In a world of $30 parking, the $10 burger, $5 bottle of water and bag of peanuts, the biggest rip-off in sports is the NFL Pre-Season.  The NFL is so hot that they get away with charging full ticket prices for a game, that is not much more than the level of the Pro Bowl, which gives the NFL All Stars a week vacation in Hawaii.  And they play four exhibition games of them, which is nearly half of a high school football season (without the playoffs).
I mention this because in the high school football world they have one scrimmage and then off they go and because of the way the schedules are set up now, you better be ready to play because most are playing some good competition.
This is a rant against Exhibition Football in the NFL and the yawn it gives me.
 

 
ANALY’S FAST STARTS
Over the past three seasons Analy has averaged 49 points a game in its opener.   In the first half of those games they have averaged 32.   The opener that brings both those numbers “down” was in 2013 when they defeated Pittsburgh 37-21.  At the half they led 23-7.   In the other two seasons they hit the forty point mark by the half.
Overall the last two seasons Analy has averaged 44 points a game.
OFFENSE VS. DEFENSE
There used to be a saying that at the beginning of the season the defense is ahead of the offense.
If last week is any indication that saying is dead in the water.
We covered 17 games here and 17 teams scored at least 30 points.   In three of those games both teams hit that mark.    Seven teams scored at least forty with one of those going over the 50 mark and one more over 60.
Meanwhile there were two games that neither team hit 20.    Six teams didn’t score ten points, with four of them getting shutout.    Four of those teams and two of the shutouts were played on the very hot Saturday, so that might have had something to do with that.
Although one game on Saturday was Cardinal Newman and Churchill County, who combined for 88 points and was the highest scoring game of the weekend.
SAYING NUMBER TWO
At the end of the season going nowhere, you hear coaches say that a big finish could help momentum wise for next season.
I’m not sure I buy into that statement, but there was one game that teams continued the pattern that they had going at the end of last season.
Cloverdale started 0-4 before ending the season by winning four of its last six.
On the other hand Calistoga started with eight straight wins and ended with two losses
Final score in the opener:  Cloverdale 35 Calistoga 0
FEELING OLD
A familiar name showed up in the Cloverdale box score.  Not for football but still familiar. ,John McMillan caught a touchdown pass in the second quarter.
His grandfather with the same name coached Cloverdale Basketball from the late 60’s to the mid 80’s.
His dad is Craig, who led Cloverdale to state championships in the early 80’s and coached SRJC to its first state championship last season.
The grandfather also was a history teacher when I went to school there many years ago.
PAT ON BACK
I didn’t see one of the pre-season rankings mention Analy in the regional polls.   The Chronicle had Cardinal Newman at No.17 and Casa Grande No.25.   Analy was nowhere to be seen.
In this week’s rankings Analy snuck in at No.25.
Analy was No. 1 in the YSN365.com Pre-Season rankings.   They have a good shot at keeping that position.
One website already has State Playoff rankings.   No team from the area is ranked in Division 2 in the Northern California rankings.
In Division 3 Cardinal Newman is No. 7 with Analy at No. 9.
In the Cal Hi Sports top twenty-five Bay Area rankings, Analy is No. 22, Cardinal Newman No. 23.  There are twenty-four bubble teams, including Casa Grande and Rancho Cotate.
The rankings are only in the top four divisions and Division 3 is the only one that has local teams.
My email address is jacpasquini@comcast.net