Picking the preps: Playoff showdowns in Woodland, Sacramento, Colfax, Vacaville
It’s game time, men. Let’s go.
OK, that’s coach speak. We tone that rhetoric down a bit around here. But still, it’s game time. Strap it up. Leave no prisoners. We’d run over our mothers to get into the end zone, or something like that.
The Sac-Joaquin Section football playoffs mean it’s win or turn in gear. Who handles the urgency and pressure? Who buckles? Our preview/coverage crew of Chris Biderman, Jim Patrick, Cameron Salerno and yours truly dig in.
We also bid a fond farewell to our editor and friend, Jim, a native of Minnesota who worked media gigs on the East Coast and in Utah but has found a home in Sacramento, so much so that he jumped at the chance to cover prep games to see what all the fun and fuss is all about. We’re hoping he sticks around to keep talking football next year, but for now he’s on to tackle new projects. We may toilet paper his house in protest.
Picks here include division and seeding:
Division I
No. 9 Lincoln-Stockton (6-4) at No. 8 Sheldon (7-3)
JoeD: The winner here will face top-seeded Folsom, the buzzsaw. Sheldon welcomes back star RB Devin Green, who’s ankle is good to go, and so is Jesiah Machado and Scott Nixon, the hard-to-stop QB to WR combo. Sheldon wins, 42-34.
Biderman: These are two pretty evenly matched teams. Lincoln is 4-1 on the road and just 2-3 at home, so perhaps there’s something to playing in a hostile environment for the Trojans. I’ll go against the grain and take Lincoln, 30-23.
Patrick: Sheldon wins. I’ve always wanted to do a pick with absolutely no analysis. Wait, that’s every pick I make. But really, the Huskies’ offense is dependably very good and dynamic. They can run. They can pass. They’ll find a way. Sheldon wins 34-20.
Salerno: Scott Nixon is having a very good season for Sheldon. I thought the Huskies could land a higher seed. Give me Sheldon in a close one, 45-42.
No. 11 Johnson (7-3) at No. 6 Elk Grove (7-3)
JoeD: Kudos to the gritty Warriors of the Sacramento City Unified School District, in the D-I playoffs for the first time in nearly 20 years (and yes, there’s argument that they don’t belong in D-I). For all the skill players Johnson has, it does not have the line bulk and power to keep pace, so EG rolls 54-22.
Biderman: I’m a fan of what they’re doing at Johnson. Quarterback Marino Fragata has some of the best passing numbers in the state while throwing to a talented group of pass-catchers. But Elk Grove’s too big in the trenches, which is where games are won and lost this time of year (*football guy grunt/sniff*). Give me the home ball club, 34-24.
Patrick: Joe initially picked Johnson to score an odd-number of points. I went ahead and changed that because I know the Warriors don’t ever kick extra points. They always go for two. They also never punt. They went for it on fourth-and-30-something last week against Natomas. It might have been even longer than that. For all their quirks and possibilities on offense, Elk Grove is too big and too mechanized for Johnson. EG wins 34-16.
Salerno: This is a very tough matchup for Johnson, who shouldn’t be in the Division l bracket. The section should do something to fix seedings one day. I’m not the biggest fan of competitive equity but it would apply here. Elk Grove wins big 52-14.
Division II
No. 11 Inderkum (5-5) at No. 6 Granite Bay (6-4)
JoeD: Ever hear this line? Throw the windows out the bus windows. It applies everywhere, including here, where tough losses don’t indicate how good these teams are. GB wins at home, battle-tested and hungry, 21-13.
Biderman: Granite Bay’s better than their record indicates and I’m expecting them to make a run in the Division II bracket. Give me the Grizzlies, 44-26.
Patrick: How deep is the Sierra Foothill League? Granite Bay won just one game and earned the No. 6 seed in Division II. And the Grizzlies deserve it. It also speaks to the general lack of power in Division II. The top teams won’t be challenged. GB wins 34-20.
Salerno: Granite Bay bounced back with a big win over Whitney to knock them out of the playoffs. The Grizzlies get the job down at home and advance, 35-14.
No. 9 Lodi (7-3) at No. 8 Vacaville (7-3)
JoeD: The old-school bowl plays out in Solano County as Lodi opened in 1896 and Vacaville in 1898. What’s that have to do with this game? Nothing. It’s just cool, and so is Lodi’s mascot: the Flames. Cool aside, the host Bulldogs, all grit and results, win here, 28-27.
Biderman: Speaking of flames, Vacaville will likely have its pyrotechnics (literal flame throwers) going throughout this one. Vacaville’s one of the section’s more underrated programs with a student section that shows out. Give me the Bulldogs, 30-26.
Patrick: I admit it, I love Vacaville. Big Vacaville homer here. However, this is the first time we’ve seen Lodi this season. The Flames were reasonably competitive against St. Mary’s. But Vacaville allowed just 31 points in five league games. The Bulldogs will shut down Lodi, 28-7.
Salerno: Vacaville has a great home-field advantage and is just a cool town in general. I saw the Bulldogs earlier this season and think they will win and advance, 35-31.
Division IV
No. 5 Lincoln (5-5) at No. 12 Natomas (7-3)
JoeD: The Zebras endured a tougher schedule and are physical with LB ace Peyton Raper and fast with RB star Ryan Henning. That’ll be too much for Natomas. Lincoln wins 42-21.
Biderman: The next time I pick against the Fighting Zebras will be my first (I don’t actually know if this is true, please don’t look at past picks). It’ll be Lincoln, 38-32.
Patrick: These are two of my favorite schools. I’m always rooting for city schools and Natomas is fun to watch. Those kids played their hearts out in a wild 48-46 loss to Johnson last week. I think the Nighthawks are better than their 12 seed and can give Lincoln a scare. You know what? I was about to pick Lincoln anyway, but Joe and I have picked every game the same to this point and I’m feeling lucky. Natomas shocks Lincoln, 35-28.
Salerno: If Ryan Henning is healthy, Lincoln should win big time. He’s one of the best running backs in the section. Zebras 35-14.
No. 7 Capital Christian (4-5) at No. 10 Wood (5-5)
JoeD: The Cougars of CC are a fired-up lot, back in the playoffs after CIF sanctions tied to club football prevented a postseason last season and cost them any home games this season. CC is young but skilled, and they win a shootout here, 35-31.
Biderman: I’ll be at this game, which inevitably means I’ll get a sideways look from at least one of the coaches on the sideline. It’s my burden to bear. I’m taking Capital Christian for all the reasons Joe mentioned. Chips on shoulders, et cetera, 28-20.
Patrick: Capital Christian has exciting sophomore running back Malakai Taione Tauataina, who rushed for 867 yards and scored nine touchdowns in seven games. I’m going with the young and fun Cougars, 35-28.
Salerno: Capital Christian is back in the playoffs after a playoff ban last year. The 4-5 record is deceiving because they played some really tough teams this season. Give me the Cougars 42-41.
Division V
No. 10 Center (5-4) at No. 7 Pioneer (7-3)
JoeD: Grass field, a chill in the air. Can’t beat it, and for as gritty as Center is, the Cougars will lose a grinder to RB star Jack Carner and the Patriots, 28-23.
Biderman: Carner is a stud and isn’t going out on a playoff loss on his home field. Center is good, and won’t go down easy, but I’m taking the Pats, 24-21, in a great game.
Patrick: Center didn’t impress me much in a 12-point loss to Twelve Bridges, then they went out and took Sutter to overtime, which is a feat in itself. The Cougars are an absolute wild card. But Pioneer is a known entity. The Patriots win 28-20.
Salerno: Jack Carner is the real deal. Pioneer is a team that can make a run in this bracket. Pioneer 31-28.
Division VI
No. 9 Union Mine (4-5) at No. 8 Esparto (8-3)
JoeD: UM of El Dorado has a leader on Andrew Duran, a do-all guy who goes by Duranimal (we dig nicknames, of course). But go with the home team vibe as the Spartans squeeze this one out, 21-20.
Biderman: Sparty (do people call them that?) won all its league games by a combined score of 270-82. Far be it from me to pick against them on their home field. Esparto takes it, 44-28.
Patrick: Union Mine is on a skid coming into this one because of a tough league finish. I saw Esparto play in the playoffs last year and the Spartans are obviously well-coached. As per tradition with a game I’m covering, I’ll pick a ridiculous score: Esparto wins, 75-74.
Salerno: Give me the underdog! Union Mine wins a close one 28-27.
Division VI
No. 11 Argonaut (4-6) at No. 6 Colfax (6-3)
JoeD: Another game on grass between old schools. We dig it. Argonuat won a state small-school title last season under beloved coach Rick Davis, and he was replaced by Vance Mueller, a prep star in that region back in the day who later played in the NFL. Colfax has been a powerhouse small school for decades, and coach Jason Stowers became the first coach in program history to post a winning record in his first season, a nugget unearthed by retired media great Mike Ray. What’s it all mean? Colfax in a thriller, 35-30.
Biderman: Joe, seriously, how do you know all this stuff? Can we hang out more often? I’ll take Colfax, 26-24, because it’s a cool scene up there in mountains.
Patrick: I’m picking Colfax because I like the name of the town, though Argonaut is certainly a very cool name. Colfax rolls, 35-21.
Salerno: This is the game I will be at on Friday. I will not try and freeze out there because it’s very cold in Colfax. Jason Stowers was my teacher my junior year in high school. I can’t pick against him. 28-27
Season totals:
JoeD: 58-20
Biderman: 49-29
Patrick: 55-23
Salerno: 60-18
This story was originally published November 4, 2022 at 5:00 AM.