High school football: Three games to watch

The Bee's Joe Davidson forecasts today's three playoff games:

• Oak Ridge (11-1) at Burbank (12-0), 1 p.m.

These teams meet for the second consecutive season in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs. Oak Ridge prevailed 30-28 in a 2011 first-round road game, in part because Burbank didn't have a kicker for extra points. The Titans were stopped on two-point conversion attempts enough times to influence the outcome. The stakes are much higher today in the semifinals. Oak Ridge has remarkable balance in averaging 181 passing yards and 183 rushing yards per game. Quarterback Jason Samuels leads the passing attack with 24 touchdowns. Running backs Josh Wellman (840 yards, 11 TDs) and Blake Martin (864 yards, 11 TDs) head the run game. Burbank prefers to run teams out of its stadium with a triple-option attack that features three 1,000- yard rushers – Isaiah Williams (1,948 yards, 26 TDs) and Calvin Green (1,197 yards, 10 TDs), and quarterback Ernest Jenkins (1,333 yards, 14 TDs). The game features two of the state's sack leaders: Ngalu Tapa of Burbank with 22 1/2 sacks and Zack Claiborne of Oak Ridge with 20 1/2.

• Foresthill (10-1) vs. Brookside Christian (9-2) at Lodi, 1 p.m.

The Division VI title game at the Grape Bowl is a classic meeting of opposites. Foresthill is a small public school in the foothills. Brookside is a private-school power from Stockton that has a CIF State Bowl on its résumé. The Wildfires have a mascot to match the personality of coach Jim Herlihy, who vows to get a mohawk to match his freshly sheared players should they prevail today. The coach already has a month-old beard to accompany a nine-game winning streak. Quarterback Tommy Sawyer (1,477 passing yards) has 27 touchdowns with just three interceptions, and Wes Archbold has run for 1,026 yards and 12 scores for Foresthill. The Knights have outscored their past six opponents 356-14, including four shutouts. Austin Caldron has passed for 2,709 yards and 28 touchdowns, and the Knights have rushed for 40 scores, as well as recorded 45 sacks and 16 interceptions.

• Inderkum (10-2) vs. Vista del Lago (11-1) at Folsom, 7 p.m.

The Inderkum wing-T offense is contrasted by Vista's spread formation in this Division III semifinal. While the Tigers have won at least 10 games for seven successive seasons, they crave the program's first section crown. Vista and coach Chris Jones also seek a section title breakthrough. Inderkum's running game averages 328 yards and has scored 46 touchdowns. Especially hot lately is Terrence White, who rushed for 190 yards and four scores in a 69-47 win over Sierra-Manteca last week. Josh Montes is healthy for Inderkum after enduring a bad ankle and is coming off a 155-yard effort. Dedric Allen has 14 1/2 sacks for Inderkum and will have to apply pressure to Vista's Matt Jimison (2,306 passing yards, 35 touchdowns) and track down Josh Pfeffer (979 rushing yards, 15 scores). Chris "Bear" Grunsky leads the Vista defensive line and has blocked kicks on special teams, too.

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