Pittsburg has silenced the doubters all season.
Some said the Pirates couldn’t hang with state juggernauts St. John Bosco and De La Salle, but they showed they belonged even in losing efforts.
When computer projections believed Folsom and its superstar quarterback Ryder Lyons would come away with an easy win at Pirate Stadium last week, Pittsburg proved it could win the big game under the brightest lights.
The Pirates will have an opportunity to put to rest all skeptics when they travel to Saddleback College in Mission Viejo to play Lincoln-San Diego for the CIF Division 1-AA state title on Friday. Pittsburg will be trying to win its first state championship after falling short in 2017 and 2022.
“I would be lying if I said it wouldn’t be magical for the community and for the school and for the program,” Pittsburg coach Charlie Ramirez told reporters on Sunday. “Anytime a school gets their first state championship, that’s always the case, and it would be no different here.
“Pittsburg loves its high school football program. It’s a single high school town, one of the few in the Bay Area. It’s a rare thing to have that, especially in a community that is as diverse as ours. And you know, they would cherish it. It’d be special here.”
Pittsburg has played in big games during its storied history, but its reputation for not being able to win when it matters most has followed the program in recent years.
In 2017, Pittsburg held a 21-point first-half lead against Los Angeles powerhouse Narbonne but ended up losing 28-21. In longtime coach Vic Galli’s final game for the Pirates, Pittsburg was hammered by Liberty-Bakersfield 48-20 in the 1-A state championship game in 2022, despite a 320-yard, three-touchdown performance from quarterback Jaden Rashada.
Going into last Friday’s game against Folsom, the Pirates heard all the noise. The notion that they couldn’t win the big game fueled them.
In what was one of the best games of the season, Pittsburg overcame a 21-point first-half deficit to stun Folsom 28-27 to advance to this week’s state final.
“The media was trying to write us off,” Pittsburg wide receiver R.J. Mosley said after the win. “They were trying to act like we couldn’t win big games. But we showed out here and we won the big game.”
Senior and UCLA-bound defensive lineman Juju Walls added, “Almost everyone had doubted us except our community. … And for all the haters who doubted us, we’re going to take state. We’re going to get that ring.”
Capturing the program’s first state title won’t be easy.
Lincoln was unquestionably the San Diego Section’s top team this season and has a treasure chest of college talent.
Leading the way is Oregon commit Akili Smith Jr. Smith – son of former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Akili Smith Sr. – who has thrown for 2,302 yards and 21 touchdowns this season. The senior has also rushed for 468 yards and three scores.
“Quarterbacks who have that big-play capability with their legs and arms, there’s not a whole heck of a lot of people to contain them,” Ramirez said. “We just have to basically be fundamentally sound. That’s what we’re going to focus on.”
In many ways, Lincoln plays a similar style to Pittsburg. The Hornets are fast, strong and hit hard.
Much like Pittsburg, Lincoln’s defense has a plethora of Division I talent. Cornerback Cammeron Purnell is a three-star prospect and leads Lincoln in interceptions with four. Sophomore defensive lineman Prince Tavizon leads Lincoln with 11 sacks and already has offers from the likes of Arizona State and Cal.
But going into this matchup, don’t expect Pittsburg to be in awe of the Southern California powerhouse even with the game being near Lincoln’s backyard.
“Having done the Bosco game for this team and the staff is going to be a big help to get adjusted to the road trip more than anything,” Ramirez said.
For a senior class that includes Walls, quarterback Marley Alcantara, running back Jamar Searcy and defensive back Jadyn Hudson, winning a state title will put a storybook ending to what has been an illustrious year.
“We’ve been all playing together since eighth grade,” Walls said. “We came a long way with ups and downs the last three years. It was all an experience for us. We finally get to put on for all the rest of the seniors who left who didn’t have a state title.”
