Pick the Preps: CIF Sac-Joaquin Section high school football playoff predictions, analysis
Now everyone plays, except the teams that were just eliminated.
The eliminated turn in gear, and everyone else seeks to avoid that fate until well into December. The opening round of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section football playoffs kicked off last week with seven divisions. The top seeds took the night off with a bye, all the better to prepare, rest and scout opponents in person.
Round II includes four games on Thursday night. How can this be when football is a Friday fixture?
Well, schools will recognize Veterans Day on Friday, an off day, so the teams that mutually agreed to move their games up a day were granted that effort by the section office. We applaud it as Thursday games spread the wealth. The Thursday games are Pioneer of Woodland at Hilmar and Rosemont of Sacramento City Unified at new-school Twelve Bridges in Division V; Liberty Ranch of Galt at Sutter in D-VI and Delta of Clarksburg at Woodland Christian in D-VII.
Our Sacramento Bee prep enthusiast foursome of yours truly, Matthew Bessette of ABC Jam Productions in conjunction with NFHS broadcasts, area media guru Nick Pecoraro and retired basketball coach/current football fanatic Scott Tedmon will continue to speculate and guess the games. Last week, Coach T had his best week, going 5-0 to save face in our weekly picks. Pecoraro also went 5-0, leaving Bessette and me to mumble: “Yeah, whatever.”
Division I
Inderkum (10-1) at Monterey Trail (7-3)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
JoeD: What a whopper of a showdown of red-hot teams with the winner eager for a shot at top-seeded Folsom, should the Bulldogs get past Cosumnes Oaks in another quarterfinal. Inderkum has won 10 straight behind dominating defense and the star power of dual-threat QB Ricky Cole (44 passing touchdowns, nine rushing this season). MT has won seven straight and has the sort of runners and run game to keep Cole and Company off the field. Indy takes a thriller, 35-34.
MatthewB: I’ll be there to broadcast what might be the game of the week in the entire section. Inderkum will need to control the line if the Tigers want to slow down MT’s veer run game, and the Tigers will need a big performance Josiah “Sugar Bear” Sharma to do it. For the Mustangs, Arik Phillips and the rest of the secondary will have to step up to slow down the aerial assault of Inderkum. I have Inderkum winning an instant classic, 31-30.
NickP: Man, that 5-0 week felt good, right Coach T? Sorry, gotta savor those when I can. Anyway, I think we all knew this would be the most hyped matchup of the quarterfinals. Both teams are superbly coached, and as much as I love TJ Ewing and company at MT, I’m feeling a Cole train rolling down the tracks. Indy squeaks by MT, 42-40.
CoachT: Coach Ewing’s Mustangs played a brutal non-league schedule to prepare them for games like this. Indy is on a big-time roll with Player of the Year candidate Cole. This one will leave everyone exhausted with MT advancing 34-33.
Division II
Granite Bay (6-5) at Manteca (7-3)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
JoeD: An intriguing and fun matchup of storied programs as GB gets another shot at revenge, and at this time of year, you use any and all means and methods to fire up. Manteca beat GB in a thriller to three-peat as a section champion last season, and then the Buffaloes beat GB 15-0 earlier this season in nonleague action. I don’t see a shutout, but I can see runners Isaiah Ene and Carter Jackson and LB leader Frank Cusano finding a way in a 23-20 victory.
MatthewB: How loaded is the D-II bracket? These teams met for the championship last year and now this is a quarterfinal matchup. Manteca has a real home-field advantage playing on a real grass field. The Buffaloes take down the Grizzlies, 24-21.
NickP: This will be the third time in the past 12 months these two have hooked up. Manteca was without its best player in Bryson Davis when the Buffaloes beat GB on Aug. 25. Davis has averaged nearly 200 rushing yards since his return five games ago. Manteca outruns GB with a slight forward lean in another classic, 27-24.
CoachT: The logical choice is Manteca. The Grizzlies throw logic out the window with their staunch D, robust running game and timely play from ever-improving freshman QB Dominic Cattolico. GB wins a grinder, 17-14.
Del Oro (7-4) at Jesuit (9-1)
When: Saturday, 1 p.m.
JoeD: Jesuit played host to Grant 30 years ago in an epic playoff showdown of top-tier programs, and I still remember vividly as a 10-year old taking game notes, give or take some decades. Like that Jesuit win all those years ago, I see Big Red eliminating Del Oro in a showdown of do-all quarterback stars - Caden Pinnick for DO and CJ Lee for Jesuit. Who wins in the trenches? Who has the breakaway players? Jesuit by a yard, 24-23.
MatthewB: Del Oro is as battle tested as they come after running the Sierra Foothill League gauntlet. This matchup will be electric with two of the very best quarterbacks we’ve seen. Marauders enjoy the home atmosphere and wins 30-27.
NickP: I’ll be there Saturday for an absolute banger featuring perhaps the area’s best dual-threat QBs - and standup young men - in Pinnick and Lee. So the winner can feel free to use me as a tackling dummy if I pick against them (please don’t). With that, I’m picking Del Oro, 22-21.
CoachT: This is a clash of storied programs led by great coaches, classy QB’s and two teams who leave it all on the field. Pinnick and Lee will make plays. Physical line play is a push. The difference is Big Red speedster Johnnie Brannon IV, who has been clocked at 21.53 mph game speed. Brannon blasts off for a big run late propelling Marauders into the semis, 38-34.
Division IV
West Park (9-2) at Placer (6-4)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
JoeD: It was just back on Oct. 20 that Placer beat West Park 35-21 in Auburn to clinch the Foothill Valley League, and here comes the rematch. WP was not at full strength the first time, but it’ll again come down to the trenches. Hillmen by a hair, 35-30.
MatthewB: Picking Placer games has cost me dearly in the standings this year. I asked my kids who I should pick and they chose the Panthers because “what even are Hillmen?” But my kids don’t watch football so I’m rolling with Placer, 38-35.
NickP: I’ll be at this game for a recap for The Bee. This is about as old school vs. new school as you can get. Placer opened in 1897 and West Park in Roseville 2020. These Panthers are hungry to make their mark on school history, but the Hillmen always seem to find a way this time of year. Placer, 28-21.
CoachT: WP heads back up the hill for another shot at the Hillmen. The sequel will be closer, but Placer prevails, 34-28.
Sacramento (5-6) at Escalon (9-1)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
JoeD: This feels and smells like an upset with Sacramento Dragons RB bruiser Lamar Radcliffe coming off a four-touchdown effort and playmaker Robert Hamel scoring on a 97-yard kickoff return to key a 52-20 playoff win over Sierra of Manteca. But top-seeded Escalon has won 11 section titles because of the trenches and defensive grit, and it’ll play out here, too, in a 28-20 win.
MatthewB: The way the Dragons have turned their season around is remarkable. Escalon has earned that top seed, led by senior quarterback Donovan Rozevink. The Cougars slay the Dragons, 27-21.
NickP: Due to lengthy new field renovation processes at Engel Field, this will be just the second home game all season for the defending state champion Escalon. And what a turnaround for the Dragons, who started 0-6 and have stormed back to win five straight. Despite the 1-vs.-9 matchup, this one might require OT to decide, but I’m going with Escalon in the end, 35-28.
CoachT: Sac’s losses were all to playoff teams. Escalon also had a challenging schedule. The Cougars will present a huge challenge, but the difference is Radcliffe and the Dragons pull the upset, 28-24.
Division V
Rosemont (6-5) at Twelve Bridges (10-0)
When: Thursday, 7 p.m.
JoeD: This will be a nice running back showcase with the speedy and prolific Michael Cherry coming off a six-touchdown effort for Rosemont in a rout of Dixon countering the efforts of the remarkable Nathan Crawford, who has chugged, grinded and sprinted for 1,591 yards and 32 touchdowns. But 12B is more than just a star runner. This is a complete outfit, and the Ragin’ Rhinos prevail, 35-14.
MatthewB: I’ll be there broadcasting this clash. Twelve Bridges is having a storybook season under possible Coach of the Year Chris Bean. The Rhinos keep Raging at the expense of Rosemont, 38-28.
NickP: Crawford and Cherry are two of the top backs in the area and are certain to wow the crowd in Lincoln. But the Rhinos aren’t 10-0 for any particular reason. A trip to the D-V semis is on the horizon for TB, which crashes its way to a 33-17 win.
CoachT: Rosemont had a great effort against Dixon but 12B is next level. Ragin’ Rhinos stampede into semis, 45-17.
Division VI
Liberty Ranch (6-4) at Sutter (8-2)
When: Thursday, 7 p.m.
JoeD: This one has upset written all over it, especially considering the Sutter coaches saw firsthand how Liberty Ranch of Galt rushed for 610 yards on 57 carries to batter Bear River 49-18 last week, including 257 and three scores by Joseph Brown and 189 and four by Oscar Romero. Sutter ramps up the D like it always does at home and grinds out a 21-20 win.
MatthewB: This game will feature strength against strength with the Hawks ground attack trying to move the ball against the wall that is the Sutter run defense. Huskies win it for the pregame heroic horses, 24-20.
NickP: Sutter has all kinds of dudes on the defensive side of the ball, highlighted by Fresno State commit Auckland Asiata, Eric St. Onge, Tristan Leal and Max Bringgold. Huskies march into the semis, 24-14.
CoachT: Bear River had no answer for LR’s running game. Sutter’s D has the answers and the Huskies score just enough. Cue the horses for the semis as Sutter prevails, 24-21.
Last week and season totals:
JoeD: 4-1 (51-21)
MatthewB: 3-2 (48-19)
NickP: 5-0 (47-25)
CoachT: 5-0 (43-29)
This story was originally published November 8, 2023 at 5:00 AM.