The countdown is down to just hours for Aptos as it prepares for Friday night’s Central Coast Section Division III semifinals game at Palo Alto.
As both teams finalize gameplans and strategies, they’re also anticipating a battle against wet conditions with rain predicted to fall minutes just before kickoff.
Aptos coach Zach Hewett and the rest of the coaching staff kept buckets of water handy during this week’s practices as the players worked on wet ball drills and ball control.
“I’m sure [Palo Alto will] have a plan, too,” he said.
The No. 7 seeded Mariners (6-5) travel to the Bay Area to take on the No. 3 Vikings (6-5). Kickoff is slated for 7pm.
Palo Alto placed tied for fourth alongside Sacred Heart Prep with 1-4 records in the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division—the “A+” tier of the five divisions within the league.
“They are very similar to us,” Hewett said. “A good team with good players in one of the hardest leagues around.”
Aptos along with Hollister, Palma, Monterey, Salinas and Soquel—this year’s Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division champion—each qualified for the postseason.
Each member in the PAL Bay Division: Sacred Heart Prep, Menlo School, Menlo-Atherton, Los Gatos and league champion Wilcox each advanced into the CCS playoffs.
“I can’t say it’s like looking in a mirror, but there’s a definite recognition that they’ve been through the same thing we have,” Hewett said. “They’re just as battle tested and scarred.”
In 2023, Aptos didn’t qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2009. This season they placed fourth with a 2-4 record in the PCAL Gabilan Division—the “A” tier of the four divisions within the league. They earned the fourth and final automatic postseason berth.
The Mariners are coming off a stunning win over No. 2 Willow Glen of San Jose in last week’s D-III playoff opener.
Palo Alto has a strong rushing attack. They are led by senior running backs Joseph Kessler and Isaiah Phillips.
Kessler has 606 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 68 carries, while Phillips has 528 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 72 carries this season.
Junior receiver Jake Wang has also been in the mix in the backfield with four rushing touchdowns on just 11 carries, which means he could be a threat in goal line situations.
The Mariners are stacked with a potent rushing game by keeping the Wing-T offense alive and well. Seniors Dylan Guisado, Casey MacConnell, Damian Suchil and Nate Garcia, along with junior Gavin McDonald should keep Palo Alto’s defense off balance by using speed and deception.
“[Palo Alto] has some good sized kids playing defense for them, but if we can get them to hesitate and attack them with angles and fakes like that, then we feel good about being able to play with anybody,” Hewett said.
Aptos’ defense will have to keep an eye on sophomore quarterback Justin Fung, who completed 63 percent (134 for 212) of his pass attempts for 1,655 yards, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions for the Vikings this season.
His main targets are receivers senior Jeremiah Fung and Wang, who each have hauled in four touchdown receptions.
Fung leads the team with 607 receiving yards on 33 receptions, while Wang has a team-best 45 receptions for 405 yards. The Mariners will also have to focus on junior Dylan Robinson, who has 13 receptions for 220 yards and three touchdowns.
Aptos has been on the big stage before. They’ve won five section titles (2003, ‘13, 14, 15 and ‘18) including four under recently retired head coach Randy Blankenship, who was in person to watch last week’s playoff win over Willow Glen.
Hewett was part of the coaching staff when the Mariners went on title runs in 2018 and ‘15, winning a D-III and D-IV title, respectively. He knows what it takes for a team to reach the mountain top.
“It’s not always the most talented team that advances in the playoffs,” Hewett said. “Sometimes it’s just the team that’s not ready to be done playing with each other. Teams that are close, it’s hard to let each other down and it’s hard to look at the prospect of this might be it. Some teams will go down swinging and some teams will just kind of let go.”
