Bay Area high school football roundup 2024: Best of Week 9 action

Welcome back to the Bay Area News Group’s high school football roundup.

Here, you’ll find all the details from the weekend’s action in this news organization’s coverage area, which encompasses teams that play in leagues based primarily in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

Check back every Saturday during the season for scores, highlights and top performers, updated throughout the day.

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On to the roundup …

Ranked teams

No. 1 De La Salle 42, No. 20 Monte Vista 7

De La Salle built a 28-point halftime cushion, widened the margin to 35-0 in the third quarter and cruised at home over Monte Vista on Homecoming night. Quarterback Toa Faavae ran for two touchdowns and passed for one to lead the Spartans, who improved to 8-0. Monte Vista fell to 5-3. For more on this game, go here.

No. 2 Pittsburg 47, No. 14 Liberty 15

For a moment, Liberty looked as if it would give Pittsburg a real scare. But that didn’t last long as the Pirates ran away with this one en route to their 27th straight Bay Valley Athletic League win. Liberty went up nine in the second quarter, but Pittsburg responded by scoring 41 consecutive points by the end of the third quarter to seal the win. Quarterback Marley Alcantara completed 20 of 26 passes for 248 yards and four touchdowns. Jamar Searcy rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. Freshman Kenny Ward returned to action after missing last week’s game and caught four passes for 87 yards and two scores. Junior RJ Mosley hauled in seven passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. Next Friday, Liberty (5-3, 2-1) will host Freedom and Pittsburg (7-1, 3-0) travels to Deer Valley in its next game. – Nathan Canilao

No. 3 St. Francis 49, Sacred Heart Cathedral 24

St. Francis brought some serious scoring to the table in this West Catholic Athletic League matchup as the Lancers moved into sole possession of first place in the WCAL. Kingston Keanaaina had another game for the ages for St. Francis (7-1, 5-0), scoring three all-purpose touchdowns: a 76-yard run, a 68-yard run and an 81-yard kickoff return. He added a 51-yard punt return for good measure. Loa Tuiileila scored for the Lancers on a 26-yard rushing TD. Perrion Williams caught a 60-yard TD from Aaron Knapp. Grant Righellis added a receiving score from Knapp. Motu Keanaaina ran in a late 32-yard TD. For SHC (3-5, 1-4), Michael Sargent completed 21 of 34 passes for 401 yards and four scores. Zion Secrease snagged seven passes for 172 yards and two TDs. O’Bryan Flanigan snatched three balls for 108 yards and a score. – Christian Babcock

No. 4 San Ramon Valley 29, No. 22 Amador Valley 28

Quarterback Rhett Thompson threw for a touchdown and two-point conversion with less than three minutes left in the fourth quarter that put San Ramon Valley ahead 29-22, then Henry Ellis intercepted a two-point conversion attempt by the visiting Dons in the final 20 seconds to preserve a one-point win. The Wolves (8-1, 2-0 EBAL Mountain) were trying to bounce back from a 42-14 thrashing by De La Salle last week, and immediately fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter on a pair of short TD runs. But San Ramon Valley tied it 14-14 at the half. Thompson threw the first of his three touchdown passes and Sammy Avalos scored the Wolves’ only running TD from 3 yards out. The Wolves went up 21-14 early in the fourth quarter on a 10-yard pass from Thompson to Owen Scott, but the Dons took the lead back at 22-21 on a 2-yard run and two-point conversion. Thompson then connected with Avalos from 7 yards out, and found Evan Economos for the 2-point pass that made it 29-22 SRV. But Amador Valley QB and Oregon State commit Tristan Ti’a threw a TD pass in the final minute that made it 29-28. The Dons elected to go for two, and Ellis picked off Ti’a’s pass. The loss puts Amador Valley’s record at 5-3, 0-1. – Mike Lefkow

No. 5 St. Ignatius 20, No. 7 Valley Christian 13

Second-half St. Ignatius made its celebrated return this week in San Francisco. Down 13-3 at the half, the Wildcats (6-2, 4-1 WCAL) relied on their patented comeback to score 17 unanswered and get a huge WCAL win. Odhran Kenny got the Cats on the board first with a 32-yard field goal. Valley Christian responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by Marcel Leggett. Rome Leota-Pritchard then found Lasavion Carr for a 51-yard TD catch. But that was the last time VC (5-3, 4-1 WCAL) would score. Kenny converted another field goal, this time from 36 yards out, to get SI within a score. Then Soren Hummel found Tyran Hicks for a 17-yard touchdown to tie the game. Jarious Hogan’s 4-yard rushing TD gave the Wildcats the lead with 4:18 to play, and SI sealed it with Hicks’ interception inside the SI 10 with less than a minute to play. – Christian Babcock

No. 6 Los Gatos 38, Menlo School 0

The Wildcats blanked Menlo at home ahead of a massive showdown with Wilcox in the Peninsula Athletic League’s Bay Division. Scotty Brennan completed 5 of 10 passes for 126 yards and a 4-yard TD toss to Max Thomas. Callum Schweitzer completed 2 of 5 throws for 73 yards and two scores, including his own 4-yard TD toss to Thomas. Beau Musser rushed for a 5-yard touchdown and caught a 69-yard TD pass from Schweitzer. Ethan Oppenheimer registered a safety for Los Gatos, Jake Gerber converted a 28-yard field goal, and Brayden Smith ran in a 15-yard TD to cap the scoring for the Wildcats. Los Gatos is 7-1 overall and 3-0 in the PAL Bay ahead of its pivotal tilt with Wilcox on Friday. Menlo fell to 5-3, 0-3. – Christian Babcock

No. 11 Wilcox 35, Sacred Heart Prep 7

Wilcox ran the ball and ran the clock in this PAL Bay matchup. The Chargers scored on their first play, went up 21-0 at halftime and never looked back. Christian Babcock was in Santa Clara and has all the details.

No. 12 Archbishop Riordan 42, Archbishop Mitty 13 

Cynai Thomas caught a pair of spectacular touchdowns from Vanderbilt commit Mike Mitchelll Jr. in Riordan’s WCAL victory over Archbishop Mitty at Foothill College. Adonyae Brown also ran for a score. Mitchell accounted for Riordan’s five other touchdowns. He threw one to Chris Lawson and another TD to DJ Sanchez The QB also ran for a score on a read-option keeper. Mitty’s Jonah Kroenung threw a 53-yard TD to Caden Kelly. Mitty fell to 3-5, 0-5. Riordan (4-4, 3-2) will play host to Serra next Saturday. – Joseph Dycus

No. 23 Santa Teresa 44, Leigh 34

Santa Teresa just keeps on winning games in the BVAL Mt. Hamilton Division. Brenton Gaches accounted for four touchdowns, rushing for two and tossing scores to AJ Rangel (40 yards) and Jamison Azzarello (37 yards). Brian Caldwell and Jaikob Wright added rushing TDs. Isaiah Rivera and Robert Estrada snatched interceptions for the Saints on the defensive side. Blake Zanger ran for 157 yards on 24 carries for Leigh, and Charlie Lyon completed 15 of 27 passes for 237 yards and four touchdowns. Michael Mogannam had four catches for 109 yards. Santa Teresa is 7-1 and nipping at Christopher’s heels with a 3-1 record in the Mt. Hamilton. Leigh is 4-4, 2-2. – Christian Babcock

East Bay

Alameda 30, Arroyo 0

Alameda snagged its best win of the season in dominating fashion, rolling on its home field past favored Arroyo. Kirk Humbles III was a standout on both sides of the ball for Alameda, rushing for a score and intercepting three passes – two of which went for touchdowns. The victory was significant for Alameda (5-2, 2-0), which is now in sole possession of first place in the WACC Shoreline Division. The Hornets play at San Lorenzo next Saturday. Arroyo dropped to 6-2, 2-1 and travels to American next Friday. – Nathan Canilao

Antioch 20, Deer Valley 14

Curtis Tucker rumbled for two touchdowns as Antioch got back to .500 with a BVAL victory over crosstown rival Deer Valley. Sophomore quarterback Jelani Carter connected with senior wideout Kha’mahri Jones for Antioch’s other touchdown. Next Friday, Antioch (4-4, 2-1) will play host to Heritage and Deer Valley (2-6, 0-3) will take on powerhouse Pittsburg. – Joseph Dycus

Concord 35, Ygnacio Valley  0

Juan Gonzalez tossed three touchdowns and ran for another as Concord routed visiting Ygnacio Valley. Jorge Leyva, Andrew Lopez and Chris Dunn each caught a scoring pass. Dunn also added a touchdown with his feet as Concord improved to 4-3, 1-1 and will finish out the regular season hosting Berean Christian on Friday. YV dropped to 4-4, 0-2 and hosts Mt. Diablo on Friday. – Nathan Canilao

Heritage 21, Freedom 7

Heritage bounced back after its shutout loss to Pittsburg last week, defeating Freedom. Mekhi Adanandus led the way, rushing for 109 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. Junior running back Ilias Muhammad ran for 32 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. Heritage (6-2, 2-1) will travel to Antioch next Friday. Freedom lost its eighth straight and will play Liberty on the road next Friday. – Nathan Canilao

Livermore 28, Dublin 23

Dublin made a fierce comeback in the second half, but it wasn’t enough as Livermore prevailed on the road. Livermore quarterback Matteo Lortie threw two touchdown passes and running back Kamarri Robinson had two rushing touchdowns. Jojo Haubrich threw two touchdown scores for Dublin. Livermore (5-3, 2-0) will play Foothill next Friday. Dublin (2-7, 1-2) will have a bye week before ending its season against Dougherty Valley on Nov. 8. – Nathan Canilao

St. Mary’s-Berkeley 27, Pinole Valley 26 (OT)

The Panthers followed up their overtime win over Vallejo with another overtime victory over Pinole Valley. Wyatt Swanson rushed for 128 yards and quarterback Sutton Ralls threw for 228 yards. Wide receiver Jayson Webb had 12 catches for 188 yards and touchdowns. Freshman kicker Demarco Cruz made the game-winning kick as St. Mary’s won its third consecutive league game. “These kids played their absolute hearts out,” said coach Casey Moreno. “They overcame many adverse situations.” St. Mary’s (6-2, 2-0) is scheduled to play at Salesian next Friday in a game that has TCAL Rock title implications. PV dropped to 4-4, 1-2 and is slated to play EL Cerrito next Friday.  – Nathan Canilao

South Bay/Peninsula

Burlingame 48, Aragon 3

Burlingame made a statement in its first game since dropping out of the Bay Area News Group Top 25 after a loss to King’s Academy on the road. Cole Hardtke and Ciaran Baker ran in 2-yard touchdowns, and Luke Levitt passed for three scores, two to Jake Flood and a 30-yarder to Lucas Kirk. Nick Armstrong added a 7-yard rushing TD, and Jadyn Vea returned a fumble 12 yards for a score. Isaiah Johnson ran in a 1-yard TD and two-point conversion for Aragon (1-7, 0-3 PAL De Anza). Burlingame improved to 6-2 overall and 3-1 in the De Anza Division. – Christian Babcock

Carlmont 48, Terra Nova 3

Christian Booth carried 11 times for 130 yards and three touchdowns for Carlmont. Johnny Dunne completed 8 of 11 passes for 145 and two touchdowns, one to Daniel Mattioli and one to Sean Chopoff. Mattioli (three carries, 81 yards) also scored a TD on the ground. Brian Sagon returned a fumble for another touchdown. Chopoff led the defensive effort with 12 tackles. Keoki Firenzi had 10. Joey Donati completed 11 of 24 passes for 167 yards for Terra Nova. Zachary Perez rushed for 67 yards on 15 carries. Carlmont (5-3, 2-1 PAL Ocean) plays at Half Moon Bay next Saturday. Terra Nova (2-6, 0-3) hosts Milpitas on Friday. — Glenn Reeves  

Gunderson 42, James Lick 0

Gunderson’s special season continued with a dominant shutout on the road. The Grizzlies are now 6-3 overall and 5-0 in the Blossom Valley Athletic League’s West Valley Division. Cylis Cook, Jason Stoner, Darren Yang and Andrew Fernandez scored rushing touchdowns for Gunderson, with Stoner doing so with two long runs (75 and 53 yards). Fernandez tossed a 4-yard pass to Miguel Acosta for the other TD. Lick’s Luis Delgado rushed for 145 yards, and Kevin Gutierrez added 55 yards on the ground for the Comets (0-8, 0-5). – Christian Babcock

Hillsdale 34, The King’s Academy 14

Hillsdale handed The King’s Academy its first loss in Peninsula Athletic League De Anza Division play and earned its first league win in the process. The Fighting Knights were led offensively by quarterback Grant Mattias, who tossed touchdown passes to Jack Haywood and Kyle King. Jacob Bonner rushed for a score as well. Hillsdale made hay defensively as well. The Fighting Knights managed two interception-return touchdowns, one by Haywood and another by Bennett Young. Haywood finished with two interceptions overall to accompany his receiving TD. Hillsdale is now 3-5 and 1-2 in PAL De Anza play. King’s Academy is 3-5 and 2-1 in De Anza action. – Christian Babcock

Oak Grove 36, Lincoln-San Jose 30

Oak Grove picked up its first win of the season with a close victory over Lincoln. Malakai Dominguez ran for 224 yards and three touchdowns on 43 carries. Ryan Wright completed 7 of 10 passes for 99 yards and also rushed for 31 yards. Wright passed for one touchdown and ran for another. Felix Enow had three catches and a receiving TD. Steven Grijalva posted three catches for 48 yards. Jayden Campos had a 45-yard catch. Oak Grove is now 1-7 and 1-3 in Blossom Valley Athletic League Mt. Hamilton play. Lincoln is 3-6, 0-5. – Christian Babcock

Pioneer 38, Independence 28

The Mustangs took advantage of seven Independence turnovers en route to a convincing BVAL Santa Teresa-Foothill Division win. Pioneer (4-4 overall, 2-1 league) recovered four fumbles and intercepted three passes, two of the picks being returned for touchdowns. Brady Montgomery went 24 yards for a pick-6 near the end of the first half to make it 23-0, then Thomas Fries returned an interception 23 yards to make it 38-0 midway through the third quarter. Independence didn’t go down without a fight. The 76ers (3-5, 0-3) scored two touchdowns in both the third and fourth quarters. The visitor’s last two scores came a minute apart late in the final period. A rushing TD cut Pioneer’s lead to 38-21, then Independence recovered an onside kick and scored to make it 38-28 with three minutes to go. But the Mustangs recovered the 76ers’ next onside attempt and ran out the clock. Jesse Herrera and Jordan Nunez each scored running TDs for Pioneer. Herrera ran for 96 yards. The Mustangs’ other TD came on an 18-yard pass from QB Braeden Ries to Julian Lopez. – Mike Lefkow

South San Francisco 20, Fremont-Sunnyvale 7

The jump to the PAL El Camino is proving to be no hindrance for South San Francisco. The Warriors improved to 6-2 overall and 4-0 in the El Camino Division thanks to four Fremont turnovers, two of which led to South City TDs on an 18-yard pass and a 44-yard screen. The Warriors added a rushing score in the second half. Elijah Fields led South City with 11 carries for 63 rush yards. Henry Buenrostro scored Fremont’s lone touchdown, running for 82 yards on 15 carries. Isaac Garcia added three catches for 63 yards to lead the Firebirds (2-6, 1-2 PAL El Camino). Finley Ireland registered 11 tackles for Fremont. – Christian Babcock

Woodside 48, Los Altos 0

Woodside improved to 3-1 in the PAL El Camino Division with a dominant victory. Evan Usher rushed for three touchdowns, Carmel Mendes-Grassia added another and Alex Valencia ran for one more. Charlie Dalrymple tossed two touchdown passes to Dumace Bell. Woodside is 5-3 overall. Los Altos fell to 2-6, 1-3. – Christian Babcock