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Week 1 of the high school football season has come and gone for East Bay Athletic League teams – and as always, there were mixed results.
Is it too early to look at one game and say it’s going to be a long season? Absolutely. Can we learn anything from week one? Once again, absolutely.
Let’s take a run around the teams of the EBAL and look at what the game does or does not mean.
Amador Valley (0-1): The Dons fell 16-0 to Vanden, an always tough program. The win was the 10th straight overall for Vanden. For the Dons, a young team with some inexperience at key positions, there were highlights. On the first offensive play, freshman back (yes, freshman is correct) Michael Harrington took a handoff to the right, cut back and raced over 50 yards for a touchdown. The play was called back for illegal formation, but it showed the excitement Harrington – who also starts at linebacker – brings to the table.
California (0-1): The Grizzlies jumped out to a 14-0 lead but then gave up 26 unanswered points on the way to a 32-21 loss to Liberty. Much like Amador, Cal opened with an always strong Liberty team. You know the Grizzlies will have a large say in the EBAL Mountain Division.
Dublin (0-1): The Gaels fell on the road 29-7 to Antioch. Of interest this week will be Dublin playing at Vanden, giving us a good measure as to how the Gaels and Amador stack up.
Dougherty Valley (1-0): It’s good to see the Wildcats back on the field and they opened the season with a 21-0 win over Mt. Eden. They will not play an EBAL team this season, but they will have a big game with Emerald later this year.
Foothill (1-0): The Falcons open the season with a convincing 26-8 win over Newark Memorial. Down on numbers, the Falcons will always show up and compete. Big game at home against Analy this week as they need as many non-league wins as they can get.
Granada (1-0): The Matadors go on the road and get a 19-7 win at Campolindo. I don’t know a ton about the Cougars this year, but they have been a solid program and to go in there on week one and get a win is huge for the Mats. Granada hosts Miramonte this week.
Livermore (0-1): The Cowboys are the defending EBAL Valley Division champs and went on the road to face a very good Ripon team, falling 27-24. I wouldn’t read too much into the loss, as teams like Ripon will only make the team stronger for the EBAL season.
Monte Vista (1-0): The Mustangs got what I felt was the best Week 1 win as they went to the North Bay and beat Marin Catholic 27-10. Blessed with a transfer quarterback, the Monte Vista offense looked in midseason form. Big trip to Liberty on Friday for a game that could have North Coast Section implications.
San Ramon Valley (1-0): If Monte Vista was the most impressive win, SRV was right behind them after going into El Cerrito and coming out with a 41-14 win. This week the Wolves head into the Central Valley and will face Enochs of Modesto.
Game of the Week: There were a couple to choose from, but I had to go with the Amador Valley at Livermore game. Both teams have postseason aspirations – and the truth is, the loser of the game will be 0-2 and behind the eight-ball.
I hate to say it, but it is almost a must-win for Amador as the Dons have Liberty in Week 3 and then a four-game closing schedule of San Ramon Valley, Monte Vista, De La Salle, and California.
Game time is 7:15 p.m. at Livermore.
Editor’s note: Dennis Miller is a contributing sports writer for the Pleasanton Weekly. This column originally appeared in Tri-Valley Preps Playbook, a weekly sports e-newsletter published by Embarcadero Media Foundation. To sign up for free, visit here.
