A look at the CalHiSports/ESPN bowl rankings for Northern California schools. And keep in mind that only section champions are eligible for a bowl invite, meaning out of Grant, Rocklin, St. Mary's, Del Oro, Granite Bay and Del Oro only one reaches a bowl as all compete in Division II.
Division I North
1. (1) Grant (Sacramento) 10-0 def. Burbank (Sacramento) 40-22
2. (2) De La Salle (Concord) 8-2 def. California (San Ramon) 49-10
3. (4) Bellarmine Prep (San Jose) 8-1-1 def. St. Ignatius (SF) 18-11
4. (6) Nevada Union (Grass Valley) 9-1 def. Davis 56-0
5. (7) Tracy 10-0 def. Lodi 52-7
6. (8) Deer Valley (Antioch) 10-0 def. Heritage (Bentwood) 31-18
7. (3) Amador Valley (Pleasanton) 8-2 lost to Foothill (Pleasanton) 31-21
8. (9) Granite Bay 8-2 def. Woodcreek (Roseville) 34-10
9. (10) Vacaville 9-1 def. Wood (Vacaville) 54-13
10. (11) Monte Vista (Danville) 7-3 def. San Ramon Valley (Danville) 42-7
11. (12) Lincoln (Stockton) 8-2 def. Chavez (Stockton) 53-3
12. (13) Folsom 9-1 def. Sheldon (Sacramento) 63-28
13. (5) Berkeley 9-1 lost to Pinole Valley, 13-10
14. (NR) Monterey Trail (Elk Grove) 8-2 def. Florin (Sacramento) 40-6
15. (15) Serra (San Mateo) 5-5 lost to Valley Christian (San Jose) 34-21
On the bubble: Burbank (Sacramento) 6-4, California (San Ramon) 5-5, Fairfield 8-2, Foothill (Pleasanton) 6-4, Heritage (Brentwood) 7-3, Milpitas 8-2, Pittsburg 6-4, Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 7-3, San Benito (Hollister) 8-2, San Ramon Valley (Danville) 6-4, Sheldon (Sacramento) 7-3.
Breakdown: If you read CalHiSports.com you know the playoffs in this division baffles everyone on the staff. Even the janitor can't figure this out and he comes up with some creative explanations. This time he shook his head--twice. Grant of Sacramento, Giant Killers last year in the Open Bowl game against Poly of Long Beach and a team that until last Friday had given up 13 points all season, seeded No. 3 in a Sac-Joaquin Section's Division I-II playoffs?
While it sets up a potential Grant-Rocklin game in the semifinals, it still doesn't make sense. Must be computers, which really have a tough time getting out to see teams play. Oh well, St. Mary's of Stockton, the team everyone would like to see in a bowl game against Oaks Christian, isn't disappointed although Folsom is in that bracket and the Bulldogs are not a team to be taken lightly. Bellarmine Prep of San Jose getting seeded No. 5 behind No. 1 Pioneer of San Jose is...shocking.
That's a completely different case than Grant's seeding. If the Sac-Joaquin seeding system was applied in the CCS, Pioneer might be No. 8 instead of No. 1. Defending CCS Open Division champ Bellarmine even has to open up on the road against a Palo Alto team that for some reason no one can figure out got seeded ahead of the Bells.
Division II North
1. (1) Rocklin 10-0 def. Roseville 51-27
2. (2) Archbishop Mitty (SJ) 9-0-1 def. Riordan 38-14
3. (3) Inderkum (Sacramento) 10-0 def. Natomas 21-7
4. (4) Del Oro (Loomis) 8-2 def. Oakmont (Roseville) 56-8
5. (5) St. Francis (Mtn View) 7-3 def. Sacred Heart Cath. (SF) 66-13
6. (6) Encinal (Alameda) 9-1 def. Moreau Catholic (Hayward) 55-15
7. (7) Paradise 9-1 Bye
8. (8) Lincoln 10-0 def. Colfax 27-17
9. (9) Sierra (Manteca) 9-1 def. Weston Ranch (Stockton) 35-14
10. (NR) Del Campo (Fair Oaks) 9-1 def. Bella Vista (Fair Oaks) 23-13
On the bubble: Casa Roble (Orangevale) 6-4, Bella Vista (Fair Oaks) 7-3, Enterprise (Redding) 9-1, Foothill (Palo Cedro) 7-4, Los Gatos 7-3, Manteca 7-3, Novato 7-3, Oakdale 9-1, Palo Alto 7-1-2, Petaluma 10-0, Pioneer (San Jose) 10-0, Placer (Auburn) 9-1, Sonora 8-2, Vanden (Travis AFB) 9-1, Whitney (Rocklin) 7-3.
Breakdown: Not much chance for movement here as the top nine teams either won or did not play. Vanden's stay in the elite group was short-lived as the Vikings were upended by D1 North Rodriguez of Cordelia, 28-21, which opened the door for Del Campo of Fair Oaks. The Cougars, who have been led all season by QB-RB-LB Ryan Dimino, downed Bella Vista by 10. Del Campo is seeded No. 2 behind Inderkum but ahead of Sierra (Manteca) in the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. III playoffs. Archbishop Mitty of San Jose, meanwhile, has steadily moved up but its No. 2 rating will get a fast test as Valley Christian, the No. 5 team in Division III, comes calling this week and has been surging in recent weeks.
Division III North
1. (1) St. Mary's (Stockton) 10-0 def. Edison (Stockton) 55-6
2. (2) Palma (Salinas) 8-1-1 def. Alisal (Salinas) 34-21
3. (3) Central Catholic (Modesto) 9-1 def. Livingston 52-0
4. (4) Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 9-1 def. Tamalpais 32-7
5. (5) Valley Christian (San Jose) 7-3 def. Serra (San Mateo) 34-21
6. (6) Escalon 9-1 def. Ripon 21-6
7. (8) Sutter 8-2 Idle
8. (9) St. Mary's (Berkeley) 8-2 def. Kennedy (Richmond) forfeit
9. (10) Salesian (Richmond) 9-1 def. Cal. School for Deaf (Fremont) 43-0
10. (NR) Carmel 9-0 def. Pacific Grove 78-6
On the bubble: Argonaut (Jackson) 6-4, Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 6-4, Cloverdale 9-1, Colfax 6-4, Fort Bragg 8-2, Fortuna 7-3, Healdsburg 6-4, Hilmar 8-2, Middletown 9-1, Ripon 7-3, Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) 7-3, Seaside 7-2-1, Scotts Valley 5-3-2, *Wheatland 8-3, Windsor 6-4.
Breakdown: St. Mary's of Stockton got the No. 1 seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section's Division II playoffs and in many way it's hard to argue against the Rams. They played a very tough schedule and only one team, highly respected Div. I Bellarmine Prep of San Jose, got within 30 points (24). OK, so St. Mary's opens against Buhach Colony of Atwater and will gain even more respect and a long look at the Open Division berth if it runs the table from here on out. Still, we continue to see the possibility that it will be best for the future of the bowl games to put St. Mary's and Oaks Christian opposite each other in Div. III instead of the Open Division. Knowing how tough it is going to be for other top-ranked teams in D3 North and D3 South to just get bowl eligible, the nightmare would be to see Oaks or St. Mary's lined up against a clearly inferior opponent in a D3 state bowl game.
Small Schools North
1. (1) Modesto Christian 10-0 def. Ripon Christian 56-7
2. (2) Ferndale 10-0 def. McKinleyville 27-13
3. (3) Modoc (Alturas) 9-0 Idle
4. (4) Portola 10-0 Idle
5. (5) Bradshaw Chr. (Sacramento) 9-1 def. Woodland Christian 77-0
6. (6) St. Francis (Watsonville) 6-3-1 def. Harbor (Santa Cruz) 21-7
7. (7) Fall River (McArthur) 9-2 def. Tulelake forfeit
8. (8) Capital Christian (Sac.) 7-3 def. Golden Sierra (Garden V.) 49-20
9. (9) Hamilton (Hamilton City) 9-2 def. Etna 55-0
10. (NR) Quincy 8-3 def. East Nicolas 38-30
On the bubble: Burney 7-3*, Colusa 6-4, East Nicolas (Nicolas) 6-4*, Hoopa Valley (Hoopa) 8-2, Maxwell 8-3, St. Vincent (Petaluma) 7-3, Vacaville Christian 6-4, Valley Christian (Dublin) 5-5.
Breakdown: Like the South, all but one of the North Small Schools either won or didn't play but since it was No. 10 St. Vincent of Petaluma that fell, Quincy moves into the final spot. Are you ready for section championship games already? The early finish to the season (due to annual bad weather concerns) is the way it works in the Northern Section, which undoubtedly was part of the reason Hamilton of Hamilton City got blasted by St. Margaret's in last year's bowl game. It was a month between games. No. 7 Fall River of McArthur, meanwhile, has a rematch with Maxwell for the Division V title Saturday at Fall River. The Bulldogs beat Maxwell 24-12 earlier this year. Maxwell plays in a rare three-team league.
