The Bee’s Joe Davidson sizes up five Friday openers to kick off the high school football season. All games start between 7-7:30 p.m.:
No. 2 Jesuit at No. 3 Granite Bay – The rankings sort out in a hurry here as 15 Grizzlies returning starters face 12 returning starters for the visiting Marauders in a meeting of decades-long playoff regulars.
No. 20 Vista del Lago at No. 4 Oak Ridge – The visiting Eagles can turn the Top 20 upside down with an upset here, but they have to solve the Trojans’ dual-threat QB Marco Baldacchino to do so.
No. 7 Inderkum at No. 6 Elk Grove – The John Heffernan coaching era with the Thundering Herd begins with the triple-option, and with the visiting Tigers’ run-heavy wing-T, this one might end before curfew in an era of 3 1/2 -hour spread-option passing marathons.
No. 8 Grant at No. 9 Rocklin – This has been a great series since the first meeting in the 2009 playoffs, won by Rocklin, which lost a heartbreaker at Grant a year ago in an opener.
No. 17 Whitney at Davis – Jesse Armas takes over as Whitney coach during a tumultuous week for a program rocked by section sanctions and the dismissal of beloved coach Paul Doherty.
The Bee’s Top 20
(With last year’s record)
1. Folsom 12-2
2. Jesuit 9-4
3. Granite Bay 4-7
4. Oak Ridge 10-3
5. Del Oro 13-3
6. Elk Grove 11-2
7. Inderkum 11-3
8. Grant 8-4
9. Rocklin 4-6
10. Capital Christian 11-3
11. Franklin 5-5
12. Sheldon 8-4
13. Sacramento 10-2
14. Antelope 12-1
15. Cosumnes Oaks 8-4
16. Christian Brothers 11-3
17. Whitney 6-5
18. Del Campo 6-6
19. Placer 7-6
20. Vista del Lago 8-4
Bubble teams: Monterey Trail (5-6), Roseville (9-2), Cordova (7-4), Burbank (7-5), Davis (5-6), Yuba City (8-4), Colfax (9-4), Woodcreek (4-6), El Dorado (7-3), Center (8-4), Marysville (9-3), Bear River (3-7), Bradshaw Christian (12-1), Liberty Ranch (8-3), River City (6-5).
Friday’s games
All games kick off between 7-7:30 p.m., unless noted:
Union Mine at Amador
Nevada Union at Antelope
Mesa Verde at Argonaut
Kennedy at Bradshaw Christian
Casa Roble at Bella Vista
Oakmont at El Camino
Inderkum at Elk Grove
Colfax at Golden Sierra
Jesuit at Granite Bay
Del Campo at Merced
Vista del Lago at Oak Ridge
Natomas at Pioneer
Pleasant Grove at Placer
Lincoln at Ponderosa
Center at Rio Linda
Liberty Ranch at River City
Cosumnes Oaks at River Valley
Grant at Rocklin
Woodcreek at Sheldon
Whitney at Davis
Orland at Bear River
Clovis at Burbank
Service at Capital Christian
Cathedral at Del Oro
Coeur d’Alene at Folsom
Portola at Foresthill
Las Plumas at Marysville
Irvington at Lindhurst
Woodland Christian at Maxwell
Wooster at Rosemont
Monterey Trail at Wilcox
Pleasant Valley at Yuba City
Sacramento vs. Mitty at Foothill College
Cordova vs. Rio Americano at Del Campo
Roseville vs. Chico at Pleasant Valley
Encina vs. Valley at Cosumnes River College
Franklin vs. McNair at Cosumnes Oaks
Saturday’s game
Foothill vs. Mira Loma, at El Camino, 1 p.m.
Report your game results
Coaches are encouraged to report results immediately after games. Call 916-441-4100 or email scores and stats to preps@sacbee.com.
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