SEASIDE — We’ve been spoiled the past two years with Carmel and Palma landing keys to their cities, capturing state football titles — add Soquel to the mix if you’re counting programs from the Pacific Coast Athletic League.
All three programs took us on magical rides through the postseason, extending the season an extra five weeks, crossing into three different weather seasons over an 18-week journey.
That obviously didn’t occur this year as the bracket gods weren’t good to the PCAL. In fact, for just the third time in 17 years, not one team from the PCAL advanced to a Central Coast Section divisional title game. No one was practicing on Thanksgiving.
That’s not to suggest we didn’t witness some milestone moments this past fall, from seeing two players rush for over 2,000 yards to a program having a flawless regular season.
Yet, the story of the year was King City, which not only ended a 19-year playoff drought, but captured its first league title since 1982 with an undefeated Mission Division South season.
The Mustangs went out and set a school record with nine straight wins, knocking off Stevenson for the league title in front of one of the largest home crowds in the county to watch a game this year.
Carson Tidwell went over 2,000 yards rushing in 10 games, breaking the single-game county record with a 419-yard effort in a win over Alvarez.
The junior broke a record that had been in place since 1961, rewriting the Mustangs’ single-game, single-season, and career rushing records, while becoming the school’s all-time scoring leader.
King City’s only setbacks on the season came in its season opener against North Salinas, and in the postseason against Live Oak, both ‘A’ league teams. It was undefeated against programs — like them — that are classified as ‘B’ League opponents.
Tidwell will be back, along with seven starters on defense — including league Defensive Player of the Year Rocky Villanueva — that posted four shutouts.
Palma’s winning streak
Palma was the only team in the PCAL and one of four in the entire CCS to go undefeated in the regular season, going 10-0 for the first time since 1997 — making its CCS record 41st postseason appearance.
With Eli Dukes going over 2,000 yards for the second straight year, Palma averaged 40 points a game during the regular season, winning its eighth Gabilan Division title since the league was formed in 2012.
The Chieftains ended a seven-year losing skid in Gabilan Division play to Salinas by stopping a two-point conversion in overtime, while ending Soquel’s run of 17 straight league wins.
With Dukes and four-fifths of the offensive line returning next year, the senior could run for 3,000 yards if allowed, having averaged over 10 yards each time he touched the ball this past fall.
Palma’s path will likely take them back to the Open Division next fall. Yet, for the Chieftains to make a dent beyond the CCS semifinals, they have to be more confident in putting the ball in the air to afford them the ability to mount comebacks.
Carmel’s move up
A victim of its own success following a 15-0 run to a state championship in 2024, any chance of Carmel duplicating the feat vanished the minute the PCAL forced them into the Gabilan Division.
Not only did Carmel lose 15 starters to graduation, but it lost a quarterback who threw 42 touchdowns, a tailback that added 1,700 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns, and three receivers that accounted for 185 catches for 2,000 plus yards and 36 touchdowns.
Despite having one of the smallest enrollments of any private school in an ‘A’ Division in the CCS, the Padres finished fourth in the Gabilan Division with a 4-4 mark, before falling to Sacred Heart Prep in the Division II quarterfinals.
Other success stories
Stevenson’s jumped to the Mission Division South and opened the season with nine straight wins — the second best mark in school history, before falling to King City in its regular-season finale.
While record-setting quarterback Fin Mink and receiver Caden Olson put on an offensive show, the Pirates’ defense held its first nine opponents to 85 points.
Salinas was in a retooling mode in reaching the playoffs for a 17th straight year. It suffered four losses this year to teams that went a combined 41-5, including to CCS Open Division champion Riordan of San Francisco.
Marina celebrated its new stadium and field on campus with a school record four straight wins to open the season, while Alisal broke a single-game school record with a 62-point uprising over Monterey.
No one put together a season like Jayden Durate did for Alisal, accounting for 3,049 all-purpose yards, while scoring 39 touchdowns five different ways, including a pick-six on defense.
If you’re looking for the most improved team from the start of the season, Soledad, which started the year 0-4, won four of its final six games. It held leads in three of its six losses.
For all the offensive marks that were established this season, somewhat lost down in the Santa Lucia Division was Jeremiah Laui breaking the Seaside school record for sacks with a county-leading 26, including nine in one game.
One of the genuinely humble coaches in the county called it quits after eight seasons with North Salinas’ Ben Ceralde stepping down, having guided the program to four playoff appearances in the last five seasons.
