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SERRA: FATHER, SON CHERRISH MOMENT
Lengthy after the ultimate whistle, Patrick Walsh stood outdoors the Serra locker room blinking again tears. Not as a result of the Padres’ season had ended, however due to who he bought to share it with.
Moments earlier, his son, junior receiver Charlie Walsh – not the barefoot child in a Chewbacca swimsuit operating down the Serra sidelines – had walked off the sector in tears after Serra’s heartbreaking 31-24 loss to St. Mary’s-Stockton within the NorCal Division 2-AA title sport on Friday night time.
NORWALK, CA – DECEMBER 14: Serra head coach Patrick Walsh coaches on the sideline together with his son Charlie, 11, whereas enjoying Corona del Mar within the first quarter of the 2019 CIF State Soccer Championship Division 1-A Bowl Recreation at Cerritos Faculty in Norwalk, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group)
Serra's Charles Walsh (1) appears to be like on after defeating Valley Christian at Valley Christian Excessive College in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. (Thien-An Truong for Bay Space Information Group)
Within the quiet of the locker room, father embraced his son, telling him how proud he was that he had the chance to teach him this season.
For Walsh, seeing Charlie thrive on the sector brings out the dad in him.
“There’s been opportunities for me to move on and coach at other levels, but to be able to coach my son, that is the Super Bowl for me,” Walsh mentioned. “I love these kids, and I have for 25 years. But when it’s my own blood and my wife’s in the stands and we’re sharing stories at home … it just hits different.”
Charlie grew up residing the Serra custom. Each observe, each movie session, each sport felt like a continuation of a childhood spent darting throughout the sidelines, soaking in this system’s heartbeat lengthy earlier than he placed on the Serra blue and gold.
However attending to expertise this season together with his father was one thing Charlie will at all times cherish.
“He’s just been there for me no matter what. He’s been the best dad anyone could ask for,” Charlie mentioned. “I cried in his arms right after the game, and I’ll never forget that.”
The journey will proceed for the Walsh duo.
Charlie was a do-it-all participant for Serra, ending the yr with 1,066 all-purpose yards and 7 touchdowns. The 5-foot-6 receiver is slated to be one in all Serra’s featured gamers subsequent season together with quarterback William Orr, operating backs Jeovanni Henley and Andrew Takapautolo and highly-touted security Malakai Taufoou.
“I love that kid and I’m proud that we can build a future around him because he truly loves Serra,” Walsh mentioned of Charlie.
– Nathan Canilao
BISHOP O’DOWD: ‘NO ONE WOULD EVER HAVE THOUGHT’
Bishop O’Dowd coach Hardy Nickerson laughed on Saturday morning when requested about taking his workforce to a state championship sport.
“Well, at Week 4 and Week 5, no one would ever have thought,” Nickerson mentioned, hours after his workforce returned residence on a bus from edging Chico 23-20 on Friday night time for the NorCal 5-AA championship. “But I just kept preaching to our kids, ‘Hey, don’t worry about the record. We going to keep playing.’”
Apart from a late-season hiccup at James Logan, which price O’Dowd an outright league championship, the Dragons have sizzled.
They’ve received 5 in a row and 9 of 10, bouncing again from a 1-3 begin that included consecutive losses to Mater Dei Catholic of Chula Vista, Rancho Cotate and Cardinal Newman.
“We played some really tough opponents early in the season, and it would have been easy for us to just fold up and count the season as it was,” Nickerson mentioned. “But we’ve got a special group of kids, and they really are resilient. They continue to work hard, and they’re looking to improve at every opportunity. It’s just been fun to watch.”
O’Dowd’s season will finish Friday in opposition to Christian of El Cajon at Buena Park Excessive College Stadium.
At stake: The 5-AA state championship.
— Darren Sabedra
PITTSBURG: PIRATES KEEP HEADS UP
Pittsburg’s RJ Mosley Jr. (2) makes a one handed landing catch in opposition to Central East’s Jontae Della (6) within the first quarter of their CIF NorCal Division 1-A Championship sport at Pittsburg Excessive College in Pittsburg, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. Central East defeats Pittsburg 55-36. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group)
Pittsburg’s season didn’t finish the way in which it needed.
The Pirates suffered a crushing 55-36 loss to Central East-Fresno on Saturday night time within the Division I-A title sport, Pittsburg’s worst loss since 2019.
However following the defeat, coach Charlie Ramirez didn’t sulk. He and his workforce marched into the locker room with their spirits intact.
For Pittsburg, the ache of the second couldn’t erase the pleasure it carried.
“As a program, this was mission accomplished in my opinion,” Ramirez mentioned. “We made a NorCal title game for the fifth year in a row. There’s something to be proud of about that because it’s never happened before in this program. We’re here showing everybody that doubted us this year.”
Earlier than the beginning of the season, there have been questions on whether or not Pittsburg may get up to now once more after graduating greater than half its roster and a majority of final yr’s starters. However with a younger workforce, Pittsburg went on to win a league and part title whereas making it to a different NorCal championship sport.
“It’s a tough way to go out, but the Pittsburg Pirates have a lot to be proud of this season,” senior broad receiver RJ Mosley mentioned. “We came a long way from spring ball to get to this point now, so I’m just super proud of this team.”
– Nathan Canilao
MENLO-ATHERTON: HAKA HONORS POLYNESIAN CULTURE
There could also be no higher solution to get able to play a soccer sport than to carry out a pregame haka.
The haka is a conventional dance originating from Māori tradition in New Zealand which includes vigorous actions, rhythmic shouting, and highly effective expressions of unity, respect and identification.
It’s mostly related to the dynastic All Blacks rugby workforce from New Zealand, however plenty of soccer groups that includes Polynesian gamers have adopted it as a pregame ritual.
Menlo-Atherton is a type of groups. The Bears carried out a haka earlier than their NorCal 4-A playoff sport in opposition to El Cerrito, and it remodeled what had been a sleepy pregame environment right into a game-ready setting.
“It’s really important for our Polynesian student-athletes to be able to engage with something culturally significant that way,” M-A coach Chris Saunders mentioned. “But in addition, I believe it actually embodies one thing about our faculty. We’re extraordinarily numerous, and you may see that in our soccer workforce and coming collectively in a extremely cultural factor that means.
“And two, it’s something the football team has traditionally done. So there’s another element and thread of tradition embedded in there for us.”
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M-A went on to narrowly lose to El Cerrito 20-16.
— Christian Babcock
BY THE NUMBERS
10: De La Salle will attempt to win its first state championship in 10 years Saturday night time within the Open closing in opposition to Santa Margarita at Saddleback Faculty in Mission Viejo.
7: Variety of state championships DLS has received in 16 appearances for the reason that CIF added state video games in 2006. The seven state titles are probably the most all-time, two forward of Folsom.
4: Variety of state championships McClymonds has received in six appearances. The Oakland powerhouse is within the 3-A closing.
1: Bishop O’Dowd’s state championship win whole. The Dragons will likely be showing of their second state closing Friday.
0: Earlier state championship sport appearances for state-bound St. Ignatius, El Cerrito and Lincoln-San Jose.
— Darren Sabedra
