2018 Campolindo Cougars football team

The 2018 Campolindo Cougars football team represented Campolindo High School of Moraga, California in the 2018 NFHS Football Season. They were led by 23-year head coach Kevin Macy and played their home games at Bob Wilson Stadium. They were a member of the Diablo Athletic League-Valley Conference.

Season Opener
August 17, 2018 vs. Marin Catholic Wildcats

General
Nickname: Cougars

Colors: Navy/Red/White

Coach: Kevin Macy

League: Diablo Valley

Section: North Coast

Playoff Division: 2

Playoff Division Rank: #4

Ratings
2017 Final Power Rating: 28.9

2017 National Rank:  #1642

2017 State Rank: #144

General Personnel (Back/Lost) Rating Adjustment: -14.8

D1 Talent (Back/Lost) Rating Adjustment: -0.6

Reg Season Schedule Strength Downward Rating Adjustment: -2.7

2018 Starting Power Rating: 16.8

2018 National Rank: #3159

2018 State Rank: #257

Dynasty Rating (avg. rating 2003-2017): 32.2

Dynasty National Rank: #1243

2018 Rating vs. Dynasty Rating: wose by 15.4

Dynasty Record: 147-47 (78-24 in league)

Team Strengths
Balance

Team Weaknesses
Inexperience, Depth

Strength of Schedule
2018 Regular Season Schedule Strength:  18.5

2017 Regular Season Schedule Strength: 18.2 (17 overall)

2018 vs. 2017 Schedule Strength Comparison: +0.3

2018 Regular Season Schedule Strength State Rank: #169

2018 Regular Season Schedule Strength National Rank: #1808

2018 Projected Regular Season Record: 4-6

2018 Projected League Finish: 3rd

2018 Undefeated Regular Season Probability: less than 1%

Returning Players
Offensive Starters: 3

Defensive Starters: 2

2017 JV Record: 9-0

Starting Quarterback Returning: no

Top Running Back Returning: no

Top Receiver Returning: no

Top OL Returning: no

Top Defender Returning: no

Top Players

 * 1) Grant Harper Junior QB
 * 2) Lucas Allen Senior WR/DB
 * 3) Jeremy Gunderson Senior OL/DL

College Prospect Lost to Graduation

 * 1) John Torchio 6'2" 190 Senior WR

Previous Season
2017 Overall Record: 10-5

2017 League Record/Finish: 3-2 (3rd)

2017 Points For Average: 34.6

2017 Points Against Average: 16.5

2017 Differential: +18.1

Winning Streak
none

Last Year Wins
#2459: Miramonte (Orinda, CA) (38-20)

#3045: St. Ignatius (San Francisco, CA) (47-28)

#3291: Granada (Livermore, CA) (42-7)

#4062: El Cerrito (CA) (52-26)

#5401: Windsor (CA) (45-14)

#7109: Maria Carrillo (Santa Rosa, CA) (44-20)

#7633: Las Lomas (Walnut Creek, CA) (41-21)

#10390: Hayward (CA) (42-20)

#10457: Concord (CA) (42-8)


 * 1) 10444: Washington (Fremont, CA) (50-14)

Last Year Losses
#564: Clayton Valley (Concord, CA) (54-21)

#598: Milpitas (CA) (52-38)

#793: Marin Catholic (Kentfield, CA) (42-21)

#1244: Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park, CA) (33-28)

#1514: Acalanes (Lafayette, CA) (35-28)

Toughest Opponents
Clayton Valley (Concord, CA) (47.3)

Marin Catholic (Kentfield, CA) (32.9)

Acalanes (Lafayette, CA) (29.2)

Easiest Opponents
Hayward (CA) (-16)

Alhambra (Martinez, CA) (5.3)

Northgate (Walnut Creek, CA) (11.5)

State Championships

 * 1) 2017 (NCS II)
 * 2) 2016 (CIF IV-AA)
 * 3) 2016 (NCS II)
 * 4) 2015 (NCS III)
 * 5) 2014 (CIF III)
 * 6) 2014 (NCS III)
 * 7) 2011 (NCS III)

League Championships

 * 1) 2015 (Diablo Foothill)
 * 2) 2014 (Diablo Foothill)
 * 3) 2013 (Diablo Foothill)
 * 4) 2012 (Diablo Foothill)
 * 5) 2011 (Diablo Foothill)
 * 6) 2008 (Diablo Foothill)
 * 7) 2004 (Diablo Foothill)

Other League Teams
Miramonte (Orinda, CA)

Northgate (Walnut Creek, CA)

Acalanes (Lafayette, CA)

Campolindo (Moraga, CA)

Clayton Valley Charter (Concord, CA)

Alhambra (Martinez, CA)

vs. Marin Catholic Wildcats
Date: Friday, August 17, 2018

Game Time: 7:00PM

Game weather

Scoring Info
MORAGA — An unlikely hero for Campolindo stole the spotlight Friday night during a season-opening 35-21 victory at home over Marin Catholic.

Plagued by injuries in the preseason, the Cougars were forced to shuffle things around, which meant senior Max Schoenberger shifted from safety to wide receiver.

The result?

Eight catches for 222 yards and four touchdowns (48, 79, 5, 44).

“I just tried to take the opportunities in stride and tried to do my best out there tonight,” said Schoenberger, who in one game managed to surpass last season’s entire output of six catches for 53 yards and one touchdown. “It seemed like it paid off.”

Campolindo quarterback Grant Harper displayed instant chemistry with Schoenberger, rolling out to his left on the fifth play from scrimmage and hitting the 6-foot-1, 185 wideout down the sideline to go up 7-0 barely two minutes into the season.

“We’re dialed in,” Schoenberger said.

“We’ve been throwing together in the mornings for the past three weeks,” Harper said. “He’s put in a lot of work and he deserved it.”

Harper, a 6-2, 190-pound junior, finished 17 of 28 for 375 yards with five TDs and one interception.

Luke Campo, his No. 2 target, caught the game-winning touchdown after a breakdown in coverage on a 43-yard play with 7:20 left in the fourth quarter.

“We were going to be happy if we got through the game without injuries,” Campolindo coach Kevin Macy said. “If we could just play spirited, keep it close, not have injuries, that was our benchmark going in. But I think the way Harper played and the way Max played just sort of elevated everyone else.”

This was a rematch from last year’s season opener, which Campolindo lost 42-21 on the road.

That fact wasn’t lost on the players in a battle between reigning North Coast Section champions.

“We’ve been playing this game for a long time now,” Harper said. “We were fired up to play from the very beginning.”

The quick-strike offense of Campolindo clearly contrasted the methodic approach of Marin Catholic, which pulled even on the first snap of the second quarter after a 15-play, 71-yard drive that nearly ate up 6½ minutes off the clock.

It took one play and fewer than 20 seconds to reclaim the lead, as Schoenberger caught a quick hitch, then turned down the sideline and outran the secondary for a 79-yard touchdown.

“I just caught the ball quick, made a move to the outside and just used my speed to get around the guy,” Schoenberger said.

Marin Catholic never led, but junior quarterback Gaven Cooke tied the game three times on 1-yard touchdown runs — twice on fourth down, including with 1:07 left before halftime to make it 14-all.

The 6-1, 175-pound junior, who is the grandson of Jack Kent Cooke — former owner of the Washington Redskins, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Kings — ran it more than he threw it. He accounted for 87 yards on 24 carries, with four sacks, and completed 10 of 17 throws for 100 yards.

“When we missed some sacks, he had some big runs,” Macy said.

In the end, though, the Wildcats couldn’t keep up with the Harper-Schoenberger connection.

“The game was really a toss up except for those two guys,” Macy said. “They just gave us some big plays.”

Campolindo is off until Sept. 1, when it travels to San Francisco to face St. Ignatius.

“We’ve got a bye next week, so it’s important to just stay focused after this game, especially,” Schoenberger said.

“That will give us a chance to get a lot of kids healthy,” Macy said. “There’s a ton of those little stories of hidden guys who had to jump in and then played well.”

But only one stole the headline. 

MORAGA, CA – What a Friday night it was for the Prep2Prep NCS No. 14 ranked Campolindo passing game and its new quarterback Grant Harper.

After biding his time but also seeing some action as a backup to John Torchio last season that gained him some valuable experience, the 6-2, 190-pound junior left-handed signal-caller made a huge statement for himself after going 17 for 28 for 376 yards passing with five touchdowns in a 35-21 victory over visiting P2P NCS No. 8 Marin Catholic-Kentfield.

“We had an experienced quarterback and that definitely was a factor, but we also had some receivers out,” Campolindo Coach Kevin Macy remarked. “I never thought we would be able to do this but we had a kid come out of nowhere.”

The kid he was speaking about was wide receiver Max Schoenberger, who because some receivers were dinged up, was moved from starting safety and backup wide receiver to starting wideout in practice this week.

According to Macy “Max had a great week of practice” so obviously the decision by the wily veteran coach paid off.

The 6-1, 185-pound senior had four of the Harper TD passes on catches of 48, 79, 5 and 44 yards. He finished with eight receptions for 222 yards. Harper’s fifth TD pass was a 43-yarder to senior Luke Campo.

The defense of defending CIF North Coast Division II champion Campolindo shut down a Marin Catholic running game that was supposed the be the strength of the CIF NCS Division III champions. Mason Mastrov, a 6-5, 215-pound junior defensive end, led the way with 2.5 sacks and 12 tackles.

Campolindo took the opening kick-off at their own 26-yard line and Harper and the Cougars passing attack wasted little time getting busy. The first pass of the Cougars lefty went for no gain to Schoenberger, but after a 14-yard completion to junior Tyler Darr, a 12-yarder to Campo and a run for no gain, Harper found Schoenberger all alone and he easily raced 48-yards into the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

After the teams exchanged punts Marin Catholic went on its one long sustained effort of the night when a 15-play, 66-yard drive resulted in the first of three 1-yard touchdown runs by junior quarterback Gaven Cooke and the score was tied 7-7.

It didn’t take long for Campolindo to strike again. On the first play after getting the kickoff Harper hit Schoenberger on a hitch pattern he caught 7-yards beyond the line of scrimmage and Schoenberger turned it up field and raced past several defenders on the 79-yard jaunt to make it 14-7.

Cooke got the Wildcats even and it was tied 14-14 at halftime, but after the teams traded scores with Campolindo scoring on Schoenberger’s third TD reception from Harper late in the third quarter and Cooke getting Marin Catholic even for the third time in the early fourth quarter on his third 1-yarder, Harper brought the Cougars right back on the ensuing drive and when he found Campo on the 43-yarder, Campolindo (1-0) had the lead for good.

In his first varsity start the 6-1, 175-pound Cooke ran more than he passed but he only had 88 yards on 24 carries and in the air he completed 10 of 17 passes for 101 yards.

The bottom line was Marin Catholic (0-1) gave up the big plays on defense and the offense really never got untracked, particularly the running game. Except for Cooke’s running and passing the rest of the offense was 107 yards rushing on 27 carries by three running backs combined.

The always gracious Macy had the same message to each and every one of the Marin Catholic players he shook hands with as the teams went through the traditional post game lineup at mid field.

“You’ll be a different team in the playoffs,” Macy told them.

The victory by Campolindo reversed a 42-21 defeat on the road in last season’s opener, but last year Campolindo and Marin Catholic were not in the same division so they didn’t meet in the playoffs.

With Marin Catholic petitioning up to D2 it may very well have been a prelude to a potential playoff matchup. 

@ St. Ignatius Wildcats
Date: Saturday, September 1, 2018

Game Time: 1:00PM

Game weather Campolindo (1-0) @ St. Ignatius (0-1), Saturday, 1 p.m.

The Wildcats and Cougars will meet for a fourth straight year, a matchup that Campolindo has won the past three times. The visitors will head to the Sunset District with a week’s rest after a season-opening victory against Marin Catholic, while SI heads in looking to regroup after a tight loss to Palo Alto. St. Ignatius will need to play stellar pass defense against Campolindo’s Grant Harper, who threw for 369 yards in the Cougars’ opening victory. A win would be huge for St. Ignatius, as it would put the Wildcats on the right path for a postseason berth. In past years, WCAL teams have typically needed four wins to reach the playoffs, and a victory in the home opener would certainly put John Regalia’s side on the right path. 

Scoring Info
A bye following a less than impressive opening-season win left Campolindo-Moraga football coach Kevin Macy searching for answers.

A 34-21 win at St. Ignatius on Saturday afternoon should have left Macy feeling more than optimistic.

Cougars quarterback Grant Harper led the way with four touchdown passes, including two to Lucas Allen (15 and 10 yards). Harper also connected on scoring passes to Max Schoenberger (61 yards) and Ryan O’Neil (48 yards).

Michael Brewer opened the scoring with a 3-yard TD burst for No. 13 Campolindo (2-0), which took a 34-0 lead into the final quarter.

Campolindo was coming off a 35-21 home win over then-No. 14 Marin Catholic-Kentfield on Aug. 17.

“That seems like so long ago,” Macy said. “Today we got a taste of what we might be. We got a lot more guys involved from our win over Marin Catholic so that was good. We still have a long way to go.”

Harper certainly looks like the offensive leader Macy is looking for. Harper replaced The Chronicle’s 2017-18 Athlete of the Year John Torchia.

“He was super solid again,” Macy said. “No interceptions. He spread the ball around. Got everyone involved.”

St. Ignatius (0-2), coming off a 21-14 loss to Palo Alto, scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Jahsai Shannon had TD runs of 20 and 10 yards and Lance Sell added a 3-yard TD run. 

@ Rancho Cotate Cougars
Date: Friday, September 7, 2018

Game Time: 7:30PM

Game weather: No. 11 Campolindo (2-0) at No. 10 Rancho Cotate (3-0), Friday, 7 pm

Speaking of games with playoff seeding implications, Campolindo and Rancho Cotate meet in a possible playoff preview, with both teams residing in the Division II bracket this season. With Campolindo’s earlier victory over Marin Catholic, this game could decide a top-two seed for the winner.

“This game means a lot to our students and community, we are honored to play such a prestigious program, and we are well aware of their recent achievements,” said Rancho Cotate coach Gehrig Hotaling. “We feel as though we match up well across the board, and that this game could be determined by their passing game against our secondary. They have strong, fast receivers, and hands down the best quarterback we have seen thus far. This will be a fun and highly entertaining football game which should come down to the wire.”

The quarterback referenced by Hotaling, of course, is Campolindo junior Grant Harper, who has thrown for 647 yards and nine touchdowns in two games. Max Schoenberger, Lucas Allen, and Luke Campo form a solid trio of receivers. Rancho Cotate, meanwhile, has gotten impressive play from its own quarterback, junior Jared Stocker, along with junior running back Rasheed Rankin. Stocker has very impressive in last week’s win over El Cerrito and its well-known secondary, throwing for 269 yards on 19-of-25 passing. 

vs. Hayward Farmers
Date: Friday, September 14, 2018

Game Time: 7:00PM

Game weather This game featured the Beavers and the Wolverines of the MOL (Moraga-Orinda-Lafayette) flag football league playing in the half-time show.

Scoring Info
Campolindo (3-1) must have got mad after Hayward (2-2) took a 7-0 lead on its opening possession when quarterback Ramon Barraza hit Darren Johnson with a 48-yard touchdown pass less than two minutes into the game.

Campo scored the next six touchdowns to lead 41-7 early in the third quarter.

The Cougars were led by quarterback Grant Harper, who threw two TD passes. Kaleo Nelson had touchdown runs of three and 26 yards. Campo also scored touchdowns on defense and by the special team.

Mason Mastrov returned a blocked punt seven yards to make it 28-7 Campo early in the second quarter, and Will Windatt concluded the Cougars’ scoring with a 72-yard interception return.

Barraza threw three touchdown passes for Hayward, two to Alzillion Hamilton. 

@ El Cerrito Gauchos
Date: Friday, September 21, 2018

Game Time: 7:00PM

Game weather

vs. Alhambra Bulldogs
Date: Friday, September 28, 2018

Game Time: 7:00PM

Game weather

@ Clayton Valley Charter Ugly Eagles
Date: Friday, October 5, 2018

Game Time: 7:00PM

Game weather

Scoring Info
CONCORD — Cade Carter was in the perfect position on two occasions Friday night to help Clayton Valley Charter break open a close Diablo Athletic League-Foothill Division game against visiting Campolindo.

Carter intercepted a pass from Campolindo quarterback Grant Harper in the end zone midway through the third quarter and just three plays later, caught a 72-yard touchdown pass from QB Logan Sumter to give the Ugly Eagles a 13-point lead.

The big plays were part an impressive second half for Clayton Valley, as it scored 28 unanswered points to earn a 35-7 victory over the Cougars.

Running back Makhi Gervais ran for 166 yards and three touchdowns, with two coming in the second half, as Clayton Valley ran its winning streak in league games to 33. Clayton Valley finished with 387 yards rushing.

“That was a big momentum turner,” Clayton Valley coach Tim Murphy said of the interception. “These guys just knew on offense, once we had things figured out, that we were going to score … we just had to stop them. There were some long drives, but they did.”

With his team down 14-7, Harper drove the ball deep into Clayton Valley territory early in the second half. Harper and the Cougars (5-2, 1-1 DAL-Foothill) had been having all kinds of success on slant patterns, with Lucas Allen usually on the receiving end.

With the ball on the Ugly Eagles’ 4-yard-line, Harper again took a short drop and looked toward the middle of the end zone. But Carter stepped in front of the pass and returned it out to the Clayton Valley 22.

“They were throwing slants on us all day. That’s kind of how they were making their money out there,” Carter said. “We were playing really good red zone defense and I just got enough depth. I saw that they were doing slants behind me.

“I saw them doing it, I saw the depth and I looked  into the QB’s eyes. I had really good position and I just got the opportunity to pick the ball.”

After some adjustments on offense, Clayton Valley (6-1, 2-0) scored first as Gervais capped an eight-play drive with a 21-yard touchdown run with 2:14 to go in the first half.

“It was a pretty simple adjustment. Not that big a deal,” Murphy said. “We ran the same play the entire game. We made an adjustment, they couldn’t stop it, so we just stayed with it.”

Campolindo got the ball back with just two minutes to go on its own 24-yard line. On the drive, Harper completed 5 of 7 passes, including a 27-yard strike to Luke Campo that brought the ball to the Ugly Eagles’ 2.

There was some confusion with the game clock, as time ran out after Campo was tackled after he picked up a first down with time left. After a few moments, 3.5 seconds were put back, and Kaleo Nelson took a handoff from Harper and plunged in for the Cougars’ only score.

The Ugly Eagles’ machine-like running game, though, wore down the Cougars as the game progressed. They had over 200 yards in the second half alone, as Carson Sumter finished with 61 yards on 18 carries and Logan Sumter had 56 yards on eight carries.

“On offense, we ran the exact same play for two-and-a-half quarters,” Murphy said. “To the left, to the right. To the left, to the right.”

Campolindo had piled up 145 points in the last three weeks as they blew out Hayward, El Cerrito and Alhambra with Harper throwing a combined nine touchdown passes with just one interception. He entered Friday with 20 touchdown and 1,386 yards through the air.

Harper finished with a remarkable 409 yards passing against Clayton Valley, with Allen catching 11 passes for 125 yards. Clayton Valley had two interceptions and recovered one fumble, as Campolindo came up empty on a handful of long drives.

“We’d get every possession down into the red zone and we just couldn’t convert,” Campolindo coach Kevin Macy said. “Missed field goal, turnover, whatever. This game could have been a lot different if we’d been able to close in the red zone.”

The win was a big step forward in the Ugly Eagles’ march toward a third straight Foothill Division title. Clayton Valley is tied for first place with Miramonte, which beat Alhambra 41-9 on Friday, and the two teams play in Orinda next week.

Clayton Valley, which still has its eye on the second or third seed for the North Coast Section Open Division playoffs in November, then closes the regular season with games against Alhambra and Northgate.

(Campolindo) played hard as hell. They’re tough,” Murphy said. “They’ve got good kids.

“We were definitely the favorite (to win the division). But I thought for a minute there we were going to blow it.”

Campolindo hosts Acalanes next week and finishes the regular season with games against Northgate on Oct.19 and rival Miramonte on Oct. 26. 

vs. Acalanes Dons
Date: Friday, October 12, 2018

Game Time: 7:00PM

Game weather

Scoring Info
No. 19 Campolindo 39, Acalanes 7

A strong bounce-back by Campolindo (6-2, 2-1 DFAL-Foothill) after losing to Clayton Valley last week. Acalanes fell to 3-5, 1-2.

The Cougars led 39-0 before Acalanes scored late in the fourth quarter.

Quarterback Grant Harper ran 15 yards for one touchdown and threw a 14-yard pass to Lucas Allen for another six points. Ryan O’Neil scored on a pair of one-yard runs, and Kaleo Nelson and Brett Donat also had short runs for touchdowns.

Campo also turned in a strong defensive performance with sacks by Brandon Manty and Mason Mastrov, an interception by Allen and a fumble recovery by Jean-Luc Axelrode.

If Campolindo can finish 8-2, there is a good chance it can land the No. 2 seed in the Division 2 North Coast Section playoffs. The Cougars finish up at home against Northgate and at arch-rival Miramonte the following week. Anything can happen when Campo and Miramonte tangle.

Campolindo likely doesn’t have a chance at being a No. 1 seed after having lost earlier in the season to Rancho Cotate. Rancho finishes with Analy and Ukiah, two games it’s likely to win.

Still, a No. 2 seed will mean being at home through the first three rounds of a 16-team bracket, and possibly a bye if NCS can’t fill all 16 spots. Division 2 is much tougher than it has been the past few years, and the first round likely will be the only breathers for the top teams the division. 

vs. Northgate Broncos (Homecoming Game)
Date: Friday, October 19, 2018

Game time: 7:00PM

Game weather The Campolindo Class of 1993 attended this game as part of their 25th reunion festivities.

@ Miramonte Matadors (Rivalry Game)
Date: Friday, October 26, 2018

Game time: 7:00PM

Game weather

Scoring Info
ORINDA — Campolindo may not have the individual star power it did last season when quarterback John Torchio was at the controls and led the Cougars to a North Coast Section Division II championship.

However, that doesn’t mean Campolindo will be any less formidable once the 2018 NCS playoffs begin next week.

Ryan O’Neil ran for two touchdowns and quarterback Grant Harper completed 13 of 18 passes for 209 yards and another TD as the Cougars downed host Miramonte 30-14 on Friday to finish the regular season in sole possession of second place in the Diablo Athletic League’s Foothill Division.

Running back Kaleo Nelson ran for 109 yards and a touchdown, and receiver Max Schoenberger added a 68-yard touchdown catch for the Cougars (8-2, 4-1 DAL-Foothill), who own a three-game win streak and have now beaten Miramonte every year for the past eight seasons.

“We just seem to be developing as an across-the-board group of kids that all know how to contribute and help,” Campolindo coach Kevin Macy said.

Last year, Torchio, now at Wisconsin, accounted for 48 touchdowns and over 4,000 yards of offense in 15 games.

Harper, though, has been coolly efficient in his own right, as he finished the regular season with 25 touchdown passes and 2,284 yards through the air. He’s also been intercepted just six times.

“We’re not the team we were last year, With Torchio, we had a super difference-maker. We’re not that type of team,” Macy said. “We have to be a full team this year, and everyone right now is starting to contribute.”

Miramonte quarterback Matt Meredith threw two touchdown passes, both to Tanner Zwahlen, and finished with 169 yards through the air. He also finished with 57 yards rushing on 13 carries, which included a 45-yard run in the second quarter that helped set up the Matadors’ first touchdown.

Meredith, though, also took his fair share of hits, as he was sacked three times in the late going when Miramonte had an empty backfield and was throwing on nearly every down.

On the Matadors’ last offensive play from scrimmage, Campolindo junior defensive end Mason Mastrov came free around the outside and crushed Meredith just as he released the ball. The pass was intercepted by Charlie Craig, his second pick of the game.

“I faked inside, rushed outside, came around and right when I saw (Meredith), I knew I had to get him to lose that ball,” Mastrov said.

“He’s a tough kid,” Matadors coach Jack Schram said of Meredith. “Boy, he hung in there. We’re undersized. Everybody we’ve played has been bigger than us, and this is no exception. It’s not going to be any exception in the playoffs.”

Both the Cougars and the Matadors (7-3, 3-2) will now wait and see what seeding they will each receive for the playoffs, with Campolindo looking to defend its title in Division II and Miramonte hoping for a high seed in Division III. Brackets and seeds will be announced Sunday.

Both the Cougars and Matadors are looking to be seeded in the top four of their respective divisions.

Campolindo, which was the No. 1 seed last year with a 6-4 regular season record, would love to host at least two playoff games. But Bishop O’Dowd, Rancho Cotate, Granada, Ukiah and Marin Catholic are also in the mix to be among the top four seeds.

Schram believes the top three seeds in Division III will be Cardinal Newman, Eureka and Las Lomas, with the Matadors competing with El Cerrito to be the fourth seed.

“We’re in the four, five, six talk,” Schram said. “I think we should get the four. I write it up, but I don’t know if they consider my opinion.”

vs. Redwood Giants (CIF NCS Division 2 First Round Game)
Date: Friday, November 2, 2018

Game Time: 7:00PM

Game weather

Scoring Info
There were plenty of reasons that Grant Harper should’ve been subject to some extra nerves before his first playoff start at quarterback Friday night.

But the Campolindo-Moraga junior hasn’t shied away from a big moment all year. It’s a big reason the Cougars looked poised to go after a third consecutive North Coast Section Division 2 title — even if they might not be considered the favorite.

“I had a lot of experience” from backing up John Torchio last year, Harper said after throwing for 248 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-6 first-round win over visiting Redwood-Larkspur. “I’ve been prepared for a long time and felt I was ready to go. We just wanted to click on all cylinders, and I think we did that pretty well.

Though Harper threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to senior wideout Lucas Allen on the game’s opening drive, Harper and Campolindo didn’t really find their groove until late in the first half.

With Campolindo leading 7-0 with 2:44 left in the half, Harper found his rhythm. He led the Cougars on a 65-yard drive and went 5-for-5 with completions to four receivers. He capped the drive with a 23-yard pass to Allen.

Including that drive, Harper completed nine of his last 10 passes. His final throw of the evening was a 38-yard touchdown strike to a wide-open Luke Campo that give Campolindo a 35-0 lead with 3:11 left in the third quarter.

“Grant’s going off. We expected this of him though,” said Allen, who had six catches for 105 yards and two scores. “He had to step up. … We knew coming into this year he was going to be the keystone of our offense. If he keeps playing like this, we should be good.”

With his performance against Redwood, Harper surpassed 2,500 yards passing for the season. He has 28 touchdown throws and six interceptions. Nine of those TD passes have gone to Allen.

Campolindo (9-2), the No. 3 seed, will await the winner of Saturday’s matchup between sixth-seeded Ukiah and 11th-seeded Maria Carrillo-Santa Rosa.

The Cougars aren’t adopting an underdog role because they are seeded behind Rancho Cotate-Rohnert Park and Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland. They’ve had one for a while.

“We’ve had that edge all year,” Campolindo head coach Kevin Macy said. “We’ve had a lot of injuries and we’ve just sort of been scrapping our way through the year. We don’t have any established formula other than finding a way to scratch or claw through a game.”

The Cougars got a strong rushing night from Ryan O’Neil, a linebacker who has been moved exclusively to running back because of injuries. He had 12 carries for 75 yards and a touchdown.

Redwood (6-5) was paced by running back Alex Aguero, who had 82 yards on 22 carries. Quarterback Matt Smalbach accounted for the Giants’ score on a 9-yard run. 

vs. Ukiah Wildcats (CIF NCS Division 2 Quarterfinal Game)
Date: Saturday, November 24, 2018

Game Time: 7:00PM

Game weather

Scoring Info
The 2018 edition of the Campolindo football team knows it has a slim chance of advancing to its fifth straight CIF regional final. The four-time defending North Coast Section champions will need to beat Bishop O’Dowd this coming week in the Division II semifinals and hope that Rancho Cotate loses to Marin Catholic in the other semifinal, just to get into a coin flip scenario.

But by the way the Cougars played against Ukiah on Saturday night, Campolindo is playing each week like it has every intention on keeping that streak intact. Against the Wildcats, Campo scored the first 42 points of the game and cruised to a dominating 49-14 victory.

After the Cougars scored twice on the ground in the first quarter, junior quarterback Grant Harper took over in the second period of play. The lanky left-hander first connected with Max Schoenberger for a 69-yard score, with 7:31 left in the quarter for a 21-0 advantage. Two and a half minutes later, on the next Campo possession, Harper hooked up with Schoenberger again, this time for a 13-yard score. He capped the first half with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Lucas Allen, with 1:38 left in the second quarter, for a 35-0 advantage at the break.

“After a few weeks off, we didn’t know what to expect, but our offense picked up right where we left off against Redwood,” Harper said. “Our game plan was to take deep shots, and we accomplished that. The offensive line also had another great game, giving me a lot of time.”

Campolindo put the game on ice as the third quarter, as Ryan O’Neil scored his second touchdown of the night, this time on a 90-yard kickoff return for an insurmountable 42-0 lead. Bryan Munoz and Lucas Stanley added third-quarter rushing touchdowns to get Ukiah on the board, sandwiched around a three-yard scoring run by the Cougars’ Mateo Larson.

Harper finished the night by completing 8-of-13 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns. O’Neil and Brett Donat each had first-quarter touchdown runs.

Campolindo will now head to Bishop O’Dowd in the Division II semifinals, after the Dragons cruised past Benicia.

“We’ve been looking forward to playing O’Dowd for a long time,” Harper added. “They have talent all over the field, on both sides of the ball, and we are looking forward to the challenge. It’s going to be a hard-fought game, and I know Coach Macy will prepare us well for it.”

@ Bishop O'Dowd Dragons (CIF NCS Division 2 Semifinal Game)
Date: Saturday, December 1, 2018

Game Time: 1:00PM

Game weather

Scoring Info
OAKLAND — No coin flip will be necessary to determine who wins the North Coast Section’s Division II championship.

Immediately after Bishop O’Dowd beat Campolindo 35-14 Saturday, it was announced the Dragons would play Marin Catholic for the D-II title next week. The teams will meet Saturday at 7 p.m. at Hayward High.

The NCS cooked up a plan for coin flips in Divisions II through V after the postseason was delayed two weeks due to poor air quality from the Camp fire in Butte County. But the 16 quarter-finalists were given the option of passing on the coin flip and playing through to a section championship instead if the four survivors in each division agreed that was what they wanted.

Divisions II, IV and V decided to play for section championships. Only Division III appears headed for a coin flip at the wish of Cardinal Newman.

“It was a team thing,” O’Dowd running back Austin Jones said of the decision to go for a section title. “It was the seniors. We didn’t want to end our careers with a coin flip.”

Bishop O’Dowd coach Napoleon Kaufman decided earlier in the week to leave the decision in the hands of his seniors.

“It was unanimous,” Kaufman said of the vote taken by his seniors. “I said, ‘Hey, you’re seniors.’ I said, ‘Raise your hand if you want to flip a coin.'”

None of the Bishop O’Dowd players did.

Jones, who ran for 139 yards and two touchdowns against Campolindo, indicated that he and his teammates were motivated by past history. Campolindo eliminated Bishop O’Dowd when the current seniors were freshman. Marin Catholic ended O’Dowd’s playoff run last year.

Bishop O’Dowd, the No. 2 seed in Division II, made quick work of the third-seeded Cougars (10-3) on Saturday. Campolindo committed turnovers on its first two possessions, and Bishop O’Dowd (11-2) turned both gifts into touchdowns for a 14-0 lead less than four minutes into the game.

Jones completed a 23-yard drive with a one-yard run to make it 7-0, then BOD quarterback Moe Flynn hooked up with receiver Jelani Warren on a 21-yard touchdown pass to give the Dragons a 14-0 advantage.

Campolindo coach Kevin Macy admitted his team lost some focus after falling behind so quickly. But the Cougars recovered and got back in it when junior defensive end Brandon Manty scooped up an O’Dowd fumbled and raced 32 yards to make it 14-7.

However, Bishop O’Dowd came right back with a 72-yard drive that lasted over five minutes to make it 21-7 with 3:08 to go before halftime. Flynn threw a 30-yard pass to Warren for the touchdown.

The Dragons then scored on their first two possessions of the second half — one a 72-yard drive, the other 69 yards — to widen the gap to 35-7 midway through the fourth quarter. Jones capped the first drive with a one-yard toiuchdown run and Flynn went over from the one for the other.

“We played some good football,” Kaufman said. “We know Campolindo is a very proud program. We have the utmost respect for them.”

Jones, who is committed to Stanford, stood out for Bishop O’Dowd, as expected. In addition to his 139 yards on 32 carries, he caught four passes for 45 yards. He also played defensive back.

Although Bishop O’Dowd allowed Campo quarterback Grant Harper to complete 12 of 33 passes for 193 yards, 60 of those yards came on one play — a touchdown to receiver Max Schoenberger with 7:57 left in the game.

“It was tough to get receivers open in space,” Macy said.

The Campo coach was pleased with how his defense played against Jones. They made him work for every yard he got.

At the same time, Bishop O’Dowd limited Campolindo to 27 rushing yards. Campolindo’s longest run was eight yards.

Bishop O’Dowd finished the afternoon with 319 yards on offense compared to 220 for Campolindo.