2016 Week 5: Saints and Dons Have Each Other in Sights

St. Augustine and Cathedral  are on a collision course and, unless Madison gums up their plans, will meet for the Western League championship at Mesa College in  Week 9, the winner being the favorite for the top seed in the San Diego Section Open Division playoffs.

Cathedral showed resolve last week, overcoming Helix leads of 21-0 and 28-7 to win, 35-28,  in a series in which Helix had won 7 of the previous meetings.

St. Augustine rolled  on Otay Ranch, 41-14.  Each team is 4-0, but Cathedral has a demanding intersectional opponent this week, playing host to Bakersfield Liberty.

St. Augustine has been ahead of the Dons in the Union-Tribune Top 10 poll since taking over the top spot in Week 2,  although Cathedral has played an arguably tougher intersectional  schedule, with wins over Reno Damonte Ranch and Modesto Central Catholic, while the Saints only venture outside the area was in a victory over Los Angeles Loyola.

 Cal-Prep Sports recognized Cathedral this week, jumping coach Sean Doyle’s team from 13th to 10th in the state top 25.  St. Augustine moved from 18th to 13th and Helix dropped from 14th to 21st.  Bubble teams are Madison, Oceanside, and Rancho Bernardo.

First-place votes in parenthesis.
Points awarded on basis of 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1.

NR–Not ranked.                                                                                                                         Others receiving votes: Grossmont (3-0, 17 points),  Valhalla (3-0, 1), San Marcos (2-1, 8), The Bishop’s (2-0, 1), Carlsbad (1-3, 1).*                                                                                    *Includes forfeit loss.

Twenty-seven sportswriters, sportscasters, and other representatives comprise the voting panel:

John Maffei, Union-Tribune. Terry Monahan, Don Norcross, Tom Saxe, Rick Hoff, Jim Lindgren,  Union-Tribune contributors. Michael Bower, Pomerado News. Lisa Lane, Fox 5 News. Montell Allen, MBA Sports-SDFNL Magazine. Brandon Stone, Rick Willis, KUSI, Channel 51. Adam Clark, Ted Mendenhall, Taylor Quellman, The Mighty 1090. Steve (Biff) Dolan, Mountain Radio 107.9 FM. Bob Petinak, 1360 Radio. Bill Dickens, Adam Paul, Chris Davis, eastcountysports.com. Bodie DeSilva, sandiegopreps.com. Drew Smith, sdcoastalsports.com. Raymond Brown, sdfootball.net. Rick Smith, partletonsports.com. Steve Brand, San Diego Hall of Champions. Jerry Schniepp, John Labeta, CIF San Diego Section. John (Coach) Kentera, Prep Talent Evaluator.

GILSTER HITS DOUBLE CENTURY

Rob Gilster coached his Valley Center squad to a 34-31 victory over Imperial last week for his 200th victory in a career that started in the  offensive line for legendary coach Chick Embrey at Escondido and then moved a few miles north and east.

Gilster ventured to the North end of Bear Valley Parkway in east Escondido and was 63-43 as head coach from 1989 to ’97, at which time Gilster traveled over the nearby hills and landed in Valley Center, where he began a Jaguar program that is one of the most successful in the San Diego Section.

Gilster is 137-74 with the Jaguars and Terry Monahan of The San Diego Union-Tribune noted such in  an outstanding article on Gilster that appeared Sept. 20.

LOOKING AHEAD

Win this week and nine teams would be 5-0, a high-falutin’ neighborhood for some.

Mt. Carmel has not been 5-0 since 1987, El Cajon Valley since 1997, and Rancho Bernardo, despite winning a state Division 3-A title with a 13-2 record last season, has not won its first five since 2005.

Looking back while looking ahead with the San Diego Section’s 9 teams that have 4-0 records:

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