Today is the day.
The teams hoping for an NCS Football playoff berth will find out today if and when.
The NCS website will have a Selection Show at 11:30 and announce where everything is going to play out.
Here is a look at what you to look forward to today.
DIVISION 1
As Dave Cox said in the Friday Night Casa Grande-Cardinal Newman radio broadcast, “why play this division?”
DeLaSalle will be the No. 1 seed and will win this championship as they have every year since 1991.
Santa Rosa has been eligible for these playoffs since they started 2-0. For most of the sports world a 2-8 record isn’t playoff worthy, but in high school sports it is.
There is a good chance that if the Panthers do apply, they would matchup against De LaSalle.
It seems like they have better things to do this week than prepare for a 65-0 kind of game.
DIVISION 2
This Division not so clear cut in so many levels.
One year ago I wrote here, “Rancho Cotate will edge out Clayton Valley for No. 1 seed.”
That didn’t happen and why I am a little nervous about this for Casa Grande. The tale of the tape for the No. 1 seed between Casa Grande and Clayton Valley is about the same as the Rancho Cotate-Clayton Valley matchup last year.
Both teams deserve a No. 1 seed. Maybe this year they will give it to Casa Grande.
This will be the sixth season the Redwood Empire and East Bay have combined for these playoffs. In the first five years, the North Bay has been the No. 1 seed three times, the East Bay twice. The No. 1 seed has won the NCS championship in four of those five seasons.
There is one other thing favoring Casa Grande, besides being No. 1 in the power rankings. Of the sixteen league in the NCS the North Bay League in No. 4. The Diablo Valley League, which Clayton Valley won, is No. 6.
Will that offset the glory of Clayton Valley’s only loss being to De La Salle?
The No. 1 seed is a burning issue, but not the only one.
What kind of an effect will Friday’s Windsor’s win over Montgomery have?
Montgomery is No. 5 in the power rankings, while Windsor is at No. 7. The NCS loves head to head to decide close calls. The question is will they look at the head to head, or the overall finish in the NBL race. There is a lot to like about the Windsor resume.
Either way both teams should get first round home games.
That is not is the case for Rancho Cotate who is on the wrong side of the bubble in the power rankings to host a first round game.
DIVISION 3
Like Division 2, the No. 1 seed here is set up a lot like last season. Marin Catholic and another teams is a coin toss.
On Saturday, Marin Catholic defeated San Marin 49-14 to win the Marin County League championship and finish the regular season 10-0. That is what they were last season and lost out to El Cerrito for the No. 1 seed. This year they are battling with Campolindo, who is also 10-0.
Being No. 2 didn’t bug Marin Catholic last year winning their second section title in four years.
As for the local connection, Analy and Cardinal Newman is a tossup for No. 4. Analy has the record, Cardinal Newman has the schedule.
If it plays out No. 4 and No. 5, the bracket would set up a second round game at the No. 4 sight.
Sonoma Valley is the only other local team to make this bracket and it looks like a good chance they will be traveling to Cardinal Newman for the second straight season.
Petaluma is also eligible and keeping its fingers crossed. They will be on the road in the first round to meet one of the powers, if they get in, which they should.
DIVISION 4
To show the difference between Division 3 and 4, despite the loss to Marin Catholic on Saturday, San Marin will be the No. 1 seed and a clear cut favorite to win the section.
At least the top two seeds in this bracket will get a bye. Two of the top three in the power rankings are from the Marin Country League and may get those top two seeds.
This is the section that has a mixture of SCL and NCL I teams.
Healdsburg, St. Helena and Piner will get first round home games. There is a chance that Healdsburg could be set up for two home games, although they dropped from No. 4 to No. 5 in the power rankings this weekend.
Also a good chance the SCL and NCL I world will mix it up in the first round with Kelseyville or Fort Bragg traveling to Healdsburg.
DIVISION 5
Middletown will get the No. 1 seed, although Valley Christian of Dublin is a strong second.
St. Vincent defeated Calistoga for the NCL II/Bay League championship on Saturday and that shakes up the seedings. St. Vincent will get a first round home game and questions are
1. Will Calistoga get a home game?
2. If Calistoga has to go on the road will they have to make back to back trips to St. Vincent.
There is an eight team bracket and twelve teams are eligible. The NCS tries to avoid league vs. league in the first round, but that is a hard thing to do in this bracket unless you really shake things up.
My gut says Calistoga fans are not going to be happy after today.
There are twelve teams eligible for the eight team bracket.
Cloverdale and Clear Lake are bubble teams and is fighting Emily for the last spot. Since Middletown will be No. 1, Emery might beat them both out to avoid the NCL I first round game. That is despite the two NCL I strength of schedule is way tougher than Emery.
If it wasn’t for Middletown this would be the most competitive bracket.
My email address is jacpasquini@comcast.net