Pick the Preps: Serra at Folsom, Grant at De La Salle, Bishop Manogue at Rocklin and more
Raise your hand or helmet if you have heard of De La Salle, or De La Stomp?
The Spartans of Contra Costa County are are coming for a visit to face The Sacramento Bee No. 2-ranked Grant Pacers on Friday night in one of the premiere high school games this week.
Last week, the top-ranked Folsom Bulldogs opened the season with a showdown of state-ranked heavies against the winningest prep program in state history, the Long Beach Poly Jackrabbits. Now, it’s Grant’s turn to test its fury and speed against De La Salle, which has won every Division I North Coast Section championship since 1992. The Spartans once went 12 seasons without a defeat in piling up an unfathomable 151-game winning streak and have been regulars in the CIF state championships since the event began in 2006.
You know these guys in silver and green. A refresher: DLS went a remarkable 30 years without losing to a Northern California team before falling to Saint Francis of Mountain View in a nonleague game, 31-28, in 2021. That halted a 318-game unbeaten streak, which included two ties, against NorCal foes. The DLS success has always been tied to superb athletes and superb coaches who teach blocking and tackling and togetherness, drawing praise over the decades from Hall of Fame coaches John Madden and Bill Walsh.
Since 2012, DLS has gone 7-2 against Folsom, including the playoffs. In regular-season games, DLS since 2012 has gone 3-0 against Del Oro, 1-0 against Granite Bay and 1-0 against Jesuit. Grant and DLS talked about scheduling a game in the 1990s and 2000s, but it didn’t happen. Grant folks then and now wondered if DLS was ducking the Pacers, but if DLS was taking on Mater Dei, Long Beach Poly and national powers across the country, the Spartans weren’t ducking anyone. Sometimes schedules don’t line up.
That’s old news and wasted energy to rehash.
▪ In our Pick the Preps efforts last week, I went 5-1 and the others went 4-2. The “others” are a good lot: Matthew Bessette of ABC JAM Productions and the streaming NFHS Network; Nick Pecoraro, a Bee correspondent and host of Premier Preps on YouTube; and Scott Tedmon, the retired championship prep basketball coach who is a terrific listen as a color man on NFHS football games.
Serra-San Mateo (0-0) at No. 1 Folsom (1-0)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
JoeD: Ranked No. 1 in Northern California, Folsom impressed in its 63-20 romp over Long Beach Poly, and here come the Padres of the Bay Area, the top team in NorCal the previous two seasons. Serra graduated a ton of stars, but coach Patrick Walsh is great at what he does. Same can be said for Folsom, which wins 28-14.
MatthewB: Folsom looked every bit the best team in Northern California against Poly. But in order to be the best, you have to beat the best, and Serra has been the best in NorCal. Serra’s roster looks a lot different, but it always has dudes. Bulldogs over the Padres, 42-21.
NickP: We already knew Lyons was special. But Folsom’s backfield tandem of Daymion Rivera and Carter Jackson adds a new dynamic that makes the Bulldogs tough for even the toughest teams to beat. Folsom wins, 32-24.
CoachT: I’ve been around Sacramento-area football since 1968, and watching Folsom’s beat down on Friday means three things: 1. I’m old. 2. The Bulldogs are one of the best area teams I’ve ever seen. 3. Night-night, Serra. Folsom wins 38-17.
No. 2 Grant (1-0) at De La Salle (0-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
JoeD: Good grief, what a whopper of a showdown in Concord. DLS has one of its fastest teams, which is saying a lot, and the Spartans have a veteran group. Grant also has speed and grinders on defense. If DE Jeremiah Tuiilelia cannot be blocked, the Pacers will squeeze out a milestone victory, 21-20.
MatthewB: Grant has a lot of new faces, but the Pacers are still loaded. De La Salle is not as dominant as it was once was, but it’s because the rest of the pack has caught up. Pacers gonna pace, 17-14.
NickP: Brandon Lambert made quite the introduction to Pacer Nation with 181 rushing yards and three TDs. It’ll take a complete team effort to topple the Spartans, but the Pacers find a way to make it three straight years that De La Salle loses its home opener, 21-17.
CoachT: DLS is loaded, led by dual-threat QB Toa Faavae and a swarming defense. The Pacers will match the Spartans’ speed and effort. It will be fast and furious, but DLS playing in front of its raucous crowd proves to be the difference, 24-21.
Bishop Manogue (2-0) at No. 3 Rocklin (1-0)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
JoeD: What a way to open the home schedule for the Thunder of Placer County, the defending section Division II champions. Rocklin is stout in the trenches, has playmakers that include Mavrik Collins and Mikey Cunningham, and there’s QB Reeve Slone and RB/LB Derek Keeley. It’ll come down to the trenches, headed by Garrison Blank for Rocklin, which muscles past the No. 4-ranked team in Nevada, 20-17.
MatthewB: It’s always fun when teams cross state lines. Bishop Manogue’s reward is a section champion program with a gunslinger at QB, a great offensive line and terrific skill-position players. The Thunder bolt to victory, 34-21.
NickP: Bishop Manogue and Rocklin impressed in opening wins over St. Mary’s and Turlock, respectively. The feeling is that Rocklin is on another level from where it left off last season. Thunder rolls, 35-20.
CoachT: The Miners cross the Sierras and into the valley as a confident crew. That confidence will be tested by running into a brick wall that is the UCLA-bound Blank and a rock-solid Rocklin team. Thunder gets it done, 27-21.
No. 10 West Park (1-0) at No. 11 Casa Roble (0-1)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
JoeD: Casa Roble is smarting from its 42-20 loss at Placer, undone by the Hillmen’s speed and its own turnovers, though new QB Aidan Lopez showed promise. West Park had four interceptions but got after it on defense in a 10-7 win over Whitney. This place will be rocking in Orangevale. Go with the Rams, 24-21.
MatthewB: With one impressive road victory under its belt, West Park is trying to do it again. Casa Roble’s section-title defense did not get off to the start the Rams wanted, but they get back on track here, 28-24.
NickP: The Rams’ first loss of the season a year ago sparked a run to a section title. West Park will have a solid run this year, but Casa Roble bounces back with a 28-17 win.
CoachT: The Rams look to rebound, but it won’t be easy facing West Park’s stingy and opportunistic defense. Casa is talented, and the Rams treat their loud and loyal fans to a victory, 28-17.
No. 9 Vacaville (1-0) at No. 6 Granite Bay (1-0)
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
JoeD: This has been a nice nonleague series for years, traditional powers that loosen each other’s teeth with hard hits and big plays. GB has a balanced attack and squeezes out a 24-20 victory.
MatthewB: These two teams might as well be in the same league given how often they play. The Grizzlies beat Vacaville on the road last season. Can Vacaville return the favor? I don’t think so. Take Granite Bay, 21-20.
NickP: The game features two of the best coaches you’ll find anywhere in Vacaville’s Mike Papadopoulos and GB’s Joe Cattolico. The Grizzlies have taken five of the last six meetings in the series. Expect that trend to continue as GB wins, 17-14.
CoachT: Vacaville faces a bunch of growling Grizzlies. The granite in Granite Bay is one of my favorite backs, Isaiah Ene, who will run around, past and preferably through defenders, leading to a 31-20 victory.
Rio Americano (0-1) at No. 14 Jesuit (0-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
JoeD: At long last, Jesuit will have new, permanent lights, and what a way to usher in a new era than a rumble against its neighborhood rival. Jesuit returns five starters, so it’s also a new era of new blood for Big Red, which wins here, 35-14.
MatthewB: Growing up, I always wanted to beat the kids from my neighborhood more than kids from across town. This game is going to be electric under Jesuit’s new lights. The Marauders kick things off right, 27-21.
NickP: The battle for American River Drive is reborn after a five-year halt in the series. Rio has several key pieces from last year, the program’s best season in 30 years, but Jesuit pulls out the victory, 27-20.
CoachT: Bruce Springsteen’s “Blinded by the Light” should be blaring for Big Red. Jesuit is a young but talented group. This one will be closer than the experts think, but the Marauders will light up the night, 31-24.
Cordova (1-0) at Mesa Verde (1-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
JoeD: The storied Lancers sit at 399 all-time victories and have playmakers who also know they have to clean up early season jitters and mistakes in order to make history. Dual-threat QB Trey Wallace accounted for four TDs in the 37-12 win over El Camino. Mesa Verde has a grinder of a RB in the 5-foot-5 Frank Robinson, fresh off of a 167-yard, three-TD effort to beat Woodland. Big Red has a golden chance to make history and wins, 28-24.
MatthewB: One of these programs is going to start the season 2-0. Expect this one to be an incredibly fun matchup. Cordova holds off Mesa, 28-27.
NickP: Wins will be tougher to come by for Cordova once Metro League play arrives (the league includes Bee-ranked Grant and West Park). The Lancers look for that magic milestone and get the 22-14 win.
CoachT: Both schools are a work in progress to reestablish past success. Mesa is enjoying the second season in its new stadium digs. This is a tossup, but how can I pick against Cordova with all that history? The original Big Red celebrates a 24-21 victory.
Season totals:
JoeD: 5-1
MatthewB: 4-2
NickP: 4-2
CoachT: 4-2
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