Sat. & Sun., Nov. 29-30, 2025
We watched a lot of football this weekend from the comfort of home for once.
Where to start?
Our main focus was on the
Oregon (10-1) at Washington (8-3) game
Since this battle for Pacific Northwest Bragging Rights didn't kickoff until 12:30 p.m., we had time to watch another great rivalry game in the 9:00 a.m. window.
The #1 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-0) at . . .
. . . the #15 Michigan Wolverines (9-2)
It was all Buckeyes in this one as Ohio State cruised to a 27-9 victory.
The better team won.
It was time but on what channel
was it being televised?
Indeed it was on CBS
Wishful thinking
We would need this type
of effort to beat the Ducks
Maybe, if we fed the Huskies some Herfy's
burgers, staples of the Seattle fine dining
scene in the 1960s, it would help
The better team won again
My biggest concern for the 2025 edition of the Huskies has been the disappearing Offense in the losses.
During their eight wins, Washington have scored 368 points, an average of 46.0 points/game.
In the four losses, all Big-10 games, to Ohio State (12-0), Michigan (9-3), Wisconsin (4-8) and Oregon (11-1), the Huskies were held to a total of 37 points, a meager average of 9.25 points/game.
I get it, three of those teams are ranked in the final Top 25 poll and the Wisconsin game was played in horrid upper Midwest weather conditions but still, if we are going to compete for a Big-10 title we need to score in the big games and in typical late season atmospheric calamities.
Michael and Jacob had joined us for the Husky game but decided that they did not want to join me for the Ventura H.S. C.I.F.-Southern Section DVI Championship game tonight in Downey, about a two hour drive from Camarillo.
I decided that I did not want to drive that far on a Saturday night by myself, so Laurie and I settled down to watch the Battle for the Bell and the accompanying Los Angeles City Bragging Rights between USC (8-3) and UCLA (3-8).
I was hoping for an upset but . . .
For the third time today,
the better team won
After Saturday's games,
a new AP Top 25 was published
The Huskies lost to #1 Ohio State, #4 Oregon and the #18 Michigan.
And to Wisconsin.
As for the Ventura game that we did not attend . . .
The 11-2 Cougars travelled to take on the
7-6 St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy Warriors
This one was no contest, the better team won for a fourth time today. Ventura (12-2) demolished SPXSMA (7-7), 63-28, to win the C.I.F.-S.S. DVI crown.
The game was not as close as the score might indicate.
The Cougars have fielded STRONG
football teams over the many decades
This C.I.F.-S.S. title is the third in the program's five trips to the playoff finals.
1951 C.I.F.-S.S.
Northern Division Co-Champions
Ventura 14 - Paso Robles 14
1984 C.I.F.-S.S.
Coastal Conference Finalists
Camarillo 14 - Ventura 12
2000 C.I.F.-S.S.
Division IV Champions
Ventura 27 - Arroyo Grande 18
2004 C.I.F.-S.S.
Division IV Finalists
St. Bonaventure 42 - Ventura 14
2025 C.I.F.-S.S.
Division VI Champions
Ventura 63 - St. Pius X-St. Matthias 28
Ventura moves on to the
Southern California Regional game
In effect, this is the California State Semifinal Game in the state playoff's Division 3-AA.
Ventura (12-2), the C.I.F.-Southern Section DVI Champions, travel north to play the Arroyo Grande H.S. Eagles (10-4) who won the C.I.F.-Central Section's Division II title. The kickoff is set for Friday evening at 7:00 p.m.
The winner of this game will play the winner of the Northern California Regional between the C.I.F.-Central Coast DII Champions St. Ignatius College Prep (7-6) Wildcats and the C.I.F.-North Coast DII Champion Monte Vista H.S. Mustangs (8-5) for the California State Division 3-AA Championship..
As for Ventura County's other two
C.I.F.-Southern Section Champions . . .
California Division 1-A Playoffs
Oxnard's Pacifica H.S. Tritons (14-0), C.I.F.-Southern Section DIII Champions, travel to San Diego to take the measure of the C.I.F.-San Diego Section's DI Champion Granite Hills H.S. Eagles (10-3) on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m.
The winner plays for a State Championship vs. the winner of the Pittsburg H.S. Pirates (11-2), C.I.F.-North Coast DI Champions, and Fresno's Central East H.S. Bengals (12-1) who won the C.I.F.-Central Section DI-AA Championship.
California Division 6-A Playoffs
Simi Valley's Grace H.S. Lancers (11-3), C.I.F.-Southern Section DXII Champions, get a home game at Moorpark College on Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. in the state's Division 6-A, against the C.I.F.-San Diego Section's DV Champion Morse H.S. Tigers (9-4).
Awaiting the winner of this contest for the State Title will be the best 6-A team from Northern California, the survivor of the game between the Minarets H.S. Mustangs (13-1), the C.I.F.-Central Section's DVI Champions and the Winters H.S. Warriors (12-1), the C.I.F.-Northern Section DIV Champions.
Good friend Michael D'Antuono
now lives in Seattle and roots
for the O'Dea Fighting Irish (12-1)
O'Dea will play the Mount Tahoma H.S. T-birds (13-0) at Husky stadium in Seattle on Friday at 7:00 p.m. for the Washington State 3A Championship. That should be a great game!
Which brings us to a bizarre story in this age of competitive equity based playoffs in California.
The Woodbridge Warriors (6-8)
beat the Montebello Oilers (7-7)
for the C.I.F.-Southern Section
DXIII Championship
The back story on this comes from Woodbridge H.S. Head Baseball Coach/Athletic Director Ryan Brucker whose parents, Sandy and Loren, we've known since our days the University of Washington in the late 1960s.
Woodbridge started the season losing their FIRST SEVEN games. Playing in Orange County's Omicron League, they finished the regular season with 2-8
overall record but were 2-3 in league games, good enough for a three-way tie for Third Place.
A coin flip was required to break the tie which, after several flips, the Warriors finally won thus earning them a spot in the playoffs.
A month later, here they sit with a completely improbable C.I.F. Championship.
The Woodbridge path to a State Division 7-AA Championship starts at Irvine's University H.S. this Friday at 7:30 p.m. against the C.I.F.-Los Angeles City Section's DII Champion San Fernando H.S Tigers (11-3).
The winner plays the winner of the Northern California Division 7-AA Regional game. It this one, the Middleton H.S. Mustangs (11-2), the C.I.F.-North Coast Section DVII Champions are scheduled to play the C.I.F.- Northern Section DV Champion Redding Christian H.S. Lions (13-1).
We still have two more weeks of action packed football in California ahead of us, hopefully we'll make it to a few games.
Our final note on high school football playoffs comes from our recent trip to South Carolina.
We saw the Westside Rams play
their opening round game of the
South Carolina AAAA State Playoffs
the night before attending the
Florida State-Clemson game
This past Friday night, the #4 seed in the Upper State bracket Westside H.S. Rams (9-5) lost to the #1 seeded South Pointe H.S. Stallions (13-1), 40-0, in the State Semifinal game.
OUCH!
South Pointe now plays the #1 seed from the Lower State bracket, the South Florence H.S. Bruins (13-1) for the South Carolina AAAA State Championship next Saturday.
As for our Westside Rams, you can't say that they played an easy schedule. Their five losses came, in order, at the hands of Vestavia Hills (8-3), T'L. Hanna (10-2), Belton-Honea Path (14-0), Prince Avenue Christian (8-4) and South Pointe (13-1).
Belton-Honea Path will take on Oceanside Collegiate Academy (12-2) in the South Carolina AAA State Championship game next Friday.
That's five losses to five schools with a combined record of 53-10.
YIKES!
American football news from the Continent . . .
Italy's DI is getting ready
to start its 2026 campaign
Italy's top league will have
ten team this coming season
2026 Italian Football League
Ancona Dolphins
Bologna Warriors
Ferrara Aquile
Firenze Guelfi
Lazio Marines
Legnano Frogs
Milano Rhinos
Parma Panthers
Torino Giaguari
Varese Skorpions
They will all be fighting for the
right to play in Italian Bowl XLV
in Ferrara on July 4, 2026
Go Skorpions GO!
In France, our old club coached by
Julien Urgenti, the Villeurbanne Falcons
improved to 2-0 by beating their
crosstown rival Lyon Gones on Sunday
Our Los Angeles Rams (9-2) travelled
to play the Carolina Panthers (6-6)
The Rams were on a roll, currently in possession of the NFC's #1 playoff seed.
The roll came to an abrupt stop
in North Carolina
Three Offensive turnovers, including a Pick-Six, spelled doom to our beloved Rams, the Panthers' Offense had zero turnovers.
The Chicago Bears (9-3) now hold the NFC's #1 playoff seed.
Who knew that such a book even existed?
After the Rams game was over, we drowned our weekend's football sorrows by starting to proudly put up our Christmas decorations about our home.
I started with our University of Washington ornaments that we have accumulated over the years thanks to the annual generosity of Paul Sabolić.
Our traditional presentation spot
was this hall tree
Last year we moved some to this buffet
that we inherited from my mother
This year we put all 22 of our
cherished Husky ornaments on a tree
What do you think?
Finally, thoughts from the net . . .
HERESY!
Well, it might make MAGA
happier, especially at Halftime
of Super Bowl LX
WHAT THE HELL!
Bottom line, Spain DOES exist
THANK GOD!
