NorCal Girls Playoffs Confused but Competitive
NorCal Girls Playoffs Confused but Competitive
The April 9 NorCal matches have revealed who will be continuing on for the cup, plate, bowl, and shield this coming weekend for the Northern California Girls HS Championships. Or did they?
"There is a disconnect between the girl's league and the competition's manager," NorCal chairman Karen Chance said. "According to the NorCal website, the cup championship is technically this weekend."
However, Sacramento Police Athletic League Amazon coach David Tausinga disagrees. "Last weekend was the NorCal cup," Tausinga said. "Everybody has it mistaken. All the teams that were supposed to play against us during the NorCal season pretty much forfeited because they didn't want to play against us. Us playing Pleasanton is just an extra game before we go into Nationals."
Last weekend, the Amazons beat Danville 26-7, but Pleasanton will have a go at SacPal this weekend. Pleasanton lost to the Amazons by 38 points earlier this season, and they also lost to Danville. So for many, it seems like the Amazons have already clinched the cup. However, Pleasanton coach Steve Lopez sees it differently.
"I was told two different things, and it's confusing," Lopez said. "If we win, then I think we have a valid argument; if we lose, then it's just a moot point. If we play our game and win, then people can debate it, but I think we are one of the better teams in the country. In the past few years, we have beaten the Amazons and Danville and Fallbrook. In any given day, we can beat anybody."
It is still unclear what the results of this weekend will be if Pleasanton proves to be the better team and walks away as a victor.
The plate, bowl, and shield games are a little more cut-and-dry though. Bishop O'Dowd took a 29-14 victory from the Renegades to face Land Park, who won 24-5 against the Crusaders, for the plate. O'Dowd was led by the hard running and tackling of No. 8 HS All American Bianca Ortiz-Pallen, also the captain of the Lady Dragons. O'Dowd scored early and never looked back.
The Renegades and the Crusaders will compete in the consolation match.
The bowl will consist of a round robin between Mother Lode (who beat Sierra 52-12), Vacaville (who beat Clayton Valley 39-16), and the Cougars (over Berkeley via forfeit). Sierra, Clayton Valley, and Berkeley will compete in a consolation round robin for the shield.