CCS football rematches take on added signifcance this weekend

When No. 1 Riordan faces off against No. 2 Serra in the CCS Open Division final at 7 p.m. Friday at San Jose City College, it is a rematch of the de facto West Catholic Athletic League championship game just two weeks ago.

Riordan (11-0) beat Serra (7-4) 42-35 in a game in which both teams entered undefeated in WCAL play. The Padres held a 14-7 lead at halftime, but the Crusaders took control with a 21-point third quarter to lead 28-21 going into the fourth.

Serra will have to do a better defensive job to contain Riordan, which wracked up more than 500 yards of offense two weeks ago, including a season-high 304 yards on the ground.

The Crusaders had a pair of 100-yard rushers, including Adonyae Brown who rushed for 193 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. Quarterback Mike Mitchell finished right on the 100-yard mark rushing and added 222 yards passing and three more scores.

All things considered, the Serra offense did not have a bad night, with freshman quarterback William Orr throwing for 182 yards and a score, while running back Izzy Singleton scored three times and was part of a 150-yard rushing effort from the Padres.

Last week in the Open Division semifinal, Riordan struggled running the ball, being held to just 58 yards by eighth-seeded Salinas. But Mitchell put the bulk of the offense on his shoulders, completing 18 of 28 passes for a season-high 385 yards and four touchdowns as the Crusaders rolled to a 42-9 win.

Serra had a first-round rematch with No. 7 Mitty and the Monarchs were just as stubborn as the first time the teams met Oct. 24. The Padres dealt Mity a 28-13 loss then and added a 29-13 decision last week. The Padres rushed for a season-high 291 yards last week, with Singleton and Andrew Takapautolo both going over the 100-yard mark rushing.

The winner of Riordan-Serra is the Open Division champion, but the season is not over the for the loser. That team will move into the Division I championship game Nov. 28 or 29 and face the winner of No. 3 Los Gatos and No. 4 Palma, which meet in Los Gatos Friday night.

Meanwhile in Atherton, rivals face off with a trip to the CCS Division III final on the line when No. 7 Sacred Heart Prep makes the short trip to No. 3 Menlo-Atherton for a 7 p.m. kickoff Friday night.

M-A beat SHP 24-17 Oct. 17 and the game stats were as even as the final score indicated. The Bears managed 291 yards of offense, SHP had 295.

M-A has leaned on its defense in the second half of the season, winning three of its last four regular season games, giving up an average of 12.6 points in those three wins. The Bears continued its stingy play in a gritty 21-17 win over No. x Stevenson last week, rallying from a 17-14 deficit in the fourth quarter.

SHP also needed a fourth-quarter comeback in a wild 49-48 win over No. 2 Carmel.

Tied at 27-all at halftime, Carmel, three times took a one-touchdown lead, and each time, SHP responded. Including the game-winning, 34-yard, Nick Pollioni-to-Alex Ford score with a minute to play. The two hooked up for the 2-point conversion to give the Gators a 49-48 lead.

A Gators interception on the Padres’ ensuing possession iced the game.