On The Prep Beat: Spotlighting The Area's Top Playmakers

Two teams left: With the North Coast Section football playoffs down to the semifinals, only two teams from the ACCAL and BSAL remain: Encinal and Pinole Valley. Here's a quick look at each team's semifinal matchup:

No. 4 Encinal at No. 1 Marin Catholic — Saturday, 1 p.m.

For the first time since their Sept. 18 loss to Serra, the Jets will enter a game as the underdog. The 12-0 Wildcats haven't been challenged since 28-20 win over Berkeley on Sept. 18, and have given up less than two points per game in their last seven contests. These two teams last met in the NCS championship game last season, which the Wildcats won 27-0.

No. 3 Rancho Cotate at No. 2 Pinole Valley — Saturday, 7 p.m.

When these two met in September, Pinole Valley stormed back from a 14-0 deficit to win 23-21. After the Spartans' quarterfinal win over Washington, coach Steve Alameda said, "It's really tough to beat a good team twice in one season." The Cougars have now won 11 straight and will be eager to avenge their only loss of the season.

20 Top Playmakers

With the regular season now over and All-league teams being released, this is a good time to spotlight some of the top talents from around the ACCAL and BSAL. So I put together a list of the 20 playmakers who caught my eye this season. (Note: All of these guys are from Patch-covered schools, so that's why there's no representation from league powers St. Patrick/St. Vincent and Berkeley). Here they are, in alphabetical order.

Zac Alfers — Alameda — wide receiver: Alfers was one of the Hornets only top skill position players to finish the year without a season-ending injury, and he played a key role in getting Alameda into the playoffs, finishing with 417 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

Jonathan Allen — Encinal — running back/linebacker: Among Encinal's armada of running backs, Allen was the workhorse. Through 12 games, he leads the team with 1,116 yards, despite the fact that he's had four games with fewer than 10 carries.

Bo Banks — Encinal — wide receiver/defensive back: Banks has done it all for the Jets this season. As a wideout, he leads the team with 19 catches for 352 yards. As a defensive back, he leads the Jets with four picks. He also found the time to rush for 103 yards, make 57 tackles and throw for 46 yards and a touchdown.

Chris Carnegie — St. Mary's — wide receiver/defensive back: Perhaps the most dangerous receiver in the BSAL, Carnegie helped the Panthers' passing game stay afloat when quarterback Francisco Torres went down, finishing with 566 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

Antoine Davis — Pinole Valley — defensive end: Davis was a menace all over the field for the Spartans, getting into the backfield to pressure the quarterback or blow up running plays. He also made some big plays on special teams throughout the year.

Travis Feeney — Pinole Valley — linebacker/safety: He projects to be a cornerback next year at Arizona, but for the Spartans, Feeney often lined up at linebacker and safety, where he was a guarantee to wreak havoc on nearly every play. His interception last week against Washington helped put the Spartans in the semifinals. 

Kevin Fortich — Hercules — quarterback: Fortich threw for 987 yards and 15 touchdowns and nearly led the Titans to the playoffs.

Malachi Harris — Pinole Valley — cornerback: The third member of the Spartans' stellar defense to be mentioned on this list, Harris shut down some of the ACCAL's top receivers, including Alameda's Zac Alfers and El Cerrito's Jalen Harvey. He also made two crucial interceptions in the Spartans' NCS quarterfinal win over Washington.

Eric Huppert — Piedmont — quarterback: This was a rough season for the Highlanders, but it could have been a lot worse without Huppert's solid quarterbacking. He threw for 1,070 yards and 13 touchdowns with only six interceptions.

James Lewis — Pinole Valley — running back: The most dynamic rusher in either league, Lewis posted monster numbers in some of the Spartans' biggest games, including wins over Washington (243 yards), El Cerrito (198 yards) and Hercules (199 yards). He also scored the game-winning touchdown in the Spartans' enormous 16-14 win over Berkeley.

Lyonel Louis — El Cerrito — linebacker/tight end: The teams who had success running against El Cerrito were the ones who located Louis before each play, and then ran away from him. Physical and fast, Louis was one of the best defensive players in any league in the Bay Area. He also made some big catches from his tight end position.

Joshua Morrow — Encinal — offensive and defensive line: Easily the BSAL's best lineman, Morrow keyed the Jets' running game all season long.

Nico Murillo — Hercules — running back: Murillo not only led the team with 1,008 rushing yards but also with 18 catches.

Chance Moses — St. Mary's — running back: A big-play threat anytime he touched the ball, Moses made an enormous impact for the Panthers as a rusher, a receiver and a returner. He rushed for 1,029 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.

James Savage — El Cerrito — running back: Like the guy listed directly above him, Savage was a big-play threat on a mid-level contender. He returned at least two kickoffs for touchdowns and finished with 927 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. 

Byron Thomas — El Cerrito — quarterback: Thomas didn't match the gaudy statistics of his junior season, but he was still the best passer in the ACCAL, throwing for 1,294 yards and 15 touchdowns with only four interceptions.

Dave Thomas — St. Mary's — defensive end: The undersized but quick lineman spent the entire season terrorizing opposing quarterbacks.

Jon Trodder — Encinal — running back/kicker: Trodder seems to break big runs on a weekly basis, rushing for more than 11 yards per carry on his way to 661 yards. He's also caught nine passes for 242 yards and made 42 extra points as the team's kicker.

Ben Roberson — Albany — wide receiver: It was a miserable season for the Cougars, but Roberson gave Albany a big-play threat on the outside, catching 27 passes for 447 yards.

John Ruck — Alameda — quarterback/linebacker: Ruck starred all season on the defensive side of the ball for the Hornets, but when starting quarterback Tom Ruckman suffered a season-ending injury, Ruck took on the quarterbacking duties and filled in valiantly in leading his team to the playoffs.