St Francis will win the Central Coast Section Open Division championship, our high school crew of Joseph Dycus, Nathan Canilao, Christian Babcock, Mike Lefkow and Darren Sabedra says.
Turns out, that was the only division our guys picked unanimously.
In the bottom half of the section’s Open/Division I bracket — the bracket that sends two of the eight teams to the NorCal regionals — three picked Riordan to win the Division I crown, two went with Serra.
Not even favored Wilcox was a unanimous choice in Division II.
Dycus says Christopher, the runner-up to Soquel in the division last season, will finish on top this time.
Lefkow predicted that Gunn, which went from 0-10 two years ago to 10-0 this fall, will win three CCS games to capture an improbable Division V title.
As always, we make our picks in good fun.
Be sure to check out the video as the guys explain all of their decisions.
If you want just the picks, keep scrolling.
Here are the predictions:
Central Coast Section
Open/Division I (Open winner)
Babcock: If Riordan was eligible for the Open Division title, I’d have to give strong consideration to the Crusaders with the way they closed out the season, scoring a 10-point win over St. Francis. But seeing as they are not, I like St. Francis to take it home this year. The Lancers have been the most consistent team in CCS, and I doubt they’ll sleepwalk into a potential matchup with St. Ignatius like they did when the two met in the regular season. They still won that game by 14, shutting out the Wildcats in the second half on SI’s home field.
Canilao: Kingston Keanaaina might be the best player in the section. I’m rolling with St. Francis.
Dycus: St. Francis may have stumbled at Archbishop Riordan, but that won’t dissuade me from going with the Lancers. As the weather gets colder – and wetter – I think that the Lancers ground-and-pound attack and hard-hitting defense will result in a CCS Open Division title.
Lefkow: St. Francis beat St. Ignatius 27-13 during the regular season at SI. But because the points system used by CCS to determine seeding places a low priority on head-to-head matchups, SI came out a half-point ahead of the Lancers for the top seed. SF and SI will play again in the Open title game, and the Lancers will win. Again.
Sabedra: Losing to Riordan in a regular-season finale on Saturday and not receiving the No. 1 seed – plus stumbling in this round last season – should motivate St. Francis to win Friday against Valley Christian and again in the Open final against St. Ignatius. Give me the Lancers.
Final tally: St. Francis (Babcock, Lefkow, Sabedra, Canilao, Dycus)
Open/Division I (D-I winner)
Babcock: If I might have picked Riordan to win the Open title, I should probably roll with them for the D-I crown. The Crusaders have been maddeningly inconsistent this season, but they may finally have all their talent rowing in the same direction just in the nick of time. They are the proverbial spoiler team, except they have the talent of a favorite – perhaps more overall than any other team in the CCS.
Canilao: Riordan is rolling at the right time and the San Francisco school is arguably the most talented team in the CCS. I don’t see a team that could stop Riordan’s offense.
Dycus: No team in this year’s playoffs has the championship experience that Serra possesses. The Padres are better than their league record shows, with their three WCAL losses coming by a combined 13 points. Don’t be shocked when Serra is hoisting another CCS trophy at the end of the month.
Lefkow: Serra lost to each of the top three seeds – St. Ignatius, St. Francis, Riordan – during the regular season by a total of 13 points. All three games were on the road. Forecast calls for an SI-Serra rematch in the D-I championship. SI beat the Padres 21-20 in September. This time Serra wins.
Sabedra: Riordan was the favorite to capture the West Catholic Athletic League title. But too many ups-and-downs cost the Crusaders. Wins over Serra and St. Francis the past two weeks regained momentum that should continue through the section playoffs. Riordan, which blew a 21-0 lead at SI during WCAL play, will beat the Wildcats for the D1 crown.
Final tally: Riordan (Babcock, Sabedra, Canilao). Serra (Lefkow, Dycus)
Division II
Babcock: Starting quarterback Kai Imahara’s health will be a week-to-week question for Wilcox the rest of the way after he separated his AC joint against Menlo-Atherton. I’m just not sure if that’s enough for anyone else to seize this division. Wilcox’s run game should be effective with or without Imahara, and if he’s able to contribute, all the better for the Chargers. Wilcox still has Brayden Rosa to lead a deep stable of running backs, and that should be enough to get the Chargers across the finish line.
Canilao: Wilcox has been dominant all season. The Chargers are talented, battle tested and have experience in big moments. They should roll to its second section title in three years.
Dycus: After reaching last season’s CCS Division II title game and losing to Soquel, I have senior quarterback Jaxen Robinson and Christohpher’s collection of playmakers going all the way this year.
Lefkow: Wilcox, Christopher and Menlo-Atherton all have difference-makers in their lineups: Wilcox RB Brayden Rosa, Christopher QB and Northern Arizona commit Jaxen Robinson, and M-A LB/edge Devin Hyde. Rosa, because he can also play QB, is the most dangerous. Nod to Wilcox.
Sabedra: With the exception of a surprising loss to Burlingame several weeks ago and a competitive defeat to Valley Christian, Wilcox has been superb. Its resume includes a huge win at Los Gatos, which gave the Chargers a league crown. They’ll keep it going in CCS. Give me Wilcox.
Final tally: Wilcox (Babcock, Lefkow, Sabedra, Canilao). Christopher (Dycus).
Division III
Babcock: I’d love to see the storyline where second-seeded Willow Glen truly makes this a Cinderella ending with a D-III title, 13-0 record and a NorCal regional appearance. I just don’t know if the Rams can get past top-seeded Carmel, which beat D-II No. 3 seed Christopher on the road in Gilroy and is also unblemished this season. But if Willow Glen pulls it off, the Rams will certainly have earned it.
Canilao: Willow Glen has been consistent all year. If seeds hold, the Rams will meet Monterey-area powerhouse Carmel in the title game, which will be a big step up in competition. But I think Willow Glen has all the tools to get it done.
Dycus: Half Moon Bay has some big linemen and a pair of bruising running backs in Adler Halterman and Connor Heath. Sounds like a recipe for success in Division III. The Cougars also have Dusty Dimas, a dual-threat quarterback who can and will make at least one key pass as HMB captures a CCS title.
Lefkow: Feels like Carmel should be the prohibitive favorite. The Padres are 10-0, ranked No. 13 in CCS by Calpreps and have the best player in 6-foot-7, 300-pound OT Jackson Lloyd, an Alabama commit. Willow Glen is also 10-0. Capuchino (8-2) is lurking. Carmel survives.
Sabedra: This is an extremely competitive bracket that includes two 10-0 teams. I am not convinced both will reach the final. But I am taking one to win it all – the team that has allowed just 76 points all season. Give me second-seeded Willow Glen.
Final tally: Willow Glen (Sabedra, Canilao). Carmel (Babcock, Lefkow). Half Moon Bay (Dycus).
Division IV
Babcock: Something may be Bruin in Division IV. Branham is the nominal two-seed in this bracket, but Calpreps currently has the Bruins as the highest-rated team in the field. Branham also has a unique motivational factor on its side, as the Bruins found out just last Friday that their coach, Stephen Johnson, will be stepping down at the end of this run. Branham may be the best team in this division anyway, plus the Bruins will step on the field with an inimitable chip on their shoulder in every game for the rest of this season.
Canilao: I’m a sucker for storybook endings and what better way for Branham coach Stephen Johnson to go out than with a section title. The Bruins’ offense has all the tools to make a run with quarterback Jack Lewis, wide receiver Zayne St. Laurent and running back Michael Murphy leading the way.
Dycus: Sacred Heart Prep didn’t have the best regular season, but the Gators did beat their first-round opponent, The King’s Academy, and took down Menlo-Atherton. Mark Grieb is also no stranger to postseason success, winning a state title in 2021. SHP and its ground game will grind down Division IV en route to a section championship.
Lefkow: It would be cool if top seeds Piedmont Hills and Branham play for the title. Coaches Matt Kiesle of Piedmont Hills and Stephen Johnson of Branham are stepping down after the season. Good coaches. Good guys. Calpreps puts Branham one spot ahead of Piedmont Hills in its CCS rankings, so we’ll pick the Bruins.
Sabedra: I like storybook finishes, and this bracket is set up for one in the final. I wouldn’t bet the house that Branham and Piedmont Hills – whose coaches are stepping down at the end of the season – will get that far. But I am predicting it. Give me Branham to edge Piedmont Hills.
Final tally: Branham (Babcock, Lefkow, Sabedra, Canilao). SHP (Dycus).
Division V
Babcock: There’s a lot of intrigue to be had in this bracket. I could see any of the top four seeds making a run to the title. But I’m leaning toward the four seed. Sequoia has had an excellent finish to the regular season, winning five of its last six games to earn the PAL Ocean Division title. The Ravens also just lost to Carlmont, so they should be motivated and focused to start the tournament. Getting past No. 1 seed South San Francisco will be a challenge, but the Warriors love to play close, low-scoring games – the exact setting Sequoia has thrived in late this season.
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Canilao: Winning back-to-back section titles is no easy feat, but I think South San Francisco has a good shot of pulling it off. The Warriors and their dominant run game haven’t slowed down this season and I expect them to continue to fly by the competition in this year’s section playoffs.
Dycus: South San Francisco has already proven it can win D-V once, so who am I to doubt the Warriors as they go for the repeat? There’s nothing flashy about South City’s three-back T-formation offense, but it has shown that it can work in big games. Coach Kolone Pua wins the school its second consecutive CCS Division V title.
Lefkow: This is where we find out how good 10-0 Gunn is. Despite being the only undefeated team in the division, the C league Titans are seeded fifth, behind South San Francisco, Alisal, Leland and Sequoia, all B leaguers. Gunn has a nice combination of size and athleticism. Will it be enough? We’ll roll the dice with the Titans.
Sabedra: South City won this division last season, and there is no reason to believe the Warriors can’t do it again. While I am curious to see how Gunn and its defense (31 points allowed during 10-0 regular season stacks up), I am going with South City to repeat.
Final tally: South San Francisco (Sabedra, Canilao, Dycus). Gunn (Lefkow). Sequoia (Babcock).