Peninsula Athletic League's Lake Division allows teams to compete, grow

“When the Lake first started to develop, you did not want the school name and ‘Lake’ in the same conversation,” said San Mateo head coach Jeff Scheller, who enters in 16th season with the Bearcats.

A closer look at the history of the division, however, suggests it is one of the most ruthless in the section. With only one automatic CCS playoff bid, there is extra motivation among the teams and, more often than not, the division comes down to one or two games. Regardless of what a team does in non-league play, the only thing that truly matters is playing their best when league play comes around.

There is also a heavy dose of excitement among many of the teams, especially as the squads develop and tendencies take shape. The Lake Division, for all its perceived drawbacks, functions perfectly as intended: a place where programs can retool and rebuild and where being competitive helps not only the team, but the community surrounding it.

“It’s a very competitive league,” Scheller said. “I don’t think you’re content (being in the Lake), but you have to say what’s best for your school and team.

“We’re in the right league now.”

And every now and then, thanks to the restructuring of the CCS division based on strength rather than school size, a Lake Division team can make some noise in the playoffs. In 2018, Lake champ Carlmont advanced to the CCS DIV title game. The Scots moved into the Ocean Division this fall after a 4-0 mark in the abbreviated spring season.

Replacing Carlmont is San Mateo which, after getting gutted by injuries, went winless during the spring season. But the Bearcats are only two seasons removed from a runner-up finish in the Ocean and a spot in the playoffs. If they can stay healthy, the Bearcats usually have the scheme and talent to be a difference maker in the division.

Sequoia, which was in the Bay Division as recently as 2015 after moving up from the Lake Division, embarks on its second season in the Lake, going 3-1 in the spring. But as recently as 2019, the Ravens were 5-5 while playing in the Ocean Division.

Woodside was a wreck a few seasons ago, going winless in 2016. While the Wildcats are still experiencing growing pains, they have certainly become more competitive. El Camino has a similar arc as the Wildcats. Four, five years ago, the Colts were near the bottom of the Lake Division standings, hitting its nadir with a winless 2017 season. Since then, El Camino has steadily moved up the Lake standings and has found itself in the middle of the pack the last couple of seasons.

The wild card this season is Mills. The Viking shuttered their varsity squad and played JV-only for the spring season as player participation dwindled from the start of summer conditioning until the start of the season in March. But the Vikings won the division title in 2019 and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

“Week to week, [the Lake Division] is a challenge,” Scheller said.

The teams

El Camino, Mills, San Mateo, Sequoia, Woodside

The favorite

Sequoia. The Ravens have come full circle. While they are one of only a handful of teams in PAL history to advance from the Lake Division to the Bay, they find themselves back in rebuilding mode. There were, however, encouraging signs in the spring, when Sequoia went 3-1 in division play.

The contender

San Mateo. The recipe is simple for the Bearcats. If they can stay healthy, they can be in the mix for a division crown. Lose their starting QB for the second year in a row and they’re done.

The dark horse

Mills. The Vikings didn’t field a varsity team during the spring season, so it will be interesting to see how a year off affects the team. But the Vikings claimed a co-championship in 2019.

Players to watch

El Camino

Joey Pierotti (sr., QB) — A starting cornerback this past spring, Pierotti will move under center to take over for the graduated Noel Valdez.

Elijah Vasquez (sr., RB/DB) — The Colts’ second-leading rusher in the spring, rushing for 84 yards on 19 carries in three games. He will move into the featured back role this fall.

Mills

Hunter Lawson (sr., OL/DL) — A starter two years ago, Lawson, along with another two-year player in Zach Talaei, helped pave the way for more than 1,500 yards rushing in 2019. Both he and Talaei sat out the spring season.

Alphonse Ortega (sr., RB) — Ortega will move be the Vikings’ featured running back this season. He got a taste of varsity action when he was called up for the 2019 CCS playoffs.

San Mateo

Giancarlo Selvitella (jr., QB/LB, 5-11, 170) — Selvitella took over the starting QB spot in Week 3 of the spring and has a firm grasp on the Bearcats’ triple-option offense.

Noah Rodriguez (sr., WR/CB, 5-7, 150) — Rodriguez saw plenty of action in the spring and, with a full offseason, head coach Jeff Scheller said he could be a key part of the offense this fall.

Sequoia

Jaymason Howard (sr., RB/DB, 5-10, 180) — Howard led the team in rushing last season with 219 yards on 42 carries, scoring three touchdowns. The more impressive number, however, was the 5.2 yards per carry. He was also one of the Ravens leading tacklers on defense.

Puamau Tuiaki (sr., OL/LB, 5-8) — A three-year varsity player, Tuiaki will anchor the offense line while also serving as a leader on defense.

Woodside

Ben Shepard (sr. QB, 6-0, 188) — Shepard split time under center in the spring, appearing in all five games, completing 20 of 37 passes for 199 yards and four TDs. He worked extremely hard over the summer, attending a number of quarterback camps including Stanford, San Jose State and Princeton.

Ben Giovannetti (sr., RB/LB, 6-0, 215) — Giovannetti showed he could do a little big of everything for the Wildcats. He accounted for three touchdowns in four games in the spring — the Wildcats’ leading returning scorer.