Prep football: Breaking down 10 games of note, with predicted scores, key showdowns
The fourth week of the prep football season is here, featuring showdowns Friday and capped by the 50th Holy Bowl on Saturday night at Hughes Stadium between Christian Brothers and Jesuit.
Hughes seats 20,000, and it might have filled up for this milestone event, but only 8,000 tickets were sold and the event has officially been deemed a sellout. Dale Milton said he didn’t want to exceed 10,000 fans, normally the last thing he would want, but these are not normal times. CB and Jesuit have worked together in hosting this event.
“We don’t want to have a mega event and have all kinds of protocols for COVID, but we’ll still have a great crowd and a great time,” Milton said, adding that a commemorative rally towel will be handed out and that past players will be asked throughout the game to stand in recognition.
There will also be a moment of silence before kickoff to remember those who lost their lives in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York as Saturday marks the 20th anniversary.
Last week, we Bee sports staffers didn’t merge brains as much as we crashed craniums in falling all over ourselves in trying to predict 10 game scores. One game did not happen. We need more film breakdown.
I went 5-4, but it was a more impressive 5-4 than Jim Patrick’s 5-4 and Cameron Salerno’s 5-4 because, well, just because. I projected Bella Vista to end a Northern California record 48-game losing streak, which it did soundly, beating Highlands 67-0, as did Patrick, but our guy Salerno? Eh. Who wants us to bet on NFL wagers for you?
The Oak Ridge-Lincoln game did not happen as Lincoln of Stockton’s school district did not trust that the air quality would be good enough in El Dorado Hills to play the game.
No. 2 Rocklin (2-0) at No. 9 Capital Christian (1-1)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Outlook: This game was smoked out on Aug. 27 but both teams gladly filled their bye weeks to get this in. It’s a meeting of superb quarterbacks, Anthony Garcia of Capital Christian and Kenny Lueth of Rocklin, which stormed past Turlock 41-0 and Davis 69-8 behind dominating line play and defense. Capital rolled Atwater 47-18 and lost at Bay Area power Valley Christian 40-19, though it was 26-19 at one point in the fourth quarter before fatigue set in. Rocklin feeds on fatigue.
Bee picks: JoeD: Rocklin 35-28; Patrick: Rocklin 35-14; Salerno: Rocklin 42-21
No. 3 Vacaville (1-1) at No. 8 Granite Bay (1-1)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Outlook: This has been a nice nonleague series for years, and it’ll have the backdrop of another packed venue as GB coach Joe Cattolico seeks his first home victory with the program. GB beat Vista del Lago and Davis before stalling out against Jesuit 28-14. Vacaville is coming off a 20-13 overtime loss at Cardinal Newman in Santa Rosa after defeating Oak Ridge 17-7.
Bee picks: JoeD: GB 21-20; Patrick: Vacaville 28-20; Salerno: Granite Bay 17-14
No. 4 Oak Ridge (1-1) at No. 11 Elk Grove (0-1)
When: Friday, 7:15 p.m
Outlook: These programs first played in 1999 as Oak Ridge was in the midst of a Division II rise, and Elk Grove was king of the D-I mountain. Oak Ridge won and Division I and II have been pretty much even ever since, punctuated by Folsom winning section titles in both divisions. Elk Grove is led by a bevy of fast and powerful backs, including QB Ethan Archuleta, who didn’t play in the 15-6 opening loss at Inderkum, and Oak Ridge plays superb defense. Something’s got to give.
Bee picks: JoeD: Elk Grove 28-27; Patrick: Oak Ridge 35-21; Salerno: Oak Ridge 21-14
No. 7 Christian Brothers (2-0) vs. No. 6 Jesuit (1-1)
When: Saturday, 7 p.m. at Hughes Stadium
Outlook: The 50th Holy Bowl figures to be another thriller, considering CB won it late in 2019 and Jesuit in the spring. The QBs are pals — CB’s Jake Elorduy and Jesuit’s Preston Vukovich — and it will be up to their defensive friends to make stops.
Bee picks: JoeD: Jesuit 28-27; Patrick: CB 42-27; Salerno: Jesuit 35-24
No. 24 Roseville (2-0) at No. 14 Lincoln (1-1)
When: Friday, 7:15 p.m.
Outlook: The Tigers blasted through Oakmont and Rio Linda by combined score of 98-7 behind brothers and backfield mates Ryan and Brandon Graydon, who have combined for eight touchdowns, but Lincoln is a different animal. The Zebras are strong on D, led by Jordan Wager, and they are paced by steady QB Johnny Bauser and a powerful run game headed by Gabriel Burns, who had 101 yards and a score in a 17-14 win over Whitney.
Bee picks: JoeD: Lincoln 35-21; Patrick: Lincoln 34-13; Salerno: Lincoln 28-21
No. 15 Whitney (2-1) at Clovis (3-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Outlook: Whitney hits the road to the Central Section, where powerhouse Clovis and Utah-bound QB Nate Johnson awaits. A Whitney win here shakes up that section, and the Sac-Joaquin as well.
Bee picks: JoeD: Clovis 28-17; Patrick: Clovis 31-21; Salerno: Whitney 30-27
No. 21 Vista del Lago (1-1) at Placer (0-2)
When: Friday: 7:15 p.m.
Outlook: Vista competed against Granite Bay in an opener, outlasted Casa Roble in a shootout and now prepares for another expected thriller in Auburn against a hungry Hillmen team, which features star RB Lavelle Davis. Vista is paced by QB star Jakob Hollingshaus, who has passed for 617 yards and seven TDs.
Bee picks: JoeD: Vista 35-30; Patrick: Vista 34-20; Salerno: Vista 31-28
Sheldon (1-1) vs. Laguna Creek (1-1)
When: Friday, 7:15 at Cosumnes River College
Outlook: CRC is a cozy venue that packs out for games, and behold the bands for each school, as good as they come in the section. Sheldon impressed in beating Nevada Union but then was shut out in the second half against Christian Brothers, meaning Jesiah Machado, Isaiah Bickham and Scott Nixon have to change that trend. LC is paced by QB Hayden Johnson and overwhelmed Foothill in an opener and nearly led an upset over Pleasant Grove.
Bee picks: JoeD: Sheldon 35-21; Patrick: Sheldon 34-21; Salerno: Sheldon 42-21
Colfax (1-1) at Nevada Union (1-1)
When: Friday, 7:15 p.m.
Outlook: For decades, this game never was going to happen because Colfax was small and NU had nearly 3,000 students. Now they’re both smaller, but ever competitive, none more than NU QB Gabe Baker, who has to get his team on track after a 43-0 loss to Woodcreek. Colfax has a 10-point loss to 3-0 Woodland and is coming off a 34-6 rout of Galt under 224-game winning coach Tony Martello, an alum of the school. Now the bummer news: Nevada County health rules stipulate that the event is limited to just 500 spectators, or immediate family only.
Bee picks: JoeD: NU 28-14; Patrick: NU 26-20; Salerno: NU 35-27
Bradshaw Christian (2-0) at East Nicolaus (0-0)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Outlook: This is a nice showdown of small-school powers, Bradshaw Christian of the Sac-Joaquin Section and East Nicolaus of the Northern Section. EN won 14-6 in 2019, and it could be similarly close, though BC has an edge having played twice already in averaging 412 .5 yards rushing (Dylan Forbeck and Anthony Tornatore have combined for six TDs).
Bee picks: JoeD: BC 21-20; Patrick: BC 28-7; Salerno: East Nicolaus 28-24
Season totals: JoeD (5-4), Patrick (5-4), Salerno (5-4)
This story was originally published September 10, 2021 at 5:00 AM.