California high schools finally got into the state football championship games several years ago. Currently, teams from five divisions that won their section championship are chosen from northern and southern California to meet for the state title. There's always controversy when teams are chosen in a room rather than decided on the field. There's always going to be deserving section champions that have to stay at home. As with college football, I don't understand why a pure playoff system is so hard to accept. Like California, Texas is a large state. Unlike California, Texas has a high school playoff system that results in an on the field state champion. I guess that California doesn't want to blow up the long loved section playoffs. Despite it's faults, California's football state championships are a good thing and a great weekend. This was that weekend.
Here are those games:
Open Division: De La Salle 48 Centennial 28
Division I: Granite Bay 21 Long Beach Poly 20
Division II: Serra 42 Oakdale 15
Division III: Madison 38 Marin Catholic 35
Division IV: Central Catholic 66 Santa Fe Christian 7
Congratulations to the state champions and all the kids competing in high school football for the pure fun of the game.
Long Beach Poly has sent more football players to the NFL than any other high school in the country. They were clearly the more talented team when they stepped on the field to face Granite Bay. It was amazing to watch this game. The Poly kids played that game in complete shock that the team opposite them would not quit. Long Beach Poly just showed up while Granite Bay came to play football.
Central Catholic of Modesto is a monster. It was 59-7 at the half. Over 500 yards rushing.
The Madison-Marin Catholic game was as terrific as the score indicates. Madison couldn't get out of their own way at the start of the game. Marin Catholic was up 21-0 pretty much immediately. I was probably most interested in this game. It provided a first look at Marin Catholic's Cal-bound quarterback Jared Goff. For no other reason but a hunch, I see Goff and current Cal redshirt Zach Kline as the likely Golden Bear quarterbacks for perhaps the next five years. Goff moves real well in the pocket. Sliding and moving up in the pocket to avoid the rush. It's amazing how many quarterbacks don't do this well. These slight movements buy time and provide throwing windows.
Oakdale showed more effort and heart in a 42-15 loss than most teams show in a win.
De La Salle just keeps on winning. Four consecutive state championship game wins. It's pretty cool to hear their band play that Cal fight song. I haven't heard that song played after a win in quite some time.
The high school games were more interesting than the early college football bowl games. The lower college division playoff games are more interesting too. Goes to show you how much fun a college playoff would be.
Minnesota Vikings superhuman running back Adrian Peterson is looking past 2,000 yards rushing and shooting for Eric Dickerson's record of 2,105. Most seemed to doubt that Peterson could come back from his brutal knee injury. Even fewer thought that he would come back better than before. They shouldn't doubt his intentions now. He's an amazing football player. If he can hit his goals, the Vikings chances at the playoffs improve.
The Vikings need to win their remaining three games for any shot at the playoffs. Even then they need some help but all they can do is their part of things. Peterson carries the Vikings offense but quarterback Christian Ponder has to make plays. He has to make defenses pay for all the effort made to stop the running game.
The Washington Redskins made the unusual move of entering the season with a rookie starting quarterback and a rookie backup quarterback. When Robert Griffin III was injured last week against the Baltimore Ravens, Kirk Cousins came in and led the Redskins to an overtime victory. Playing it safe with Griffin, Cousins will get the start today against the Cleveland Browns.
Reports are bouncing around that the Green Bay Packers are going to part ways with tight end Jermichael Finley. It was only a couple of years ago that Finley worried me, as a Vikings fan, more than any other pass catcher on the Packers. He's an awesome talent. He also seems to be an awesome problem.
Go Vikings!!!
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