SLO County playoff football preview: Who’s in, the matchups and where they’re playing
Seven out of the eight 11-man football programs in San Luis Obispo County are headed to the CIF Central Section playoffs this season.
And a majority of the teams have home games: Atascadero, Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande and Nipomo.
Templeton and Mission Prep will go on the road up north.
Here’s a look at the matchups, seedings and game locations for Friday’s first-round action.
No. 4 Arroyo Grande (8-2, 4-0) vs. No. 5 Clovis West (3-7, 0-5) in Division 1-A
The Eagles had the strongest season in the county after sweeping the Mountain League and not losing a game to any team on the Central Coast.
They were rewarded with a home game for the playoffs, unlike last season where despite winning the Mountain League, Arroyo Grande traveled to the Central Valley as a lower seed and lost in the first round.
While Clovis West doesn’t have a strong record and hasn’t won a league game, the Golden Eagles play in one of the toughest, if not the best, Central Section league, the Tri-River. CIF recognizes the Eagles strong strength of schedule and assigned them a 4 seed taking on a 5 seed in the second-highest division.
The Golden Eagles lean more into the passing game and have 1,704 receiving yards on the season.
Receiver Jonavon Darrington is their best offensive threat. He averages 66 yards per game and has 10 total touchdowns. Finding Darrington is freshman quarterback JJ Howard, who’s passed for 1,644 yards and 13 touchdowns against nine interceptions.
On the other hand, the Eagles are a well-rounded football team that uses their physicality to dominate opponents. They have the talent at skill positions to make big plays.
Receiver Caleb Clark constantly draws defensive attention. He leads the team with 36 reception for 600 yards and eight touchdowns. Clark has also been used in the ground game as well and has 31 rushes for 194 yards and a touchdown. The likely Division I-bound receiver plays on defense also and has four interceptions.
Head Coach Mike Hartman has two primary running backs at his disposal in juniors Levi Childers and Zack Tayman.
Tayman has gotten a majority of the rushes with 135 attempts for 892 yards and 12 touchdowns. Childers rushed for 395 yards on 84 attempts with four touchdowns.
Under center for the Eagles is Sam Wulff. The senior quarterback has a 61% completion percentage and has thrown for 1,138 yards. He has 14 touchdowns to five interceptions.
On the defensive side, Derek Brockenborough has been a solid presence for the Eagles. The junior linebacker has played in all 10 games and leads the team with 95 total tackles and six tackles for loss.
The Eagles have the stronger season and upperclassmen contributors across their roster, but don’t be deceived by Clovis West’s poor record.
No. 6 San Luis Obispo (9-1, 4-0 Sunset) vs. No. 11 Highland (6-4, 2-2 league) in Division 2
After coming in second multiple years in a row during league, the Tigers had their breakthrough season in 2024 and went undefeated in the Sunset League. They only dropped one game to Arroyo Grande, in a non-league matchup.
In the Sunset, San Luis Obispo allowed only 16 points total, had two shutouts and won every game by at least two scores.
The Scots will travel to SLO from Bakersfield, where they play in the South Yosemite-Valley League. They split their league games and have a balanced rushing and passing attack with nearly identical yardage outputs.
At the heart of the Tigers offense is quarterback Jace Gomes. Gomes has been a four-year starter for SLO and is best when he makes plays with his feet.
Gomes has rushed the ball 110 times for 944 yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s completed 51 of his 105 passed for 673 yards and seven touchdowns.
Colbin Garrison has started at running back and has rushed 135 times for 939 yards and eight touchdowns.
At the receiver position, the Tigers do it by committee with seniors Cody Johnson, Britton Rethmeier, Ethan Asmus and Abel Ritter, who have combined for 46 receptions for 610 yards. Rethmeier leads the group with three touchdowns.
Senior linebackers Michael Milner and Hayden Hall have the most tackles on the team with 70 and 59, respectively. Hall has one interception on the year.
The Tigers have a lot of seniors who’ve waited for a shot to make a deep playoff run. They’ll have their chance on Friday.
No. 10 Nipomo (5-4-1, 4-0) at No. 7 Independence (4-6, 1-3 League) in Division 3
After a rough start to the season, the Titans finished off the season with four straight wins in Ocean League play. The Titans will go on the road to Independence in Bakersfield.
The Titans have made a remarkable turnaround under third-year head coach Stephen Field. In his first season, Nipomo went winless, but jumped up to four wins the following season.
The common opponent between the two teams is Pioneer Valley. Nipomo tied with Pioneer Valley in a non-league matchup after the Panthers opted out of playing in an overtime period.
Independence, which plays in the South Yosemite-Valley League, defeated Pioneer Valley 35-14 in their first game of the season.
The Falcons rely on their passing game under quarterback Gunter Golla III. He ranks seventh in the Central Section with 1,470 yards. He’s thrown 14 touchdowns to six interceptions.
The Falcons have a veteran wideout group with four seniors with double-digit receptions. Each receiver has at least two touchdowns and over 250 yards.
The Titans’ defense has helped the team’s turnaround. They’ve held opponents to 14 points or fewer in eight out of their 10 games. Safety Juan Zarate is second in the Central Section in interceptions with six takeaways. Linebacker Jacob Goldsbary is 14th in the section with 96 total tackles.
Sophomore quarterback Blayne Lowry built on a standout freshman campaign. He’s thrown for 1,284 yards and has 12 touchdowns to five interceptions. Lowry can also get outside the pocket and gain yardage. He has 150 yards rushing on 52 carries with two scores.
Lowry’s top target is Ayden Benzon, who grabbed 24 catches for 444 yards and seven touchdowns. Jake Camacho and Jeremiah Wheeler both have 19 receptions for a total of 378 yards and three touchdowns.
Nick Evans is the workhorse running back for the Titans. He ran the ball 141 times for 971 yards and 10 touchdowns and has explosive play potential. In five games, he’s rushed for over 100 yards.
Troy Simonson is a contributor in the run game as well, with 42 rushes for 258 yards and two scores. The sophomore is second on the team in total tackles and has 6.5 tackles for loss.
The game will come down to the Titans’ passing defense against the Falcons’ air attack.
No. 9 seed Templeton (5-5, 3-1) at No. 8 North (5-5, 3-1) in Division 4
Templeton is the most run-heavy team in SLO County. The Eagles will face off against Bakersfield’s most ground-based football team, North.
The Eagles have carried the ball 330 times for 1,766 yards while the Stars, from the South Yosemite-Mountain League, rushed 394 times and have gained 2,149 yards.
Templeton ended the regular season second in the Ocean League. The Eagles have many first-time starters but have come together to win half their games. Four of their five losses have come within one touchdown or less.
The teams have two common opponents in West and Atascadero. Both teams defeated West handily. Templeton lost to the Greyhounds 10-7 on a last-second field goal. North beat Atascadero 28-21.
Tyler Cunningham has starred for the Eagles on offense and defense. A steady presence in the backfield, Cunningham has 121 carries for 712 yards and six touchdowns. He is second on the team in receptions with 15 catches for 360 yards.
Cunningham also leads the defense with 64 tackles. Defensive backs Jaron Sampson and Colby Sims have 60 and 62 tackles, respectively. Sims, Cunningham, Sampson and Levi Goodman have two interceptions apiece.
At quarterback sophomore Colter Tannehill has added some diversity to the Eagles’ offense. He’s attempted 135 passes for 1,104 yards. He sports a 14-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
While both teams run the ball an extensive amount, the Eagles have the ability to move the ball in the air at times. The matchup will come down to which team can slow down the run.
No. 12 Mission Prep (4-6, 1-3) at No. 5 Immanuel (8-2, 3-1) in Division 4
Mission Prep hasn’t had the regular season they hoped for, but the Royals squeezed into the Division 4 playoff bracket as the No. 12 seed.
They take on Immanuel, a run-heavy team from the Tri-County-Sequoia League that averaged 246.6 rushing yards per game.
The Royals have had everything from a quarterback change to injuries to key players, which has contributed to an up-and-down season. However, they ended on a high note by defeating Paso Robles 26-16 on senior night.
Thomas Glenn started the year at quarterback, but according to Head Coach David Schuster, Glenn volunteered to move to the receiver spot and allow Vinny Orlando to move under center.
Orlando played quarterback for a successful Royals team in previous seasons and has completed 71% of his passes for 440 yards in his short time running the offense.
The Royals’ offense leans on their run game. They have a two-headed running back room between junior Ronnie Kardashian and sophomore Miles Thompson.
Kardashian has rushed 74 times for 587 yards, and Thompson has gone for 407 yards on 70 carries. The duo have combined for 13 touchdowns.
On the outside, the Royals have multiple weapons that have stepped up at different points in the season.
Joe Villa leads the team with 17 receptions for 199 yards and two touchdowns. Jayden Nozil is a dynamic, athletic receiver who can reach over the top of defenders. He has 12 receptions for 161 yards and two touchdowns.
In Glenn’s time as a wideout, he has 10 catches for 141 yards and two scores.
For the defense, lineman Gabe Ahumada has three sacks and 25 total tackles. Another lineman Armen Clayton is first on the team in tackles with 28.
Champ Morrisey has been another standout on defense. He has 265 tackles to along with two interceptions.
Nozil has grabbed three interception and is dangerous when the ball is in his hands as he returns interceptions or kickoffs.
The Royals’ season hasn’t been what they hoped, but they’ve fought through adversity and find themselves back in the playoffs.
Immanuel will be a difficult test, but the Royals have the talent and experience to go on an upset run.
No. 5 Atascadero (5-5, 3-1) vs. No. 12 Liberty (5-5, 4-2) in Division 5
The Greyhounds are two seasons removed from winning their Central Section championship and the CIF State Championship. Since then, Vic Cooper retired and Dan Loney has taken the helm.
The team has suffered major injuries to running back Austin Smith and other key players. After winning four straight, the team ended the season on a two-game losing streak.
But their physical style can wear down teams, especially come playoff time. They don’t turn the ball over a lot and dominate the possession game.
The Greyhounds’ opponent is Liberty from Madera and the Northwest Sequoia League. Their defense is led by linebacker Talan Lamattina, who has made 123 tackles, including 23 tackles for loss and three sacks.
Liberty’s defensive front has accumulated 13 sacks and average 1.3 sacks per game. In the secondary, the Hawks made eight interceptions.
On offense, they rely on a run game and have 392 carries, but still have 10 passing touchdowns.
The Greyhounds’ offense has fluctuated throughout the year, but finding a way to control the clock and wear out a stout Liberty defense will be key.
The team has used Michael Trejo and Josiah Gaona at quarterback. Both players are not afraid to keep the ball and run in the triple-option offense.
Trejo has carried the ball 55 times for 399 yards and six touchdowns. Gaona has 60 carries for 309 yards. Gaona will also line up at wideout and has 23 reception for 292 yards and two scores.
Smith has a large chunk of the team’s yardage and scoring, averaging 82 yards per game for 738 total on the season. But he missed the team’s last game and it’s unclear if he will return for Atascadero’s first playoff matchup.
Cole Liney and Cameron Pickard have been solid pieces to the defense. Ethan Blais has made three interceptions.
No. 4 seed Morro Bay (4-6, 1-3) vs. No. 13 Reedley (4-6, 0-4) in Division 5
Morro Bay’s dynamic passing game will take on Reedley of the Tri-County Kings Canyon League.
Quarterback Sands Dougherty ranks No. 15 in the nation in total yards (3,695). He ranks first in the Central Section in passing yards and No. 6 in California.
The Pirates spread the ball out all over the field. Four receivers have over 400 yards receiving. John Myers, Ryder Busch, James Nickel and Colton Janovec all are top 15 in Division 5 in receiving yards.
Myers is Dougherty’s top target. He has 1,036 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Busch has seven receiving scores. James Nickel adds five.
The Pirates have a similar formula they had in their 2021-22 playoff run with a explosive quarterback and weapons around them. The Pirates won four playoff games that season and won their section championship before losing in the state finals.
Getting stops on defense is crucial for Morro Bay if they want their season to continue. They’ve forced seven interceptions and have 15 sacks but have allowed more than 30 points in four out of their last five games.
Radden Batalla has made 90 tackles on the season and seven sacks. Dustin Davis sacked the quarterback five times to round out the defensive front.
If the Pirates can put together enough stops, they have the offensive firepower to run through Division 5.