CV football faces rematch with Campolindo in NCS semifinal

The second round of the North Coast Section Division 2 football playoffs is here.

Clayton Valley entered the playoffs with a 5-5 record. On Nov. 14, the Ugly Eagles hosted Windsor High School in the first round and won a tightly contested game 20-19 to improve to 6-5. They were led by star running back Jhadis Luckey who had 31 carries, rushed for 185 yards and a touchdown. He also recorded a 66-yard catch and touchdown.

This Friday, they take on Campolindo on the road, with the winner advancing to the NCS championship game.

 Clayton Valley coach Nick Tisa was asked about Luckey’s potential workload against Campolindo. 

“There’s never a set game plan of how many times we’re going to give Luckey the ball,” Tisa said. “It all depends on what they are going to do defensively. Campo was the last game where we did give him the ball quite a bit so it’s due or die here at this point. If need be, the best player will get the ball.”

Clayton Valley started quarterback Nolan Lopez against Windsor in place of quarterback Mirza Mann, who has started all regular season but was out last week with a concussion. Lopez threw a long 66-yard touchdown pass to Luckey. 

Mann has been cleared to return against Campolindo, and he’s expected to rotate in with Lopez.

Clayton Valley's defense stepped up in a first-round playoff win against Windsor, and now the Ugly Eagles will try to beat Campolindo for a second time. (Photo by Francisco Rivera)

Throughout the Windsor game, the Ugly Eagles’ defense stepped up in a big way. Over the course of the season, their defense was a weak point as they allowed 30-plus points in six games. Last Friday they showed major improvement and held Windsor to just 19 points. They were led by linebacker Carson Fife and safety Darris Glenn, who have both been offered scholarships by Division 1 programs.  

Tisa was asked about this defensive adjustment and how this defense has changed.

“It’s all about learning the scheme and trusting in the process stuff like that. Nothing much changes, just find the right guys that fit schemes and keep trusting the process and teaching the basics.”

Campolindo comes in as the No. 1 seed and No. 4 seed Clayton Valley plays on the road. During the regular season Clayton Valley handed Campolindo one of their two losses on the season with a close 21-19 victory. 

“It’s hard to beat a team twice. Man, it’s difficult,” Tisa said. “But, you know, I feel good. I feel confident.  I think our kids are going to be ready. They’ve been focused. We’ve had a good week of practice. Come game time they locked in and stuff like that. So we’ll see. I don't pay attention to seeds.”

On the other side of the bracket is Monte Vista and California high schools. They both will square off at Monte Vista as Monte Vista is the No. 2 seed with a 6-5 record and California is the No. 3 seed with a 8-3 record. The winner of this game advances to the Division 2 championship against the Clayton Valley-Campolindo winner.