Breaking down Sacramento football playoffs: Can Grant or Oak Ridge top Folsom?
The CIF Sac-Joaquin Section football playoffs kicked off in 1971, a robust 54 years ago.
There have been 237 teams crowned as champions in the second-largest of the 10 sections in the state, from the biggest-school Division I ranks down to the smallest enrollment programs. Division V was added in 2002 and Divisions VI and VII in 2006. This is the first season to feature Division VIII, which is for 8-man football.
These are eight-team brackets, down from 16-team brackets from several years ago and 12-team brackets in recent seasons.
Section champions in Divisions I-VII will advance to CIF State Football Bowl Northern California Regional Championships on Dec. 5-6 at home sites, and Regional winners will compete for CIF State crowns on Dec. 12-13 in Southern California.
Seven teams have a 10-0 record: Manteca and Chavez of Stockton in Division II; Merced in D-III; Twelve Bridges of Placer County in D-IV; Sonora and Liberty Ranch of Galt in D-VI; and Mira Loma in 8-man.
Staying power also resonates this time of year. Granite Bay has reached the section playoffs 26 consecutive times, followed by Central Catholic of Modesto (24), St. Mary’s of Stockton (23), Oakdale (19), Bradshaw Christian (18), Inderkum (17), Placer (17), Folsom (16) and Manteca (16).
Coaches and players from a lot of playoff teams have expressed some sort of gripe with the CIF section selection committee about their seeding, their opponent or their potential semifinal opponent. This is the norm every single season, and it’s this simple now: put up or shut up.
For full brackets, ticket information and more, visit the section website at cifsjs.org/football.
Division I
Favorite
Folsom (9-1): Led by 5-star quarterback Ryder Lyons, the top player in the section for any division, the Bulldogs seek a D-I five-peat and the program’s 12th section title since 2010 and 14th overall since 1989. The Bulldogs have skill players galore, including WRs Jameson Powell and Rob Larson, and versatile stars in Jason Hill Jr. and lineman Lua DeBerry, not to mention unsung grinders such as DB Matsen Wurm.
Contenders
Grant (6-4): This isn’t the same Pacers group from early in the season with a new QB in Blake Nycum and new runners, including Jayson Williams. But the WR stars are the same in Zo Edwards and Koby Shabazz, and the offensive line is a stout and experienced lot. Back in D-I, Grant has won three consecutive section and NorCal championships with two CIF state crowns under coach Carl Reed.
Oak Ridge (7-3): Injuries have hammered the Trojans of El Dorado Hills, but the aim is to reach a fourth successive trip to the D-I finals and the long-awaited breakthrough against Folsom. All-purpose star Jasen Womack, QB Nick Harris and RBs Tyler Andujar and Braxton Martinez will be tasked with a potential semifinal showdown against Grant.
Dark horses
Inderkum (9-1) / Monterey Trail (8-2): A nine-game winning streak brings Indy back to the place where the only loss happened, at Monterey Trail. The winner of that game visits Folsom in a semifinal unless Downey of Modesto pulls the biggest opening-round playoff upset of them all.
Central Catholic (5-5): Coach Roger Canepa has a section-record 295 victories at various schools, and he relishes the chance to rock this bracket, opening at Oak Ridge. CC has 20 section titles total, mostly at lower divisions.
Predicted winner: Folsom
Division II
Favorite
Manteca (10-0): The Buffaloes are a classic throwback program of grit and grind with a punishing rushing attack that has led to nine section crowns since 2001. This is a program with CIF State aspirations.
Contenders
Granite Bay (7-3): Hardened by a rigorous Sierra Foothill League schedule with setbacks to Oak Ridge and Folsom, the Grizzlies are superbly coached by Joe Cattolico and his staff, have a star leader in RB Isaiah Ene, a playmaker in Darnell Turner and a steady QB in Dominic Cattolico. First game is against 10-0 Chavez.
Dark horses
Del Oro (7-3): There is coaching experience galore with the Golden Eagles of Loomis for a program that seeks its 13th section crown, all since 1989. RB Brock Sherman has 10 TDs, TE/LBs Landen Parry and Luke Galer are brutes, and QB Nolen Sauve has been on-point to punctuate a bounce-back season of epic proportions.
St. Mary’s (8-2): The Rams of Stockton are a prolific lot with losses to NorCal No. 1 De La Salle and to Oak Ridge, and coach Tony Franks has won a ton of playoff games.
Jesuit (6-4): The record is misleading if you consider Big Red beat two Sacramento Bee No. 2-ranked teams in a short span in Oak Ridge and Rocklin. QB Teddy Rios, RB Kwanna Smith and OL/DL Duncan Broughton are each a tough handle.
Rocklin (5-5): It’s been an emotional, roller-coaster season for the Thunder, who seek a third successive section final, but the Thunder have the talent to make another title run under QB Reeve Slone.
Predicted winner: Manteca
Division III
Favorite
Woodcreek (9-1): The Timberwolves of Roseville have roared back after an off season last fall, a credit to superb coaching and the leadership of skill players Josiah Melendez, Trace Murchison and Blake Hastings. The opener is against a dangerous 5-5 Destiny Christian Academy of Sacramento team.
Contenders
Oakdale (8-2): The No. 2-seeded Mustangs are led by the section’s all-time career rushing leader in the bullish Wes Burford, who has 2,280 yards and 30 TDs this season and has 6,777 career yards and 92 career TDs.
Merced (10-0): The storied Bears have been a force since the 1980s, and here they come again with a balanced attack and a stout defense with an opener against another storied program in Vanden.
Dark horse
Vacaville (8-2): The Bulldogs are on an 8-game winning streak and take on in an opener a fired-up Rio Americano team that wants to prove it was seeded too low at No. 5.
Predicted winner: Woodcreek
Division IV
Favorite
Twelve Bridges (10-0): Coach Chris Bean has his third successive unbeaten regular-season team, and the Raging Rhinos seek their second straight section crown after going 14-1 last season and reaching a CIF state final. The leaders include QB Connor Frontiera and RB/LB Chase Wyhlidko.
Contenders
Roseville (8-2): The No. 2-seeded Tigers and coach Adam Reinking crave a rematch with Foothill Valley League rival Twelve Bridges, which won a shootout thriller late in the season, 44-34. The star power includes QB Mason Susnara and RBs D’marcis Gresham, Colton Wolfe and JJ Yong.
Hughson (8-2): The Huskies of Stanislaus County are coming off a 13-1 season and have terrific tradition. If the seedings hold, Hughson visits Roseville in a semifinal.
Dark horse
Placer (6-4): If the Hillmen can get healthy, can shore up the defense and run wild with the wing-T attack, anything goes.
Predicted winner: Twelve Bridges
Division V
Favorite
Casa Roble (9-1): The Rams are the class of the San Juan Unified School District, the pride of Orangevale, and they seek their second section crown in three years under coach Chris Horner. QB Aidan Lopez is as skilled as he is gritty, as evidenced by his efforts in beating Sutter in Week 10 to decide the Golden Empire League championship and this bracket’s top seed.
Contenders
Sutter (9-1): The Huskies are not pleased with their No. 3 seed and can do something about it with wins over Rosemont and, if seedings hold, over No. 2 Hilmar. DE Troy Bowens is a national recruit.
Hilmar (6-4): The Yellowjackets of Merced County have decades of tradition and a trophy full of championships. Classy coach Frank Marquez is closing in on 200 wins as he bows out at the end of this season.
Dark horse
Lincoln (9-1): Two years after enduring a 1-9 season, the Zebras of Placer County are a bad bounce or two from being 10-0 under longtime coach Allen Berg and his third-year starting QB Eli Duff. A second-round showdown at Casa Roble, if the seedings hold up, could be epic.
Predicted winner: Casa Roble
Division VI
Favorite
Sonora (10-0): The Wildcats of Tuolumne County have been a powerhouse for decades, and they have wins this season over traditional heavies Oakdale, Escalon, Hilmar, Hughson and Ripon Christian with a rushing attack that averages nearly 330 yards a game.
Contenders
Liberty Ranch (10-0): The Hawks of Galt have their finest team since the school opened in 2009 with three 1,000-yard runners in Joe Lara, Wyatt Corriea and Andrew Quinn, all juniors.
Woodland Christian (9-1): The Cardinals of Yolo County have championship pedigree, including a 15-0 CIF State championship team in 2023. WC has skill player leaders in Isaiah Hunt and Noah Hinkle and a proven coach in Michael Paschke. The opener is against another contender in Bradshaw Christian.
Predicted winner: Sonora
Division VII
None of the Division VII programs in this bracket hail from the immediate Sacramento area.
Division VIII
Favorite
Mira Loma (10-0): A powerhouse in 11-man football in the 1960s, ‘70s and early ‘80s, the Matadors of the San Juan Unified School District are the class of the 8-man field under coach Jesse Collins and offensive leaders Deangelo Keys and Keion Kado.
Contender
Foresthill (8-1): The No. 2-seeded Wildfires of Placer County have a 28-13 loss last month to Mira Loma and all manner of motivation for a rematch, which would be in the section finals. RB Vincent Navaro has rushed for 1,677 yards and 18 TDs.
Predicted winner: Mira Loma
This story was originally published November 13, 2025 at 5:00 AM.