed in the 100-meter dash. Senior running back Steve Malone anchors the backfield and has run for 433 yards this year, including 118 and three TDs two weeks ago against Alisal in the first round of the playoffs. Junior Luke Tribolet is the Wildcats’ leading rusher with 937 yards. Senior linebacker Charlie Ball is SI’s defensive leader with 89 tackles (six for loss) and three sacks. On the SHC side, QB Michael Sargent has thrown for over 2,000 yards to receivers including Chase Jenkins (1,011 yards), one-time Mater Dei transfer Zion Secrease (853) and sophomore Germaine Powell (403). Jenkins and Secrease each have 12 TD catches this year. Running back Legend Williams has lived up to his name with 1,220 all-purpose yards. Senior middle linebacker Mattie Barden has 68 tackles to lead SHC’s defense. SI has won four section titles all time, most recently the Open crown in 2024. SHC has won two, most recently claiming the Division III championship in 2021. HSRatings.com projects a thriller and a 28-26 win for SI. – Christian Babcock
Division III
No. 8 San Mateo (9-3) vs. No. 3 Menlo-Atherton (6-6) at MacDonald HS, Saturday, 7 p.m.: San Mateo, the bracket’s lowest seed, can complete its Cinderella run hoisting a section championship trophy on Saturday. The Bearcats opened their postseason run by upsetting top-seeded Woodside, then traveled to Morgan Hill and defeated Live Oak. San Mateo’s triple option offense has been tough to stop all season as Lukas Fitzgerald carried 20 times for 112 yards and one touchdown last week. Backs TJ Johnson, Yianni Fitzgerald and Cameron Barry are dangerous threats out of the backfield, each finding the end zone in San Mateo’s 40-36 win over Live Oak. After a slow start, Menlo-Atherton has found its groove in the playoffs. Quarterback Teddy Dacey threw three touchdowns in M-A’s 36-14 win last week over Sacred Heart Prep. The Bears will be looking for their fifth CCS title and first since 2018. San Mateo will vie for its fourth section title and first since 2003. HSRatings.com has Menlo-Atherton winning 27-21. – Nathan Canilao
Division IV
No. 3 Lincoln-San Jose (9-3) vs. No. 1 Branham (7-5) at San Jose City College, Saturday, 7 p.m.: The Big Bone Game gives way to a section championship opportunity for Lincoln, as the Lions will play for the first section title in the 83-year history of the San Jose school. The Big Bone rivalry with San Jose High was traditionally held on Thanksgiving Day, precluding Lincoln from joining the playoffs. But that game was moved to the second week of the regular season starting in 2021. Though it is the lower seed, Lincoln could and perhaps should be considered the favorite, as the Lions beat Branham 35-25 on the road in October. Senior Kyan Phillips has been on a tear and will look to extend his final season one more time. He has scored 35 total touchdowns this season, including three in the Lions’ semifinal win over Willow Glen while rushing for 220 yards. Branham’s high-powered offense is led by sophomore quarterback Andrew Ho, who has thrown for 2,333 yards and 27 TDs. Senior running back Michael Murphy has run for 1,831 yards and 24 scores. Ho has also run for 496 yards, and Murphy has 435 receiving yards. Senior Brayden Hodges is Ho’s favorite target in the passing game with 882 yards and nine TDs this year. Branham beat Half Moon Bay 56-45 to reach the section title game. The Bruins have also never won a section championship, though they reached the D-IV final in 2019 and 2022. HSRatings.com projects a 38-35 Lincoln win. – Christian Babcock
Division V
No. 2 Sobrato (8-4) vs. No. 1 Piedmont Hills (9-3) at MacDonald HS, Saturday, 1 p.m.: Piedmont Hills coach Kelly King Jr. is quite familiar with the Division V playoffs. As Leland’s coach last season, his team hosted the championship trophy after beating Sequoia in the final. Now King, the son of longtime Milpitas coach Kelly King, is aiming to make it two in a row. Piedmont Hills reached the final with a 34-6 win over San Jose in the opening round and a 41-14 rout of Jefferson last week. Diego Arias helped lead the way in the semifinals, returning an interception 32 yards for a touchdown and throwing a 50-yard scoring pass. Alijah Torres reached the end zone twice last week for Piedmont Hills, which won its only CCS championship in 2010. Sobrato has never played in a CCS final. The Morgan Hill school advanced to the championship game with a 28-17 win over Santa Cruz in Round 1 and a 27-19 win over Terra Nova in the semifinals last week. Piedmont Hills will no doubt try to slow down Brady Lennon, who ran for 272 yards and three touchdowns against Terra Nova. HSRatings projects a nail-biter, with Piedmont Hills winning 24-22. – Darren Sabedra
North Coast Section
Division I
No. 2 Pittsburg (10-2) vs. No. 3 Cardinal Newman (11-1) at Diablo Valley College, Friday, 7 p.m.: After nearly upsetting top-seeded De La Salle in the Open Division final last week, the Pirates will return to Diablo Valley College to try to capture their fifth consecutive Division I crown. After using a two-quarterback system for every game this season, sophomore Javale Jones looks like he has separated himself as he completed 31-of-45 passes for 304 yards and a touchdown in a 24-17 loss to De La Salle. Pittsburg’s wide receiver trio of RJ Mosley Jr., King Wade and Kenneth Ward looked utterly dominant last week and will no doubt be a focal point for Cardinal Newman’s defense. While history is on Pittsburg’s side, getting past Cardinal Newman won’t be an easy task. The Cardinals are coming off a 52-17 thumping of Acalanes in last week’s Division I semifinal and the Santa Rosa school hasn’t lost since opening weekend. Cardinal Newman is led by running back Pathoumnourack Malakai, who has rushed for 1,312 yards and 21 touchdowns this season. HSRatings.com has Pittsburg winning 27-21. – Nathan Canilao
Division II
No. 2 Monte Vista (7-5) vs. No. 4 Clayton Valley Charter (7-5) at Dublin HS, Friday, 7 p.m.: Monte Vista is one step from its first NCS championship in nearly a decade and its ninth in program history. But the Mustangs will have to stop, or at least contain, a familiar face to clear the final hurdle. When Jhadis Luckey starred for California last season, he rushed for 317 yards and five touchdowns in 33 carries as the Grizzlies beat Monte Vista 50-36. Luckey is now a 2,173-yard rusher for Clayton Valley, having transferred to the Concord school in the off-season. Last week, the senior scored two TDs in a 21-17 victory over top-seeded Campolindo, a result that moved Clayton Valley a step closer to its fifth section championship and first since 2019. Monte Vista will counter Luckey’s offense with Torin Dunphy, who ran for 146 yards and a TD in a 35-21 semifinal win over California last week. QB Ian Ondricek ran for two TDs in the semifinals for Monte Vista, which last won an NCS title in 2016. HSRatings projects Clayton Valley to win 28-24. – Darren Sabedra
Division III
No. 3 El Cerrito (10-2) vs. No. 5 Ukiah (8-4) at American Canyon HS, Friday, 7 p.m.: What a season it’s been for El Cerrito. A year after the East Bay school was forced to forfeit multiple games for having ineligible players, the Gauchos will be looking to capture their third NCS title in four years. El Cerrito is coming off an impressive 26-9 win over Rancho Cotate, a game in which the Gauchos shut out the Cougars in the second half. Brothers Joeseph and Joezon Broussard combined for three touchdowns. El Cerrito’s defense has been elite for the last month, allowing 16 points over the five games. Ukiah is coming off a miraculous semifinal win over Vintage in which the Wildcats’ short heave on a two-point conversion bounced off the back of an official into the hands of a receiver in the end zone. Ukiah comes into Friday’s game with an offense that averages 33.6 points per game. HSRatings.com projects a 28-24 win for El Cerrito. – Nathan Canilao
Division IV
No. 1 Hayward (9-3) vs. No. 3 Miramonte (7-5) at Moreau Catholic HS, Saturday, 7 p.m.: Can Hayward capture its first NCS title since 1979? The Farmers will be favored to do so. The high-octane rushing duo of Lamont McDonald and Maurice Hall combined for 299 yards on the ground and five touchdowns in a 41-18 semifinal win over Granada. Mobile quarterback Jaydyn Irving completes the lethal trio that has led Hayward to 253 total points in the last five games. But Miramonte will be no pushover. Junior varsity call-up Lane Dalton has won both his postseason starts and will try to lead Miramonte to its 11th NCS title. Miramonte’s defense will be well-equipped to try to stop Hayward with linebacker Tres Buster, defensive end Andrew Bjornson and defensive back Henry Hunt on the field. Miramonte shut out Redwood 20-0 to reach Saturday’s championship game. HSRatings.com projects Hayward to win 34-26. – Nathan Canilao
Division VI
No. 4 Fortuna (8-4) vs. No. 3 Bishop O’Dowd (8-4) at Moreau Catholic HS, Saturday, 2 p.m.: O’Dowd, the runner-up this season in the top-tier Foothill Division of the WACC, has had no problems thus far in the Division VI bracket. The Dragons breezed past Mt. Diablo 24-0 in the first round and second-seeded St. Helena 49-26 in the semifinals. Lamar Ellis had a huge game in the semis, rushing for 184 yards and four touchdowns to lead O’Dowd over previously unbeaten St. Helena. Now the Dragons have their sights on Fortuna, which like O’Dowd last won an NCS championship in 2018. Fortuna reached the final with a 42-23 victory over Petaluma in the first round and a 35-15 triumph over top-seeded St. Bernard’s last week. O’Dowd has won five NCS championships in its history. Fortuna has captured four. HSRatings projects O’Dowd to win 28-24. – Darren Sabedra
Division VII
No. 2 Piedmont (8-4) vs. No. 1 Middletown (10-2) at Justin-Siena HS in Napa, Friday, 7 p.m.: Since pushing pause on its varsity football program four years ago, Piedmont has been on a steady ascent under coach Jordan Seiden. From no varsity season in 2022 to seven wins in 2023, 10 in 2024 and eight (and counting) this year, the Highlanders have turned themselves into quite the feel-good story. But how good will the last chapter or chapters of 2025 be? According to the NCS website, Piedmont has won one section football title in its history, 49 years ago. It came in the Division 2A South bracket, 20-8 over Salesian. To celebrate another championship Friday, Piedmont will have to slow down an opponent that has plowed through the playoffs, beating Archie Williams 36-7 in the first round and Concord 48-8 in the semifinals. Piedmont’s Xavier Henderson ran for four TDs in a 28-10 win over Willits last week. He’ll probably need similar production to upset Middletown. HSRatings projects Piedmont to fall 31-24. – Darren Sabedra
Schedule
CCS playoffs
Open/Division I
Open final (Nov. 21)
No. 1 Archbishop Riordan 33, No. 2 Serra 13
Division I final
No. 3 Los Gatos (9-3) vs. No. 2 Serra (7-5) at San Jose City College, Friday, 7 p.m.
Division II final
No. 2 Sacred Heart Cathedral (6-6) vs. No. 1 St. Ignatius (6-6) at San Jose City College, Saturday, 1 p.m.
Division III final
No. 8 San Mateo (9-3) vs. No. 3 Menlo-Atherton (6-6) at MacDonald HS, Saturday, 7 p.m.
Division IV final
No. 3 Lincoln-San Jose (9-3) vs. No. 1 Branham (7-5) at San Jose City College, Saturday, 7 p.m.
Division V final
No. 2 Sobrato (8-4) vs. No. 1 Piedmont Hills (9-3) at MacDonald HS, Saturday, 1 p.m.
NCS playoffs
Open/Division I
Open final (Nov. 21)
No. 1 De La Salle 24, No. 2 Pittsburg 17
Division I final
No. 3 Cardinal Newman (11-1) vs. No. 2 Pittsburg (10-2) at Diablo Valley College, Friday, 7 p.m.
Division II final
No. 2 Monte Vista (7-5) vs. No. 4 Clayton Valley Charter (7-5) at Dublin HS, Friday, 7 p.m.
Division III final
No. 3 El Cerrito (10-2) vs. No. 5 Ukiah (8-4) American Canyon HS, Friday, 7 p.m.
Division IV final
No. 3 Miramonte (7-5) vs. No. 1 Hayward (9-3) at Moreau Catholic HS, Saturday, 7 p.m.
Division V final
No. 2 Ferndale (12-0) vs. No. 1 St. Vincent de Paul (11-1) at Rancho Cotate HS, Saturday, 7 p.m.
Division VI final
No. 4 Fortuna (8-4) vs. No. 3 Bishop O’Dowd (8-4) at Moreau Catholic HS, Saturday, 2 p.m.
Division VII final
No. 2 Piedmont (8-4) vs. No. 1 Middletown (10-2) at Justin-Siena HS, Friday, 7 p.m.
Oakland Section
Saturday’s Silver Bowl (Nov. 22)
No. 1 McClymonds 34, No. 3 Oakland Tech 0