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Grant could be odd team out as football teams compete for state bowl berths
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Grant football coach Mike Alberghini has the Pacers on the doorstep of the Sac_Joaquin D-II title
As championship weekend in high school football approaches, it's time to lay out the scenarios for the Northern California state bowl selections that are forthcoming.
The most competitive and intense choices will be at the top, where De La Salle, Bellarmine, and Grant all have a strong case to be the Open or Division I representative.
Problem is, only two of these three teams can possibly qualify for the ultimate prep football party in Carson and if form holds that team on the outside-looking-in might be Grant.
De La Salle (10-1) consensus top team in NoCal, having suffered just one loss this season, 23-21 against a very good Don Bosco Prep team from New Jersey. If they win there final two games in the NCS Division I tournament, they'll almost certainly be the Open Division rep.
Bellarmine (11-1) has a tougher test in the CCS Open division final against Valley Christian. If the Bells get by VC, they'd have an impressive resume, including wins over Serra and St. Mary's (Stockton).
That leaves Grant (12-0), a two touchdown favorite to handle a Burbank team that they already hammered during league play. Their resume is bolstered by two wins over state champs; a preseason win over Alta, a top-50 team nationally and Highland from Idaho.
If Valley Christian upsets Bellarmine and DLS and Grant win out, the decision becomes easier for the committee. Should the Bells, Pacers, and Spartans all win their Sections, one of these powerhouses will be left out.
The three teams are very close when results are compared. Grant has the perfect record but has only played three games against top 1000 teams in the US (Granite Bay, Alta, and Highland).
Bellarmine has four such games, including an impressive win at St. Mary's that I witnessed while working for Comcast Sports Net California. This team avenged its only loss (Serra) and has five legitimate D-I players.
De La Salle has long been the gold standard of Northen California and is the only North school to win a state bowl game in the two-year history. Their schedule is second-to-none, including wins over Loyola from L.A. and a narrow win over Serra.
If Valley Christian falls that opens up a big debate for the D-II state berth, an argument we'll explore later in the week.
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