Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 283

What the 49ers said after losing to the Packers

The 49ers fell behind early and couldn’t close the gap against the Packers Sunday in Green Bay, losing 38-10.

Brandon Allen, starting in place of the injured Brock Purdy, was 17-of-29 for 199 yards, but he turned the ball over twice (one lost fumble, one interception). Christian McCaffrey also lost a fumble in the fourth quarter; he led the 49ers with 31 yards rushing on 11 carries while George Kittle paced the passing game with 82 yards and the 49ers’ lone touchdown.

The rush defense struggled to stop Josh Jacobs, who rushed for 106 yards on 26 carries. He scored three touchdowns, all from a yard out. Jordan Love only attempted 23 passes, completing 13 for 163 yards and two touchdowns.

Here’s what the 49ers said after the loss, which dropped them to 5-6 on the season:

Kyle Shanahan

On the game:

Just them being able to control the clock in the first half was one of the worst ones I’ve been a part of, just as far as a half. I thought we stepped it up there in the second half, did better especially in the run game, offense got an opportunity to get going. They gave us an opportunity to get back in the game and then to have those three turnovers and all three led to touchdowns, 21 points. You top that with the penalties and stuff, that’s how you get embarrassed like that.

On the back-to-back substitution penalties:

It was a strategic play by them, but one that I don’t feel should have been allowed. They didn’t give us time to sub on that and that’s why I was upset.

On Allen’s interception:

That seemed like a hell of a throw. They had some soft zone and he threaded it in there between their two backers and it looked like it went off Deebo’s hands.

On penalties:

I thought that killed us on the opening drives. I’ll see on those special teams ones. You know, a couple I looked up on the scoreboard and see on the plane how much we agree on them or not, but we got to be much better on the penalties obviously.

On missing players slimming their margin for error:

I’m not really concerned right now by how many guys we missed today. We didn’t play good enough, so that’s not a factor. But when you are missing some guys, you do have to be better. And when you have those penalties when we didn’t stop the run like we did, and then having those three turnovers in the second half, that’s how you get embarrassed.

On Allen’s play:

We all got embarrassed, so nobody really played great, but Brandon, I thought he did some good things. I thought he made some big throws, just plays I can think of. You know, he had a rough one in the beginning that he threw to them, then dropped two plays. He just slipped on that field.

On why he started Allen despite broken finger:

Because he’s not hurt. … He’s fine, just hurt his finger like three weeks ago.

On Trent Williams missing the game with an ankle injury:

It was close. We took it all the way up to today, but he was hurting yesterday a little worse than last week at this time, which made us nervous, and didn’t wake up good today.

Brandon Allen

On the tough first half:

I think it took me a minute to get back into it, so we started slow, just didn’t help, didn’t help our defense at all. Started to build some momentum there at the end of the half, going into the second half, had some drives go and I think. it was just penalties and turnovers really killed us all day.

On the interception off Deebo Samuel’s hands:

Obviously a tough catch. If he was going to catch it it’d be a real tough catch but I got a lot of trust in Deebo. I’d probably throw it again, but definitely a tough, contested catch, tough throw.

On how Purdy helped from the sideline:

He was great, you know. Asked how I was seeing it, what he was seeing, some of the the rotation stuff they had going on and how he was seeing it and ideas where to get the ball.

George Kittle

On whether the game is testing his optimism:

Why would it? I mean, we’re not where we want to be by any means. What we did we lose by, 28? Oh, horrible. We don’t want to do that by any means … What are your goals to victory? Hold onto the ball, run the ball a ton, don’t turn the ball over, and I don’t thin we did any of those three things tonight. … My optimism is not broken by any means. We still have a lot of very talented players. We will get some guys back and I still have full trust incoaches have to put our guys in position to make plays, and I got no worry about that. But definitely an uphill grind, and I guess (we’ll see) what we’re made of, which I’m looking forward to.

On whether he listens to Bob Dylan after games:

There’s times for Bob Dylan. Yes, definitely a time for Bob Dylan.

On how Brandon Allen plays:

He’s giving everybody opportunities. He’s going to force you the ball and he’s just going to give you a shot, like the seam ball, he threw me a back shoulder. That’s not something that we hardly ever practice, those back shoulder stuff like that. When he sees you with a one-on-one, he’s just going to give you an opportunity. I really respect that from him.

Fred Warner

On missed tackles:

That’s just poor technique, poor execution across the board. We knew the challenge that their running backs gave us going into the game and we just didn’t execute.

On the dual substitution penalties:

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That’s unacceptable, that’s across the board. There’s nobody to point a finger at on that particular situation. It’s all of us not being on the same page. We got to be better.

On the first half:

That’s about as bad as it can get, probably the worst I’ve been a part of and you know, even then it was still 17-7 after the first half. Ten-point game, still had everything in front of us. We just didn’t make the plays we needed to.

On the loss:

It’s probably one of the worst ones I’ve been a part of, you know. It is embarrassing. You got to take it on the chin, take it like a man and move on.

49ers Studs and Duds: The Niners embarrass themselves in blowout loss to Green Bay

Three hours of misery.

That’s all you can call the Niners’ loss to the Packers on Sunday.

Any glimmer of hope was short-lived or quickly sabotaged. Any positive play was rapidly undercut.

The Niners’ opponents, the Green Bay Packers, didn’t even play well. They messed around like they were facing the JV team in a scrimmage.

They weren’t wrong:

STUDS Related ArticlesSan Francisco 49ers | Kurtenbach: 49ers’ ugly history is repeating itself San Francisco 49ers | 49ers’ blowout loss to Packers went far beyond which players were missing San Francisco 49ers | What the 49ers said after losing to the Packers San Francisco 49ers | Instant analysis of 49ers’ 38-10 blowout loss to Green Bay San Francisco 49ers | Live 49ers updates: Niners can’t overcome mistakes as Packers blow them out

George Kittle • TE

» The 49ers’ best player this season didn’t let injury or a backup quarterback stop him from making a big impact on the game. The future Hall of Famer had six catches for 82 yards and a touchdown.

That score was his 15th catch in the red zone this season — tops in the NFL — and eighth red-zone touchdown of the campaign. That also leads the NFL.

Brandon (Not Josh) Allen • QB

» He’s a backup quarterback. I will judge him on a curve.

Allen didn’t lose the 49ers the game on Sunday. Frankly, you’d be hard-pressed to ask him to do more than he did.

His interception wasn’t on him. His lost fumble was, but it’s not as if he booted the ball without anyone around.

I saw him rip passes up the middle and command the offense like someone who actually plays.

Again, I don’t expect him to win any games as the 49ers’ starting quarterback, but at least the backup quarterback wasn’t the reason the Niners lost on Sunday.

Deommodore Lenoir • DB

» Lenoir was outstanding in coverage and strong against the run Sunday. With Fred Warner playing like a pedestrian these days, is Lenoir the new leader of this defense?

Pat O’Donnell • P

» The Niners punter had a marvelous game. A legacy game, perhaps. (I’m looking for anything here, folks.)

Duds

Deebo Samuel • W(ashed) R

» The Niners had chances to make this game more interesting than it had any right to be.

And who knows what would have happened had Deebo Samuel caught a ball that hit him in both hands on a third-and-8 from the Green Bay 45-yard line. A catch would have moved the chains and put the Niners — down 17-7 at that point — in a position to make the contest a one-possession game.

Instead, Samuel whiffed, the great Xavier McKinney intercepted the pass, and the Packers scored a touchdown four plays later, following a tough pass-interference call on Renardo Green.

The Niners needed so much more from a team captain — a superstar.

It’s clear he’s not that anymore.

Samuel had four targets. He only caught one of them — a double-reverse flea flicker screen.

Yes, it takes layered trickery or a kick return to get Samuel a big gain these days. It’s tough to watch one-time greats fade, and it’s even tougher when they’re fading this fast.

The rookies

» The Niners have been overly reliant on their rookies to play like veterans — such is the desperation brought on by injury and poor play.

Sunday, the Packers showed why that’s typically a bad idea.

Renardo Green — who has been fantastic this season — was worked over again and again by Packers’ receivers. The Niners lifted him from the game in the fourth quarter.

Dom Puni — who had been a revelation this season — had three penalties in the first half alone.

The only way Ricky Pearsall found the ball was to catch it on punt returns.

Issac Guerendo only saw action on kick returns. In the second quarter, he fumbled the ball.

It’s a good thing that safety Malik Muspaha had a good game; otherwise, the Niners’ rookies would be 0-for-5 in Green Bay.

The offensive line

» I understand that circumstances are tough with Williams out, but the 49ers’ offensive line provided the Niners no advantage on Sunday, against a defensive line that isn’t a world-beater.

In fact, I thought Jaylon Moore, replacing Williams, was a bright spot.

The interior of the line was anything but that.

Puni had his worst game as a pro.

Jake Brendel was worked over again and again. (What’s new?)

Aaron Banks was pushed around in this game, too. (We’ve said that before.)

The Niners’ offensive line had four penalties and a forced fumble against them in this game.

Niners special teams

» Was the holding call on tight end Eric Saubert some nonsense? You bet. It negated a massive return from Samuel that could have put some momentum in the Niners’ corner.

But of course the refs were looking to call a hold on the play — it’s the Niners’ special teams.

The Niners committed a holding penalty on three straight returns Sunday.

It was always a ridiculous ask for Niners’ special teams to not lose the game, but this was one of the worst performances of the season, even without a flash play.

Niners’ defensive discipline

» The Niners had 10 missed tackles in the first quarter — the most in a quarter in the NFL this season.

They had five in the second and third quarter, respectively.

Does what happened in the fourth quarter even matter? The Niners had already missed 20 tackles in the game, and the contest was already over.

Bad penalties — including back-to-back 12-men-on-the-field calls in the red zone (totally unacceptable stuff) — added to the blowout loss.

But it was the simple stuff that did the Niners in, too. The Packers kept bringing slot receiver Jayden Reed into the backfield with an orbit-motion look, and the window-dressing disorganized the Niners’ defense to the point where Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs wasn’t being touched in the backfield, much less at the line of scrimmage. The Niners never found an answer for it — the Packers mercifully stopped trying the cool stuff after they were up two, three, four scores.

The Niners were roundly outplayed, but defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen was out-schemed, too.

Instant analysis of 49ers’ 38-10 blowout loss to Green Bay

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Kyle Shanahan and his first-year defensive coordinator, Nick Sorensen, covered their faces with playsheets for a sideline chat. Shanahan was hot. There was no hiding why.

The 49ers’ disheveled defense drew back-to-back penalties for having 12 men on the field from its own 10-yard line. That set up an inevitable touchdown by the Green Bay Packers: the first of Josh Jacobs’ three 1-yard touchdown runs in their 38-10 rout at Lambeau Field.

It was the 49ers’ most lopsided road loss in Shanahan’s eight seasons, and it was the Packers’ biggest margin of victory in their 74-game history with the 49ers.

Beyond the penalty doubletake, a lot else went wrong Sunday for the 49ers (5-6) as they lost a second straight game, with another road game looming next Sunday night in Buffalo.

With quarterback Brock Purdy (shoulder) and left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) unable to suit up, it wasn’t in the 49ers’ best interest to force Purdy’s fill-in, Brandon Allen, into a high-scoring affair with the host Packers (8-3).

And with Nick Bosa missing his first game, the 49ers’ defense figured to look inferior — but not incompetent. Down 10-0 and unable to stop Green Bay’s ground game, the 49ers bafflingly drew consecutive penalties. Linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, formerly of the Packers, was summoned to the sideline after that second penalty. Two snaps later, Jacobs scored, giving Green Bay a 17-0 lead with 6:33 until halftime.

Safety Ji’Ayir Brown blamed “miscommunication” for the extra personnel and linebacker Fred Warner termed it “unacceptable, across the board.”

Shanahan explained it two-fold. The initial too-many-men penalty was the result of the Packers bringing in a wide receiver in place of a tight end, then quickly snapping the ball before the 49ers could change from their base defense to nickel with an extra defensive back. “It was a strategic play by them but one I feel shouldn’t have been allowed. They didn’t give us time to sub on that,” Shanahan said.

It’s the follow-up penalty that was more damning, because the officials did allow the 49ers time to substitute, and Shanahan acknowledged: “The second one was on us.”

What Shanahan blamed even more was the 49ers’ run defense that allowed 169 yards and three touchdowns, as well as their nine penalties and then a trio of second-half turnovers that led to Green Bay’s final three touchdowns.

The 49ers lost fumbles on consecutive one-play drives in the fourth quarter, first by Allen on a sack at the Niners’ 9-yard line, then by McCaffrey on a 23-yard catch-and-run to midfield.

Allen called his fumble “just brutal,” citing slick conditions more than the broken middle finger on his left (non-throwing) hand from a practice mishap three weeks ago. McCaffrey (11 carries, 31 yards; three catches, 37 yards) stewed extra long at his locker after the game, saying of the offense under Allen: “We have to be a lot better for him. I have to be a lot better.”

Allen was 17-of-29 for 199 yards with an interception, a touchdown pass, and the lost fumble. Counterpart Jordan Love was 13-of-23 for 163 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers.

The 49ers littered Lambeau with turnovers, penalties, injuries, and missed tackles — hallmarks of a bad team, which they have become only a year after marching toward the Super Bowl, a run that included a comeback playoff win over the Packers.

“One thing led to another and it went downhill,” said right guard Dominick Puni, noting he was “just off-beat, off-key” in drawing three penalties.

Despite the slow start and many mistakes, there were signs of hope at times Sunday.

George Kittle, a Wisconsin native, scored his first-ever touchdown at Lambeau Field to bail the 49ers out of a first-half funk and pull them within 17-7. Allen capped the 11-play, 65-yard drive by finding Kittle over the middle once he slipped past linebacker Quay Walker. It was Allen’s 11th career touchdown pass, and his first since 2021 as Joe Burrow’s backup in Cincinnati.

Kittle’s 3-yard scoring catch was his eighth touchdown this season. He has scored in seven of nine games he has played, having missed last Sunday’s loss at Seattle and a Week 3 loss at Los Angeles because of hamstring injuries.

Kittle caught all six passes Allen threw to him, including a back-shoulder snare. His 21-yard catch led to the 49ers’ other points: Jake Moody’s 48-yard field goal, cutting their deficit to 24-10 with 2:12 left in the third quarter.

Allen led a pair of promising drives into Packers’ territory earlier in the third quarter, only for one to end on a fourth-and-2 incompletion to McCaffrey and the other to be halted by Xavier McKinney’s interception of a third-down pass that went off Deebo Samuel’s hands. The Packers parlayed that turnover into Jacobs’ second touchdown run, which was set up by Renardo Green’s pass-interference penalty in the end zone.

Jacobs’ first touchdown run came after the too-many-men penalties. At that point, Allen and the 49ers had run only six offensive plays, they’d been outgained 197-21, and they had possessed the ball all of 4 minutes, 22 seconds ( while the Packers had it the other 19:05).

The Packers generously led only 17-7 at halftime, denied a bigger margin when Christian Watson dropped a potential 49-yard touchdown catch at the 5-yard line with 30 seconds to go.

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Leonard Floyd sacked Love twice, but the defense failed to create a takeaway. They allowed a 67-yard touchdown drive to open the game, with tight end Tucker Kraft scoring on Love’s 11-yard touchdown pass. Jacobs’ 18-yard gain up the middle on his first carry set the tone for that opening drive and the game. He had 106 yards on 26 carries.

Joining the 49ers’ injury list: cornerback Green (neck), defensive tackle Jordan Elliott (concussion), linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (knee), and guard Aaron Banks (concussion). Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall hobbled off on the play before Green Bay’s interception with a leg issue, and he had no receptions for a second straight game.

It was the 49ers’ third-largest margin of defeat under Shanahan (39-10 vs. the Rams in September 2017; 40-10 vs. the Dallas Cowboys in October 2017).

“That’s about as bad as it can get, probably the worst I’ve been a part of,” Warner said. “And you know, even then it was still 17-7 after the first half. Ten-point game, still had everything in front of us. We just didn’t make the plays we needed to.”

Live 49ers updates: Niners can’t overcome mistakes as Packers blow them out

The 49ers face one of their longtime conference rivals Sunday in an important game for their quest to shake off a so-so start and return to the playoffs early in 2025.

Brandon Allen will quarterback the Niners (5-5) against the Packers (7-3) Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field after Brock Purdy missed practice Thursday and Friday with a sore shoulder suffered sometime during last week’s loss to the Seahawks.

Nick Bosa is also out for the 49ers after injuring his left oblique against Seattle.

The Niners will hope to get more out of Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey, who has not leapt off the screen since he returned from an Achilles injury two games ago. Trent Williams will also miss Sunday’s game with an ankle injury, but George Kittle is back for the 49ers after missing last week with a hamstring issue.

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Despite the dark cloud over the 49ers and the Bay Area this week, San Francisco enters Sunday just one game behind Arizona in the NFC West lead, though the Niners are tied for last in the division with the Rams and Seahawks.

They sit 10th in the NFC playoff picture, two and a half games behind No. 7 Washington.

Follow along below for the latest…

49ers-Packers pregame: Trent Williams out as QB Brandon Allen’s blindside blocker

GREEN BAY, Wisc. — Quarterback Brandon Allen’s first start in place of an injured Brock Purdy won’t come with the luxury of having All-Pro Trent Williams at left tackle.

Williams’ ankle injury is forcing him to miss his first game this season for the 49ers (5-5), likely thrusting Jaylon Moore into the lineup against the host Packers (7-3).

Even though he was ruled out Friday because of right-shoulder soreness, Purdy was on the team’s first bus into Lambeau Stadium, a 30-minute ride from their Appleton hotel. Josh Dobbs will serve as Allen’s only backup, as rookie Tanner Mordecai was not elevated from the practice squad Saturday.

Also inactive are defensive end Nick Bosa (obliques, hips), cornerback Charvarius Ward (personal), return specialist Jacob Cowing (concussion), and, defensive tackles Kevin Givens (groin) and Khalil Davis.

Williams was not seen testing out his ankle in pregame warmups, a week after he did so to suit up and play in the 49ers’ 20-17 loss to Seattle. He has never made it through an entire season playing every game since joining the 49ers in 2020, though he hasn’t missed more than three games in a season. The 49ers went 3-6 without him the previous four seasons.

While the 49ers’ offensive line copes without Williams, center/guard Jon Feliciano has yet to be activated off injured reserve and his three-week evaluation window expires Monday

PURDY’S SECOND MRI

Purdy’s shoulder required an MRI not just on Monday but Thursday, and that follow-up exam did not reveal anything new, Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reported, adding that the 49ers are hoping Purdy’s rehabilitation will allow him to start next Sunday’s game at Buffalo.

DEFENSIVE MAKEOVER

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The 49ers addressed their defensive depth Saturday by adding safety Tashaun Gipson Sr. to the active roster after three weeks on the practice squad, from which they elevated linebacker Jalen Graham (No. 41) and cornerback Nick McCloud (No. 35) for this game. Linebacker Tatum Bethune (knee) went on injured reserve Saturday to open the roster spot for Gipson.

The only 49ers defenders today who also played in last season’s wild-card playoff win over the Packers are Gipson, linebacker Fred Warner, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir and defensive end Robert Beal, according to the Associated Press’ Josh Dubow.

PACKERS INACTIVES

Cornerback Jaire Alexander, safety Kitan Oladapo, linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and offensive lineman Jacob Monk were deactivated by the Packers.

WEATHER STATUS

Temperatures are expected to remain in the low 40s and there is a slight chance of rain late in the game. Kickoff temperature is 43 degrees with 12 mph winds.

49ERS’ LAMBEAU HISTORY

The 49ers may have won in their last visit here — 13-10 in a January 2022 divisional playoff — they’ve are 6-13 all-time at this fabled venue. They lost their last regular-season game (33-30 on Oct. 15, 2018), and they lost eight straight visits to Lambeau Field before winning the 2012 opener here, followed by a January 2014 wild-card playoff win.

The 49ers are not scheduled to play the Packers again until 2027 at Levi’s Stadium, which also could host a meeting in 2026 if both teams finish in the same place in their respective divisions next season.

Chinook Salmon population rebounding in Mokelumne River

For the second year in a row, a record-breaking number of Chinook Salmon have returned to the Mokelumne River — the 95-mile waterway that runs through Northern California — to spawn, signaling hope for the species’ restoration and the return of salmon fishing season in 2025.

The East Bay Municipal Utility District announced more than 30,000 fish had been recorded since September due to conservation efforts to limit commercial and recreational fishing, boost hatchery production and restore habitat along the river.

“Those fish are coming back to our river and supporting the Mokelumne,” said Michelle Workman, the East Bay MUD manager of fisheries and wildlife. “When we can use good management techniques on our river… that’s a huge win.”

Chinook Salmon leave the Pacific Ocean each fall and return to their breeding grounds in freshwater rivers, deltas and streams in one of the most arduous migrations in the animal kingdom. The Mokelumne River plays an outsized role in this process in California — while it contributes only about 3 percent of the freshwater flow into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, up to half of the commercial catch of Chinook Salmon off the California coast originates from the tributary, according to East Bay MUD.

The low numbers of Chinook Salmon in recent years have forced a two-pronged restoration effort across several public agencies, Workman said. The first part is a ban on commercial and recreational fishing over the past two years by the California Fish and Game Commission, and the second is producing more fish at the Mokelumne Hatchery.

These conservation efforts have been a burden on certain sectors of the California economy, from commercial fishing operations to restaurants and fish markets, Workman said. However, he said, the results speak for themselves.

East Bay MUD biologists recorded the passage of 3,824 migrating fish on the Mokelumne River on Oct. 16, 2024, the largest one-day salmon count in more than 30 years. The total number of salmon recorded on the river this season is the highest since recording began in 1940 and is the second record-breaking year in a row.

East Bay MUD Board President Lesa McIntosh said the “historic salmon is a testament to our science-driven management” in cooperation with local, state and federal partners to support hatcheries and preserve their habitats.

But conservationists’ goal is for “system-wide recovery” across the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Workman said. Only when the Chinook Salmon population recovers across the river system will agencies proclaim their mission was accomplished.

“We can’t just manage the status quo year after year,” Workman said. “The way we stay on the right course is to continue to learn from each year.”

Intense weather events continue to impact the recovery of salmon populations across Northern California. Atmospheric rivers can cause salmon to get lost and wind up in places they’re not supposed to be, like Oakland’s Lake Merritt. Summer heat threatens cool river temperatures that hold more oxygenated water. And low snowpack can limit the availability of spawning ground.

Still, fishing enthusiasts can view the historic salmon run on the Mokelumne as a step toward returning to their favorite pastime. It remains unclear if the salmon fishing season will return in 2025, but Workman is optimistic.

“I’m very hopeful. I think a lot of people are very hopeful,” Workman said. “For a species like Chinook, what we really want is to have the population be resilient.”

Looking back: Preparing for turkey day, 2005

Horoscopes Nov. 24, 2024: Sarah Hyland, let your ideas flow

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Sarah Hyland, 34; Katherine Heigl, 46; Colin Hanks, 47; Pete Best, 83.

Happy Birthday: Let your ideas flow, and you’ll devise a plan to improve your lifestyle and how you earn your living or invest your money. Partnerships require consistency, equality and nurturing to avoid interference or setbacks. Share your thoughts, listen to how others respond and maintain peace and goodwill. Don’t take on responsibilities or chores that cause you to fall short of your obligations. Do what’s best and suitable for you. Your numbers are 5, 11, 18, 22, 24, 35, 42.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Rethink your next move. Someone will wait for you to make a mistake or take on too much. Excessive behavior will hold you back, but if you use your energy positively, you can formulate and deploy a cost-efficient plan within your skill set. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Concentrate on domestic matters, home and changes that make your life simpler. Express how you feel through actions, and the response you receive will make you feel safe and secure. Positive actions will encourage positive results. Make self-care a priority. Romance is in the stars. 5 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Tunnel vision will set you back. Forward-thinking and confident movement will point you in a direction that soothes your soul and encourages you to let go of any negativity between you and the happiness you deserve. Make your voice heard, be specific and do what’s best for you. 2 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Avoid emotional reactions, spending and conjecture. Gather the facts before you share information. Be innovative and search for feasible solutions that benefit everyone involved. Put faith and hope into whatever you do or say, and you’ll boost your reputation and confidence. Romance is favored. 4 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Determine what you want to accomplish and put your energy into making progress. Surround yourself with like-minded people and organizations addressing concerns you harbor. Social events, networking and getting both sides of a story will help you make better choices. Listen, fact-check and do what makes you happy. 3 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Keep the peace when dealing with family matters, joint ventures or expenses. A civil conversation will help you put an end to arguing over the same issues. What you cannot fix with words will require you to choose what makes you happy and to eliminate what’s causing the problem. 3 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Get out, participate and chitchat with people who offer a unique perspective on life, love and achieving peace of mind. An opportunity to get together with old friends or relatives will lead to exciting suggestions and prospects. Protect against health risks and follow proper protocol. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Time spent getting your place in order and ready for the festive season will give you a sense of accomplishment. Make your life more convenient and less stressful with home improvements and spending time with people who bring you joy instead of chaos. Trust your intuition and follow your heart. 4 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Pay attention to detail; if you try to wing it, someone will test you by observing what you say and do. Concentrate on facts and building up others. A positive attitude will get you the mileage required to reach your destination and reap the rewards of a job well done. 2 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Express your feelings and address issues you have in common with loved ones’ money or in contracts that you share. Offering a vision regarding your plans will help initiate positive change and put your mind at ease. Love is on the rise, and a celebration is in order. 5 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Look for an opportunity, and something scrumptious will tempt your appetite for change and positive gain. Channel your energy and focus on what’s meaningful to you. Adjustments you make to your lifestyle or living arrangements will give you the boost you need to excel. 3 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): It’s okay to hesitate if something is troubling you. Don’t trust secondhand information or offers that sound too good to be true. Do your homework before you agree to anything that may compromise your position, reputation or lifestyle. Choose what’s best for you. Self-improvement will boost your confidence. 3 stars

Birthday Baby: You are outgoing, persistent and helpful. You are caring and optimistic.

1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. 2 stars: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others. 3 stars: Focus and you’ll reach your goals. 4 stars: Aim high; start new projects. 5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

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CCS Division II football playoffs: Palma upsets Menlo to advance to title game

REDWOOD CITY — Different division, different setting — similar outcome.

Another bus trip up north awaits Palma, who is once again rebuffing skeptics and carving its own identity in the postseason.

“It does have a little Déjà vu feel to it,” Palma football coach Jeff Carnazzo said.

Buried on social media four weeks ago, the Chieftains are back in the Central Coast Section finals after Saturday’s 24-23 win over Menlo in the Division II semifinals at Sequoia High.

The reigning State Division 4A champions will face top-seed Wilcox of Santa Clara either Friday or Saturday at 7 p.m. at a site yet to be determined.

“I have not seen any video of Wilcox,” Carnazzo said. “I assume they are still a veer team. It is another formidable opponent. I like the direction we’re going. We’ve been finishing games the last two weeks. We struggled with that earlier in the season.”

The Chieftains and Wilcox used to scrimmage each other every year from 1990-2010, but have not played each other in a regular season game.

Wilcox fell in the Open Division finals two years ago to Serra and lost in the Division I title game last season to Los Gatos. It hasn’t won a section title since 1995.

The No. 7 seeded Chieftains (7-5) have gone on the road and knocked off two higher seeded teams, beating No. 2 Sacred Heart Cathedral 28-19 two weeks ago.

A common opponent is Hollister, who Wilcox beat 38-13 in Week 2, while the Chieftains defeated their Gabilan Division rival 32-15 on October 25.

“It’s been real rewarding watching the development of the young kids,” Carnazzo said. “Early on we had that dear in the headlights look. The evolution of this season is what I love so much about football.”

Dating back to last season, the defending CCS Division III champion Chieftains have won seven straight postseason games, with five of them coming on the road.

Champions of the Peninsula Bay League, the Chargers are riding an eight-game winning streak at 10-2, escaping last Friday with a 10-7 win over Menlo-Atherton, a league rival they were facing for the second time in three weeks.

“The seniors on this roster have established themselves,” said Carnazzo, who also has 13 sophomores seeing significant time. “The biggest boast to our team has been the return of tight end Aiden Williams.”

Williams, who caught his first touchdown pass of the season in last week’s win over Sacred Heart Cathedral, is also a punishing run blocker, which has enhanced the Chieftains running game in the last five weeks.

That in turn has benefitted sophomore tailback Eli Dukes, who went over 200 rushing yards for the third time since William’s return, rushing for three touchdowns against Menlo.

Dukes, who is closing in on a 2,000-yard rushing season for Palma, has piled up nearly 1,100 yards in seven career postseason games with 14 touchdowns.

“I can’t say enough about Eli Dukes,” Carnazzo said. “Job Barroso and Luke Mahler were dominate on the offensive line. And we made some key stops when we needed to on defense.”

None bigger than Dominic Chaidez’s interception at the 6-yard line with 1:50 left in a 24-21 game, halting a potential game-winning drive by the No. 6 seeded Knights (8-4).

“That was an incredible interception,” Carnazzo said.

Pinned inside its own 5-yard line after a penalty, Carnazzo was able to burn time off the clock before being forced to punt with 18 seconds left.

“We sent the punt team in,” Carnazzo said. “We talked about it as a staff. We didn’t like what we saw, so we called a time out.”

What Carnazzo decided was to take an intentional safety and kick the ball off from the 20 instead of the shadows of his own goal post.

“We told Eli to run around back there and take as much time as he could before running out of the end zone,” Carnazzo said. “He burned another eight seconds off the clock.”

The decision roughly meant 30 plus yards in field position, pinning Menlo inside its 40-yard line with 12 seconds left. One completion got them across midfield with one second remaining, with time for a ‘Hail Mary” pass that feel incomplete.

JC football: MPC completes first undefeated regular season in 16 years

MONTEREY — Each win has been cherished and never taken for granted. A lunch pail attitude is brought to practice each day with the goal to go 1-0 each week.

While claiming a conference football title for the fourth straight year was worth a celebration Saturday, Monterey Peninsula College achieved a rarer feat with regular season perfection.

For the first time since 2008, the Lobos completed an undefeated season, erupting for 60 plus points for the fourth straight game in a 62-17 win over visiting Cabrillo.

“It’s a good feeling,” said MPC coach Ronnie Palmer, after getting doused with ice water. “I’ll take it. It’s very rare to go 10-0. We’ve kept a blue-collar mentality. We compete and we have fun. Now we’ve extended our season two more weeks.”

One of three teams left in the state that is still undefeated, the Lobos will face 10-0 De Anza in the American Bowl on December 9. Where will be determined by a committee.

“I have not been told where the game will be played,” said Palmer, who is 20-1 as a coach in conference play. “I would suspect it will either be at De Anza or here.”

Champions of the American Golden Coast Conference, MPC and American Pacific 7 champion De Anza are not complete strangers, having scrimmaged each other before the season started.

“I remember they had a lot of speed at the skilled positions,” Palmer said. “The scrimmage tape will not help much. I have been able to watch some tape of them because we’ve faced a lot of common opponents.”

The two teams went into their season finales ranked in the state, with one poll ranking De Anza in front of the Lobos, and the other having MPC ranked in front of the Dons.

“I’ve already put a couple of De Anza games up,” Palmer said. “I appreciate how well our guys have jelled. Why not make something special out of this season.”

De Anza, who rallied Saturday for a 26-24 win over Chabot in its season finale, used a field goal with 1:22 left three weeks ago to beat Redwoods 25-22.

The Lobos, who came into the game ranked No. 2 in the state in scoring at just over 45 points a contest, have outscored their last four opponents 257-30, with the defense posting a pair of shutouts for the first time in over 30 years.

“It sure doesn’t feel like 60 at times,” Palmer said. “It feels fast. Our offense is explosive, and the turnovers help get the ball back to our offense. When momentum is working in our favor, that’s when the points start racking up.”

As has been the case throughout the Lobos last four games, they struck fast, producing three touchdowns in the first quarter before Cabrillo mustered a point.

Kieryus Boone put together a highlight reel with three touchdowns, including a 95-yard sprint in the second quarter to stake them to a 28-3 lead. His 11-yard run extended the Lobos lead to 35-3 at the half.

“Kieryus is having an MVP type year,” said Palmer, who has guided the Lobos to 15 consecutive conference wins.

Quarterback Eric Gibson tacked on three more touchdowns to his resume for the Lobos, finding state leader Devin Ellison for a touchdown to open the game, and hitting Marina graduate Julius Robinson on a 69-yard scoring strike.

An LSU transfer, Gibson has thrown 29 touchdown passes this fall, equaling Hunter Raquet’s mark of 29 set during MPC’s run to a bowl win in Mike Rasmussen’s final season as the head coach in 2019.

“It’s safe to say Eric is coming off those injuries that have plagued him and is playing a little loose,” Palmer said. “He’s making faster decisions to get out of harm’s way.”

Ellison, who has a dozen Division I colleges inquiring about his services, has caught 17 touchdown passes this fall for the Lobos and is closing in on 1,000 receiving yards.

Boone, who came into the game averaging 125 rushing yards a game, had that in the first half for MPC, while backup quarterback Miekael Brooker’s 35-yard run late in the first half set up the first of two field goals from Isaac Mancera.

“What’s fun is seeing the backups keep the big plays rolling,” Palmer said. “But we’re deep at a number of positions. We put in a lot of work during the week. Saturday is about us.”

Lost in the offensive firepower that was on display was the Lobos defense, which forced seven turnovers, five of which turned into points for the offense, while allowing just three points in the first half in the last four weeks.

“It’s a team game,” Palmer said. “Anyone that watches the game and pays attention to football knows it’s not one-sided. I love the praise the offense gets. But you have to have great special teams, you have to execute, and you have to stop somebody.”

Rotating players in and out on defense has seen the numbers split evenly among a group of tenacious defenders that don’t seem to care who gets the credit.

“We’re playing with 44 players,” Palmer said. “Each week, it’s next man up. It’s been tough. But we’ve made it work. There’s quality reps in practice with smaller numbers. It’s not about quantity, it’s quality.”

Coalinga 63, Hartnell 0: There will be some sole searching in the off-season, as the Panthers lost their identity in the second half of the season, closing the year with five straight losses.

For the third straight game, Hartnell (1-9) was staring at a 40 plus point deficit in the first half before even producing a point, having given up 141 points in the first half during that stretch.

Part of the Panthers struggles all season was the quarterback position after all-conference selection Adam Shaffer was lost for the season in the first half of their season opener with a knee injury.

Six different players have taken snaps behind center, with three of them being injured during the course of the season. Hartnell produced just 21 points in its last four games, outscored 225-21.

Two of Hartnell’s losses this fall were to teams that are undefeated, while a third loss came from a team headed to a bowl game. It suffered two other setbacks by a touchdown or less in the first half of the season.

While growing pains were expected with 45 of its 56 players being freshman, injuries slowed that progressed, while the offense was in constant transition after the loss of Shaffer, scoring just 95 points in its nine loses.

Brian Neal stepped in at quarterback in the second quarter for Hartnell, as the 30-year-old converted three of the teams four first downs.