More than one Boys HS championship game will be played in Moraga, Calif. this weekend as the Varsity Silver final will see Bishop O’Dowd face off with North Sacramento.

North Sac provided plenty of fireworks in the preliminary rounds, trundling over the Southside Irish and then beating in-conference rivals Danville (their 2nd team, that is) 60-25. The Warriors are now 8-0 in league play and feature some huge bodies, including a midfield that is perhaps the biggest in the country.

They face, in the final, Bishop O’Dowd, a very different team. BOD defeated previously-unbeaten Bullard in the quarterfinals 34-33 before holding off Elsie Allen 35-34.

“We had some really good play from our forwards,” said Bishop O’Dowd Head Coach Ray Lehner. “We were a little loose defensively, but our backline play is getting better and they’re getting more comfortable. Bullard and Elsie Allen are good teams. I’ve known [Elsie Allen Coach] Alan Petty for a long time and they have some excellent players.”

Center Paul Saccamano (four tries on the weekend), fullback Jose Moreno, and wing Christian Bratcher (three tries against Elsie Allen) played well over the weekend, and flanker Sam Deck led from the front in the pack. All will have to step up against an imposing North Sac team. 

“Turnover ball will be a big part of the game,” wanted Lehner. “North Sac has some really big players and we’re going to have to make sure we take them down with one-on-one tackles.”

Bishop O’Dowd started a little slower than some teams this season, and that was partly due to soccer season. Once the soccer season was over, they bolstered their roster, and after a 1-2 start, reeled off, including this past weekend, seven straight league wins. Their only loss was a close defeat at the hands of defending Idaho state champs Mountain View in Idaho.

The Warriors, meanwhile, will be disappointed in the number of forfeit wins they’ve received, but when permitted, they have unleashed a powerful offense.