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Jamar Searcy, Pittsburg beat San Ramon Valley 37-21 for North Coast Section D1 title: Live game recap

Junior running back and linebacker makes big plays on both sides of the ball, leading fired up Pirates to a third D1 title in a row with resounding victory

Mitch Stephens, SBLive Sports

Jamar Searcy was everywhere. 

The junior running back and linebacker from Pittsburg was in on many of the big plays to key the Pirates' resounding 37-21 North Coast Section Division 1 championshp win Friday over San Ramon Valley at Dublin High. 

Searcy rushed for three touchdowns, intercepted a pass leading another and forced a fumble inside the San Ramon Valley 10 which prevented seven more and that the Pirates (13-0) cashed into a field goal. 

All told he had a direct hand in 31 of his team's 37 points. 

Jamar Searcy, Pittsburg's do-everything junior, after one of his three touchdowns
Jamar Searcy, Pittsburg's do-everything junior, after one of his three touchdowns / Photo: Dennis Lee

The biggest play of the game, however was a 99-yard touchdown pass from Marley Alcantara to Bobby Shaw as the Pirates, upset at being the third seed behind No. 2 San Ramon Valley, moved into next week's CIF Regional Bowl Championships, against an opponent to be named on Sunday. 

San Ramon Valley (10-3), coming off a tough 17-7 loss to De La Salle, got two touchdown passes from Luke Baker and a pick 6 by highly touted junior linebacker Marco Jones, the latter play to close the gap to 24-21 midway through the third quarter. 

Pittsburg's Noah Quesada running away from Kaleb Pleis
Pittsburg's Noah Quesada running away from Kaleb Pleis / Photo: Dennis Lee

But the Searcy, who scored his teams first two touchdowns, put it away with a 34-yard touchdown scamper, somehow avoiding several tacklers after about five yards. 

Look: Pittsburg's 37-21 win over San Ramon Valley for NCS D1 title is photogenic

See all the live updates below. 

Follow along below for live updates from the North Coast Section Division 1 championship. 

You can also watch San Ramon Valley-Pittsburg live on the NFHS Network. 

California high school football playoffs scoreboard

CIF football playoff brackets

(Refresh for the latest updates once the game starts)

FOURTH QUARTER UPDATES

- Jadyn Hudson with interception for Pittsburg at SRV 1. 

Pittsburg 24, San Ramon Valley 21 — Top junior LB Marco Jones with a 39-yard pick 6 gives SRV life. Huge play. 6:31 4Q. 

Pittsburg 30, San Ramon Valley 21 — Jamar Searcy with his third touchdown, a 34-yard scamper when it looked like he was stopped. 2:19 4Q. 

- Searcy now with an interception. Should seal it. 

Pittsburg 37, San Ramon Valley 21 — Elijah Bow with 8-yard TD run, puts a bow on it. 1:51 4Q. 

THIRD QUARTER UPDATES

Pittsburg 21, San Ramon Valley 14 — On 3rd-and-14 from the 1, Marley Alcantara completes 99-yard bomb out of his own end zone to Bobby Shaw to give Pittsburg a 21-14 lead. 8:30 3Q. Remarkable throw, catch and play. 

- San Ramon Valley moves inside the Pittsburg 10. FUMBLE. Pittsburg's Samu Iosia recovers. Pirates take over at own 8. 

- Pittsburg drives all the way to the 5, but big stop by Marco Jones, penalty leads to fourth down. 

Pittsburg 24, San Ramon Valley 14 — Jesus Lua Amaya drills 27-yard field goal. 1:15 3Q. 

SECOND QUARTER UPDATES

- On third down deep in Pittsburg territory, Baker is sacked by Jewelous Walls. A 38-yard field goal misses and Pirates take over, leading 14-7. Early 2Q. 

San Ramon Valley 14, Pittsburg 14 — After a short punt, San Ramon Valley drives 45 yards capped by Baker's second TD pass, an 18-yarder to Evan Economos. 6:24 2Q. 

FIRST QUARTER UPDATES

Pittsburg 7, San Ramon Valley 0 — Jamar Searcy with 2-yard touchdown run caps 8-play, 75-yard drive, Almost entirely on the ground. Keyed by a few reverses, keeping Wolves' aggressive defensive off the board. 8:49 1Q. 

San Ramon Valley 7, Pittsburg 7 — Luke Baker 2-yard touchdown pass to Makai Vierra caps a 75-yard drive. Right down the field. We might end up with a track meet. Beautiful drive. 3:36 1Q. 

Pittsburg 14, San Ramon Valley 7 — And right down the field we go again. Searcy with second 2-yard TD run. Caps 75-yard drive. 1:50 1Q. 

The Pirates celebrate their sixth NCS title and third in a row.  / Photo: Dennis Lee

PREGAME: This haymaker at Dublin High School has has been anticipated all season.

The Pittsburg Pirates were not pleased that San Ramon Valley got the second seed over them, but probably worked in favor, not having to face a very physical De La Salle like the Wolves.

Both of SRV’s losses have come to De La Salle, 33-27 and 17-7, while Pittsburg hasn’t won by less than three touchdowns Sept. 29, a 37-27 home victory over Los Gatos.

Pittsburg has won four of five meetings over the Wolves since 2008, the last a 16-7 victory in 2017.

Great matchups of quarterbacks, SRV’s Luke Baker (3,661 total yards, 39 TDs) and Pittsburg’s Marley Alcantara (2,430, 36).

Three two-way juniors are high college prospects: Pittsburg’s Jadyn Hudson and Jewelous Walls and SRV’s Marco Jones.

Published
Mitch Stephens, SBLive Sports
MITCH STEPHENS, SBLIVE SPORTS

Mitch Stephens is a senior editor at SBLive Sports for California, a state he's covered high school sports since 1984. He won multiple CNPA and CPSWA writing awards with the Contra Costa Times, San Francisco Chronicle and MaxPreps.com before joining the SBLive staff in 2022. He's covered the beat nationally since 2007, profiling such athletes as Derrick Henry, Paige Bueckers, Patrick Mahomes, Sabrina Ionescu, Jayson Tatum, Chiney Ogwumike, Jeremy Lin and Najee Harris as preps. You can reach him at mitch@scorebooklive.com.

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