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Welcome to the Playbook!
It is time for another week of the 2025-26 prep sports year! The Playbook takes you inside the East Bay Athletic League, writing about outlooks, updates and insights into all the sports, along with profiles of athletes, and opinions regarding controversial issues in high school sport.
The Big Picture is a hodgepodge of information this week as we bring you the highlights of the CIF State Cross Country Championships, Monte Vista’s NCS Football title and the All-EBAL teams from the fall.
EBAL Power Rankings have the final rankings for football this season. We are looking for the initial basketball rankings next week.
What to Watch has the schedules for some early season non-league basketball teams as EBAL teams take part in tournament action. CIF State Football Regional games are set for this next weekend! Check out the entire schedule for Northern and Southern California!
If you know of a great story or have any questions, please reach out either by email at acesgolf@aol.com or by phone at 925-200-0719.
From the sidelines,
Dennis Miller, Playbook Editor
Who made All-EBAL teams for fall sports
EBAL has revealed the All-League Fall Teams – see who made the cut. Plus, Monte Vista football wins NCS D-II title, and Tri-Valley runners compete at CIF State cross country meet.
Power Rankings as of Dec. 2.
EBAL FOOTBALL FINAL RANKINGS
Mountain Division
1. San Ramon Valley (6-5): Season over but the Wolves will keep the top spot due to their head-to-head win over Monte Vista.
2. Monte Vista (8-5): The Mustangs come out and take advantage of early turnovers to knock off Clayton Valley 24-10 and win the NCS D-II title. Play for a NorCal 3-AA title Friday night at St. Ignatius.
3. California (8-4): The Grizzlies see their season come to an end with a 35-21 loss to Monte Vista. It was a great start this season for Cal as the Grizzlies started 7-0.
4. Amador Valley (4-7): Season over as the Dons must start with a new coach as longtime coach Danny Jones is heading to Idaho with his family.
Valley Division
1. Livermore (9-2): Season is over but the Cowboys take the EBAL Valley title and look the team to beat moving forward.
2. Dublin (5-5): The Gaels were the second best team in the Valley this year, playing Livermore as good as anyone.
3. Granada (6-5): The Matadors dropped into the D-IV playoffs and beat Deer Valley in the first round before falling to eventual runner up Hayward.
4. Foothill (5-5): The Falcons stay as healthy as they have been but in the end, it was yet another year of being down in numbers.
Note: De La Salle is not used in the rankings since they get the automatic berth from the EBAL. De La Salle (12-0) defeated Pittsburg 24-17 to win the NCS Open Division. Will play Santa Margarita for the CIF Open title on Dec. 13.
Today (Dec. 2) – Non-league girls’ basketball: San Ramon Valley at St. Mary’s-Stockton, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday (Dec. 4) – Non-league boys’ basketball: Amador Valley vs. Carlmont at Riordan Showcase, 3 p.m.; San Ramon Valley vs. University at Riordan Showcase, 4:30 p.m.; California vs. Riordan at Riordan Showcase, 7:30 p.m.; Dougherty Valley vs. Lodi at Edison-Stockton Classic, 7 p.m.
Friday (Dec. 5) – CIF State Regional Football Championship Division 3–AA: North: Monte Vista, Danville (8-5) at St. Ignatius, S.F. (7-6) at 7 p.m.; South: Ventura (11-2) at Arroyo Grande (9-4) at 7:30 p.m.
Non-league boys’ basketball: California vs. Carlmont at Riordan Showcase, 4:30 p.m.; San Ramon Valley vs. St. Ignatius at Riordan Showcase, 6 p.m.; Amador Valley vs. Riordan at Riordan Showcase, 7:30 p.m.
Non-league girls’ basketball: Alameda at San Ramon Valley, 6 p.m.
Saturday (Dec. 6) – Non-league boys’ basketball: San Ramon Valley vs. Carlmont at Riordan Showcase, 1:30 p.m.; Amador Valley vs. St. Ignatius at Riordan Showcase, 3 p.m.; California vs. Acalanes at Riordan Showcase, 4:30 p.m.
2025 CIF Regional Football Championship Bowl Games
OPEN DIVISION: De La Salle (12-0) vs. Santa Margarita (10-3), Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. at Saddleback College
The following is the schedule for the 2025 CIF Regional Football Championship Bowl Games for Divisions 1-AA through 7-A. Winners from the NorCal and SoCal Regional games will advance to the CIF State Football Championship, Dec. 12-13, representing their respective divisions for the title of CIF State Champion.
DIVISION 1-AA: North: Archbishop Riordan, San Francisco (12-0) at Folsom (12-1), Friday at 7:30 p.m.; South: Cathedral Catholic (10-2) vs. Los Alamitos (12-2) at Long Beach CC, Friday at 7:30 p.m.
DIVISION 1-A: North: Central East, Fresno (11-1) at Pittsburg (12-1), Saturday at 6 p.m.; South: Pacifica, Oxnard (14-0) at Granite Hills (10-3), Saturday at 7 p.m.
DIVISION 2-AA: North: Serra, San Mateo (8-5) at St. Mary’s, Stockton (11-2), Friday at 7:30 p.m.; South: La Habra (11-3) at Bakersfield Christian (12-0) Friday at 7:30 p.m.
DIVISION 2-A: North: Woodcreek, Roseville (12-1) at Sonora (13-0), Saturday at 6 p.m. South: Rio Hondo Prep (14-0) vs. Santa Fe Christian (13-0) at Carlsbad HS, Saturday at 6 p.m.
DIVISION 3-AA: North: Monte Vista, Danville (8-5) at St. Ignatius, S.F. (7-6) Friday at 7 p.m. South: Ventura (11-2) at Arroyo Grande (9-4), Friday at 7:30 p.m.
DIVISION 3-A: North: Roseville (11-2) at McClymonds (10-2), Saturday at 6 p.m. South: RF Kennedy, Delano (11-3) at Carson (10-3), Saturday at 6 p.m.
DIVISION 4-AA: North: Sutter (12-1) vs. Ferndale (13-0) at Cal Poly Humboldt, Friday at 7:30 p.m. South: Immanuel, Reedley (13-0) at Barstow (10-3), Friday at 7:30 p.m.
DIVISION 4-A: North: El Cerrito (11-2) at Menlo-Atherton (7-6), Saturday at 6 p.m. South: Hillcrest, Riverside (8-5) vs. Beckman, Irvine (9-4) at Tustin HS, Saturday at 6 p.m.
DIVISION 5-AA: North: Bishop O’Dowd, Oakland (9-4) at Chico (11-2), Friday at 7:30 p.m. South: Christian, El Cajon (7-7) at Valley Christian, Cerritos (11-3), Friday at 7:30 p.m.
DIVISION 5-A: North: Miramonte, Orinda (8-5) at Calaveras, San Andreas (11-2), Saturday at 6 p.m. South: Bishop Union (11-3) at South Gate (11-3), Saturday at 6 p.m.
DIVISION 6-AA: North: Gridley (13-0) at Lincoln, San Jose (7-5), Friday at 7:30 p.m. South: Valley View, Moreno Valley (9-5) at Valley Center (7-6), Friday at 7:30 p.m.
DIVISION 6-A: North: Winters (12-1) at Minarets, O’Neal’s (12-1), Saturday at 6 p.m. South: Morse, San Diego (9-4) vs. Grace, Simi Valley (11-3) at Moorpark College, Saturday at 6 p.m.
DIVISION 7-AA: North: Redding Christian, Palo Cedro (13-0) at Middletown (11-2), Friday at 7:30 p.m. South: San Fernando (5-8) vs. Woodbridge, Irvine (6-8) at University HS, Friday at 7:30 p.m.
DIVISION 7-A: North: Piedmont Hills, San Jose (10-3) at Balboa, S.F. (10-2), Saturday at 12:30 p.m. South: Santee (10-4) at South El Monte (10-4), Saturday at 6 p.m.
Tickets for the 2025 CIF Regional Football Championship Bowl Games are available online only through CIF’s ticketing partner GoFan. Tickets went on sale at 12 p.m. Monday for the public.
Pleasanton Preps: Reminiscing with my former Amador soccer teammates and coach
“It was a couple of hours of telling stories, laughing and remembering some of the best days of our lives. In some ways it was like those high school days had never left.”
Dennis Miller is a veteran sports writer and editor, covering sports in the Tri-Valley for over 35 years. In addition to being the editor of Tri-Valley Preps Playbook, he has written a weekly column for Pleasanton Weekly and PleasantonWeekly.com, “Pleasanton Preps,” since 2011. Email him at sports@pleasantonweekly.com.
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