Pick the Preps: Folsom-Serra, Clovis East-Grant and other HS football games
One week into the high school football season, and we’re still settling in, still trying to digest the opening weekend.
We applaud the ambitious scheduling of the powerhouse programs, teams taking on all-comers — and nothing fires up the engines throughout the greater Sacramento region more than an intersectional rumble.
We have several to ponder as our Sacramento Bee weekly Pick the Preps roundtable discusses and debates.
Last week, yours truly was the best guesser among the picks, going 6-3. Defending Pick the Preps champion Scott Tedmon and Matthew Bessette each went 5-4, and longtime area media man Nick Pecoraro vowed to do better after a 4-5 showing. Bessette is the lead play-by-play voice on his ABC JAM Productions by way of the streaming NFHS Network; and Tedmon provides color commentary with Bessette, so we all dig in, except for film breakdown.
No. 1 Folsom (1-0) at Serra-San Mateo (0-0)
When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday
JoeD: Fresh off of its rousing 51-13 effort over Grant, the Bulldogs now take on a team that they have not been able to solve in the Padres of the Central Coast Section, ranked fourth in the Bay Area behind De La Salle, Pittsburg and Riordan of San Francisco. Serra played for the elite CIF State Open championship in 2022, 2023 and 2024 and is 3-0 against Folsom in early season meetings. Folsom’s defense was stellar against Grant, and QB Ryder Lyons was never better in passing for 408 yards and four scores. Folsom in a good one, 31-21.
MattB: Locally, Folsom’s Rob Larson was well known, and after last week’s performance on ESPN, the nation now knows his name. The Bulldogs end their three-year losing streak with an impressive win, 31-21.
NickP: The Bulldogs made a statement against Grant and look to continue barking. Serra has a pair of 3-star defenders in Malakai Taufoou and Dylan Modena. Folsom has shrunken the margin of defeat each year against Serra, and this is the year the Bulldogs come out on top, 35-28.
CoachT: Folsom blocked out the noise last week and then proceeded to block and tackle Grant off its own field. Next up for the Bulldogs is their ultimate nemesis in Serra. Is this finally the year Ryder & Company get it done? Yes, by the count of 28-21.
Central East-Fresno (1-0) at No. 4 Grant (0-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
JoeD: Grant’s early schedule is brutal by design, to test the Pacers in the program’s quest to four-peat as a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section and CIF Northern California champion. Grant traditionally plays with emotion, but emotions got the best of the Pacers against Folsom, and that won’t fly against the top-ranked team in the Central Section. Still, Grant bounces back, 40-38.
MattB: The Pacers are one of the most resilient groups around. Some teams fold when they take one on the chin, but not Grant. Shiren Crump got his feet wet in his first varsity start at quarterback and leads the Pacers to the win, 35-28.
NickP: The Central East Bengals had a pair of 100-yard receivers last week with Bayon Harris and EJ Morgan. Expect Grant star receivers Koby Shabazz and Zo Edwards to bust out for the Pacers as well. Grant, 34-32.
CoachT: After feeling the fire of Folsom, the frying pan doesn’t get any cooler for Grant. Central East is loaded and presents a stout challenge for the Pacers. I’ll be broadcasting this beauty with Bessette. When the smoke clears, Bengals leave town with a 34-31 win.
No. 3 Rocklin (1-0) at Bishop Manogue-Reno (1-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
JoeD: The Thunder impressed in rolling Turlock in an opener as Reeve Slone hit three different targets for touchdowns, and Breyden Dehner and Asher Runnion combined for six sacks. Manogue already has two games under its belt, a 36-29 win over McQueen of Reno and a 51-38 loss to powerhouse St. Mary’s of Stockton. Rocklin’s D stands tall again in a 35-17 win.
MattB: Reno is always a tough place to play for the local schools, including elevation. Rocklin looked polished against Turlock with five different Thunder players scoring touchdowns and only giving up a late garbage-time score on defense. The Thunder with a convincing win, 41-21.
NickP: This one figures to be a high-scoring affair, especially with Slone and Brandon Mann of the host team calling the shots under center. Mann has impressed with a 131.4 QB rating thus far, but still taking Rocklin on the road, 44-26.
CoachT: Rocklin’s win was one of the most impressive performances of Week 0. Coach Jason Adams has the Thunder looking like they are in midseason form. Friday’s forecast in Reno calls for lightning and a whole lot of Thunder. Rocklin rolls, 38-24.
No. 5 Granite Bay (1-0) at Pittsburg (0-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
JoeD: Granite Bay coach Joe Cattolico knows all about the tradition of the famed Pirates of the East Bay, including his father and longtime assistant coach, Butch, starring there at quarterback in the mid 1960s before winning 264 games as the head coach at Los Gatos High. But the coaches aren’t playing in this game. They have to figure out a way to slow down Pitt with its host of new players. Pitt wins 21-20.
MattB: Granite Bay is always a tough, well coached, physical team, and they showed it in a big win over Rio Americano. Scoring a win on the road against this Pittsburg team would be huge for the Grizzlies, but Pittsburg hangs on, 31-28.
NickP: Isaiah Ene barrelled his way to two touchdowns in an opener, and Pitt features Arizona-bound receiver RJ Mosley and Oregon State-committed cornerback Truly Bell. This will be a slugfest that GB holds onto, 24-23.
CoachT: The Grizzlies will be well prepared and ready to roar in this intersectional battle between two terrific programs. Pitt reloads with another swashbuckling crew of Pirates. Pirates prevail, 28-27.
No. 13 Woodcreek (1-0) at No. 15 Whitney (1-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
JoeD: The Upstart Bowl features two Placer County teams that impressed in openers, Woodcreek rolling Jesuit 38-13 and Whitney downing West Park 17-13 after trailing 13-3. Whitney is a great one, 28-27.
MattB: Starting 2-0 would be huge for either team. Woodcreek had perhaps the biggest win in the section last week, while Whitney showed it won’t quit. Woodcreek is for real, 24-21.
NickP: Huge wins for both teams last week. I’ll be covering this one for The Bee. Carson Floyd of Whitney and Josiah Melendez of Woodcreek each put on a show in last year’s battle, which Woodcreek won 49-35. I’ll go with the more experienced Woodcreek team, 35-25.
CoachT: Last week Woodcreek and Whitney made the old ball coach look out of touch with reality by destroying my picks and leaving me to question why I’m picking games at all. Woodcreek in a classic, 31-28.
No. 17 Vacaville (0-1) at No. 16 West Park (0-1)
When: 7:15 p.m. Friday
JoeD: West Park played solid defense in its loss to Whitney, and QB Jaden Jackson will look to attack Vacaville’s defense after the Bulldogs allowed eight touchdown passes to Atwater in a wild 65-64 overtime loss. Jackson is the difference in a 24-21 West Park win.
MattB: One team was in a shootout last week, the other in an old-school slugfest. The home field for West Park is the difference maker, 20-14.
NickP: Vacaville certainly showed it can put some points on the board last week. West Park’s defense has its work cut out, but Jesiah Brewer, Topher Peterson and company will help hold down the home turf for the Panthers, 28-20.
CoachT: West Park looks to rebound against an explosion Bulldog bunch. The Panthers respond with an exemplary effort, taking a hard-earned 21-17 victory.
Season totals
JoeD: 6-3
MatthewB: 5-4
NickP: 4-5
CoachT: 5-4
This story was originally published August 28, 2025 at 5:00 AM.