Records: Acalanes 10-3, Carmel 13-0

Kickoff: Friday at Monterey Peninsula College, 7:30 p.m.

Series history: The teams have not faced off in the MaxPreps era (since 2004).

Storylines: Acalanes is aiming to win its second consecutive regional championship under coach Floyd Burnsed, this time on the road in a lower division. The Lafayette program captured the 3-AA title 49-14 at home against Escalon in 2023 en route to a state championship victory. This season, the Dons defeated rival Campolindo 20-17 to advance to qualify for NorCals. … Carmel took down Aptos 62-35 in the CCS Division III title game to win its second section title in program history and advance to its first regional game. …  Acalanes is expected to rely on several key players from last season to make a difference against the Padres. Wide receiver Niko White has pulled in 13 touchdowns and Deonte Littlejohn is a standout at both outside linebacker and running back. Both sat out with injuries against Campolindo, but are expected to play on Friday. Senior Drew McKenzie has 12 sacks and is also a steady presence on the line too. … First-year starters have also made their mark during the Dons’ run to another NorCal game. Quarterback Tyler Winkles (32 passing TDs) and lineman-turned-RB Joshua Elerts (813 rushing yards) are offensive stars, and DT Bethel Imasuen (five sacks) and sophomore DB Finley Rivera (seven interceptions) have stood out on defense. … Expect a high-scoring affair at MPC. Carmel, which has Alabama commit Jackson Lloyd on the offensive line, averages 46 points per game, but gives up 26 on average, including 36 a game over its last four. … Acalanes’ defense has been far stingier, allowing over 30 points only once all season, and holding each of its three playoff opponents under 20 points. … The winner will take on Silverado-Victorville or El Capitan-Lakeside for the 5-AA state title. 

Computer projection: Calpreps.com predicts Acalanes will win 42-31.

– Joseph Dycus