CIF State Division 3-7 football bowl championship previews: Will Northern California rule again?
Evidently the disadvantages of travel are not over-rated.
Not if looking at last season's CIF Bowl Championship title-game results.
All five games played in the South — at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo — were won by southern teams.
All 10 games played in the North, yes, won the by teams from the north.
We previewed all the games at Saddleback on Tuesday — Open through Division 2.
Here's an in-depth look at all the games from Divisions 3-7, with predictions. All these games are scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, except for the Division 7-A game between Crenshaw-Los Angeles and Lincoln-San Francisco at Kezar Stadium, which kick offs at 1 p.m.
2022 CIF STATE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHUPS
Grant Union-Sacramento (11-2) vs. San Jacinto (13-2), 6 p.m. Saturday
State championship record: San Jacinto 0-0, Grant 1-0
Points scored-allowed: Grant 651-234, San Jacinto 667-339
Winning streak: Grant 5, San Jacinto 10
Series history since 2004: None
Top trios: San Jacinto – QB Dereun Dortch (3,261 yards passing, 47 TDs; 533 yards rushing, 11 TDs), WR-DB Dylan Gresham (81 catches, 1,864 yards, three interceptions), RB Malachi Brown (1,227 yards, 18 TDs). Grant – QB Joseph McCray (3,706 yards passing, 48 TDs; 195 yards rushing 8 TDs), WR Kyrell Goss Pruitt (44 catches, 1,104 yards, 16 TDs), Dubee Lopa (50 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks).
How they got here:
Grant: After going 1-8 last season with its only win coming via forfeit, Grant has turned things all the way around. In Carl Reed's second year as head coach, the Pacers have only lost one game against in-state competition, which was when they nearly knocked off Monterey Trail in the Metropolitan League title game.
They haven't been held under 20 points all season, and have only been held below 42 points three times. Unlike its opponent, Grant doesn't have huge names at the skill positions, but the numbers speak for themselves with the passing game leading the way. Joseph McCray has had one of the best seasons under center in Northern California with 3,796 passing yards, 48 touchdown passes, and eight rushing touchdowns to five interceptions. Two-star athlete Goss-Pruitt is his leading receiver with big numbers. A lot of Grant's offensive success starts up front, where 3-star USC commit Alani Noa and 2-star prospect Brian Keliikuli help lead the way. Defensively, Grant touts a 3-star Power-5 recruit at LB in Kingston Lopa and has a handful of ballhawks with at least eight Pacers recording an interception.
The Pacers scored 200 points in their first three playoff games before outdueling Christian Brothers 20-12 in the CIFSJS Division 3 finals and rolling against El Cerrito last week.
San Jacinto: Up in the far reaches of the Inland Empire, San Jacinto often goes under the radar, but it plays very strong football year in and year out. And it's not uncommon to see the Tigers rack up playoff wins, with section finals and semifinals appearances in 2018 and 2019.
They have one of the most talented passing games of any team playing this week with crazy stats to show for it. 3-star signal caller Dortch is having one of the most efficient in recent memory among high-level Southern California teams. With just two interception and a 72.4 completion rate, his passer rating is a staggering 150.4. Add in his running and Dortch is a load to prepare for. Two superstar receivers record nearly all of the Tigers' receiving production, as 4-star senior Vincent Holmes is a Washington commit and high 3-star junior Gresham has gone off for 28 touchdowns.
San Jacinto's two losses came competitively before league play against Chaparral, which turned out to be one of the Southern Section's better teams, and another tough foe in Beaumont. The Tigers turned heads in the last two rounds of the CIFSS D6 playoffs with wins against highly-touted and talented opponents, Calabasas and Orange, before narrowly defeating University City in the regional.
Extra: San Jacinto blew a lead in the SoCal title game but won 49-45 when Dortch flipped a short pass to Gresham with 1:08 left and he turned it into a 46-yard go-ahead touchdown. Gresham then intercepted a pass to seal the victory. … The Tigers’ only losses were to Chaparral of Temecula (46-36) and to Beaumont (28-27). … Ahlijah Afemata (111 tackles), Tevita Tekunga (105 tackles), Dre Taylor (11 tackles for loss, three sacks) and Gresham (three interceptions) lead the Tiger defense. Grant had a state playoff bowl win at the highest level in the first year of the bowls. The Pacers’ only losses were to Reno (30-21) and Monterey Trail (49-42). The Pacers defeated an El Cerrito team that was only allowing 6.8 points per game in the NorCal title game 36-7. … Semaj Mafu-Hart leads the Pacer ground game with 1,104 yards rushing and 16 TDs. … Soanae Taamai is a player to watch
on defense with 34 tackles, including five sacks.
CalPreps predicted score: Grant 42, San Jacinto 35
SBLive predicted score: Grant 52, San Jacinto 51
Bellarmine College Prep-San Jose (8-6) vs. Laguna Hills (14-1), 6 p.m. Saturday
Bellarmine leading rusher Ben Pfaff (23) was out during his team's four-game losing streak. Photo: Dennis Lee
State championship record: Bellarmine 0-3, Laguna Hills 0-0.
Points scored-allowed: Bellarmine 312-290, Laguna Hills 486-246
Winning streak: Bellarmine 5, Laguna Hills 7
Series history since 2004: None
Top trios: Bellarmine — QB Nate Escalada (1,348 yards passing, 8 TDs), RB Ben Pfaff (872 yards rushing, 13 TDs; 21 catches, 262 yards receiving, 1 TD), DL Jae’von Reels (62 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks). Laguna Hills – RB/DB Troy Leigber (2,461 yards rushing, 42 TDs, 4 interceptions), QB Kaden Austin (1,344 yards passing, 13 TDs; 178 yards rushing, 4 TDs), Angelo Rubio (40 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 10 sacks).
How they got here:
Bellarmine: The last two seasons have been resurgent for Bellarmine, and this year it culminated in playoff success coming out of Division 2 of the Central Coast Section. Playing in the West Catholic, its difficulty of schedule has been far greater than that of a few state finalists in higher divisions. And with five nationally-ranked prospects, it claims most of the college prospects who'll be on the field on Saturday, so it's officially the favorite.
The Bells haven't been particularly explosive on offensive, but they're a staunch defensive squad that can still move the ball and find the end zone against nearly anyone. They have five nationally-ranked prospects including RB Ben Pfaff, their leading rusher and second-leading receiver. Bellarmine doesn't go crazy in the sacks department but has racked up 157 tackles for loss, with 2-star seniors LB Ben Broch and DL Reels helping lead the way in addition to LB Jake Hanson. The Bells' defensive playmaking is also evidenced by their 20 interceptions, with Billy Ladd at 5, and 13 forced fumbles.
They defeated league foe St. Ignatius-San Francisco 21-14 in the division finals before taking down Vanden-Fairfield 35-21 last week.
Laguna Hills: Despite not playing one of the harder schedules in CIFSS Division 7, the Hawks were ready to prove doubters wrong all postseason long. Coming into this game against a storied private school program considered the underdog despite being 14-1, they're in a role they're comfortable in, and might have one more upset left.
Laguna Hills has consistently brought its A-game on offense since the playoffs started. Its 28 points in the section title game against Golden Valley was its lowest mark of the postseason, and it scored 35 last week to beat Los Angeles City Section champion Birmingham and score at least 34 points for the sixth time in its last seven games.
Unlike Bellarmine, Laguna Hills doesn't have a slew of kids getting D-1 looks, but it does have the most highly-touted and productive prospect in this battle – 3-star safety prospect and RB Leigber, who not only leads the team in rushing but he has 380 yards and 5 TDs receiving, besides his work on defense. DL Rubio probably is other top player to watch with more than 40 percent of his tackles for loss.
The Hawks' other clear advantage is that they've won in a slew of methods this season, ranging from a 3-0 grinder to a handful of shootouts. If they can score a couple touchdowns early against grind-it-out Bellarmine, they might be able to get their foe out of its element.
Extra: Bellarmine lost four consecutive West Catholic Athletic League games while without an injured Pfaff who has since returned. … This will be the Bells’ third consecutive playoff game at San Jose City College, its home field. … Players to watch for Bellarmine on defense besides Reels are Broch (139 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks) and Hanson (110 tackles, 19 TFL, 3 sacks) … Leigber scored four of Laguna Hills’ five touchdowns in its 35-28 SoCal title win against Birmingham, including scoring on a 95-yard kickoff return … The Hawks’ only loss was to Northwood of Irvine (21-17) … Besides Hanson and Leigber, other Hawks to watch for on defense are Travis Randolph (11 sacks), Tyler Guzman (60 tackles), Vincent Garcia (55 tackles, 5 TFL) and Ryder Simmons (53 tackles, 4 TFL).
CalPreps predicted score: Bellarmine 31, Laguna Hills 21
SBLive predicted score: Bellarmine 24, Laguna Hills 7
Escalon (12-3) vs. Northwood-Irvine (14-1), 6 p.m. Saturday
Escalon following it's Northern California D4-AA title win over Pleasant Valley-Chico. Photo: Sam Stringer
State championship record: Escalon 2-0, Northwood 0-0
Points scored-allowed: Escalon 609-317, Northwood 484-257
Winning streak: Escalon 9, Northwood 12
Series record since 2004: None
Top trios: Northwood – RB Adam Harper (1,972 yards rushing), QB Eugene Miyata (1,557 yards passing, 25 TDs), Michael Lopez (stopped Robert F. Kennedy High of Delano last week on key fourth-and-one play to preserve win). Escalon – QB Donovan Rozevink (1,925 yards passing, 24 TDs), RB-LB Ryker Peters (2031 yards rushing, 30 TDs; 82 tackles), WR Owen Nash (60 catches, 1,075 yards, 15 TDs).
How they got here:
Escalon: Representing Division 5 of the Sac-Joaquin Section while consistently outperforming schools three times larger, Escalon isn't exactly out of its element going to State. It's now won its third straight CIFSJS title, and won a State title as recently as 2019. After playing Central Section D1 contender Buchanan (Fresno) down to one point before beating Windsor and Kimball early in the season, it was clear that the Cougars had a great shot at doing it all again come winter. And here we are. Their D5 title run included a 42-28 win over Hilmar, which beat them by one point in September, and culminated in a 35-34 win over Sonora (Sonora). The Cougars rolled against Northern Section top dog Pleasant Valley a week ago to ensure their season went the full duration once again.
Escalon is balanced and explosive on offense despite being heavy on the run game. After clearing 1,000 rushing yards last season, RB Peters has gone for over 2,000 this year to go with 30 touchdowns. And he's one of the team's leading tacklers as well. But the Cougars are solid in the air, with Rozevink throwing to 1,000-yard receiver Nash and RB/SB Logan Anderson. They're also solid in the air defensively, as nine Cougars have recorded a pick and six have recorded multiple for a team total of 21.
Northwood: Like Escalon, Northwood has also become used to going the distance of the postseason as of the last two falls. After winning Division 11 last year, the Timberwolves defeated Lakewood 35-14 to win the Southern Section's Division 8 before beating Kennedy (Delano) to make the State finals. Their only loss came over three months ago against eventual D9 champion Laguna Beach, and they have a win over Laguna Hills, which is competing for a State title one division above.
Another similarity between the Timberwolves and their upcoming foe is that both have a 2,000-yard rusher, and can pass well despite running the ball more often than not. Some consider RB Harper to be of the hidden gems of Orange County despite the fact that he's won championships, and QB Miyata has thrown for 25 touchdowns to 3 picks with a passer rating over 130.
Extra: Northwood had not won a section title before 2021 … Northwood defeated Kennedy High of Delano 10-7 last week for first SoCal Regional title ... Timberwolves’ 14 victories is a school record … Northwood’s only loss was to Laguna Beach (35-31) … Northwood is first Irvine Unified School District team to make the state finals … The only thing tastier than the tri-tip sandwiches at the concession stand for Escalon would be defeating Northwood on its real-grass field for the state title … Escalon defeated Pleasant Valley 42-20 in the NorCal title game … Just 20 miles away from Escalon, another state playoff bowl title game is happening with Muir-Pasadena visiting Hughson … Escalon’s losses were to Buchanan-Clovis (41-40), Hughson (29-14) and Hilmar (21-20). … Escalon RB Logan Anderson has rushed for 885 yards and 11 TDs … Defensively for Escalon, Nate Krieger has made 91 tackles, Ayden Wilson and Ryan Lewis have seven sacks each and Javier Gutierrez has intercepted five passes.
CalPreps predicted score: Escalon 31, Northwood 27
SBLive predicted score: Escalon 26, Northwood 24
San Marin-Novato (12-2) vs. Granada Hills Charter (12-2), Saturday at 6 p.m.
San Marin after winning the CIF State D5-AA title in 2021. Photo: Greg-Jungferman
State championship record: San Marin 1-0, Granada Hills Charter 0-0
Points scored-allowed: San Marin 499-198, Granada Hills Charter 654-262
Winning streak: San Marin 4, Granada Hills Charter 8
How they got here:
San Marin: Last season, San Marin ran the ball every week on its way to NCS D5 and State 5-AA titles. Then it graduated star RB Justin Guin, now at Fresno State, and had to transition to picking up most of its yardage in the air. That was a complete success, and now the Mustangs are once again Division 5 section champs with the opportunity to be state champs as well. They handled Miramonte 42-28 in the section finals before defeating Menlo School 29-21 in the regional championship.
Junior Dominic Ingrassia has been a star for San Marin in his first year as its QB1. He's completed over 65-percent of his passes for 2,443 yards and 35 touchdowns, and added 255 yards and 4 TDs on the ground.
Granada Hills Charter: There was a nine-team bubble for eight spots in the L.A. City Section Open Division bracket. Granada Hills Charter ended up as the odd man out and got the top seed in Division 1, and the rest is history. The Highlanders won their four section playoff games by a combined 212-62, capped off with a 44-7 rout of Palisades, and then outdueled Laguna Beach 56-55 to make the state finals.
Even if Granada Hills was the heavy underdog to win a State title on Saturday, which it's not, the odds of it completing a pass are a lot less. In one of the more remarkable facts of this or any year, the Highlanders have not completed a pass all season and attempted — get this — only seven. No matter – the Highlanders have run wild this season despite going 0-7 on passing attempts in their double wing. High 3-star Utah commit Dijon Stanley is one of the best players in action this weekend in any division, and has run for 2,670 yards and 32 touchdowns this season on a whopping 12.4 yard per carry. His cousin Darrell Stanley, a sophomore, is Granada Hills' second-leading ballcarrier with 1,294 yards and 19 touchdowns and interceptions leader with 4 (tied).
CalPreps predicted score: San Marin 35, Granada Hills Charter 31
SBLive predicted score: San Marin 34, Granada Hills Charter 31
Hughson (12-2) vs. John Muir-Pasadena (9-6), 6 p.m. Saturday
State championship record: Hughson 0-0, Muir 0-0
Points scored-allowed: Hughson 463-291, Muir 261-259
Winning streak: Hughson 5, Muir 5
How they got here:
Hughson: Call 'em the heart attack Huskies because they've had a flare for the dramatic this postseason. Hughson scored 21 straight points in the fourth quarter to defeat Ripon Christian 31-28 in the State semifinals after winning its four CIFSJS D6 playoff games by a combined eight points. That's coming from a team that got seven of its eight regular season wins by at least 13 points.
Some of those near-losses came against teams that Hughson was heavily favored against, and some would say they "should've" have beaten them by more. That change from the regular season makes it much harder to pick the Huskies in this game than it otherwise would be. But a win is a win, 12-2 is 12-2, and their only losses came against Summerville and Hilmar, with the former getting avenged in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Hughson's wins include a 15-point victory over Escalon, which is playing for a State title two divisions up, so if it brings its A-game on Saturday, a dominant victory is very possible.
Hughson has a nicely balanced offense, which features a running game led by Liam Bridgford (1,423 yards and 14 TDs passing). The team only passes about a third of the time, but when it does, sophomore Robert McDaniel is quite solid and he has a variety of targets. LB David Burns and SS David Delgado lead the defense with 140 tackles and 6 picks, respectively.
Muir: The Mustangs are peaking at the right time. After starting the season 1-4, thanks largely to playing some high-level competition, they have rolled to a State 5-AA finals appearance. The Mustangs opened the playoffs with a one-score win over Tustin, and since then, every win has been a blowout. That includes a 21-0 win over Salesian (L.A.) for a Southern Section D10 title and a 33-7 rout of Palo Verde Valley in the state semifinals. Based on the conventional wisdom that the championship favorite is whoever got hottest at the right time, Muir is far more dangerous right now than its aggregate body of work this year shows.
Muir has some serious top-end talent for a Division 5 team. That's namely 3-star WR Jeremiah Calvin, high 3-star S/WR Turran Williams, and 3-star IDL Wesley Ekpo, and RB Jakai Pulley is also in the team MVP discussion.
CalPreps predicted score: Hughson 21, Muir 17
SBLive predicted score: Muir 24, Hughson 23
Orland (14-0) vs. Shafter (11-4), 6 p.m. Saturday
State championship record: Orland 0-0, Shafter 0-0
Points scored-allowed: Orland 582-155, Shafter 509-305
Winning streak: Orland 14, Shafter 5
How they got here:
Orland: In a year when many more teams than usual entered the second week of the playoffs undefeated, there are only two playing in CIF State finals. One of them is Serra (San Mateo), which enters the Open Division championship as a 30-point underdog against St. John Bosco. The other? The Trojans of Orland, the only Northern Section team left, who'll be the favorite one more time this season hosting Shafter. After pulling out close wins in their first two games of the season, they've won their last 12 by at least 14 points. The last two came against University Prep in the Division 3 finals and then against Walnut.
Orland's run-centric offense is led by prolific dual-threat QB Grant Foster, who's run for 1,869 yards and 30 touchdowns on 8.9 yards per carry. He's only attempted 29 passes all year, but he's completed more than half of them for 373 yards and 4 TDs with no interceptions, so defenses cannot fully sell out on the run. RB Jaime Albarran is the team's next-leading rushing threat, and Diego Rico and Alex Martinez have both run for double-digit TDs as well. On defense, Martinez, Rico, and Foster lead the team in interceptions in that order, and Rico is also the team's leading tackler.
Shafter: Playing in the underrated South Sequoia League, the Generals got tested heavily in conference play, but they haven't lost a game outside of it. Speaking of being tested, after winning their playoff opener by 21 points against Strathmore, their last four playoff wins came by a total of 12 points. They defeated Caruthers 41-35 two weeks ago to emerge from Central Section Division 4 before beating Walnut in the regional championship. Outside of perhaps the Central Valley, Shafter is considered the clear underdog on Saturday, but if it can keep Orland within a score heading into crunch time, it'll be in its element.
Unlike the Trojans, Shafter likes to air the ball out. Pro-style QB Ezekiel Osborne has thrown for 3,254 yards and 32 touchdowns as just a freshman, and the rest of the Generals' skill core is balanced. They have a 1,200-yard rusher in Koa Rhodes, an 1,100-yard rusher in Jesus Figueroa, and multiple other consistent receiving threats.
CalPreps predicted score: Orland 38, Shafter 27
SBLive predicted score: Orland 36, Shafter 25
Santa Teresa-San Jose (9-5) vs. The Classical Academy-Escondido (11-3), Saturday at 6 p.m.
State championship record: Santa Teresa 0-0, Classical Academy 0-0
Points scored-allowed: Santa Teresa 363-211, Classical Academy 497-138
Winning streak: Santa Teresa 5, Classical Academy 4
How they got here:
Santa Teresa: Playing in the solid Mount Hamilton League, Santa Teresa is no stranger to close games against evenly-matched competition, and that boded well heading into the postseason. The Saints entered the CIF-Central Coast Section D4 playoffs without being penciled in for any shoo-in wins, but they took care of business against quality competition every week to go all the way to the state finals. That included beating Branham 23-15 in the section championship and CCS Division 5 champ Palo Alto 30-20 last week. Santa Teresa's offense has been steady and its defense has been particularly stout, only allowing about 15 points per game.
Classical Academy: The postseason has been a steady roll for the Caimans, which defeated Crawford 33-14 to win San Diego Section D5 and Lancaster 34-14 to make the State finals. Much of their regular season was spent annihilating lower-level foes, but they have seen some close games too. If they can overcome Santa Teresa's advantage in strength of schedule, they have a legit chance this week.
Running back Life Pollard is the guy their foes try to stop and usually fail at doing so. He leads the team with 1,423 yards and 21 touchdowns on 10.5 YPC and 274 yards receiving. He's even completed 5 of 6 passes for 148 yards and 2 TDs.
CalPreps predicted score: Santa Teresa 21, Classical Academy 14
SBLive predicted score: Santa Teresa 18, Classical Academy 14
Atascadero (10-4) vs. San Gabriel (12-3), Saturday at 6 p.m.
State championship record: Atascadero 0-0, San Gabriel 0-0
Points scored-allowed: Atascadero 389-310, San Gabriel 510-298
Winning streak: Atascadero 4, San Gabriel 6
How they got here:
Atascadero: An abundance of experience in close games is usually a great sign heading into the playoffs. Well, Atascadero had that, and it hasn't needed to rely on it. The Greyhounds started the season with three straight lopsided losses to teams in higher divisions, followed it up with a slew of close wins, and then absolutely cleaned up in the postseason. Their closest playoff game came 27-13 against Pioneer Valley in the Central Section D5 finals before they shut out Colusa last week. Its run-oriented offense is led by the duo of dual-threat QB Kane Cooks and RB Trey Cooks, and the defense has three members above 100 tackles. One of them is Mason Degnan, who also leads the team with 7 interceptions and 543 yards receiving, and the other is RB2 Diego Real.
San Gabriel: The Matadors were not considered one of the biggest favorites to win CIFSS Division 13. And the Matadors did not care. They put up 52 points on top seeds Maranatha and Bishop Montgomery in the last two rounds before scoring 46 against Kennedy (Granada Hills) in the State semifinals. They'll need one of their best defensive efforts of the year to have a good chance this week, but if they can turn it into a shootout, they have a chance.
CalPreps predicted score: Atascadero 38, San Gabriel 21
SBLive predicted score: Atascadero 39, San Gabriel 28
Pinole Valley defeated Mendota 34-21 for a CIF 7-AA state championship.
Lincoln-San Francisco (9-3) vs. Crenshaw-Los Angeles (8-6), 1 p.m. Saturday
Lincoln after winning the 2022 Turkey Day Game/San Francisco Section title game over Balboa 44-7. Photo: Ernie Abrea
State championship record: Lincoln 2-0, Crenshaw 1-1
Points scored-allowed: Lincoln 417-187, 473-323
Winning streak: Lincoln 8, Crenshaw 7
How they got here:
Lincoln: It's going down Saturday afternoon at Kezar, and it should be a good one. Lincoln won a State 7-AA title in 2019, and is on a torrential eight-game winning streak entering this State final. The Mustangs don't have much experience in close games this year, but that's largely because they've been able to put some evenly-matched foes away early in the game. Unlike their upcoming foe, they just had a bye week following a 44-7 finals beatdown of Balboa. That means they'll be more well-rested, especially as the home team, but Crenshaw is too evenly-matched for them to afford much early-game rust. The Mustangs are led by the one-two running punch of Ricky Underwood and Jamelle Newman, plus powerful fullback Diego Cristerno. Lincoln's opportunistic defense was in full force in the win over Balboa, returning three interceptions for touchdowns, two by Xavier Solares.
Crenshaw: Much like its opponent, Crenshaw is on a long winning streak that's been filled with lopsided scores. Before that, however, the Cougars did get a handful of close games in against competition of a similar caliber. They lost the majority of those games, but they've since reached a higher gear, and should be ready to bring their A-game. Most recently, they throttled Wilson (L.A.) 49-14 in the City Section D3 finals and routed Whittier Christian 48-7 to punch their ticket to San Francisco. This one is a complete tossup.
CalPreps predicted score: Lincoln 31, Crenshaw 28
SBLive predicted score: Lincoln 27, Crenshaw 26
All CIF State Championship Games will be streamed live online via the NFHS Network.
