Prep Spotlight: St. Francis volleyball senior Gowdy does it all on — and off — the court
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ST. FRANCIS: SENIOR CAPTAIN LEADS THE WAY
Grace Gowdy does a little bit of everything for St. Francis.
Listed as a right-side hitter on the Lancers’ roster, Gowdy plays all six rotations for St. Francis and rarely comes out of a game. But her versatility extends off the court as well.
During a match against St. Ignatius on Oct. 17, a mid-set stoppage ensued when a foreign substance – possibly water or popcorn – spilled onto the court. In the midst of a minutes-long delay, Gowdy left her position on the other side of the court and sprinted to a storage closet, procuring a towel and then heading over to wipe the spillage off the floor.
The match resumed shortly thereafter, and St. Francis emerged with a 3-0 sweep.
“It’s awesome,” Lancers coach Lake Merchen said. “Every year, you go into the season, you’re like, ‘Alright, who’s going to step up? Who’s going to be the one that we can put a little bit more responsibility on to do all those little things that kind of slip through the cracks?’ Make sure that the team is ready to go on time. Clean up whatever’s on the court.
“Not that that’s something we’d ever ask her to do. But I think that speaks to her character and the kind of kid that she is, where she’s like, ‘Hey, I’m not going to wait for anyone else to do this. You don’t have to ask me. I’m just going to go get it done.’”
For junior middle blocker Ella Fulton, Gowdy’s leadership has been essential in shepherding along a young group with only four seniors.
“She shows what a Lancer is and what the program is,” Fulton said. “We want to follow in her footsteps. She doesn’t even need to say stuff. Her actions show us what kind of a leader she is and what kind of player we want to be, what kind of teammate we want to be.”
– Christian Babcock
LIBERTY: SENIORS HOPING TO CAP OFF STELLAR SEASON
Seniors on Liberty’s flag football team have had their sights on one goal this season: Winning a North Coast Section championship.
The ballyhooed senior class that is led by star quarterback Shyanne Smith has led Liberty (17-1, 7-0) on a magical season that has the Lions ranked 27th in the nation, according to Maxpreps.
“We want to win the (Bay Valley Athletic League) back-to-back,” Smith said. “But not only that, we want to take NCS too. That’s the mission.”
Liberty has arguably been the best team in Northern California with the only blemish on its record being a 20-6 loss to San Ramon Valley earlier this season.
The Brentwood school has put up video game-type numbers this season, averaging 29 points per game. Wide receivers Nicole Oji, Ashlee Butler and Kaia Bautista are dynamic players who excel in both deep and intermediate routes.
Liberty could lock up a league title with a win over Heritage next week and have a good shot at obtaining a top-four seed to host a playoff game.
“Hopefully we’ll host a game and I don’t care who it is,” said Liberty coach Matt Malzahn.
– Nathan Canilao
LINCOLN-BRANHAM: FLAG FOOTBALL SHOWDOWN
The best teams in the Blossom Valley Athletic League will finish their season in what could be essentially a league championship matchup.
Lincoln-San Jose and Branham have been high-scoring juggernauts all season, and the last time they met, Branham won in triple-overtime 31-25.
Branham is led by quarterback Carla Granados Perez and her 42 touchdown passes. Sophomore Sydney Short brings the defense with 21 sacks, and also has a team-high 10 touchdown receptions. Jade Rugnao and Autumn Burns have combined for 15 total touchdowns.
“This squad does well highlighting each others individual talents and strengths,” Branham coach Dana Nisich said. “They also trust in one another’s ability to make the big play.”
Lincoln is led by Cecile Giguere, who has rushed for 1,454 yards and 16 touchdowns. Elizabeth Satterfield (1,141 yards and 19 touchdowns) is the top target for QB Aislin Seaton (44 passing touchdowns). Miranda Patino leads the team with 87 flag pulls, and Giguere has 27 sacks.
“We’ve done a lot to help the sport grow … and it’s been fun to watch,” Lincoln coach Alic Ho said.
– Joseph Dycus
MITTY-ST. FRANCIS: WHICH SOUTH BAY POWERHOUSE WILL REIGN SUPREME?
Speaking of St. Francis, things are shaping up for another titanic clash against Archbishop Mitty in the CCS championship. The two teams hold the top two spots in the Bay Area News Group rankings and matched up in the CCS title game last year.
So which one is poised to claim the crown this year? St. Ignatius coach Saga Vae, who has faced both, shared his opinion after the Wildcats’ matchup with the Lancers on Oct. 17.
“I see Mitty with everyone back now,” he said. “With the whole team 100% and ready, they’ll be (tough to beat). More weapons. Both teams are great.”
Mitty does seem to be the favorite of late. The Monarchs lost their first match of the season against St. Francis 3-1 on Sept. 14.
Since then, they have gone 16-2 overall, losing only to out-of-region teams Marymount-Los Angeles (2-1) and Torrey Pines-San Diego (2-1) in tournament play. Oh, and they’ve beaten the Lancers twice, by scores of 2-1 and 3-1.
Can anyone from the Bay Area defeat Mitty? St. Francis is going to give it its best shot.
“At least for my tenure here, it’s always been us and Mitty,” Merchen said. “There are a lot of other teams in the mix, maybe not in CCS, but in Northern California that are really high-level this year.
“You’re always looking at the best teams around you, whether it’s in Northern California, Southern California, wherever it is, and trying to figure out what makes them great. How do you beat the best? It’s a balance between game-planning and being able to scheme your offense, your defense, to beat a really good team, knowing that you have the pieces to do that.”
For Fulton, dethroning the Monarchs would be the thrill of her high school career.
“It’s going to mean everything,” Fulton said of a potential section title. “It’s going to show us that every single thing that we’ve been told and been telling ourselves – working hard in the gym, working hard in the weight room, doing team bonding stuff – has all come into play, and we deserve it.”
– Christian Babcock
PRIORY: EXTENDING THE STREAK
Priory’s 8-man football team has quietly been one of the most dominant programs in the Bay Area. The Panthers have won 21 straight Pacific Coast League games and haven’t had a losing record since 2018.
Priory will be looking to extend its winning streak against league opponents in today’s game against Crystal Springs Uplands – a team the Portola Valley school has beaten eight consecutive times dating back to 2017.
“I’m trying to get these kids to understand that this game is the most important game of the season,” said head coach Doug Sargent. “There’s a lot of life lessons getting ready for a big game. It’s exciting.”
Junior quarterback Michael Hildebrandt has thrown eight touchdown passes for the high-scoring Priory offense that averages just under 38 points per game.
– Nathan Canilao