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WEEK 13 NOTES |
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12/5/2001 |
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By Staff |
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Monterey Bay Prep Report |
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The Central Coast Section consists of 11 leagues that participate in
football. These 11 CCS football leagues are comprised of 86 different high school
football teams, ranging in location from San Francisco in the north to King City
in the south. Only 4 of
the CCS's 86 football teams take home championship divisional trophies each year. In a
banner year for local high school football, 3 of those titles now reside in
Monterey County:
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Palma High School
2001 CCS D1 Football Champs |
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Salinas High School
2001 CCS D2 Football Champs |
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Pacific Grove High
School
2001 CCS D4 Football Champs |
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Here is a brief retrospect of some of the defining games that made this
season so special:
|
Date |
Game |
Recap |
| 9/7/01 |
Pacific Grove Vs.
Salinas |
In a meeting of eventual CCS
sectional champions, Salinas High made a 35-3 statement that the Cowboys
would be a force in the upcoming Monterey Bay League season. Salinas rushed
for 331 yards, physically pounding the Breakers on both sides of the ball.
PG suffered injuries to linebacker Trevor Howell and DB/RB Eric Consiglio.
Both would not return until the latter part of MTAL league play. |
| 9/15/01 |
Hollister Vs. Alvarez |
The much-anticipated league
opener for both highly-ranked teams saw Alvarez stun Hollister 32-19. Hollister, the defending D2 champs, had never lost to
Alvarez, and was riding a 14 game unbeaten streak (on the field). Both teams
combined for 31 penalties and 275 penalty yards in the emotionally charged
game. Alvarez took control of the game in the second quarter, scoring 19
points via a 2 yard Ricky Gebin touchdown run, a Daniel Torres 42 yard field
goal, a Hollister safety, and a 14 yard touchdown pass. The Alvarez victory
signaled that perhaps a changing of the guard was in order in the MBL, and
that the Eagles were a legitimate threat to take the MBL title. |
| 9/21/01 |
Palma Vs. Salinas |
Salinas High's "PIT"
was filled to capacity for this early season showdown between rival
neighbors and eventual sectional champions. With the terrorist attacks of
9/11 still fresh on everyone's mind, Palma's Nick Noroian led the Chieftains
into the "PIT" carrying the American flag, Olympic style. Cowboy
running back Andy Palacio struck first for the Cowboys with a 5 yard run
midway through the first quarter. Palma turned to its ground game to
keep the dangerous Cowboy offense off of the field. Palma rushed the
ball 55 times in the game. A key turnover late in the second quarter
resulted in a Luis Amaral keeper and a 13-6 Palma lead going into halftime.
Each team traded touchdowns in the hard-hitting second half, with Chieftain
tight end Patrick Martin hauling in a 4 yard Amaral touchdown pass with 4:30
remaining in the game to put Palma up by 7. Palma was then able to hold Salinas
on downs. The Salinas defense returned the favor, and on 4th and 2
with under a minute remaining near midfield, Palma lined up for a
punt. Amaral took the punt snap and sprinted for the sidelines and a
game ending first down, denying the Cowboy's one last shot at tying and/or
taking the lead. |
| 9/21/01 |
Monterey Vs. Alisal |
Alisal entered the season
having lost 31 consecutive games, the state's longest current losing streak.
The Trojans trained hard in the off season and attended a team defense camp
in an attempt to break the infamous losing streak. The previous season
Monterey had hung an ugly 41-0 loss on the Trojans. Forcing 7 turnovers, the
Alisal defense posted a 7-0 shutout over Monterey and a first MBL
victory since re-entering the league three years ago. |
| 9/28/01 |
Carmel Vs. Soledad |
The 2000 campaign saw Carmel go
0-10. Soledad entered the 2001 season as a co-favorite to take the MTAL title.
The Padres picked up two preseason wins against struggling SCCAL opponents.
The league opener against Soledad would be a true test of the Padre's mettle.
Carmel passed their test with a huge 20-13 victory over the favored Aztecs.
Padre running back Toby McCleod compiled his first 100 yard rushing effort
of the season (one of 6 on the year) to go along with 2 touchdowns, and
eventual MTAL Defensive Player of the Year Tim Covington returned a fumble
20 yards for a touchdown to put Carmel up for good. |
| 10/5/01 |
Gilroy Vs. Hollister |
The glistening Prune Bowl
trophy was prominently placed on the Hollister sidelines as a reminder to
the upstart Gilroy Mustangs as to who reigned supreme in this MBL rivalry. A
capacity crowd filled both sides of the stadium with an enthusiastic buzz of
anticipation. Both teams came into the game with something to prove.
Hollister seemed to have put an embarrassing loss to Alvarez behind them
with a blowout win over Monterey, and wanted to show that they were still
the team to beat in the MBL. Just last season Gilroy had rolled up a 5-0
record before facing the elite teams in the MBL, losing 3 of their last 5
games to Palma, Alvarez and Hollister and stumbling into the playoffs. Again
this season Gilroy had marched undefeated through its first four games
against teams with a combined 2-14 record - a win over Hollister would
legitimize the Mustangs as a true contender for the MBL title. Gilroy did
just that with a 37-21 romp over the Balers in a game dominated by the
Mustangs on all fronts. Gilroy running back J.L. Mangono was unstoppable,
breaking tackle after tackle and shredding a usually fierce Hollister run
defense for 201 yards rushing and 3 TD's. The Gilroy defense completely shut
down 2000 league MVP Nick Buzzetta, limiting him to 6 yards rushing and 13
yards passing, including two interceptions that led to Gilroy touchdowns.
The game was not as close as the score indicated, with Gilroy holding a 37-7
lead with 9:49 remaining in the game. Two late Hollister touchdowns made the
final result respectable. |
| 10/12/01 |
Palma vs. Gilroy |
A jam-packed partisan crowd at
Gilroy High hoped to witness the end of a 17 year Palma era, and the
beginning of a new Gilroy championship era. Both Gilroy and Palma came into
the game sporting 5-0 records, but Gilroy, having just dismantled
powerhouse Hollister the previous week, looked unbeatable. The Mustangs were
averaging 40 points a game, and averaging a 28 point margin of victory.
Palma, on the other hand, looked mortal, winning close defensive battles in
their first 4 league victories. But Palma, no stranger to big games, would
again rise to the occasion for a 27-7 victory. The Chieftains dominated both
sides of the line of scrimmage, limiting previously unstoppable Gilroy
running back J.L. Mangono to 28 yards rushing. Palma's dominating ground
game racked up 287 yards, led by Nick Noroian's 136 yards/TD and Jon
Martinez's 82 yards/TD. Palma intercepted 5 passes on the night. The loss
put Gilroy in a tailspin that resulted in a 2-4 record the remainder of the
season. |
| 10/13/01 |
Salinas vs. Alvarez |
With Palma now 5-0 in league,
this became a "must win" game for Salinas. With games vs. Gilroy
and Palma looming on the horizon, a loss would force Alvarez into a
"must-win" mode as well. The resulting 17-17 tie turned out to be
devastating for both team's MBL championship aspirations. Salinas High fell
two games back in the win column to Palma, virtually eliminating the Cowboys
from the MBL title race. With Palma losing to Hollister to end the regular
season, the tie would end up being the difference between second place
and an MBL co-championship for Alvarez. |
| 10/13/01 |
Alvarez Vs. Gilroy |
With just 1:20 remaining in the
game, Gilroy held the ball and a 14-10 lead. Unable to get a key first down
to keep the clock running, the Mustangs were forced to punt. With little
time remaining in the game, just getting the off a clean punt would likely
have sealed a Gilroy victory. Alvarez's Jonathan Trafton broke through
the Mustang line to block, recover and return the football for a touchdown
and a 17-14 Eagle lead. 24 points were scored in the last 2:40 of the game.
On the Mustang's next offensive play, Galen Perry intercepted and returned
an errant pass 30 yards for a 24-14 Alvarez lead. With 0:28 seconds
remaining, Gilroy's Isaac Gonzales took a swing pass 72 yards to make the
score 24-21. Alvarez recovered the ensuing Gilroy onside kick and ran out
the clock. The win set up a showdown the following week between Alvarez
(5-0-1) and Palma (6-0) for first place in the MBL. |
| 11/9/01 |
Carmel Vs. Pacific Grove |
For the first time since the
late 1970's, the annual regular season ending "Shoe" rivalry game
was being played with the MTAL title on the line. At 6-0, Pacific Grove had
already assured itself of a co-championship. At 5-1, Carmel needed a win to
force a co-championship with the Breakers. With the score knotted 7-7 midway
through the 4th quarter, Pacific Grove kicker Brooke Emanuel booted a 48
yard field goal to give the Breakers a 10-7 lead and their first undisputed
MTAL football title since 1977. Pacific Grove did not score an offensive
touchdown in the game - but a heads-up play by Breaker return man Phil Shin
led to six points. Trailing 7-0 with 2:45 remaining in the 1st half, Shin
picked up a Carmel punt that had rolled to a stop but had not yet been
whistled dead, and raced for a 52 yard score. |
| 11/9/01 |
Palma Vs. Hollister |
Going back 5 years, Palma's
overall record ( including playoffs) is 58-5-1. Four of those losses have
now been inflicted by the Hollister Haybalers. A capacity homecoming crowd
at Hollister High was treated to another classic Baler/Chieftain hard
hitting, run oriented defensive battle that has come to typify MBL football.
The Hollister defense limited Palma to a season-low 171 yards of total
offense. Each team mounted one quality scoring drive in the first half -
Hollister's resulted in a Marc Montalvo field goal, Palma's resulted in a
Luis Amaral 1 yard touchdown run. Palma went into halftime with a 7-3
lead. Palma fumbled the ball on the second half opening kickoff, giving
Hollister the ball on the Palma 25 yard line. Four plays later, Trenton
Young ran 10 yards for a score and a Baler 10-7 lead. There would be no
further scoring in the game. Palma mounted one final drive late in the 4th
quarter, but an apparent game-winning touchdown pass was called back on a
holding penalty. |
| 11/16/01 |
Milpitas Vs. Palma |
Trailing 22-12 to Milpitas in
the opening round of the CCS D1 playoffs with just over 4 minutes remaining
in the game, Palma's season was all but over. Palma wideout Chris Stauffer
hauled in a 25 yard halfback pass from Nick Noroian to pull the Chieftains
within 3 points with 3:56 remaining. Palma held Milpitas to 3 and out, the
key play being a Noroian tackle for a loss on a third and short. After
a Milpitas punt, Palma quarterback Luis Amaral hit Stauffer on a quick out,
and the elusive wideout broke a tackle and raced 39 yards for the go-ahead
score with 2:14 remaining. A time consuming drive saw Milpitas at the Palma
38 yard line with less than a minute remaining. Faced with a 4th and 1,
Milpitas attempted a quarterback keeper that was stuffed for no gain,
resulting in a miraculous come-from-behind victory for Palma. |
| 11/16/01 |
Pacific
Grove Vs. Burlingame |
Trailing 7-3 against #8
seed Burlingame with less than four minutes to play, Pacific Grove's Phil
Shin pulled yet another rabbit out of his hat. Shin fielded a punt at the
Burlingame 41 yard line, broke two tackles and sprinted for the endzone and
a 9-7 Breaker lead. The extra point was then missed. With 3:36 remaining in
the game, Burlingame proceeded to drive down to the Pacific Grove 30 yard
line. The Pacific Grove defense stiffened, forcing Burlingame to attempted a
potential game winning 37 yard field goal with 1:16 remaining in the game.
The kick sailed wide left, handing the Breakers their first CCS playoff
victory since 1974. |
| 12/01/01 |
Salinas Vs. Hollister |
Hollister had claimed a
hard-fought 20-14 victory over Salinas in week 7. In a testament to the strength
of the MBL, the two league heavyweights met again on
a rain-soaked Gilroy High field to determine the D2 title. Both teams
sloshed through a scoreless first half. RaChard Williams burst for a 70 yard
Cowboy score to give the Salinas a 7-0 lead midway through the 3rd quarter.
Still trailing 7-0 late in the 4th quarter, the defending champion Balers
forced a turnover and put together a 40 yard scoring drive that resulted in
a Steve Salcedo 4 yard touchdown reception with 1:49 remaining in the game.
Faced with little time remaining and poor field conditions, the Balers
decided to go for 2 points and the outright victory. Dropping back to pass,
Hollister quarterback Nick Buzzetta came under immediate pressure from
Salinas' Casey Neligh, forcing Buzzetta to throw incomplete on the two-point
attempt. Salinas recovered the resultant onside kick, but a series of
penalties and Hollister defensive stops resulted in Salinas punting out of their own
endzone on an extremely muddy field. A bad snap would have given the
Balers a safety and the victory, but under a heavy punt block rush , Cowboys
punter Larry Arre got the kick off, cementing a second Salinas D2 title. |
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Week 13 Notes and
Key Stats |
- Five of the last eight CCS
football titles have now been claimed by the MBL/MTAL. Throw
in fellow CCS Southern Conference member San Lorenzo Valley
from the Santa Cruz Athletic League, and six of the last
eight CCS football titles belong to Monterey Bay area teams.
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The MBL has
now claimed both the Division 1 and Division 2 titles for
two consecutive years. That is half of all the CCS football
titles claimed by one league over a two year span. Only two
leagues besides the MBL have ever claimed the top two CCS
titles in a single season. Oak Grove and Leland from the
Mount Hamilton Athletic League combined for the D1/D2 titles
in 1999. Bellarmine and Serra from the West Catholic
Athletic League combined for the 4A/3A title back in 1990.
The MBL is now the only league to take the top two titles
twice, and the only league to ever do it in back to back
seasons.
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- The MBL posted an
impressive 9-3 record in the 2001 postseason. Only one of
those losses came at the hands of a non-MBL team (Gilroy
lost 27-26 to #1 seed Aragon).
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- The MTAL posted an
impressive 3-1 record in the 2001 postseason. That is quite
a breakthrough year considering that since Palma
departed for the MBL back in 1998, the
MTAL had gone just 1-7 in the CCS playoffs.
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Week 13 By
The Numbers |
| 368 |
Number of
points scored by Gilroy this season (led area). |
| 215 |
Number of
rushing attempts made this season by Carmel workhorse Toby McCleod
(led area). |
| 120 |
Number of
points allowed by Palma this season (led area). |
| 39 |
Number of
turnovers forced by Palma defense this season (led area). |
| 8 |
Number of
turnovers committed by the Hollister offense this season (led
area). |
| 6 |
Number of
interceptions snared by the Palma defense in a 26-7 romp over
Mitty. Palma led all area schools with 24 picks on the season. |
| 5 |
Number of
local 1000 yard rushers this season. RaChard Williams, Toby
McCleod , Trenton Young, Galen Perry and Erik Salto all cracked
the impressive barrier. Close behind were Andy Palacio (964) and
Nick Noroian (923). |
| 3 |
Number of
interceptions posted by the Pacific Grove defense in a 17-0
victory over Pioneer for the CCS D4 title. |
| 1 |
Number
of penalties committed by Pacific Grove in a 17-0 victory over
Pioneer for the CCS D4 title. |
| 0 |
Number
of pass attempts made by Salinas in a 7-6 triumph over
Hollister in the CCS D2 championship game. |
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Week 13 Stat
Standouts |
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Rushing Standouts
(100+ yards) |
| Rachard
Williams |
Salinas |
| 18 carries |
147 yards, 1 TD |
| Nick
Noroian |
Palma |
| 17 Carries |
139 yards, 1 TD |
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Defensive Standouts |
| Luis
Amaral |
Palma |
| 2 Interceptions |
| Shane
Haag |
Palma |
| 2 Interceptions |
| Patrick
Martin |
Palma |
| Interception |
| Nick
Noroian |
Palma |
| Interception,
Sack |
| Nick
Trebino |
Palma |
| 3
Sacks |
| Jon
Grant |
Pacific
Grove |
| Interception |
| Andrew
Engles |
Pacific
Grove |
| Interception |
| Eric
Consiglio |
Pacific
Grove |
| Interception |
| Nick
Canning |
Pacific
Grove |
| Fumble
Recovery |
| Derek
Strong |
Hollister |
| Fumble
Recovery |
| Alan
Renz |
Hollister |
| Fumble
Recovery |
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Passing Standouts |
| Jon
Grant |
Pacific
Grove |
| 10 for
17 |
142 yards, 2 TD's,
1 INT |
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Receiving Standouts |
| Andrew
Engles |
Pacific
Grove |
| 4 Catches |
104 yards,
1 TD |
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Field Goals |
| Brooke
Emanuel |
Pacific
Grove |
| 26 yards |
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