Pick the Preps: Grant-Pacifica, 12 Bridges-Palos Verdes, DLS-Mater Dei in CIF State finals
There’s an old saying in high school sports that tradition never graduates.
This holds true for the Sacramento region in terms of having a team in a CIF State championship game. The CIF state finals started in 2006, and the Grant Pacers were the first local team to win one — and it was a whopper, taking the 2008 Open Division contest, the highest classification in the state. Grant beat nationally ranked Long Beach Poly with a late drive and remain the only public school to win at that division.
The Pacers this weekend are in a CIF final for the third consecutive season, taking on Pacifica of Oxnard in the Division 2-AA contest at 4 p.m. on Friday at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo. You can bet Pacers young and old will be tracking this, some making the 8-hour drive to Orange County.
Twelve Bridges of Placer County is in its third varsity season with its second senior class, bucking all the odds as a new program. The Raging Rhinos are one of four unbeaten teams left standing and take their 14-0 mark to Saddleback for an 11:30 a.m. Saturday kickoff against Palos Verdes in the Division 2-A title game.
The Open game that caps the season 8 p.m. Saturday at Saddleback features 12-0 juggernauts in Northern California top-ranked De La Salle of Concord and national No. 1-ranked Mater Dei of Santa Ana, both at 12-0.
Carmel (14-0) of Monterey County is the other unbeaten and plays El Capitan of Lakeside for the Division 5-AA championship on Friday.
More tradition: A Sacramento-area team has reached a state final every season from 2009-2018 and 2021 to now (there was no season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
And our in-house tradition: picking the games with our esteemed panel of yours truly, NFHS broadcasters Matthew Bessette and Scott Tedmon and Sacramento Bee freelancer and the host of the weekly YouTube show “Premier Preps,” Nick Pecoraro.
Grant (11-3) vs. Pacifica (11-4)
When: Friday, 4 p.m.
Where: Saddleback College, Mission Viejo
TV/Stream: Spectrum SportsNet, NFHS Network
JoeD: The Pacers have earned every bit of this remarkable season, including three spirited game-winning drives in the last three weeks, all of them on the road. Luke Alexander has led the way at QB, passing for 3,153 yards and 38 touchdowns, hitting Koby Shabazz for 14 scores and Zo Edwards for 13. RB Brandon Lambert has rushed for 1,410 yards and 15 scores, and the Pacers defense has answered every call during an eight-game winning streak.
Pacifica hails from the Southern Section with a lot to prove, going 10-0 last season and losing in the first round of the playoffs. QB Dominic Duran has passed for 2,747 yards and 30 TDs, and he has three receivers who have combined for 34 TD catches, presenting the Pacers with a nifty challenge. Grant stands tall right to the end and wins, 28-24.
MatthewB: Grant keeps finding ways to win. Ezekiel Castex scored the Pacers’ last touchdown in the NorCal game at Saint Francis, ripping the ball away from the Lancers back and sprinting 60 yards for the score. Pacifica has played a lot of football this year as this will be its 16th game. The Pacers do it again, 31-24.
NickP: The Tritons of Oxnard have a pair of D-I receivers in Savion Taylor (Cal Poly) and Isaiah Dillon (Fresno State). With youngsters like Shabazz and Edwards shining brightly for Grant, this one promises to be an awesome aerial display. The Pacers have proven to be unshakable in the postseason, and they’ll redeem themselves for last year’s state finals loss, 32-24.
CoachT: The Tritons are seaworthy and battle tested, having faced a grinder of a schedule and head into this title tilt on an eight-game winning streak. Alijah Royster does it all for Pacifica, both rushing and receiving, and having scored 19 TDs. Grant has been equally tested and met all playoff challenges, playing with poise under pressure and producing late game heroics led by “Cool Hand Luke” Alexander. When the game’s on the line, it’s G-Time. Get the parade ready Sacramento as the Pacers bring home another state title with a 31-28 victory.
Twelve Bridges (14-0) vs. Palos Verdes (10-5)
When: Saturday, 11:30 a.m.
Where: Saddleback College, Mission Viejo
TV/Stream: Spectrum SportsNet, NFHS Network
JoeD: Can we just call them the Remarkable Raging Rhinos or is that too wordy and too obvious? The point is, this is record stuff brewing in Lincoln as the dream season rolls on. Bridges will keep feeding workhorse back Braeden Ward, who has 2,571 yards rushing and 39 TDs, and keep pushing the ball with QB Connor Flaherty, who has passed for 2,660 yards and 26 TDs with just two interceptions, hitting Isaac Rodriguez for 14 scores. That’s a lot of fire power for Palos Verde to chew on for a battle tested team from the mighty Southern Section, riding a six-game winning streak. 12B takes it, 30-28.
MatthewB: Twelve Bridges’ unimaginable run continues. The trenches have been a strength of the Rhinos with Colton Hogge, Caleb Amos, Raiden Podulka and company paving the way for their potent offense. Palos Verdes is a young but talented group that can score in bunches. The Rhinos make more history, 42-36.
NickP: This has to be one of the all-time mascot matchups, right? The Raging Rhinos vs. the Sea Kings! The emotions were on high after a narrow victory last Saturday over Wilcox sent Twelve Bridges into a celebration. No stats from Palos Verdes exactly jump out at you, but the fact that the Sea Kings were once 4-5 at the start of November suggests they have momentum. But the Rhinos have proven they can win by margins large or small, and they finish their “Hollywood story,” 35-24.
CoachT: The Sea Kings are on a six-game burner but that pales in comparison to Twelve Bridges’ unblemished record. Still, throw out the impressive records in this one. Palos Verdes sophomore QB Ryan Rakowski plays well beyond his years, having thrown for 18 TDs and rushing for 10. The Raging Rhinos have the ultimate rager in Ward, who gets stronger as the game wears on. Coach Chris Bean will have 12B ready to complete an unimaginable, unprecedented run to this point. The Rhinos rage for 48 minutes and then rejoice for a lifetime, defeating Palos Verdes, 31-30.
Vanden (12-2) vs. Rio Hondo Prep (13-1)
When: Saturday, 7 p.m.
Where: Long Beach City College
TV/Stream: NFHS Network
JoeD: The Vikings of Fairfield seek their second CIF state crown since their magical 13-2 season of 2021. QB Kalani McLeod has been superb in the playoffs. He has 4,090 yards this season and 37 TDs, giving him 7,358 career yards and 66 career TDs. Logan Bailey has nine TD catches and Chris Clark 11. The Kares of Arcadia of Los Angeles County are a bounce or two away from being 14-0, losing a crusher 28-21 to Torrance on Sept. 27. While Rio Hondo has to deal with a hot QB, Vanden has to deal with a rushing attack that has produced 4,591 yards and 64 TDs, averaging nearly 330 a game. Vanden muscles it out, 21-20.
MatthewB: In championship games, you need your best players to play their best. Vanden’s McLeod has thrown for 946 yards and 10 touchdowns while just throwing nine incompletions between the section and NorCal championships. You read those numbers right. Rio Hondo better hope its run game can keep the Vikings offense off the field. The Vikings win a wild one, 36-34.
NickP: With the way McLeod has been slinging the ball over these past couple weeks, the Vanden QB has a chance to become the state’s leader in passing yards. These two teams are polar opposites in their style of offense (McLeod’s 250 completions are more than double the Kares’ pass attempts as a whole). Rio Hondo will lean on Noah Penunuri and his 1,733 rushing yards and 26 TDs, but the Vikings are clicking at the right time. Vanden, 30-26.
CoachT: “Magic Man” McLeod has been spectacular in leading the Vikings to the finals. The Kares only care about playing smashmouth football and will pound mercilessly for 48 minutes. McLeod is magical once again when it matters the most. Vanden wins a shootout, 45-42.
De La Salle (12-0) vs. Mater Dei (12-0)
When: Saturday, 8 p.m.
Where: Saddleback College, Mission Viejo
TV/Stream: Spectrum SportsNet, NFHS Network
JoeD: If this is the elite game, the biggie, the grand finale, why has it been such a dud over the years? The Southern Section is just too good, too great, and here comes Mater Dei again with a roster heavy on incoming transfers. The game has become so lopsided that there is discussion of a move to having the elite game be played between the top two teams in the state, not the best in the North and the best in the South. This would, in recent years, mean a Mater Dei-Bosco of Bellflower matchup. As great as De La Salle has been, there is still a gap between the best in the North and the best in the South at this classification because Mater Dei and Bosco have been nationally ranked in the Top 5 for years. MD takes it, 35-21.
MatthewB: It is difficult to find two more well-recognized programs in the state. After seeing Serra of San Mateo fall short the last few years in the Open game, De La Salle gets its shot at the best the South has to offer. Mater Dei is simply too much, 42-14.
NickP: De La Salle still has the most state championships in California with seven, but the Monarchs have slowly but surely shrunk that gap over the past several years. There’s shortage of future Power 5 guys — and likely some NFL guys — in the weekend’s main event. The Monarchs are 6-0 this year against teams ranked in the Top 15 nationally. Mater Dei wins, 42-30.
CoachT: De La Salle is football royalty and rightfully so. Mater Dei is a straight-up monster. The question everyone is asking is can the storied Spartans hang in there with the mighty Monarchs? I think not. DLS will battle with everything it has but MD rolls, 45-21.
Season totals
Scott Tedmon: 70-22
Matthew Bessette: 69-23
Nick Pecoraro: 68-64
Joe Davidson: 61-31