Postseason football thoughts

 No one is interested in excuses.
 Yet, you can't help but wonder if the extra week off during this postseason has hurt some teams and helped others.
 Aptos has looked like a team possessed in the postseason, having scored 111 points in two lopsided wins over higher seeded teams -- avenging a loss to Palma in the process.
 That's not the same Mariners squad that suffered back-to-back gut wrenching losses to Palma and Salinas to close the regular season after an 8-0 start.
 Well it is.
 The difference is Aptos has looked rested in the postseason. Forced to wait a week to play because of poor air quality from the Northern California fires gave them 14 days to heel.
 Teams that got in their first round games got equal rest. But at the same time, momentum, at least for Palma and Salinas vanished.
 The Chieftains were tagged for 49 points in a season ending loss to Aptos. Salinas gave up 45 in a setback to top seed Wilcox.
 Two weeks earlier Palma put up 54 points in beating Pioneer while Salinas thumped San Benito in a rematch.
 Bottom line, neither was the better team this week. Bad timing? Perhaps. It happens. Disappointment does not translate to failure. You don't win league titles accident.