Winter arrived with force last weekend as some of the CIF sections waded through wet and wild semifinal rounds and other crowned champions.
This week represents another round of section finals but with clear skies forecasted.
All section champions advance to a CIF Northern California regional final on Dec. 6-7, mostly.
The oddity is within the Central Coast Section and North Coast Section. A newer wrinkle in those sections includes Open/Division I brackets, with the loser of the Open final in those sections taking on the winner of the D-I side of the bracket.
That's why Pittsburg and Saint Francis are still alive after losing last week. How does this happen and is it fair?
Fairness is the root of this change. De La Salle has rolled so emphatically in the NCS, winning 32 consecutive banners and 42 since 1982, that this twist allows other teams a shot to compete for bigger prizes.
The same is true in the CCS, where Serra of San Mateo had devoured the field the previous three years, and the Padres finished those seasons ranked No. 1 in Northern California after competing in CIF Open State finals.
Folsom is ranked second here behind De La Salle. Can Folsom squeeze into the CIF State Open finals? In a word: No.
De La Salle is the clear No. 1 team in Northern California, and the Spartans own a 42-10 win over Serra, which handed Folson its only setback, 22-21, early in the season. Serra lost in a CCS semifinal.
Folsom running back Daymion Rivera rushed for 104 yards in the Bulldogs 45-0 win over Inderkum. The senior 998 combined rushing and receiving yards this season. (Photo: Anthony Brunsman)
Section: North Coast
Last week: Beat Pittsburg 10-7
Next: CIF State Open final, Dec. 14
The top-ranked team by the Bay Area News Group and the San Francisco Chronicle, the Spartans topped the last program to defeat DLS. That's the 32nd consecutive North Coast Section championship, this one in the recently created Open division, and it is a state-record 42nd NCS crown for the program, all since 1982.
Dominic Kelley had a fourth-quarter touchdown run. DLS was on the Pitt 1-yard line and took a knee four consecutive times to end it. Earlier wins were over Grant, Serra, Saint Francis and St. Mary's.
2. (3) Folsom, (11-1)
Section: Sac-Joaquin
Last week: Beat Inderkum (Sacramento), 45-0
Next: Nov. 30 vs. Oak Ridge
The top-ranked team by The Sacramento Bee and a nine-time section champion since 2010, including three in a row, the Bulldogs smoked an Inderkum team that was averaging 40 points, doing so in the rain.
Ryder Lyons ran for three scores and passed for one, and
Carter Jackson and
Daymion Rivera each rushed for 100 yards.
3. (2) Pittsburg, (10-2)
Section: North Coast
Last week: Lost to De La Salle, 10-7
Next: Nov. 29 vs. San Ramon Valley
The Pirates lost to De La Salle, but a newer wrinkle to the playoffs in this section allows the loser of the Open section final to play the winner of the bottom-half of the bracket, and that's San Ramon Valley. The other loss this season was to national power St. John Bosco.
4. (6) San Ramon Valley (Danville), (11-1)
Section: North Coast
Last week: Beat Cardinal Newman, 7-0
Next: Nov. 30 vs. Pittsburg
The Wolves survived a wet and slick slugfest to earn a shot at Pitt for the NCS Division I championship.
Sammy Avalos scored on a 13-yard touchdown run. A big early win was over freshly crowned Central Coast Section Open champion St. Ignatius of San Francisco. The loss was to De La Salle.
5. (7) St. Ignatius College Preparatory (San Francisco), 10-2
Section: Central Coast
Last week: Beat Saint Francis, 10-7
Next: CIF NorCal final, TBA
The top seed in the CCS Open Division, the Wildcats won the program's first crown in 12 seasons, topping a decades-long league rival from the West Catholic Athletic League, avenging an earlier defeat.
Jarious Hogan had a 17-yard TD run,
Odhran Kenny a 45-yard field goal and
Happy Rosenberg had two tackles for loss to key the defense.
6. (9) Central (Fresno), (11-2)
Section: Central
Last week: Beat Clovis East, 33-24
Next: CIF NorCal final, TBA
The Grizzlies backed up their win over defending Central Section Division I-AA champion Clovis North by handing Clovis East its first loss, thus avenging both losses this season.
Brandon Smith had a sealing 65-yard touchdown run in the closing minutes and rushed for 145 yards and three scores total. A potential NorCal matchup could be against St. Ignatius.
7. (4) Clovis East (Clovis), (12-1)
Section: Central
Last week: Lost to Central, 33-24
Next: Season complete
The Timberwolves fell in the finals of the Central Section Division 1-AA finals to Central after defeating that team earlier in the season. This is one of the greatest teams in school history. An earlier non-league win was over Grant of Sacramento.
8. (8) Saint Francis (Mountain View), (9-3)
Section: Central Coast
Last week: Lost to St. Ignatius, 10-7
Next: Nov. 29 vs. Los Gatos
The Lancers were not able to win the program's 19th CCS championship, falling to league rival St. Ignatius, though the team is still alive. Saint Francis will play Los Gatos, the winner of the other side of the Open/Division I bracket, for the official CCS D-I crown.
9. (10) Grant (Sacramento), (9-3)
Section: Sac-Joaquin
Last week: Beat St. Mary's, 28-21
Next: Nov. 29 vs. Rocklin
Seeking a section three-peat and a third successive trip to a CIF state final, the Pacers beat St. Mary's in the rain on the Rams' turf in Stockton to set up a showdown with Rocklin in a battle of Sac-Joaquin Section elite programs. This will be for the Division II championship at Sacramento City College's Hughes Stadium. The losses were to De La Salle, Clovis East and San Diego No. 1-ranked Lincoln.
10. (11) Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills), (8-4)
Section: Sac-Joaquin
Last week: Beat Turlock, 23-0
Next: Nov. 30 vs. Oak Ridge
Ranked second by The Sacramento Bee, the Trojans shut down a solid, previously ranked Turlock team to advance to their third consecutive Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship against Folsom. Folsom has an 18-year, 22-game winning streak on Oak Ridge, which won the D-I title in 2019. Three losses were to out-of-section powers and the other to Folsom in Sierra Foothill League play.
11. (12) Rocklin, (10-2)
Section: Sac-Joaquin
Last week: Beat Manteca, 30-7
Next: Nov. 29 vs. Grant
The Thunder as the top seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II bracket roared back to the finals with another dominating ground game and defensive effort in eliminating a Manteca program that had won nine section titles since 2001. Rocklin aims to repeat and to settle a score, having lost to Grant in last season's NorCal playoffs.
Reeve Slone hit
Mavrik Collins for three touchdown passes against Manteca.
12. (5) St. Mary's (Stockton), (9-3)
Section: Sac-Joaquin
Last week: Lost to Grant, 28-21
Next: Season complete
The Rams lost at home in the rain to Grant in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II semifinals. The other in-state loss was 38-35 to De La Salle.
13. (20). Wilcox (Santa Clara), 10-2
Section: Central Coast
Last week: Beat Menlo-Atherton, 10-7
Next: Nov. 29 vs. Palma (Salinas)
The Chargers reached the Central Coast Section Division II finals after
Armando Rodriguez hit a 36-yard field goal and a 1-yard scoring run by
Brayden Rosa.The winning streak is eight.
14. (18) Los Gatos, 10-2
Section: Central Coast
Last week: Beat Riordan (San Francisco), 35-28
Next: Nov. 29 vs. Saint Francis
The Wildcats are in the Central Coast Section Division I finals after
Scotty Brennan hit
Owen Panu and
Beau Musser for touchdown strikes, and
Grayson Doslak rushed for two scores. The week before, Los Gatos eliminated three-time defending CCS Open (and NorCal) champion Serra of San Mateo. The last loss was in league play to Wilcox.
15. (13) Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco), (7-5)
Section: Central Coast
Last week: Lost to Los Gatos, 35-28
Next: Season complete
The Crusaders fell in the Central Coast Section Open/Division I semifinals and had a late drive stalled by a turnover.
16. (15) Clovis North (Fresno), (8-4)
Section: Central
Last: Lost to Central, 27-10
Next: Season complete
The defending Central Section Division I champions lost to Central, ending another big season. Two losses were to state-ranked JSerra and Los Alamitos.
17. (15) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa), (10-2)
Section: North Coast
Last week: Lost to San Ramon Valley, 7-0
Next: Season complete
The Cardinals fell in the North Coast Section Open/Division I semifinals, ending another strong season for one of the storied programs in Northern California.
18. (NR) Twelve Bridges (Lincoln), 12-0
Section: Sac-Joaquin
Last week: Beat Placer, 43-7
Next: Nov. 29 vs. Patterson
What a remarkable rise for a new school in Placer County. A year after going 12-1 with its first senior class, the Raging Rhinos are even better this season despite replacing 18 graduated starters, a credit to coach Chris Bean, whose team is the top seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV field. RB
Braeden Ward has rushed for 2,151 yards and 32 touchdowns.
19. (NR) McClymonds (Oakland), 8-3
Section: Oakland
Last week: Beat Oakland, 32-7
Next: CIF NorCal final, TBA
The storied Warriors, otherwise known as Mack, won their 14th consecutive Oakland Section championship and now seek the program's sixth CIF state crown in that span. The losses were to higher-ranked programs in Saint Francis, San Ramon Valley and Riordan.
20. Frontier (Bakersfield), 9-4
Section: Central
Last week: Beat Bakersfield, 31-14
Next: CIF NorCal final, TBA
The Titans opened the season with a victory at higher-ranked Oak Ridge and extended it with a Central Section Division 1-A championship. Quarterback
Brady Campbell and running back
RJ Green have led the offensive charge.
Joe Davidson has covered high school sports in Northern California since 1984, including at The Sacramento Bee since 1988. Follow his work on sacbee.com, on Twitter: @SacBee_JoeD and on Instagram: JoeDavidsonMedia
