NorCal Boys, Girls Division I brackets up for grabs
The Section playoffs in California have concluded, with March (and the last day of February) featuring the best of the best. The California Interscholastic Federation has released five divisions of brackets for both Northern California and Southern California, with play…
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Continue ReadingThe Section playoffs in California have concluded, with March (and the last day of February) featuring the best of the best. The California Interscholastic Federation has released five divisions of brackets for both Northern California and Southern California, with play set to begin Tuesday.
For these purposes, the focus will be on the Division I NorCal brackets for both the boys and girls. At this point, every team left is an excellent team and there are no easy wins. Here is a look at the matchups from both brackets.
BOYS
No. 1 Davis v. No. 8 Clayton Valley
Davis: 22-0-2, SJS Division I champion, Delta League champion
The Blue Devils beat Whitney 4-0 in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I finals, playing an excellent game. They know that things broke right for them in the section final.
“Winning a championship takes a lot of variables,” Davis coach Alex Park said. “Everything did seem to go our way. We peaked at the right time as we had players come back from injury and illness.”
Davis is peaking and they are focused and motivated to continue this season, and claim a State title.
“We need to continue to focus on fundamentals,” Park said. “We can’t underestimate any team moving forward. Our teams plays better when we play better competition and our guys are hungry.”
Clayton Valley: 19-1-3, NCS Division I semifinalist, Diablo Athletic League Foothill runners up
Clayton Valley seemed destined to finally capture that elusive North Coast Section crown, but it didn’t break right after a loss to Vintage in the semifinals. It also didn’t break right as injuries and other things will lead to several starters being out as they face a team that scored 67 goals this season.
“We are going to have to hunker down and play defense,” Clayton Valley coach Guillermo Jara said. “We still have some good players, we have enough quality to win the match. The talent is there.”
With the Eagles going in to play the top seed, being down several key players, they are going into it with the approach that they are playing with house money.
“We are going into it with a nothing to lose mentality,” Jara said. “There is no pressure on us at this point. We will have a sound strategy, we will look to execute it and we will continue to battle until the end.”
No. 2 Clovis North v. No. 7 Vintage
Clovis North: 24-0-1, CS Division I champion, Tri-Rivers League champion
The Broncos, to put it simply, have had an amazing season. They have scored 75 goals, allowing only 12 and have drawn just once, and that was against SJS power Jesuit, which was the DII runners up..
To finish off this season, Clovis North will have to go through teams as good as Jesuit.
“At this point of the season, you are playing teams that are super technical and organized,” Clovis North coach Cameron Shahroki said. “Any team we will play will be extremely good and Vintage looks like exactly that. They are super talented. We need to be very organized.”
After an incredible run of 25 matches, and winning the Central Section Division I title, could the Broncos get a little complacent, or wary?
“Right now we need to work on refocusing the group and taking on this week with the same kind of hunger,” Shahroki said.
Vintage: 16-3-6, NCS Division I runners up, Vine Valley Athletic League champions
After a run of three draws in mid-January, the Crushers won 11 out of 12 matches and reached the NCS DI final, upsetting top-seeded Clayton Valley along the way, dropping a tough 1-0 match to Monte Vista in the final in overtime.
And since mid-January, Vintage has found its best self.
“The team has been very consistent. We’ve been consistent in our style of play and consistent in our preparation and approach with each game,” Vintage coach Javier Covarrubias said. “We have a very senior heavy and experienced tam which helps in terms of consistency.”
Covarrubias pointed out that a lot of these players were part of the team that won the NorCal State title in Division IV last year so they understand what it takes to advance in Section and State playoffs and have experience playing top teams.
“In terms of our game versus Clovis, we need to continue to play our style of soccer,” Covarrubias said. “We know Clovis is a great team and a great program, along with all the other teams in the DI bracket. It’s a privilege and an honor to get into NorCal’s and not only that, but to be in the DI bracket. In order to have a chance to advance, we know we’re going to need to be at the top of our game. We need to continue to play our style of game.”
No. 3 Mountain View v. No. 6 Whitney
Mountain View: 15-2-5, CCS Open Division champions, Santa Clara Valley Athletic League runners up
The Spartans are playing with house money. Having never qualified for the NorCal State playoffs before, the focus was always on winning the Central Coast Section, so playing for a State title wasn’t really talked about. However, it’s time to refocus and get into that mindset.
“I think with all the tough games in the last week and all the emotional drama expended, it’s going to be tough,” Mountain View coach Jim McGuirk said. “I know Whitney is a great team and we will need to be prepared.”
Mountain View did not allow any goals during its CCS title run, so the defense will obviously be key against Whitney.
“If we can keep our opponents from scoring more than a goal or so, we always have a chance. Just to be in the top eight of NorCal is a great accomplishment, and the competition looks great.”
Whitney: 14-2-5, SJS Division I runners up, Sierra Foothill League champions
Welcome in the defending Northern California champions. The Wildcats won this bracket last year and are the only team to return to it this year. They had another excellent season, reaching the SJS DI final, and before that their only loss was to Cathedral, an excellent team from Los Angeles.
The Section final, well , that didn’t go as planned, losing 4-0 to Davis in what was a very rare off night in this two-year run of excellence.
“We need to be a lot more composed defensively,” Whitney coach Joel Williams said. “We need to be a lot more organized, stay compact and communicate. On the attacking side we need to remember where are strengths are and do what we do well.”
Whitney sees the importance of two things, which are executing a game plan and scoring the first goal against a very good and disciplined Mountain View defense.
“We will have to switch play, draw numbers to one side and then attack on the weakside, using our pace on the outside,” Williams said. “I think it matches up for us well, as long as we score the first goal. With these teams there aren’t many weaknesses, and going on the road will be hard, so we need to play really well.”
No. 4 Monte Vista v. No. 5 Alisal
Monte Vista: 20-1-5, NCS Division I champions, East Bay Athletic League Mountain champions
Monte Vista is a very athletic team, that plays fast and plays a high press that can catch teams by surprise. The Mustangs know this system gets harder as the competition improves. They also know that switching it back on can be hard after achieving a lofty goal.
“Winning NCS was our goal and we accomplished that, so it will be interesting to see how the boys play in this next round,” Monte Vista coach Beau Fisher said. “Either they play loose and fun as we are now or they have a hard time ramping the energy back up.”
Alisal: 18-2-4, CCS Open Division runners up, Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan champions
The Trojans were playing perhaps the best soccer in the state and reached the CCS Open Division championship match, and were considered heavy favorites but things did not go their way against Mountain View. And a CCS title has always been so important to the Alisal players.
“In their mind it has been the biggest thing, but this is bigger,” Alisal coach Mark Cisneros said. “To win we need to be aggressive in our attacking third. We need to score. Our defense has been great (only 13 goals allowed and 15 clean sheets), but we need to finish.”
The Trojans play a possession style on a wide pitch at home, and the pitch at Monte Vista is a little smaller, so they will have to try and make a small field play bigger by possessing well and keeping their spacing.
GIRLS
No. 1 St. Francis-Mountain View v. No. 8 San Ramon Valley
St. Francis-Mountain View: 22-1-0, CCS Open Division champions, West Catholic Athletic League champions
The Lancers have had a phenomenal season. They lost one time, to league rival St. Ignatius Collegiate Prep (in tournament play), but have had no slip ups since that December 17 match. That includes 16 straight wins and it includes accomplishing two of their goals, which were league and Open Division titles. Now, for the third goal.
“The girls have been focused on an Open Division and State championship for some time,” St. Francis coach Carlos Barboza said. “In order to win the State the keys will be staying healthy, keeping the girls as fresh as possible, staying positive and continuing to fight and battle for each other.”
The good news for the Lancers is that the road to the State title runs through Mountain View as they would play home games the whole way if they are able to win and move on.
San Ramon Valley: 21-3-1, NCS Division I runners up, East Bay Athletic League Mountain runners up
This is not your typical No. 8 seed. The Wolves, at one point, were 14-0-0 and ranked No. 2 in the State. They are a very talented team that does not allow many goals, allowing 16 on the season, including 13 clean sheets. Yet, here they are facing a very tough foe.
“One game at a time is pretty obvious here,” San Ramon Valley coach Mark Jones said. “It would be like a mini-championship to get past St. Francis here, but soccer is a great game and with a system and some luck, we could get past them. We are good enough, we have a lot of good players who play hard.”
The Wolves may have lost three times in their last 11 matches, but two of those came to league and NCS champion Carondelet. The second one in the NCS title match, where the Cougars scored four times in a seven-minute span.
No. 2 Carondelet v. No. 7 St. Francis-Sacramento
Carondelet: 19-2-1, NCS Division I champions, East Bay Athletic League Mountain champions
The Cougars lost two 1-0 games that they actually controlled. Outside of that, it was a dominant season, one that boasts a +69 goal differential and only seven goals allowed on the season. Carondelet will face some tough teams, and success would be to continue doing what they’ve done.
“We are going to play only great teams and we are not taking anyone lightly,” Carondelet coach Amy Apodaca said. “But if we stay the course, we will keep finding success. The most important thing for us is to stay true to ourselves and do what we do and do it the best we can.”
Carondelet is a team that seems to be peaking at the right time, unbeaten in 15 matches, and they are getting the best out of so many players who are playing confidently, calmly and composed. The Cougars are also a deep team that shares the load.
St. Francis-Sacramento: 18-1-4, SJS DI runners up, Delta League runners up
The Troubadors could be a scary team in this bracket because the longer that the team lasts, the better they will get. They are a bit banged up, to say the least. They have lost a total of four defenders in the last two matches, and are now pulling from their depth, which is now being tested. However, they still have a lot of quality.
“We are clearly capable, and we just need to be efficient,” St. Francis coach Maryclaire Robinson said. “We still have a good, quality group. We have clever players, we have pace, and we have ability on the ball. To be in this group of eight is a huge compliment to the quality we have across the board.”
No. 3 Del Oro v. No. 6 Mountain View
Mountain View: 14-4-3, CCS Open Division Semifinalists, Santa Clara Valley Athletic League champions
The Spartans have been here before, and recently. They earned the No. 4 seed last season after a CCS title, and reached the semifinals where they fell to Oak Ridge, and now they face a team from that very same league, the Sierra Foothill League, in Del Oro.
For the Spartans it has been a tremendous season after graduating so many key players from a CCS title team. This year, they are a different team, but one that has improved tremendously as the season has gone on. They did not repeat as CCS champs, losing a heartbreaker in penalties to Menlo-Atherton after not allowing a real scoring opportunity for 100 minutes.
“I think our lesson learned is (we have) a bad taste everyone on the team is looking to flush out on Tuesday,” Mountain View coach Jeff Panos said. “We have a lot of motivation as a result and we’re pleased to see the State Committee thinks of us as a DI team.”
Now that it is back in the DI bracket, Mountain View will try to make a charge towards the State title.
“NorCal’s is about finding some momentum in the first game,” Panos said. “Weathering fatigue from section playoffs, and trying to ride that momentum for a week. A dash of luck to stay injury free is also essential. There are no easy games, so opportunities to score will be few and far between.”