Prep football teams still in the running for playoff berths

By Keith Peters

Palo Alto Online Sports Staff

This we know for sure: The Sacred Heart Prep football team has qualified for the Central Coast Section playoffs for a second straight season.

This is what we also know: Palo Alto is all but a lock for yet another appearance in the postseason.

For Gunn, its first return to the CCS playoffs since 2002 is probable. For Menlo, the Knights certainly are on the bubble.

With the 2009 high school football regular season winding down, a lot still can happen starting this weekend.

Sacred Heart Prep (3-1, 6-2), which clinched one of four CCS berths available to the PAL Bay Division with a 48-14 stomping of host Menlo-Atherton last week, plays host to Aragon (2-2, 5-3) on Friday at 2:45 p.m. Both teams are playing for CCS seeds at this point, with first-place Terra Nova (4-0) a win away from locking up the No. 1.

Palo Alto (3-0-1, 6-1-1), which took over sole possession of first place in the SCVAL De Anza Division with a 34-12 victory over Los Gatos last week, can win the outright title with two more victories. The Vikings can start that procedure by beating host Mountain View (0-5, 3-5) on Friday at 2:45 p.m. and finish it with a win at Wilcox (3-1, 6-2) on Nov. 13.

Gunn (3-1, 5-3) had its first outright championship since 1971 in its sights until dropping a 23-21 heartbreaker to host Los Altos last Saturday. The Titans visit Santa Clara (1-3, 1-7) on Friday at Buchser Middle School (7:30 p.m.) before finishing the year by hosting Cupertino (0-5, 2-6) on Nov. 13. A possible co-title in the SCVAL El Camino Division is still very likely, but Gunn needs some help in order to get the division’s No. 1 seed for CCS.

Likewise, Menlo (2-2, 5-3) is still battling for its playoff life after handing former PAL Ocean Division leader Burlingame its first loss last week, 21-14. The Knights, who host Carlmont on Friday at 2:45 p.m., can actually finish in a five-way tie for first place. Here’s the scenario for that:

Menlo beats Carlmont to finish 3-2. Half Moon Bay (3-1) loses to Burlingame to finish 3-2. Burlingame (2-1) beats Half Moon Bay and loses to San Mateo to finish 3-2. San Mateo (2-1) loses to South San Francisco and beats Burlingame to finish 3-2. South San Francisco (2-2) beats San Mateo to finish 3-2.

It’s that wild and unpredictable.

It’s not quite that wild in the SCVAL De Anza Division, where Palo Alto can wrap up a CCS berth by beating Mountain View on Friday. With a 4-0-1 division record (7-1-1 overall), the Vikings would be guaranteed no worse than a top-three finish while holding tiebreakers over Homestead, Milpitas and Saratoga.

The Standings

SCVAL De Anza Division

Palo Alto 3-0-1 (6-1-1)

Los Gatos 3-1 (6-2)

Wilcox 3-1 (6-2)

Homestead 2-2-1 (3-4-1)

Milpitas 2-2 (6-2)

Saratoga 1-4 (3-5)

Mountain View 0-5 (3-5)

SCVAL El Camino Division

Los Altos 4-1 (5-3)

Gunn 3-1 (5-3)

Fremont 3-1 (4-4)

Monta Vista 3-1 (4-4)

Santa Clara 1-3 (1-7)

Lynbrook 1-3 (1-7)

Cupertino 0-5 (2-6)

PAL Bay Division

Terra Nova 4-0 (5-3)

Sacred Heart Prep 3-1 (6-2)

King’s Academy 2-2 (5-3)

Aragon 2-2 (5-3)

Menlo-Atherton 0-3 (1-7)

Woodside 0-3 (0-8)

PAL Ocean Division

Half Moon Bay 3-1 (6-2)

Burlingame 2-1 (6-2)

San Mateo 2-1 (5-3)

Menlo 2-2 (5-3)

South San Francisco 2-2 (5-3)

Carlmont 0-4 (3-5)