November 10th 2024.
The North Coast Section has been known for its one-sided first-round games for years. In 2022, powerhouse Marin Catholic completely dominated Newark Memorial, winning by a staggering 69-0 and eventually capturing the Division IV championship. These lopsided matchups have caused a major shake-up in the playoff format, leading to the recent unveiling of this season's playoff brackets. The top eight teams in the section, as ranked by MaxPreps' computer rankings, have been placed in the strongest bracket. De La Salle has taken the top spot, followed by Pittsburg at number two and San Ramon Valley at number three. While this may seem like a solution to the problem, the dominance of De La Salle, which has been the reigning champion for many years, and the strong performance of Pittsburg, who was the last team to defeat De La Salle 33 years ago, still pose a challenge for the other teams. Smaller schools like San Marin, Marin Catholic, and Cardinal Newman have also been placed in the same bracket with the larger, more dominant teams. San Marin has been given the toughest matchup of all, as they are set to face off against De La Salle in their first game. Sadly, San Marin would have been seeded number one in Division II if El Cerrito had not been disqualified for using ineligible players. This unfortunate turn of events has led to a difficult matchup for San Marin against the seemingly unbeatable De La Salle.
As the playoffs approach, many teams will tell you they are not looking ahead to potential matchups, but with the top seeds in the Open/Division I bracket being De La Salle and Pittsburg, it's hard not to anticipate a highly-anticipated showdown between these two powerhouse teams in the final. However, both teams must first take care of their opponents in the first round. Pittsburg has had an impressive season, only losing one game to the national powerhouse St. John Bosco-Bellflower. Similarly, De La Salle has remained undefeated and has taken home the section title every year since 1991, with the exception of the year Pittsburg pulled off a major upset. The loser of the De La Salle-Pittsburg game will still have a chance to compete for the Division I title in week three of the playoffs. If De La Salle comes out on top, they will have three weeks to prepare for a highly-anticipated matchup with Mater Dei-Santa Ana in the Open Division state title game.
One team that has greatly benefited from the new playoff format is Liberty. Last year, the Lions were excluded from the Division I bracket despite having a record of 7-3. However, this year, they have been seeded number one in Division II. This is a significant improvement from last season when head coach Mike Cable expressed his frustration and disappointment with the team's exclusion from the playoffs. This year, however, he has nothing but praise for the new format. Using MaxPreps rankings to determine seeding, Liberty narrowly missed snagging the eighth spot in the Open/Division I bracket, coming in one spot behind San Marin. But due to Clayton Valley's strong performance against De La Salle, they were bumped up to the number seven spot, causing Liberty to be placed in Division II. Should they win their first game, they will face the winner of the Bishop O'Dowd and Monte Vista game. Another team from the Bay Valley Athletic League that has benefited from the new format is Antioch, who will be playing in the Division IV bracket after missing the playoffs last year.
One potential rematch that fans are eagerly anticipating is between Acalanes and Campolindo. These two rival schools have a history of intense and competitive games, and their matchup earlier this season was no different. Acalanes came out on top with a 21-12 victory, and tensions ran high as they planted their flag at midfield after the game. With Acalanes earning the top seed in Division III and Campolindo close behind at number two, it seems that these two teams are on a collision course to meet again in the playoffs. However, Acalanes suffered a loss in their final regular season game, denying them their first league championship in over four decades. On the other hand, Campolindo bounced back from a difficult loss to secure a spot in the playoffs. With Acalanes winning the last game, and Campolindo having won the four previous matchups, it will be a highly-anticipated rematch to see who will plant their flag at a neutral site this year.
As the playoffs kick off, many teams will be facing off against familiar opponents. In Division IV, Granada and Livermore will be playing each other for the second week in a row, with Granada coming out on top in their previous matchup. Similarly, Monte Vista and Bishop O'Dowd will be facing off in a rematch of a close game from earlier in the season. In the Open/Division I bracket, San Ramon Valley will have a chance to redeem themselves against California, who narrowly defeated them in their last game. With so many exciting rematches and potential upsets on the horizon, it's shaping up to be an unforgettable playoff season.
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