I grew up in San Leandro, so I do have favoritism to them a little bit. I wish the Pirates had a better stadium like TAK or Logan’s because as the only HS in SL they deserve a quality field. That will change someday.

To NorCal, you are absolutely right. I think that is exactly what the comittee will do and looking at Kyle’s seeds it is the only fair way. I was only providing the sentiment that most feel Cal had a bad game. Not a Cal fan, but I do live in SR and like to follow them sometimes. When they are good, it helps the rest of the EBAL step their competition up. NCS will settle a lot of regular season things and will make the round of 8 very interesting. best of luck to all

Go Panthers!

Division I –
1. Deer Valley: Business like approach to beating Antioch in prepping for showdown with Heritage forthcoming. 3,200 students form the coalition known as the Wolverines, and their abundance of talent on full display. This team will finish the year 10-0 and earn the # 1 seed and they should because DLS has dropped Two games, and not just one. At what point does the NCS committee Not rank DLS top seed? After THREE losses…Nope Deer Valley gets top billing in 2009 and they deserve it.
2. De La Salle: Foothill (cannot run the ball) was able to keep this game way too close, and DLS only led by 6-points at the Half. Foothill’s Head Coach Sweeney crafted an excellent game plan, and they had the Spartans befuddled. DLS eventually wore down the Falcons in the 2nd half, but the 2009 Spartans are not the best team in D1 right now, they are however, the runner-up heading into the Playoffs. Coach Lad for DLS is a master at preparing his team for the Playoffs and a first-round Bye will do good things for them this year to get healthy and sweep up the miscues.
3. Berkeley: They will dispatch a Roller Coaster Pinole Valley team and finish the year 10-0 certainly. The Yellow Jackets have generated a lot of buzz in 2009, and about half of it comes from Very Skeptical boo-birds unconvinced of Coach Zo’s talent-laden team. Berkeley will advance to the 2nd Round of the Playoffs and attack their 2nd major test of the season (prediction coming at that time). They scored well by defeating Pitt on their first test, but Final Exams are always more difficult that midterms.
4. Amador: This is Coach Sira’s best team in years – and he knows it. Amador still shaking its head after having DLS on the Ropes at DLS, before the Dons misfired, backfired and eventually got fired from the major upset of historical NCS proportions Win Column that night. Dons will be in the semi-final game vs. either Deer Valley or DLS in 2009, depending upon the final seeding by the committee. They will beat Foothill this year but it will be close as it usually is.
Division II –
“Seesaw” bracket with many teams rolling the dice and coming up Snake Eyes. It’s shaping up to a Five Team race, for now here is that field:
Petaluma: The undefeated Trojans thrashed a solid Windsor team last night 55-21. They will continue their march and accomplish an undefeated season by tossing Healdsburg around next week and finish 10-0. True to form, the NCS rewards undefeated teams from good leagues with the # 1 seed…………..IF the other top teams in the field have at least One Loss. Petaluma goes undefeated and they earn the right to be numero Uno.
Ygnacio Valley: Big YV win over Concord and has enough talent and good coaching to beat anybody in this arena, however, to expect an excellent but Rookie head coach to Win it All in year one is a bit too much. Matchup in the Final vs. Petaluma going to be a great, great game.
Casa Grande: The Gauchos proved to be up to task on a soggy Healdsburg home turf, and their muddy win last night was to be expected. The squashing of El Molino upcoming will have CG at 9-1 entering the playoffs, and they might be peaking at the right time, with a breather game, they could also get healthy before entering the slaughterhouse known as the Playoffs, which will really help them big time.
Eureka: Back in the Gold Mining days of yesteryear, “Eureka!” was the cry aloud by gritty hardworking Miners that hit pay dirt. Eureka is supposed to beat Fortuna this week and should finish 8-2. But, their real test will begin in the 2nd round of the playoffs, after they get a Home Game up North in Round One, and crush the weaker lower seed team forced to make the winding-rain-soaked bus ride up there to be sacrificed to the NCS playoff Gods.
Concord: Big but Close Loss to YV. Minuteman made some key mistakes, but as every good coach knows (and Hamilton is a good one) very good teams make your team make mistakes, and YV was the better team.
Division III –
Six or nine teams capable of pulling off huge wins, upsets and memories for a lifetime.
1. Encinal: Jets have the BSAL player of the year (Duckett) in a league that has more legit Division I collegiate level talent at a variety of positions than any other east bay league. Encinal’s Thunder-n-Lightening assault vehicle on the ground continues to crush opponents.
2. Marin Catholic: Coach Peralta’s Wildcats will be 9-1 and making their case to be the # 1 seed – but they will not get it. Showdown upcoming in the 2nd round of the playoffs, after they get rid of the unlucky 15th-ranked D3 team that must travel to Kentfield and become the fodder for the Wildcats on a crisp Saturday afternoon at MC.
3. Alhambra: The NCS committee will be reluctant to give the # 1 & 2 seeds to East Bay teams, if another team (MC) is also suffering from only one defeat. Therefore the Bulldogs will be victimized by the geographic parity mechanism, and even though a coin flip could do justice betwixt MC and Alhambra, the Bulldogs will be seeded 3rd. Again, they will mash the #14 ranked team in the playoffs at home in Martinez, before getting a solid test in the 2nd round.
4. El Cerrito: HUGE win for the Gauchos over Alameda, and their Overdose on the passing game proved the correct Prescription to defeat the Hornets last night. With VERY big Wins over D2 Pinole and Alameda, and the slapping around of Campolindo, El Cerrito Leap Frogs the surly Novato squad based on El Cerrito’s Strength of VICTORIES, even though both teams will finish 7-3.
5. Novato: Coach Brackett’s Hornets have two good wins but not Great wins, defeating Foothill of Palo Cedro near Redding, and Tamalpais from their own watered-down league. It will be tough sledding for Novato to look the committee in the eye (literally and figuratively since the meeting is behind locked doors and coaches are not allowed) and to convince them that both of the teams they beat are better than Pinole and Alameda (whom El Cerrito beat). Novato is not accustomed to being seeded so low (for them) and it will be interesting to see how do against the 12th ranked team in prepping for the 2nd round?
6. Piedmont: It will be hard for Tamalpais (7-3) after getting beat by MC this weekend) to justify they are ranked below the Highlanders, but IF Piedmont defeats St. Patrick’s this weekend in a hard battle, they will also finish 7-3 in the tough BSAL, and that league is better than Tam’s. However, if Piedmont goes down in defeat and finishes 6-4, they will drop a spot, but Tamalpais is not a Top 7 team in this year’s crop.
7. Healdsburg: The Greyhounds gave CG all they could handle going down in defeat. They will lose to Petaluma this weekend and finish 6-4. A very good record for a D3 playoff team, and their schedule speaks volumes. Yes, wins count more than losses do, and their six victories are a lot considering the teams below them.
8. Tamalpais: 7-3 is a very good season, and new head coach Goyer has done a bang up job. But, they have a weak schedule and no big wins at all, and this 8th slot gives them a Home Playoff game, a huge boost for their program and kids.
9. Fortuna: Like Tam, the Huskies 7-3 record (if they lose to Eureka) is a very nice tally. But their loss to Ferndale (a very good D4 team) and terribly bad strength of schedule makes the 9th slot the highest possible ranking they can attain heading into the postseason, but if Campo goes 6-4 and beats Las Lomas, Fortuna will drop one more notch. A couple of angry teams below them will bemoan the committee’s choice of Fortuna, but Analy’s annual late season meltdown hurt them dearly, and a 4-6 JFK Fremont team won’t jump them either.
10. Campolindo: Out of the Abyss, the Cougars from Moraga beat a stunned Acalanes via the air. Their battle this week vs. Las Lomas could go either way (predictions later this week on Big Games), but regardless, they are assured at least a 5-5 record with a win over Acalanes. After Miramonte gets drilled by Alhambra this weekend, Campo will be sitting in ‘Catbird Seat’ and that’s exactly where a Cougar likes to be.
11. Acalanes: Solid Coach Ivankovich’s Dons had their hearts broken in their loss at Home to Campo. It did deliver a punch to the Gut, however it did not Dash the Playoff hopes of the Dons. Finishing at 5-5, assured a playoff spot, and with a much needed week of rest before the playoffs, the Dons can rest up, scout potential playoff opponents this weekend and get ready to maybe surprise people with a First Round upset on the road if they can control the clock and keep Piedmont’s A-11 off the field.
12. JFK Fremont: Old Coach Michaletos is teaching the coaching fraternity that experience counts, but even though he is a very good and storied coach, most of the time Talent counts more than coaching, and their close but unforgiving Loss to American killed their chances of a top 10 seed. The Titans will be on the road up to Novato if this ranking of D3 teams holds true, and Novato’s D will swarm the Titans into a team-wide coma.
13. Bishop O’Dowd: Coach Perenon is a very good coach, and understands the ONLY thing that counts is getting into the Playoffs, from there, anything is possible. BOD moving up the ladder is due to their strength of schedule (IF they win this weekend to finish 4-5-1), and the collapse of Analy helped them a lot. BOD gets in and their Elephant Gift this holiday season, is to visit El Cerrito and lose in a shootout, where the game’s over/under might be 80 points.
14. Miramonte: After spanking Campo into submission earlier this year, Coach Wade’s Matadors seemed to be ready to finish 7-3 or 6-4, but they faltered. Their upcoming loss to Alhambra this weekend will get them a final reckoning of 4-6, and then a Rematch with Alhambra again in Round One. Alhambra has too much size and speed for the Mats, and it will be back-to-back losses for Miramonte because beating them after seeing them a week earlier is impossible.
15. Moreau Catholic: Closing out the season vs. Piedmont, St.Patricks and Encinal would be hard for any D3 team, physically, schematically and mentally. But, the Mariners will finish (4-6) in the cast iron BSAL after getting hammered by Encinal Friday. They will make a playoff journey over to Marin Catholic, after having faced the D3 Top Seed (Encinal) to close out the regular season. Zero mercy goes the fate for the Bottom Two Seeds in this year’s unforgiving D3 loaded field.
16. Terra Linda: After losing to a very down Justin Siena this weekend they will end the year at 4-6, a nice turnaround but not a winning season. However, in week # 2 they beat Sonoma Valley, and now their reward will be to travel to Alameda, suit up their kids vs. Top Seed Encinal, and watch in horror, as the Jets pound, sweep, counter, lead and play action their way to a 50-point win over Terra Linda.

* Somoma Valley Note: The most distraught head football coach in the NCS this off-season will be Analy head coach, Daniel Bourdon. His Analy team completely dropped the Anvil on both of their bare feet, crushing not only the bones in each foot, but their 2009 playoff hopes with it. Analy finishes the season at 5-5, a decent record for sure. BUT, their OOPS head-to-head loss to Sonoma Valley last night, and a lower standing in that league than Sonoma, combined with Terra Linda’s Win over Sonoma Valley, will sequester the Analy coach in a lonely place, mumbling to himself in the bleak, cold and unrelenting winter, as he watches the NCS playoffs and utters, “It should be us, and not Terra Linda vs. Encinal.”