Top 5 Central Coast Section quarterfinal football games to watch
The opening rounds of the Central Coast Section football playoffs kick off this week with quarterfinal play.
If you haven't made plans, here are five of the best games to attend and storylines to follow.
Top 5 CCS quarterfinal football games to watch
(all games 7 p.m. Friday, unless noted)
1. Open/Division 1: Riordan (7-3) at Los Gatos (8-2) — Riordan’s first winning campaign since 2015 could use this road win over the PAL Bay champions, who are extremely balanced, but led by RB Boxer Kopcsak-Yeng, QB A.J. Minyard and WR-DB Jaylen Thomas. Riordan’s Mike Mitchell Jr. (2,610 passing yards, 30 touchdowns) is one of the top sophomore QBs in the state and with a massive offensive line, featuring four college prospects, and perhaps the most talented WR cores in Northern California, the Crusaders are tough to stop. Junior Chris Lawson (57 catches, 841 yards, 10 TDs), sophomore Cynai Thomas (37, 631, 7) and senior Tyrone Jackson (29, 374, 7) are dynamic.
2. Open/D1: Valley Christian (6-4) at St. Ignatius (6-4), 5:30 p.m. — Neighbors in the Sunset District have complained of noise Friday nights, so the game time was moved up. This is a rematch of St. Ignatius’ 15-14 win during West Catholic Athletic League play when Soren Hummel threw for 213 yards and Jarious Hogan rushed for 69 yards and scored via a run and a reception for the Wildcats. Valley Christian, from the Southern tip of San Jose, will make its fifth trip to San Francisco this season. The Warriors rebounded from a 3-game losing streak last week with an impressive 35-0 win at Mitty.
3. Open/D1: Wilcox-Santa Clara (7-3) at Saint Francis (7-3) — St. Francis will have to deal with the split-back veer, which Wilcox Tyson Bonilla seems born to run. He’s accounted for nearly 1,800 yards and 17 touchdowns. St. Francis leans heavily on junior RB Kingston Keanaaina while junior QB Aaron Knapp continues to improve. The host Lancers have won two games over Wilcox since 2004, 41-21 in 2015 and 52-27 in 2017.
4. D2: Menlo School-Atherton (9-1) at Live Oak-Morgan Hill (9-0) — The visiting Knights had their perfect season spoiled last week against rival Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton, 31-19. The defending section champs, a balanced bunch, will need to contend with 5-8, 190-pound running back Josh Gagni, who has rushed for 1,417 yards and 17 touchdowns in nine games, including 142 yards in last week’s big 28-24 upset over previously unbeaten Christopher-Gilroy.
5. D3: Hillsdale-San Mateo (7-3) at Menlo-Atherton (4-6) — Throw out the records here, because M-A is actually the top seed despite its six losses, including 30-6 to Los Gatos last week. The Bears have played a tough schedule and will have another toughie against the Mike Parodi-coached Fighting Knights, who are led by senior quarterback Erick Waugh (2,066 yards, 24 TDs). M-A, coached by St. Ignatius graduate and former assistant Chris Saunders, is led by 6-7, 225-pound TE Alek Marshall (51 catches, 676 yards, 9 TDs), who has eight college offers, including San Jose State, Houston and Idaho.
