Welcome back to the Bay Area News Group’s high school football roundup.
Here, you’ll find all the details from the weekend’s action in this news organization’s coverage area, which encompasses teams that play in leagues based primarily in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.
Check back every Saturday during the season for scores, highlights and top performers, updated throughout the day.
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On to the roundup …
Ranked teams
No. 1 De La Salle 48, No. 9 California 10
Dominic Kelley and Derrick Blanche each ran for two touchdowns as De La Salle rolled on the road over California to improve to 9-0. California fell to 7-2. The Spartans led 35-3 at halftime, and the second half was played with a running clock. Look here for more details on this matchup.
No. 3 St. Francis 35, No. 7 Valley Christian 17
St. Francis scores on a number of long plays, including Aaron Knapp’s 94-yard pass to Grant Righellis and Kingston Keanaaina’s 98-yard kickoff return, to win on the road over Valley Christian. The Lancers clinched at least a share of the West Catholic Athletic League title. Glenn Reeves has the full recap here.
No. 5 St. Ignatius 45, Sacred Heart Cathedral 28
Jarious Hogan set a WCAL record with six touchdowns as St. Ignatius outlasted rival Sacred Heart Cathedral to win the Bruce-Mahoney game at Kezar Stadium. The Wildcats improved to 7-2 overall and 5-1 in WCAL play. SHC is 3-6, 1-5. Look here for more details on Hogan’s huge game.
No. 10 Wilcox 19, No. 6 Los Gatos 14
In a game for the ages, senior Brayden Rosa willed Wilcox to victory with three touchdowns and a forced fumble. Wilcox converted a fourth-and-6 at midfield to seal its first win over Los Gatos since 2019. Christian Babcock was in Los Gatos and has the story here.
No. 12 Acalanes 21, Campolindo 12
Tyler Winkles threw a touchdown pass to Niko White and ran for two more scores as Acalanes defeated Campolindo on a rainy Friday night. Joseph Dycus was in Moraga and has the full story here.
No. 18 Christopher 32, Leigh 7
Christopher continues to establish itself as the class of the Blossom Valley Athletic League Mt. Hamilton Division. As usual, Jaxen Robinson was the offensive catalyst for the Cougars, completing 23 of 33 passes for 301 yards and three touchdowns. Josiah Garcia carried 13 times for 75 yards. Evan Vernon caught nine passes for 120 yards and a score, adding four tackles for loss and a fumble recovery on defense. Seniors Erik Carbajal and Salomon Quintero each snagged an interception. Christopher is 8-1 this season and a perfect 5-0 in Mt. Hamilton play. Leigh is 4-5, 2-3. – Christian Babcock
No. 24 Willow Glen 23, Westmont 7
Willow Glen’s magical undefeated season continued for another week. Aiden Akery led the Rams’ rushing attack, running for 158 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns. He threw a TD pass to Chris Amann as well. Willow Glen rushed for 272 yards as a team. Spencer Bartlinski and Haas Perry notched sacks for the Rams. Perry added an interception to seal the win for Willow Glen. Ayden Babic nailed a walk-off 37-yard field goal to end the first half. Willow Glen improved to 9-0 overall and 4-0 in the BVAL Santa Teresa-Valley, setting up a massive home showdown with Leland on Thursday. With the loss, Westmont dropped to 4-5, 1-3. – Christian Babcock
Sequoia 13, No. 25 San Mateo 7, OT
Jordan Crockett’s one-yard plunge in overtime gave Sequoia a victory and at least a share of the Peninsula Athletic League’s Ocean Division title, ensuring the Ravens will own their first league championship since 2010. Dave Kiefer was in San Mateo and has the game story here.
East Bay
Granada 48, Dougherty Valley 20
Six players found the end zone for Granada as the Matadors cruised past Dougherty Valley. Granada quarterback Jack Badger went 10 for 14 for 155 yards and one touchdown. He also ran for a score. Estevan Duarte rushed for 125 yards on 16 carries and had a five-yard receiving score. Cody Phillips ran for two touchdowns. Dougherty Valley (2-7, 0-3) and will host Dublin on Friday. Granada (5-4, 3-0) will play Livermore at home on Friday for the East Bay Athletic League Valley Division title. – Nathan Canilao
Livermore 31, Foothill 14
Matteo Lortie threw two touchdown passes to lead Livermore past Foothill at home. Foothill quarterback Jason Knight threw for a score in the loss. Livermore (6-3, 3-0) has won three in a row heading into its showdown next week at Granada for the EBAL Valley crown. Foothill ended its season 4-6, 1-3. – Nathan Canilao
Mt. Diablo 49, Ygnacio Valley 6
The Red Devils finished Diablo Athletic League Mountain Division play undefeated, breezing past Ygnacio Valley. Quarterback Michael Vasquez threw three touchdown passes, two to Kenneth Facen and one to Elijah Molnar. Running back Jeremiah Owens rushed for two touchdowns and Antonio Campbell III ran for one. Next Friday, Mt. Diablo (7-2, 3-0) travels to Northgate and YV (4-5, 0-3) is slated to play at Alhambra. – Nathan Canilao
Northgate 37, Alhambra 14
Northgate locked up the DAL Valley title with an easy victory over Alhambra. Blayne Ballard caught six passes for 137 yards and three touchdowns, and also made a 51-yard field goal. Coach Ben Ballard said it was a school record. Brady Willis threw for 185 yards and four TDs, and DeAngelo Smith ran for 119 yards and a touchdown. Dax Gordon also caught a touchdown. Chael Collins and Izaiah Reid each ran for touchdowns for Alhambra, which dropped to 2-6, 0-3. Northgate (6-3, 3-0) will play host to DAL Mountain champ Mt. Diablo next Friday. – Joseph Dycus
South Bay/Peninsula
Branham 41, Oak Grove 12
Branham lit up the scoreboard in a rout of its San Jose neighbors to the east. Michael Murphy ran for rushing TDs of 6 and 38 yards. Jack Lewis tossed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Brayden Hodges. Andrew Ho completed TD passes to Jimmy Scibetta (3 yards) and Zayne St. Laurent (24 yards). Logan Rosa and Christian Duarte each snatched an interception to anchor Branham’s defense. As a team, Branham compiled one sack, credited to senior Dylan Rodriguez, and five tackles for loss. The Bruins improved to 6-3 overall and 3-2 in BVAL Mt. Hamilton play. Oak Grove fell to 1-8, 1-4. – Christian Babcock
Gunn 17, Saratoga 3
Gunn’s ground-and-pound attack made mincemeat of yet another PAL Lake opponent. JJ Racz got the scoring going for the Titans, running in a 17-yard touchdown. Andre Lee added a 16-yard rushing TD later in the game. Anthony Marin managed a 27-yard field goal to close out the scoring for Gunn. Sam Dellenbach snatched an interception defensively, and Yonatan Smolyar ran for 160 yards on 20 carries. Renn Blanco converted a 32-yard field goal for Saratoga. The Titans stand atop the PAL Lake Division at 7-0 in league play and 9-0 overall. They have conceded just 24 points this season and have shut out six of the nine teams they have played. Gunn faces fellow first-place team Jefferson (7-2, 7-0) next Thursday. Saratoga fell to 6-2-1, 5-2-1. – Christian Babcock
Leland 35, Gilroy 8
Leland made quick work of Gilroy on the road to remain atop the BVAL Santa Teresa-Valley Division. Brady Hernandez scored three touchdowns for the Chargers: a 10-yard run, a 12-yard run and a 38-yard reception. Wyatt Marcos caught two TDs through the air, including a 13-yarder and a 67-yarder. Jacob Gibson tossed three touchdown passes for Leland. The Chargers are now 4-0 in the Santa Teresa-Valley and 7-2 overall. They travel to Willow Glen next week in a game that will decide the league title. Gilroy dropped to 2-7, 1-3. – Christian Babcock
Los Altos 10, Santa Clara 6
Los Altos picked up its second win in the PAL El Camino Division with a narrow victory over Santa Clara. The Eagles (3-6, 2-3) capitalized on an early turnover, taking a 7-0 lead when Derek Hall found Fisher Sirey through the air. Santa Clara (3-6, 2-3) responded with a third-quarter touchdown by Damien Lopez on a quarterback sneak. Los Altos blocked the extra point to maintain the lead. Tascher Morrison nailed a 34-yard insurance field goal to put the Eagles up four midway through the fourth quarter. Los Altos’ defense closed out the game with a key stop of Santa Clara’s offense late in the fourth. – Christian Babcock
Mt. Pleasant 36, Evergreen Valley 0
Epifano Montiel and Andrew Tafoya scored two touchdowns apiece to lead the Cardinals. Montiel scored on runs of 1 and 30 yards. Tafoya scored on a 70-yard pass reception and on a 35-yard interception return. Andrew Salazar also had a rushing TD on a 25-yard run. With the win, its fourth in a row, Mt. Pleasant (4-5, 4-1) moved into second place by itself in the BVAL West Valley Division standings, one game behind Gunderson. The Cardinals close out their regular-season schedule Friday at Andrew Hill. Third-place Evergreen Valley (5-4, 3-2) plays at Yerba Buena on Thursday. — Glenn Reeves
Related Articles
Record-setter: St. Ignatius star scores six TDs to beat Sacred Heart Cathedral
From 0-4 to league champs: Sequoia has just enough to beat San Mateo in OT
Big-play night: St. Francis scores one long TD after another to top Valley Christian
League champs! O’Dowd survives James Logan’s comeback to win MVAL/WACC Foothill crown
Streak snapped: Brayden Rosa’s 3 TDs, forced fumble lead Wilcox over Los Gatos for first time since 2019
Overfelt 18, Pioneer 17
The Royals’ Hail Mary was answered in a dramatic road win over Pioneer. Overfelt completed a pass from the Mustangs’ 35-yard line as time expired to win the game by one point. Earlier, Pioneer took the initial lead on a 39-yard field goal, but Overfelt went up 6-3 on a 45-yard rushing TD. The Mustangs responded with a 50-yard TD pass from Braeden Ries to Brady Montgomery, going up 10-6. Ries’ 1-yard rushing TD late in the first half put Pioneer up 17-6. A crucial fourth-down stop moments before the half kept Overfelt within striking distance. The Royals crept closer with a 32-yard rushing score. That set the stage for Overfelt’s last-second heroics. Overfelt improved to 4-5 and 3-1 in BVAL Santa Teresa-Foothill play. Pioneer dropped to 4-5, 2-2. – Christian Babcock
The King’s Academy 27, Aragon 0
The Knights went up by 20 at halftime and didn’t look back on Thursday night. Freshman Trey Monroe rushed 77 yards on 19 carries. Sophomore Aaron Duncan caught 12 passes for 97 yards and junior Kyle Welch had 79 yards on six catches. The King’s Academy improved to 4-5, 3-1. Aragon dropped to 1-8, 0-4. – Nathan Canilao