7 fall sports league titles go to 5 local schools
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA, CA (Nov. 13, 2021) — Five local schools claimed seven league championships as fall high school sports moved into post-season competition after the conclusion of East Bay and Diablo athletic league schedules.
In addition, Northgate and De La Salle boys and Carondelet girls captured North Coast Section water polo championships.
Clayton Valley Charter won the EBAL Mountain Division football title while its unbeaten girls tennis team won the DAL Valley Division.
De La Salle and Northgate boys rolled to EBAL and DAL Valley water polo crowns, respectively. Carondelet won the EBAL girls golf tournament and College Park girls team took DAL Valley water polo and golf titles.
Water Polo
Carondelet, Northgate and De La Salle won North Coast Section water polo championships Saturday.
Northgate boys backed up their top seeding with a 15-7 victory over Marin Catholic in Saturday’s championship match for the Broncos third NCS Division II title after earlier winning the DAL Valley championship. The Broncos finished the season with 19 wins in a row. This fall, the team placed third at the Sierra Shootout and Napa and won the Santa Theresa Invitational and the Tri-Valley Tournament.
No. 2 Carondelet edged fourth seed Marin Catholic 8-7 in the DII girls championship match for the Cougars first-ever NCS water polo title.
De La Salle, winner of the EBAL championship with an 8-0 record, beat 15-time champion Miramonte 15-12 in the Open Division finale. The Spartans won four NCS titles between 2000 and 2004 and claimed its fifth crown 17 years after its last championship.
College Park boys lost to No. 1 seed Redwood in the DI quarterfinals while CVCHS lost its opener in the same bracket. The Falcon girls were seeded fifth in DI after winning DAL Valley title and were ousted in the quarterfinals by James Logan.
Girls Golf
Carondelet won the EBAL tournament and then missed out advancing to the NorCal Tournament this week by one stroke at the NCS championships at Diablo Creek Golf Course in Concord. Sammie Miller shot 74 and Morgan Gamble 75 as the Cougars placed fourth at NCS with a 402 total.
College Park won the DAL Valley Division girls championship and Northgate also qualified for the Section meet.
League medalist Ellen Mingming of Northgate shot 70 to finish second overall at NCS and qualified for this week’s NorCal tournament as an individual. The junior beat her friendly rival Kaylen Tu of Miramonte, who was trying to become the first three-time league MVP.
Cross Country
Senior Oscar Gomez of De La Salle ran to the EBAL boys cross country championship last Saturday at Newhall Park in Concord winning the three-mile race by less than one second. The Spartans took fifth in the varsity race while Carondelet was seventh on the girls side.
Campolindo swept both DAL championships with College Park a close second in the boys race Saturday at Hidden Valley Park. Northgate was third in boys and fifth in girls. Clayton Valley Charter took fourth in the boys race.
Junior Alex Lamoureux won the DAL boys race for the Falcons. Daniel Messer of CVCHS was the first sophomore across the finish line in fourth overall. Nicholas Knisley of Northgate was fifth, Lev Afonine (CP) seventh, Aidan Sunbury (NG) eighth and Alex Walker of CVCHS ninth. College Park’s Jack Rattary was the first freshman in 11th place.
Megan Mallory was the top girls finisher in seventh place for the Northgate junior. Lindsey Reed was 12th for College Park, sophomore Skylar Bennett led CVCHS in 28th and Alana Sevier was Concord’s top runner in 34th.
The NCS Championships are Nov. 20 at Hayward High and the CIF State Championships one week later in Woodward Park in Fresno.
Girls Tennis
Undefeated Clayton Valley Charter won the DAL Valley Division title for the second time in three years and its senior doubles team of Emma Gius and Giovanna Fielding won the league championship and will take part next Monday in the NCS doubles tournament at Heritage High.
The Ugly Eagles will be in the NCS team tournament this Tuesday. Juniors Sofia Woolard and Adriana Alcasabas reached the Valley Division tournament finals and semi-finals, respectively.
Girls Volleyball
Carondelet was the fourth seed in North Coast Section Division II and won two matches before falling to top seed and eventual champion Marin Catholic in the semi-finals. The Cougars are top seed at NorCal this week in Division III, opening play Thursday after a first-round bye.
Northgate was seeded sixth and beat crosstown rival Las Lomas in its opening NCS match before losing in the quarterfinals. Tenth seed College Park lost in the opening round.
Jay Bedecarré
Jay Bedecarré is a long-time resident and writer in Concord and Clayton. He began his newspaper writing career while still a senior at Mt. Diablo High School and he has been part of The Pioneer since its inception in 2003. Jay also operates Bay Area Festivals, presenting events around the San Francisco Bay Area including Bay Area KidFest annually in Downtown Concord.