We can only hope that the Analy-Campolindo Division 3 championship game will have the thrills that the NCS Division 3 Semi-Final game between the two did last year. Last season it was a battle of No. 1 vs. No. 4 and Campolindo was a heavy favorite. The game was a back and forth battle before Campolindo scored the last two touchdowns of the game to take a 62-46 win. The next week, Campolindo defeated Marin Catholic 27-21 to win its second NCS title in four seasons. Before they were finish with the season they would win the Division III state championship.

Here the two teams are again and this time it is for all the marbles. It is No. 1 vs. No. 2 and Campolindo is still a favorite, but not by as much.
You can make a case that these two teams are the reason the Division 4 championship game is what it is. Campolindo is a public school from Moraga and has turned into a football giant. Since 2011 they are 63-5 overall and 30-0 in the Diablo Foothill League, which is the fourth highest rated league in the North Coast Section. They won two NCS titles, beating Marin Catholic in the championship game both times. In 2011, while everyone was waiting for the Cardinal Newman-Marin Catholic championship game, they beat Cardinal Newman one week and Marin Catholic the next. Overall in playoff games they are 15-3, which includes State Championship games, in which they 1-1.
This season their only loss was on September 18th to Napa 21-14. Napa finished 11-1, losing in the playoffs last week. It was their first regular season loss since September of 2012, ending a streak of 27 straight. The next week they beat Dublin 17-14 and after that the games have been one sided. The closest game they have had since that was last week’s 25-13 win over Bishop O’ Dowd. The second closest was the first round of the playoffs, a 70-44, a game they led 42-8 after one quarter.
Like Analy, Campolindo has a junior quarterback. His name is Jacob Westphal and he has thrown for over 2,200 yards. His touchdown to interception ratio is 26-7. His numbers aren’t close to Analy’s quarterback Jack Newman’s, but then Analy’s rushing numbers aren’t close to Campolindo’s. The rushing yardage is more than the passing. They don’t have the dominating running back, but they have three running backs who have rushed for 399 yards or more. The two top rushers are juniors.
Analy’s numbers over the past few seasons aren’t as good as Campolindo’s, but they are nothing to sneeze at. Since 2012 they are 48-4 overall and you know what they have done in the SCL. They have a regular season winning streak of 27 games, which includes a forfeit win in 2014. Their playoff record is 9-3 and all three losses in the NCS semi-finals. In 2013 they missed on the Cardinal Newman-Marin Catholic double, beating Cardinal Newman in the second round before losing to Marin Catholic in the-semifinal.
Analy quarterback Jack Newman’s has nearly 3,700 yards passing and fifty one touchdowns. For those who want to say his numbers are cushioned because he played in the Sonoma County League, stop it. If you go by his playoff performances it looks like his numbers were hurt. In his three playoff wins he has passed for over 1,000 yards and twelve touchdown passes. The last two weeks he has for over 900 yards.
Schuyler Van Wheele went over the 1,000 yard receiving mark last week and scored a touchdown on one of those fourth quarter interception returns. He now has 18 touchdowns receiving, three kickoff returns, one rushing and the interception return.
With all his numbers Van Wheele wasn’t the leading receiver in the win over Rancho Cotate. That honor belonged to Lucas Housman who caught six for 207 yards, which are both season highs.
The 62-46 score of last year’s game sound high, which it is, but don’t be surprised if the teams make a run at that score again. Analy is averaging nearly 50 points a game and has kept that pace during the three wins to get to the playoffs. Campolindo is averaging nearly 40, hitting the 40 point mark in seven games.
Last week’s preview of the Analy-Rancho Cotate called for a high scoring game and also added that the deciding factor might be which defense will make that game changing plays. The difference in the game was two Analy interceptions returned for touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Maybe the defense that comes up big in this game will be the difference in this game too.
DIVISON 3 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
No. 1 Campolindo (12-1) vs. No. 2 Analy (13-0)
AT DIABLO VALLEY COLLEGE…FRIDAY 7 PM
KSRO 1350 AM/103.5 FM BROADCAST AT 6:35
CALPREPS PROJECTION: Campolindo by 9
DIVISION 4 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
No. 1 Marin Catholic (11-1) vs. No. 2 Cardinal Newman (11-2)
AT RANCHO COTATE HIGH SCHOOL…SATURDAY 7 PM
KSRO 1350 AM/103.5 FM BROADCAST AT 6:35
CALPREPS PROJECTION: Marin Catholic by 2
My email address is jacpasquini@comcast.net