HOW IT WORKS: WHY SI GOT 1 SEED IN OPEN/D1
St. Francis is ranked ahead of St. Ignatius by the calpreps.com computer and beat the Wildcats during West Catholic Athletic League play. But when the brackets came out Sunday, SI was seeded No. 1 in Open/Division I, one spot ahead of St. Francis. The teams finished tied for the league championship after St. Francis lost on Saturday to Archbishop Riordan. In the CCS’s complex points system to determine seeding – which includes computer rankings and bonus points for playing teams that win league championships, among other factors – SI finished with 77.75 points to St. Francis’ 77.25. Head-to-head results are only used to break ties when teams have the same number of points, not to move one team above another. SI got bonus points for playing East Bay Athletic League Mountain Division champion San Ramon Valley – which beat SI 28-10 – but St. Francis didn’t get bonus points for losing to De La Salle. While DLS is a member of the EBAL Mountain, it is ineligible to win the league title and thus no extra points for its CCS opponents. Riordan, meanwhile, benefited from getting an extra point for playing McClymonds. Normally, that wouldn’t have been possible because the Oakland Athletic League championship isn’t decided until the Silver Bowl in late November. But this season the OAL views McClymonds as the league champions. The extra point moved Riordan from the No. 4 seed to the No. 3 seed in Open/Division I. – Darren Sabedra
LOS GATOS VS. SERRA: TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE
Two of the most storied CCS programs will meet in the first round of the Open/Division I playoffs as Los Gatos travels to Serra on Saturday. These teams have only met once since 2004, in a game that set up the most controversial end to a Serra season. After Los Gatos blanked the Padres 28-0 in San Mateo to advance to the 2014 CCS Open Division semifinals, Serra had to play two more consolation games to finish its season. The Padres beat Palma in a game that was reportedly treated as a scrimmage for both teams. Then Serra forfeited the consolation championship game against Milpitas, prompting the section to slap a two-year postseason ban and a $6,000 fine to the San Mateo school. The penalty was later reduced to a one-year postseason ban. Now, Serra will play host to Los Gatos for the right to face the winner of the game between Soquel and Riordan in the semifinals. While the loss led to a painful decision for Serra in the consolation bracket, which the CCS did away with after that one season, the victory for Los Gatos was monumental. – Nathan Canilao
WILCOX POISED FOR A TITLE IN BRAYDEN ROSA’S SENIOR YEAR?
It’s what any football coach dreams of – the opportunity to win a championship alongside his son – Wilcox has already won an outright Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division title this season. Now, the Chargers (8-2) may be poised for even more. Wilcox was revealed Sunday as the top seed in the Division II bracket, potentially setting up a run to a CCS crown in star two-way player Brayden Rosa’s senior season. Rosa, the youngest son of Wilcox coach Paul Rosa, was instrumental in the Chargers’ upset win over Los Gatos that likely clinched the top seed in the D-II tournament. That said, it won’t be easy for the Chargers. They have to deal with Blossom Valley Athletic League Mt. Hamilton Division squad Santa Teresa (9-1) right out of the gate. A potential matchup with PAL Bay rival No. 4 Menlo-Atherton (6-4) looms in the second round, while Mt. Hamilton champ No. 3 Christopher (9-1) and No. 2 Sacred Heart Cathedral of the West Catholic Athletic League could make noise on the other side of the bracket. But all Wilcox and the Rosas could ask for is a chance. They’ll get that opportunity starting on Friday at home. – Christian Babcock
PIEDMONT HILLS, BRANHAM COULD HAVE DREAM FINAL
It could be a storybook ending for one of two coaches leaving their teams at the end of the season. But first, they’ll have to get there. In the Division IV bracket, No. 1 Piedmont Hills and No. 2 Branham are lined up on opposite sides of the tournament. Both teams feature a head coach that will no longer be on their sideline after this season. Piedmont Hills coach Matt Kiesle told the Bay Area News Group before this season that he would be stepping down as the Pirates’ head man after 27 seasons at the helm. Kiesle has coached 44 years overall. He retired from teaching in June. Branham coach Stephen Johnson told BANG on Friday that he would be leaving the Bruins at the end of his season, citing a need to prioritize his personal and professional health. Now, the two teams could battle over which one sends its coach out on top. But first, they’ll have to get past the quarterfinals. Piedmont Hills hosts eighth-seeded Live Oak on Friday at 7 p.m., and Branham takes on No. 7 North Monterey County, also set for a 7 p.m. start on Friday night in San Jose. – Christian Babcock
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO PRIMED TO REPEAT
South City has had a meteoric rise since bringing the varsity program back from the dead in 2022. The Warriors followed a winning season with a CCS Division V championship in 2023. A second title appears to be well within reach. Despite moving up to and going undefeated in the tougher Peninsula Athletic League El Camino Division, SSF stayed in the lowest CCS playoff bracket. And unlike last season, when the Warriors were seeded third, South City is set to play at home until the championship game. Coach Kolone Pua leads a team that has won six in a row, and one that will play host to BVAL West Valley champion Gunderson in the first round. A second round matchup would pit the Warriors against either Sequoia or 10-0 Gunn. The SSF defense has rounded into form during the stretch run, allowing no more than 17 points in any game during the program’s winning streak. The unique offense is no joke either, with Pua relying on the same 11 athletes to play both ways. Running out of an old-school T-formation that has three running backs lined up behind two tight ends, fullback Marcus Mercurio grinds out tough yards, and Elijah Fields is the speedster who is capable of turning any run into a long touchdown. Once South City goes up on the scoreboard, it can be almost impossible to beat. In an age of hurry-up offenses, SSF opts to milk the clock and shorten the game. That’s a recipe for success in CCS Division V. – Joseph Dycus