|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Last week we had a series of football games between teams in the loaded Mountain and Valley divisions of the East Bay Athletic League.
It was made evident why teams are in the Mountain and why teams are in the Valley.
In the four games this past Friday, the Mountain teams outscored the Valley teams 167-38. Two weeks back, add in the 35-10 win by California over Granada, and a 41-14 Monte Vista win over Granada in week one and that gives the Mountain a 243-62 edge.
This is why the divisions in the EBAL make perfect sense. This year, maybe more so than any other year since the two divisions were created, is as well-balanced as I have seen within their respective divisions.
The Mountain is every bit as loaded as it should be. San Ramon Valley (6-0), California (6-0), Monte Vista (5-1) and Amador Valley (3-3), all have been as advertised on the offensive side of the ball.
All four of the teams that played Valley teams scored at least 35 points last week, with three of them scoring at least 40 points. On paper it looks like Amador Valley is looking up at the rest of the league, but the Dons are right there with everyone else.
This week starts Mountain play, one thing is for sure — every week will have a monster game. This week is the lone division game as San Ramon Valley will travel to California for a pair of 6-0 teams. And both teams are getting it done on offense and defense.
Through the first six games, SRV is winning with an average final score of 35-8. The Wolves have played perhaps the toughest schedule thus far, with four of the five games blowouts.
The lone close game this year was a 14-7 win over Soquel. Soquel also fell 14-7 to Los Gatos, opening the season 0-2 but have run off wins over Valley Christian-San Jose (27-10), Scotts Valley (63-3) and Palma (32-14).
As for the Wolves they dismantled Clayton Valley (31-15), McClymonds (51-14), Hayward (41-0) and Granada (36-6).
California has been scoring every game, but the Grizzlies started a step slow on defense, giving up 34 to Patterson in the opener and 21 to Monterey Trail in week three.
The defense seems to have found their stride the last three weeks and have yielded only 24 points total in their last two games.
When they have the ball, look out as the Grizzlies average 39.6 points a game. Three times this year they have crossed the 40-point mark.
Monte Vista has a bye this week and has a lone loss to 4-1 Bishop O’Dowd. O’Dowd’s lone loss was a 56-0 blow out to Cardinal Newman.
The loss doesn’t look as bad since Cardinal Newman is 5-0 and is averaging 47.6 points a game, scoring 50 or more three times.
Amador also had a loaded non-league schedule, but behind quarterback Tristan Ti’a, the Dons have won two straight and had their way with Foothill’s starting defense this past Friday.
Now the Dons get a 2-3 Campolindo team. The two have one common opponent — El Cerrito. The Dons fell 38-16 to El Cerrito on opening week, with Campo losing 49-0.
In Valley play this week there are a pair of EBAL games as Foothill will host Dublin, and Dougherty Valley travels to Livermore.
The most intriguing game should be the Foothill-Dublin contest. The Falcons are the top of the Playbook Power Rankings for the Valley, but they have been touched for 52 and 48 points in the last two games — both losses.
They have been resilient throughout the season, coming from behind twice to win games. Last week Foothill was just overmatched against Amador and now getting back into Valley play it will be a much better fit.
Dublin has struggled early, which is something expected when they have a first year coach. Two weeks back they got the first win for first year coach Napoleon Kaufman when the Gaels blanked Freedom 16-0.
Last week against Monte Vista, Dublin was just outmatched much the same as Foothill was against Amador.
In the other game this week, Dougherty Valley will travel to Livermore to face a Cowboys team anxious to get into Valley play.
Livermore has lost two in a row, but they have been able to score this year, putting 42 points total on the board in the two losses. Before that the Cowboys scored 35 or more points in three consecutive wins.
Dougherty Valley has been up and down this year. The Wildcats started with two losses, followed by two wins, then once again suffering a pair of losses.
Livermore has their sights on a Valley title, and the Cowboys will have to hold fort here to keep their goal alive.
Granada has a bye this week before opening Valley play at Dublin on Oct. 18.
Even though we are over halfway through the overall season, buckle up and get ready for some exciting football as we determine where the EBAL titles will fall.
Editor’s note: Dennis Miller is a contributing sports writer for the Pleasanton Weekly. This column originally appeared in Tri-Valley Preps Playbook, a weekly sports e-newsletter published by Embarcadero Media Foundation.
