Enough talk, let’s play: Section football semifinals are a chance to put up or shut up
’Tis the season for people to bemoan.
For the Sac-Joaquin Section football playoffs, the chorus of discord has come from all angles – voicemail, email, social media and in person – since the brackets were released. The complaints focused on seedings, division placements, the opponent, the travel, the bracket; anything to rally the troops and to drum up a theme of “it’s us against the world, men!”
Well, no. Certainly not the world. People in the Ukraine, Italy or even Memphis, Milwaukee, Minnesota or parts of Mariposa County don’t care. Shoot, people even work themselves up in lather over predicted scores by the media.
And this, programs that feel slighted can do something about it: win. The results show that the northern part of the section is dominated by the Sacamento-area programs and the smaller heavies reside down south.
Gregori of Modesto folks felt dismissed with a No. 11 seed and a road game, then got blown out at Davis 41-7 in Division I. Those within the Turlock circle were miffed that an 8-2 regular-season record only warranted a No. 7 D-I seed, then bristled some more at the prospect of having to travel again after beating Del Oro, before finally falling at Oak Ridge in last week’s quarterfinals, 24-14.
Inderkum players didn’t agree with a No. 3 seed in D-I with a 10-0 record, then they played like a top seed in beating Davis 43-21.
Whitney folks were delighted to get into the playoffs at 4-6 after going 0-10 in 2018, and then backed it all up with D-II wins over Lincoln (42-21) and Rocklin (28-6).
Elk Grove didn’t agree with its No. 6 seeding in D-II and unleashed on No. 3 Vacavile, 52-29, to earn a rematch with Cosumnes Oaks, which was just fine with its No. 2 seeding.
Buchah Colony couldn’t understand how its 10-0 regular season warranted a No. 3 seed. Simple – strength of schedule favored top-seeded Capital Christian and No. 2 Placer as these are not standings but power seedings.
Rio Linda in D-IV and Center in D-V had expressed no discord with top seeds and have backed it up with emphatic wins.
JOED PICKS THE PREPS
We’ve got our playoff game faces on, eye black, taped fingers and ankles, primed for more games as the playoffs hit the semifinals.
Last week, we went 14-3, and this week we’re picking every game to end in a tie in an effort not to irk teams or “hate on” or “sleep on” anyone.
Nah.
We’re still picking winners while championing the theme there “are no losers at this stage of the game.”
Game on (ranking is division seeding).
Division I
No. 5 Monterey Trail (11-1) at No. 1 Folsom (10-1)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Storyline: This is a rematch of last year’s championship, which was a thriller in the first half before Folsom scored 42 unanswered in the third quarter to blow it open. Expect a thriller to the end as Monterey Trail has the personnel to put up a fight. And Folsom has championship pedigree and grit.
We think we know: Folsom 42-35
No. 3 Inderkum (11-0) at No. 2 Oak Ridge (9-2)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Storyline: These programs have not met, and this figures to be a wildly entertaining thriller of skill, line play and defensive pursuit. QBs J.J. Ray of Inderkum and Justin Lamson of Inderkum have been on a roll.
We think we know: Oak Ridge 28-24
Division II
No. 6 Elk Grove (8-4) at No. 2 Cosumnes Oaks (8-3)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Storyline: This is a rematch of a the Oct. 25 Delta League duel, won by CO 23-12 (which trailed 12-0). QB Anthony Grigsby Jr. dazzled in the second half of that one. Can he do it again, and can CO stop EG’s super QB leader Carter Harris?
We think we know: Cosumnes Oaks 28-27
No. 9 Whitney (6-6) at No. 4 Jesuit (6-5)
When: Saturday, 1 p.m.
Storyline: Whitney rolls on after an 0-10 season in 2018, thanks to the coaching of Zac McNally and the resolve of a host of players on offense and defense. Jesuit has gone 5-1 since QB ace Daniel Susac returned to the lineup healthy.
We think we know: Jesuit 21-20
Division III
No. 4 Manteca (9-2) at No. 1 Capital Christian (9-2)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Storyline: The defending champion Cougars are a talented, skill-heavy and defensive-minded lot that faces a storied Manteca program that has won five section titles this decade via power running and defending. Always favor the home team in close ones, right?
We think we know: Capital Christian 28-24
No. 3 Buhach Colony (11-0) at No. 2 Placer (9-2)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Storyline: It was this time a year ago when Placer muddled past River Valley 7-6 on a sloppy, torn-up grass field. That is no longer an issue as a sparkling new field turf allows for good footing, and Placer impressed in rallying past Yuba City last week. BC runs with power – 41 carries for 475 yards and six touchdowns to beat Roseville 45-27 last week.
We think we know: Placer 35-30
Division IV
When: No. 4 Sierra (9-3) at No. 1 Rio Linda (9-2)
Storyline: The defending champion Knights value their home field, going 12-2 on that turf the past two seasons behind game-breakers such as RB Cameron Skattebo, who has (1,605 yards, 18 scores). Sierra of Manteca also has a RB star in Kimoni Stanley (1,728, 31 TDs)
We think we know: Rio Linda 35-28
Division V
Bradshaw Christian (9-2) at No. 1 Center (11-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Storyline: Bradshaw Christian will not recreate the wheel – or even the blocking sled – as it lives to run with power, having churned and sprinted for 4,025 yards and 47 scores, headed by Evan Zeppieri, Nate Grant and Jeremiah Bonner-Hayes. Center has more than a 1-man wrecking crew in QB star Michael Wortham, but it starts with him and the offensive line.
We think we know: Center 42-21
This story was originally published November 21, 2019 at 9:55 AM.