Pick the Preps: Granite Bay-Oak Ridge, Sac-Pioneer, Lincoln-Wheatland and more
In a flash, the high school football season in the greater Sacramento region has hit the regular season’s midway point, just as fall has officially arrived.
The season could stretch to 15 weeks for the fortunate few that win CIF Northern California championships, thus earning a ticket to the CIF State championships at various Southern California sites. The immediate goal is a league championship or a playoff berth.
Speaking of midseason form, our Pick the Preps roundtable of yours truly, longtime media man Nick Pecoraro and broadcasters Matthew Bessette and Scott Tedmon (CoachT) of ABC JAM Productions and the streaming NFHS Network are in a tight race for first place in the guessing game of scores.
Here are some of the biggest games in the region this week.
No. 4 Granite Bay (4-1) at No. 2 Oak Ridge (3-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
JoeD: The Sierra Foothill League heats up with another rumble, this one in El Dorado Hills with the Grizzlies visiting the Trojans. Both teams have impressed this season, including in out-of-area losses (Granite Bay Grzto Pittsburg of the Bay Area, and Oak Ridge to San Marcos of San Diego). How does Oak Ridge deal with relentless RB Isaiah Ene? How does GB handle the physical nature of OR’s lines? OR in a great one, 21-20.
MatthewB: Every week there will be massive SFL clashes, and this one might just be the game of the week. It’s tough on tough with Granite Bay at Oak Ridge. I’m taking the Grizzlies, 27-24.
NickP: Must-see matchups every week in the SFL. Granite Bay’s Ene and Oak Ridge’s Jasen Womack provide the punch for their respective teams while guys like Isaac Pierce for the Trojans and Darnell Turner for the Grizzlies are the X-factors. Oak Ridge wins, 27-20.
CoachT: For anyone who craves physical, line-it-up, knock-your-dentures out football, this one’s for you. In the battle of smashmouth pigskin at its finest, the difference will be Trojans do-everything senior star Womack. OR wins, 17-14.
No. 20 Sacramento (3-1) at Pioneer (3-2)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
JoeD: The Dragons of Oak Park lost a handful of tight games in the Monticello Empire League in 2024 but are a year older and wiser, and the efforts of skill players in QB Laron James-Radcliffe, RB Cordell Radcliffe and WR Damarie Taylor have fueled a fast start. Sac wins, 35-27.
MatthewB: Both teams are loaded at the skill positions with well-balanced offensive attacks. Sac High’s Taylor and Pioneer’s Devion Corley are two of the top receivers in the section. The Dragons improve to 2-0 in league, 35-30.
NickP: This young Dragons team won a couple playoff games last year with much of the core talent returning this year. They will be dangerous in the MEL and again in the postseason. Sac wins, 33-20.
CoachT: Pioneer’s combination of QB Jordan Constancio to WR Devion Corley has been lethal. The Dragons counter with seemingly the entire Radcliffe family, and wow, can they play. This will be a high scoring, fun one with Sac winning, 42-38.
Ponderosa (3-2) at Bella Vista (2-2)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
JoeD: The Bruins of Shingle Springs stormed to a 3-0 start before setbacks to Granite Bay and Woodcreek, and now it’s time for an upstart Broncos bunch from Fair Oaks under spirited first-year coach Jason Ott in this Capital Valley Conference tilt. BV wins, 24-20.
MatthewB: One of the more intriguing games of the week. Ponderosa has weapons in the pass game with three guys over 10 catches. Bella Vista will lean on the run game and D’Vaughn Norwood. The Bruins buck the Broncos, 21-17.
NickP: Bella Vista’s Norwood is averaging better than 100 rushing yards and has seven touchdowns. Behind defensive stopper Tucker Soriano, Pondo is battle-tested against some of the section’s heavyweights. The Bruins come out on top, 17-16.
CoachT: The BV vibe is real. These Broncos can play with Coach Ott injecting fire, passion and confidence. Pondo has played a tough schedule. This one comes down to who takes care of the ball, and the Mad Men of Madison Avenue get it done, 27-21.
Lincoln (3-1) at Wheatland (4-1)
When: 7:15 p.m. Friday JoeD: The Pioneer Valley League figures to be one of the Sac-Joaquin Section’s most entertaining small-school races. Lincoln and coach Allen Berg suffered a 23-21 loss to the unbeaten Pierce Bears of the Northern Section, and the Zebras have one of the area’s best special teams aces in Dylan Knell. The defending PVL Pirates opened with a 42-14 loss to Amador to win four straight under coach Andy Fatten and crew. Wheatland wins, 30-20.
MatthewB: Our ABC JAM crew will carry this one live for the NFHS Network. This should be one of the loudest environments of any game on Friday. Lincoln’s Brock Galer and Wheatland’s Konley Cova are two of the most versatile players in the area. Pirates win a close one, 24-21.
NickP: We can’t talk about Wheatland without talking about Cova, maybe a potential dark horse Bee Defensive Player of the Year candidate? He’s got 12 tackles for loss, four sacks and two fumble recoveries for the Pirates, who muscle out a win here, 27-24.
CoachT: A terrific showdown awaits, but Zebras, even Fighting Zebras, taking on a crew of Pirates hardly seems fair. Wheatland is on a four-game burner and will turn up the heat on Lincoln. Pirates win, 34-21.
Mira Loma (3-0) at Delta (3-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
JoeD: In the 1970s and into the ‘80s, these were elite programs, the Saints producing eventual NFL talents on the Sacramento River, including brothers Bo and Tony Eason, and the Matadors of the San Juan Unified School District wheeling out dynamic wing-T machines under famed coaches Don Brown and Gerry Kundert. Now the programs are in 8-man football, and they’re still fun to watch. Mira Loma wins, 40-38.
MatthewB: Make sure you get out to watch some 8-man football. Mira Loma has not allowed a point this season which is incredible on a more open field. Delta is trying to bounce back from its first loss. Mira Loma wins it, 42-35.
NickP: One thing we can bank on is that there will be a ton of points put up between these two, both averaging more than 50 points. It’ll be tough to keep Delta off the board, but the Matadors say “Ole!” and win, 44-30.
CoachT: As a Mira Loma alum, my beloved Matadors “Return to Glory” tour, 8-man style, continues. I saw coaches Brown and Kundert on the daily back in the day, and what glorious days they were. Now the key is Mats QB Deangelo Keys, who has thrown 11 touchdowns with two rushing. Like the good old days, Mira Loma stays, winning a wild one, 64-58.
Season totals
MatthewB: 6-0 last week, 24-8 overall
JoeD: 5-1, 24-8
CoachT: 4-2, 22-10
NickP: 5-1, 20-12