Will Pittsburg's 5-7 quarterback outplay Akili Smith, bring 100th-season Pirates first high school state crown?

A week after out-dueling top 2026 recruit Ryder Lyons, Marley Alcantara faces strapping 6-foot-5, 215-pound Oregon signee in Division 1-AA California final Friday

Pittsburg senior quarterback Marley Alcantara may stand only 5 feet, 7 inches, but his game actually bettered the play of 5-star junior quarterback Ryder Lions in a wild 28-27 Northern California Division 1-AA Regional final at Pittsburg High on 12-6-2024. On Friday he and the Pirates go for their first state championship against Oregon-bound QB Akili Smith and the Hornets of Lincoln of San Diego in the CIF State 1-AA title tilt at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo. / Photo: Ernie Abrea

MISSION VIEJO, CALIFORNIA — Pittsburg's 5-foot-7 senior quarterback Marley Alcantara isn't bitter. A tad sour, perhaps, when broached with the topic.

Asked the reaction of people when he tells them he plays quarterback for one of California's top high school team.

"They're like, 'oh shoot, for real?' " he said with a big smile. "I get it. I'm a 5-foot-7 Asian quarterback and they're all surprised. But once they watch the tape, they're like 'damn.' "

They'd be going "oh damn," if they saw him last week, completing 22 of 29 for 227 yards and four touchdowns, lifting the Pirates from a 21-0 defict to beat Folsom 28-27 in the NorCal D1-AA regional final.

• MARLEY THE MAGNIFICENT | How 5-7 QB defies odds

He outplayed Ryder Lyons (14 of 31, 137 yards, 24 carries, 29 yards, four total touchdowns), the nation's No. 2 ranked junior quarterback.

Alcantara has now thrown for 2,825 yards this season (6,408 in his career) at a 71 percent completion rate (.666 for career) and 40 touchdowns against — get this? — no interceptions. For his career he's thrown 91 TDs and nine interceptions.

De La Salle's defense (green) allowed only seven points and 258 total yards to a team that averaged 406 yards and 45 points per game coming in. At Diablo Valley College, Here Oregon-bound Matt Johnson (56) chases after Pittsburg QB Marley Alcantara. North Coast Section Open Division title game. 11/22/2024 | Photo: Dennis Lee / Photo: Dennis Lee

“It turned out to be the Marley Alcanara show and not the Gatorade Player of the Year show,” Pittsburg coach Charlie Ramirez said. 

But it's not about Marley and me, it's about Marley and we, which he made abundantly clear after the game.

“He's a great player," Alcantara said. "I respect game, you know, and (Lyons) has loads of it. Obviously he’s got all the accolades and whatever like that, but tonight we got the win. That’s all that matters.” 

• 8 TAKEAWAYS | Down 21-0, Pittsburg stuns Folsom

On Friday, for a program playing in its 100th season, the Pirates go for their first state title against a Lincoln squad led by another big name, highly recruited quarterback, Oregon-bound Akili Smith Jr.,, a long athletic 6-foot-5, 215-pound quarterback, the No. 18 ranked senior recruit in California.

• PITTSBURG VS. LINCOLN | Game at a glance

He was terrific in Lincoln's regional title win over Newbury Park, completing 15 of 26 for 263 yards and three touchdowns, and rushing eight times for 89 yards and another score.

For the season he's 143 of 233 fo 2,302 yards with 21 TDs and 11 interceptions, while rushing for 468 and three scores. Smith has 7,165 career passing yards with 75 TDs and 20 touchdowns.

"(Smith) has a really good arm and a great football IQ," Pittsburg two-way star and Washington State-signee Jamar Searcy said. "We have to keep him in the pocket."

San Diego Lincoln QB Akili Smith Jr. in 2023 playoff game with Granite Hills. Smith is an Oregon commit / Photo: Justin Fine

While Smith is going to the No. 1 college team in the nation next season, Alcantara is headed to NAIA school Southern Oregon. He hasn't been offered a Division 1 college offer. Asked if that bothers him, Alcantara said: "Obviously it's frustrating. ... But it's the card I've been dealt with. I just goto to go out and prove everyone wrong and prove myself right.”

He's got nothing to prove to his teammates who have seen Alcantara prove himself well before his days at Pittsburg. Ironically, he grew up idolizing one of the NFL's biggest and most physical quarterbacks, Cam Newton.

Pittsburg 6-foot-6, 230-pound defensive end Juju Walls, a UCLA commit, is almost Newton's size. He said you can't measure the size of Alcantara's heart and will.

“He’s a special dude," Walls said of his quarterback. "A lot of people look down on him because of his culture, size and length, but he’s got that dog in him. Don’t ever underestimate him.

“Watch out for Marley.”

Lincoln and fans watching Friday's game no doubt will do just that. Alcantara said he's not looking back or looking forward. He's just keeping his eyes downt he field.

"It was a great win (against Folsom), and the last time us seniors played on this field," Alcantara said. "But we have one more to go. The job is not done. Our goal was to win a state championship and we're one more win away."