dont know if theres a thread yet for week 4 scores?

alisal shut out sequoia 7-0
king city dominated marina 49-7
pacific grove dismantled gonzales 48-14

Riordan (1-1) at Pittsburg (2-0) 7:00 PM

The Pirates have been building to this season for a few years and they haven’t disappointed through two games. They are averaging more than 550 yards of total offense as Jamar Searcy has 314 rushing yards and three touchdowns and five different players have caught touchdowns. Three of Pittsburg’s Division I commits on defense (Dominik Calhoun, Etene Pritchard Jr. and Jewelous Walls) are all off to strong starts. Riordan has played a tough early schedule against McClymonds and St. Bonaventure in splitting those games. The offense has produced 34.5 points per game, but the defense has given up 38 points per game. This will be the third straight road game to start the year for the Crusaders.

McClymonds (0-2) at Bishop O’Dowd (2-0) 7:00 PM

This Oakland matchup has become more intriguing with the Dragons off to a 2-0 start and a win at preseason Top 20 ranked Monte Vista. Wide receiver Deji Ajose contributed the majority of the receiving yards last week against the Mustangs. While McClymonds is winless, the losses came by one point to Riordan and then a 34-14 loss to St. Francis. Berell Staples and Rahsjon Duncan have been a passing combination to watch in the Bay Area through two weeks. Can McClymonds avoid an 0-3 start?

Carmel (2-0) at Miramonte (2-0) 7:00 PM

Carmel has one of the top linemen in the state in Jackson Lloyd and is averaging 46 points per game in wins over Christopher and Seaside. Hudson Rutherford threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns last week as Carmel has won 14 straight regular season games. Miramonte has surpassed 40 points in each of its first two games as quarterback Carson Blair has thrown for 516 yards and eight touchdowns (to six different receivers) in wins over Oakland Tech and Alhambra. Miramonte is coming off the NCS Division V title in 2023 before falling to Pleasant Valley in the NorCal Bowl.

Mitty (2-0) vs. Menlo-Atherton (2-0) at Foothill College 7:00 PM

Mitty has scored at least 40 points in wins over Aptos and Logan. Quarterback Jonah Kroenung has completed 77 percent of his passes for 367 yards and seven touchdowns. Lazaro Faraj-Washington has rushed for 226 yards and three touchdowns. Menlo-Atherton has wins over Bellarmine and Monterey and have allowed 8.5 points per game. Menlo-Atherton quarterback Teddy Dacey went 15-for-17 for 174 yards and two touchdowns.

Sutter (3-0) at Bradshaw Christian (2-0) 7:00 PM

Sutter has posted two shutouts in three games, but this will be one of their toughest tests of the season. Marcus Meras is the Huskies’ leading rusher at 273 yards and four touchdowns and is also the team’s leading receiver. Last week, Bradshaw Christian won at Vista del Lago 50-48 as The Pride ran for more than 400 yards led by 223 yards and two scores from Mateo Mojica. This matchup features two of the best small school programs in Northern California.

Twelve Bridges (3-0) at Casa Roble (1-2) 7:00 PM

Casa Roble got its first win last week over Bella Vista (22-14) after losing to Placer and West Park. Aidan Lopez has stepped in at quarterback and has thrown for 741 yards and five touchdowns. Logen Otter has a team high 25 tackles. Twelve Bridges has rushed for 358 yards per game with Braeden Ward accounting for 661 yards and seven touchdowns. Twelve Bridges, which has wins over Christian Brothers, Reed and Whitney, lost to Casa Roble in the SJS Division V finals last season.

Monterey Trail (0-3) at California (2-0) 7:15 PM

Monterey Trail is winless but they have played a difficult schedule against Inderkum, Pittsburg and El Cerrtio (combined 6-1 record). The Mustangs have rushed for nearly 200 yards per game led by D’Adrien Sanders (437 yards, five touchdowns). California won a high scoring game over Patterson (41-34) before beating Logan (38-6) last week. Running back Jhadis Luckey has 297 yards and four touchdowns. This will mark the third straight home game for Cal to start the season.

St. Francis (2-0) at De La Salle (2-0) 7:30 PM Game of the Week

If you like physical running games, then make sure you find your way to Concord on Friday. St. Francis has a top end lead back in Kingston Keanaaina, who rushed for 336 yards and three touchdowns against McClymonds last week. Linebacker Jackson Cahoon has a team high 16 tackles. De La Salle has now beaten Serra and Grant by at least 28 points to return to the No. 1 spot. They have a multiple runner attack with players like Derrick Blanche, Dominic Kelley, Duece Jones-Drew and quarterback Toa Faavae. St. Francis shocked the Spartans in 2021 to end their Bay Area winning streak, but De La Salle has won the past two meetings 35-3 and 35-17.

Pierce (2-0) at Del Campo (3-0) 7:30 PM

Del Campo junior Bryce Smith has rushed for 331 yards and seven touchdowns as the Cougars have scored at least 34 points in each game. Del Campo looks poised for their first winning season since 2017. Pierce has forced four turnovers in wins over Amador and Clear Lake. In the 24-21 win over Amador, Nathan Gomez ran for 122 of the team’s 260 yards.

Saturday

Jesuit (2-0) vs. Christian Brothers (1-2) at Sacramento CC 7:00 PM

Jesuit has been one of the surprise teams through the first three weeks with easy wins over Rio Americano. The Marauders are running for 258 yards per game and the defense has forced four turnovers. They are tracking to potentially be a top half team in the SFL. Christian Brothers quarterback Deakon Holden has thrown for 502 yards and five touchdowns with three receivers tallying at least 100 yards. Isaiah Jordan has four receiving touchdowns and 20 tackles. Christian Brothers’ losses have come to undefeated Twelve Bridges and by two points to San Joaquin Memorial.

Simply Basketball and Kandid Consulting are thrilled to announce the 2024 NorCal Ultimate Challenge, a highly anticipated basketball showcase featuring some of the region’s top talent. The event will take place on December 7th at San Leandro High School.The NorCal Ultimate Challenge will serve as the grand opening for San Leandro High School’s new $67 million Sports Complex, boasting a 3,000-seat capacity.


Participating teams include Modesto Christian, Salesian Prep, Menlo Atherton, Dougherty Valley, Moreau Catholic, Palma HS, Clayton Valley, Clovis West, Fremont, Bellarmine, San Leandro HS, Vanden HS, Liberty HS, and Branson HS.

Businesses interested in partnering with the event can contact through DM or Email.

Full Press Release: https://simplybasketballhq.com/2nd-annual-norcal-uc/

1. De La Salle (2-0)

Derrick Blanche was the leading rusher this week with 182 yards and De La Salle ran for more than 300 yards as a team in a 39-10 win over Serra. The game turned from a close low scoring affair to a convincing Spartans win on a touchdown pass from Toa Faavae to Jayden Nichols late in the first half to give De La Salle a 14-3 lead. The Spartans host St Francis this week in their third Top 10 matchup in as many weeks.

2. Serra (1-1)

Iziah Singleton scored Serra’s lone touchdown in a 39-10 loss to De La Salle to snap its 29 game NorCal winning streak. The Padres are averaging 16 points per game this season against Folsom and De La Salle. Serra will host St. John Bosco on Saturday afternoon heading into its bye week prior to the WCAL schedule.

3. Folsom (1-1)

Folsom was off this past week after losing at home to Serra (22-21). The Bulldogs will complete their non-league this Friday against Turlock and will start SFL play on September 20 against Rocklin. It is part of five straight games at home to start the season.

4. Pittsburg (2-0)

The Pirates amassed more than 600 total yards in a 41-14 win over Bishop Manogue after leading 34-7 at the half. Marley Alcantara threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns going to RJ Mosley, Makari Benion and Truly Bell. Jamar Searcy ran for 175 yards and two scores. On defense, Etene Pritchard Jr. registered 10 tackles and a sack. The schedule doesn’t let up with Riordan on Friday, a trip to St. John Bosco on September 20 and Los Gatos on October 4.

5. Rocklin (3-0)

The Thunder got four rushing touchdowns from Rafi Merino and Reeve Slone threw touchdown passes to Mavrik Collins and Mikey Cunningham in a 43-3 win over Lincoln-Stockton. Derek Keeley and Alex Dunham each had 10 tackles for the Thunder, which were held scoreless in the first quarter before scoring 43 points over the second and third quarters. Rocklin is off this week ahead of its September 20 matchup against Folsom.

6. St. Francis-Mountain View (2-0)

Senior Kingston Keanaaina produced one of the early statement performances of the season with 336 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-14 win over McClymonds a week after McClymonds lost to fellow WCAL school Riordan 35-34. Aaron Knapp threw two touchdowns for the Lancers, which travels to No. 1 De La Salle on Friday.

7. San Ramon Valley (2-0)

Rhett Thompson found Marco Jones for a seven yard touchdown with less than a minute left to help San Ramon Valley beat Soquel 14-7 for its second win over a CCS opponent. Jones added 11 tackles and a sack on defense. Matthew Garibaldi rushed for more than 100 yards and a score. The Wolves will host Clayton Valley Charter on Friday.

8. Grant (2-1)

The Pacers got a good bounce back performance in a 35-21 win over Inderkum that featured two of the best teams in the Sacramento area. Luke Alexander threw for 231 yards and three touchdowns with two of those scores coming to emerging sophomore Zo Edwards. Brandon Lambert rushed for more than 200 yards. Jeremiah Tuiileila had a team high 11 tackles. This week, the Pacers travel to Clovis East, which is 3-0 and have scored at least 50 points in two straight games.

9. Los Gatos (2-0)

The Wildcats led 17-0 and was able to control the game flow with its running attack and defense in a 38-21 win over Liberty. Grayson Doslak had 106 yards and two touchdowns and Brayden Smith added 32 yards and two more scores. Max Thomas was the team’s leading receiver at 99 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, they held talented junior Jaxon Bell to 2.3 yards per carry. Los Gatos will host Live Oak-Morgan Hill on Friday.

10. St. Mary’s-Stockton (2-1)

Jaden Galven threw for more than 200 yards and three touchdowns with Kenneth Moore III, Osani Gayles and Ivan Huerta each grabbing scores in a 35-22 win at Marin Catholic. Diego Hernandez had 12 tackles and the Rams finished with 6.5 sacks and three interceptions. The Rams are off this week before taking on De La Salle on September 20.

11. Riordan (1-1)

For the second straight year, Riordan fell to St. Bonaventure to halt some of the preseason momentum. This time, it was down in Southern California in losing 42-34 after trailing 21-7 after the first quarter and 35-13 after three quarters. The Crusaders’ defense gave up 235 rushing yards on 29 carries in the loss. It doesn’t let up this week with a trip to Pittsburg on Friday.

12. McClymonds (0-2)

Berell Staples threw a touchdown to Rahsjon Duncan and Sharkey Tamale had a second half touchdown run in a 34-14 loss to St. Francis. The Warriors travel to Bishop O’Dowd on Friday after the Dragons knocked Monte Vista out of the rankings. They also play San Ramon Valley on September 20.

13. Inderkum (2-1)

Ricky Cole connected with Zayden Maxwell for two touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough as Inderkum fell to Grant 35-21 for its first loss of the season. Lono Chouteau got his third interception of the season and returned it for a score against the Pacers. Inderkum finishes up the non-league against Cosumnes Oaks on Friday.

14. Soquel (0-2)

Soquel is winless in two games but has matching 14-7 losses to Top 10 teams in San Ramon Valley and Los Gatos. In this past week against the Wolves, Soquel was tied with less than a minute left and held San Ramon Valley to less than 300 total yards. The Knights will host Valley Christian on Friday as it looks to challenge Salinas in the Gabilan Division.

15. Liberty (1-1)

The Lions had to turn to the air after falling behind Los Gatos 17-0 en route to a 38-21 loss. Sage Robertson threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns with Chris Joe accounting for 117 yards and two touchdowns. Jaxon Bell, who was held in check on the ground, had nine catches for 98 yards. Liberty will host Tracy on Friday.

16. St. Ignatius (1-1)

Jarious Hogan had 13 carries for 156 yards and two touchdowns in St. Ignatius’ 35-6 win over Tamalpais. Happy Rosenberg had 1.5 sacks in leading the defense. This Friday, the Wildcats will travel to undefeated Cathedral Catholic. They start WCAL play on September 27 with home games against Serra and Riordan.

17. Cardinal Newman (2-0)

The Cardinals ran for more than 300 yards, led by 156 yards and a touchdown from Jamari Gentry, in a 28-10 road win at Vacaville. The defense held the Bulldogs to 223 total yards and Jimmy McKenzie had 11 tackles and a sack. They have three home games coming up against Armijo, Bishop O’Dowd and Pleasant Valley.

18. El Cerrito (2-0)

El Cerrito trailed Monterey Trail 7-0 at the half, but gained control with a 21 point third quarter en route to a 28-19 win over the Mustangs. The Gauchos’ defense held Monterey Trail to four yards per carry and have now held both opponents to less than 20 points. Next up for El Cerrito is Oakland Tech.

19. Granite Bay (3-0)

The Grizzlies got out early and didn’t look back in a 65-6 win over Overfelt. Isaiah Ene and Gabe Smyrth each had two rushing touchdowns and Nick Harris threw two touchdowns and went 3-for-3 in limited duty. They are off this week before starting the SFL season at new member Jesuit.

20. Bishop O’Dowd (2-0)

Deji Ajose had 125 receiving yards and two touchdowns as Bishop O’Dowd won at Monte Vista 24-20 to move the Dragons into the Top 20. Saliou Sow also rushed for 150 yards. The Dragons, which haven’t won more than six games since 2018, will continue to be tested against McClymonds (September 13) and Cardinal Newman (September 20) the next two weeks.

247Sports 2027 top 100

I'm a St. Marys fan and I saw the 247sports top 100 for 2027 come out today. I thought SM may have one of the best WR core in NorCal before this article and I see Osani Gayles as the top 2027 WR in CA per their ratings which I think put him, (So.), Kenneth Moore III (Jr.), Ivan Huerta (Jr.) and Carter Williams (So.) as possibly the best and youngest WR core in NorCal. I know Riordan has a bunch of guys and Folsom has guys but would love to hear the communities thoughts on the rankings as well as other WR cores you think will be good. Not sure who's going to end up the QB as I know the projected starter left but just asking about the WR talent at different schools or any random thoughts on the rankings.

1. Serra (1-0)

Serra came into the season at No. 3 and the top ranked team in the CCS, but that proved to be too low still after the Padres went on the road to preseason No. 1 Folsom for a 22-21 win. The victory saw the Padres force two early turnovers, pitch a second half shutout and run for more than 200 yards, led by 164 yards and a score from Nano Latu. The final heroics came from kicker Bordy Smith, who executed an onside kick and made the subsequent 38 yard field goal for the win. The victory was a third straight over Folsom and Serra will look to make it three in a row over De La Salle next week in Concord.

2. De La Salle (1-0)

The Spartans started out fast in leading 28-0 at the half en route to a 42-14 win over Grant in one of the more anticipated games of the non-league. Duece Jones-Drew, who ran for more than 100 yards including a 64 yard touchdown run, and Derrick Blanche (102 yards, touchdown) led the ground attack for the Spartans. Quarterback Toa Faavae also had two rushing touchdowns. Ant Dean added a defensive score. De La Salle will look to move into the No. 1 spot next week when it hosts Serra.

3. Folsom (1-1)

After falling behind 13-0 to Serra, Folsom scored three touchdowns on a rushing score from Ryder Lyons, a touchdown pass from Lyons to Jameson Powell and a touchdown run from Daymion Rivera on the final play of the half after multiple laterals. However, the Bulldogs were shutout in the second half and struggled to seal the game in falling to Serra (22-21) for the third straight season. Folsom has averaged just under 16 points per game in these three matchups. Folsom has a week off before hosting Turlock.

4. Pittsburg (1-0)

Makari Kenion (101 receiving yards) returned the opening kickoff and the offense tallied almost 500 total yards in a 42-13 win over Monterey Trail. Jamar Searcy had 139 rushing yards and a touchdown on six carries and three different players caught touchdowns from Marley Alcantara. Jewelous Walls and Dominik Calhoun each finished with seven tackles. Next week, they host Bishop Manogue, which has a win over St. Mary’s-Stockton and a loss to Rocklin.

5. Riordan (1-0)

Riordan scored 15 points over the last nine minutes to beat McClymonds 35-34 in an exciting back and forth game. The Crusaders led 13-0 before McClymonds scored 18 straight heading into the half. Michael Mitchell Jr. threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns with Cynai Thomas being his favorite receiver (96 yards and two touchdowns). Both of their connections came during the fourth quarter rally. The Crusaders hit the road this week to take on St. Bonaventure after Seraphs won last year’s meeting in San Francisco.

6. Rocklin (2-0)

The Thunder used a 20 point second quarter to gain control in posting a 48-17 win over Bishop Manogue. Derek Keeley and Rafi Merino each had two touchdown runs and Reeve Slone found Mavrik Collins for two touchdown passes. Defensively, Keeley added two sacks and two interceptions. Rocklin will host Lincoln-Stockton on Friday heading into a bye week and a matchup with Folsom on September 20.

7. St. Francis-Mountain View (1-0)

Kingston Keanaaina rushed for three touchdowns and the Lancers got out to a 21-0 lead at halftime en route to a 35-14 win over Helix. Quarterback Aaron Knapp got the scoring started with a rushing score and later found Perrion Williams for a touchdown. St. Francis will host McClymonds on Friday after the Warriors lost a one point contest to Riordan.

8. San Ramon Valley (1-0)

New starting quarterback Rhett Thompson completed more than 70 percent of his passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns and Matthew Garibaldi finished with 100 rushing yards and two scores in a 28-10 win over St. Ignatius. The Wolves kept the Wildcats in check with four interceptions led by two from Henry Ellis. They will host Soquel this week in a second straight game against a CCS opponent.

9. Grant (1-1)

Grant fell behind early to De La Salle in trailing 28-0 at the half in a 42-14 loss in the NCP Game of the Week. The defense gave up more than 200 yards on the ground. Luke Alexander threw two second half touchdowns for the Pacers, which need to rebound quickly with a matchup against Inderkum on Friday.

10. St. Mary’s Stockton (1-1)

The Rams used a fast start and big plays for a 27-14 win over Central Catholic in their third straight win in the series. Kenneth Moore III had 139 total yards, including a 76 yard touchdown catch, and Osani Gayles had 127 receiving yards and a 65 yard touchdown run as the Rams totaled more than 400 yards. Defensively, St. Mary’s held Central Catholic to one offensive touchdown and Ahmyri Mcgee-Hall had an interception for the second straight game. The Rams travel to Marin Catholic next Saturday.

11. Monte Vista (1-0)

The three Division I commits on offense showed out in a 41-14 win over Granada. Brayden Turner threw for 300 yards and four touchdowns with 103 yards and three scores to Kellan Ford. Julian McMahan rushed for 174 yards and two touchdowns.The Mustangs host Bishop O’Dowd on Friday with five of their next six games after this week coming on the road.

12. McClymonds (0-1)

The Warriors were in prime position to knock off No. 5 Riordan, but fell 35-34 after leading 34-20 with nine minutes left. New quarterback Berell Staples showed off the dynamic ability he will bring to the offense with 230 yards and two touchdowns. The scores went to Sharky Tamale and Rahsjon Davis. McClymonds will conclude its WCAL two-step to start the season as it travels to St. Francis-Mountain View, which is coming off a 35-14 win over Helix.

13. Inderkum (2-0)

Inderkum took advantage of two early special teams miscues and a fast defense to move past Marin Catholic 26-0 on Saturday afternoon. Quarterback Ricky Cole and running back Boston Costley had rushing touchdowns for the Tigers. Inderkum travels this week to Grant, where head coach Reggie Harris was a longtime and successful defensive coordinator.

14. Oak Ridge (0-2)

Oak Ridge overcame a 16-0 deficit after the first quarter to trail 16-13 after three quarters, but fell for the second straight week in a 30-23 loss to San Clemente. Joaquin Graves-Mercado threw a touchdown pass to Kaleb Edwards and Jasen Womack added a punt return for a touchdown and returned a fumble for a score. The Trojans go out of state this week against McCallie of Tennessee.

15. St. Ignatius (0-1)

The Wildcats played a low scoring game with San Ramon Valley (trailing 7-3 at the half), but four turnovers were too much to overcome in a 28-10 loss to the Wolves. Jarious Hogan had St. Ignatius’ lone touchdown and the defense tallied four sacks with two of them coming from Happy Rosenberg. St. Ignatius will host Tamalpais this week.

16. Cardinal Newman (1-0)

The Cardinals jumped out to a 28-0 lead after 12 minutes and beat Casa Grande 61-14. Jayson Colter threw two touchdowns and ran for a score, Zion Cargill had more than 100 receiving yards and a touchdown and the defense added two scores. Cardinal Newman will play at Vacaville on Friday before playing three straight home games to finish out the non-league.

17. El Cerrito (1-0)

The Gauchos join the rankings following a 38-16 win over Amador Valley that saw new quarterback Jonathan Craft throw for three touchdowns and rush for a score in his first game since transferring from Logan. Gary Youngbloood had two of the touchdown catches. El Cerrito, which went 25-3 over the past two seasons, will travel to Monterey Trail on Friday.

18. Granite Bay (2-0)

The Grizzlies rode their standout junior running back Isaiah Ene in a 17-14 win over Vacaville. He had 29 carries for 150 yards and two touchdowns and added seven tackles on defense. Darnell Turner Jr. had an interception. This week, Granite Bay travels to Overfelt, which was the first coaching stop for head coach Joe Cattolico.

19. Marin Catholic (0-1)

The Wildcats dropped nine spots following a 26-0 loss to Inderkum that saw issues with special teams and offense. Marin Catholic’s defense was able to slow down Inderkum, which scored on special teams, defense and when it got the ball in the red zone. Can the Wildcats avoid a 0-2 start when it takes on St. Mary’s-Stockton this week?

20. Central Catholic (1-1)

The Raiders trailed 13-0 at the half and 19-0 in the third quarter in falling to St. Mary’s-Stockton 27-13. They scored one offensive touchdown and gave up two long touchdowns to the Rams, but did get an interception return from Dylan Ridenour. On Friday, they head to Oregon to take on Central Catholic, which is 38-2 in its past 40 games.

If someone wants to do a play by play description of a game, be it football or basketball, that's fine but how about starting s specific thread for it and not putting it in a scores thread. I don't want to cause a big riff here, Just a suggestion.

Here are the games for this week. Picks are due by 7:00 PM on Friday

Inderkum at Grant
Cardinal Newman at Vacaville
Placer at Del Oro
Downey at Merced
Serra at De La Salle
Liberty at Los Gatos
McClymonds at St. Francis
Salesian at Moreau Catholic
Salinas at Valley Christian
St. Vincent at Truckee

Game of the Week Poll - https://norcalpreps.forums.rivals.com/threads/week-3-game-of-the-week-poll.30696/

Game of the Week Poll

Mt. Eden high school in Hayward is in need of a scrimmage and game. If space, please email Coach Haynes at sundevil075@gmail.com.

Geary Ave he was held up...trying to take his Rolex....shot in the chest

Big surprise (not really), I’m at Campo ti watch my Cougs take on the Broncos.

30 minutes til kickoff.

btw, the Coug JV’s moved to 2-0 after winning 28-14.

PCAL Week 2

Picks: Last week 13-6 Overall: 13-6

Gabilan- So I jumped the gun on the Salinas VC game. That’s this weekend, odd time for Salinas to take a bye. Rest of the Gabilan stayed to form for the most part. Great debut by Aptos new coach by beating up on TKA. Really bad loss by Alvarez, blowing a 19 point lead to North Monterey County. Just more proof that Alvarez was placed wrong this year. Palma, Monterey, and Hollister all had good wins and you could say Soquel had a good loss? Soquel played Los Gatos close, the Knights should be just fine. Palma’s dismantling of Live Oak was a bit of surprise, we will see if it says more about Palma or more about Live Oak.

Fri 09/06 Pacific Grove (CA) at Alvarez (Salinas, CA), 7:30pm: PG beat a sub par marina team last week, while Alvarez blew a lead to NMC. I am obviously pickling Alvarez. Alvarez 21-18

Fri 09/06 Mitty (San Jose, CA) at Aptos (CA), 7:30pm- The story of Aptos’s demise may be a little premature, great opening week win. But Mitty may be a bit tougher. Mitty 28-24

Fri 09/06 Monterey (CA) vs Menlo-Atherton (Atherton, CA) at MPC (Monterey, CA), 7:30pm: This may be the best game locally. Monterey played well enough to be Alisal, while Menlo Atherton took Bellarmine to the woodshed. Monterey will need to be more consistent this week. Monterey 34-31

Fri 09/06 King City (CA) vs Palma (Salinas, CA) at Salinas (CA), 7:30pm -Palma will schedule whoever it need to in order to stay out of CCS DI. Palma 38-14

Fri 09/06 Soquel (CA) at San Ramon Valley (Danville, CA), 7:00pm - Soquel will be battle tested for league and playoffs, Los Gatos followed by SRV, that’s an impressive 1-2 punch. SRV 21-14

Fri 09/06 Salinas (CA) at Valley Christian (San Jose, CA), 7:00pm- Salinas will be in good shape come league, but it may take a game or 2 for this team to start to play well together. I am not a fan of an opening week bye. Salinas 24-20

Fri 09/06 Hollister (CA) at Wilcox (Santa Clara, CA), 7:00pm -Hollister had a nice win over Branham while Wilcox got beaten up by Valley Christian. The Haybalers always seem to lose when I pick them in a ‘big” game. Sorry Hollister. Hollister 27-20

Mission North-It was a tough week as the league went 2-5. Scott’s Valley was able to beat up on Santa Cruz and North Monterey County had probably the best PCAL victory of the week in beating Alvarez. Watsonville lost a close game to Greenfield, ditto for St. Francis vs King City. MVC scored points like I thought (28), but they gave up way to many points (48) in a bad loss to Piedmont Hills. Alisal got Blitzed by Monterey but settled down, or Monterey took the foot off the gas. And Seaside was completely overmatched by SHP. Let’s hope for some better results this week.

Thu 09/05 Marina (CA) at North Monterey County (Castroville, CA), 7:30pm- NMC should eaily go to 2-0. Lets hope they don’t overlook marina. NMC 28-7

Fri 09/06 Santa Cruz (CA) vs Watsonville (CA) at Cabrillo College (Aptos, CA), 7:00pm- If my math is right these 2 teasm first played each other 116 years ago in 1908. That’s kind of cool. Watsonville 24-14

Fri 09/06 Alisal (Salinas, CA) vs North Salinas (Salinas, CA) at Salinas Sports Complex (Salinas, CA), 7:30pm – Lets se if Alisal can bounce back after the Monterey loss, meanwhile NS will be looking for answers after getting beaten up by Sobrato. Alisal 24-7

Fri 09/06 Monte Vista Christian (Watsonville, CA) at Santa Clara (CA), 7:30pm- Hopefully MVC will make some defense adjustments. 48 points to Piedmont Hills is way too much. MVC 35-24

Sat 09/07 Seaside (CA) at Carmel (CA), 2:00pm – If last weeks any indication, this could get ugly for Seaside. Carmel will score, a lot and I dont know if Seaside has the same firepower as in years past. Carmel 48-14

Sat 09/07 Branham (San Jose, CA) at Scotts Valley (CA), 2:00pm-Scott's Valley had a nice win vs a rebuilding Santa Cruz team. Branham is way better. Branham 16-14

Sat 09/07 Pajaro Valley (Watsonville, CA) at St. Francis (Watsonville, CA), 12:30pm- PV scored 57 last week, I don’t care if it was Lynbrook. That’s a great start, is there a changing of the guard in Watsonville area football? Probably not. St. Francis 28-21

Mission South- Carmel had a great win vs Christopher. They should cruise to a pretty high seed in DIII playoffs. I am looking forward to the Orinda game and the Monterey game in the next few weeks. There were no other big surprises or any other indication that there is another team in this division that will be able to challenge Carmel. PG took care of business vs Marina. King City and Greenfield both had nice wins vs Mission North teams. Soledad got walloped by a WCAL team. North Salinas lost to Sobrato and Rancho had the worst loss as they were stopped by C league Gonzales.

Thu 09/05 Rancho San Juan (Salinas, CA) at Los Altos (CA), 7:00pm- Rancho Will try to get its offense going and get there first points of the year. Los Altos 21-7

Fri 09/06 Soledad (CA) at Gonzales (CA), 7:30pm -I love a good old fashion backyard brawl. This maybe listed as a Gonzales home Game, but it is being played at Soledad. Does Soledad have to use the visitors’ locker room? Gonzales had a good win vs Rancho while Soledad was beaten badly by SHC. Soledad 14-13

Santa Lucia-The future looks bright for SLV and Pajaro after nice wins last week. Santa Cruz scored its first points in over a year, so that is definitely a step in the right direction. Gonzales had a great win a B league team. Marian and Harbor, not so good starts. Harbor gave up 34 to a usually poor Del Mar program and Marian was very sloppy in its loss to Pacific Grove. This week RLS gets its first game of the year!

Thu 09/05 Harbor (Santa Cruz, CA) at Yerba Buena (San Jose, CA), 7:15pm: Yerba Buena is a good opponent for Harbor, lets see if the Bucs can show some improvement. Yerba Buena 28-24

Fri 09/06 San Lorenzo Valley (Felton, CA) at Gunderson (San Jose, CA), 7:15pm -SLV had a great opening win vs south San Francisco, lets see if they can make it 2 in a row. SLV 24-7

Sat 09/07 Greenfield (CA) at Stevenson (Pebble Beach, CA), 2:30pm- Greenfield is probably the better team, and should be favored. But don’t discount the mighty RLS Pirates as they look to revenge their only league loss of last year. RLS 21-20!!

John Hull was a dedicated supporter of high school sports in the Elk Grove area. He will be missed as a person and as a sports writer. A very sad day.

Shane O'Reilly, who graduated from Cougland in 2023 before spending a fifth year at Northfield Mount Hermon where he was injured and missed (I think) the whole season, has found a spot at American University in Washington D.C.

There are about 9 guards on the roster, so no idea whether Shane will redshirt, though I wouldn't be surprised.

Todays starters for Sox @ O’s was a fun matchup: Flexen (NM) and Burnes (SMC.) 1315.2 was a teammate and opponent- former and latter. Not quite like Tellez throwing for the Pirates last week!
Lots of BA connections…

#1 Serra (1-0) at #2 De La Salle (1-0) 7:30 PM Game of the Week

The top two ranked teams had much different game flows in their openers. Serra got out to a 13-0 lead, saw Folsom score 21 straight and then staged a fourth quarter comeback to win 22-21 on a last second field goal. The Padres found success on the ground against the Bulldogs. De La Salle started off fast with big plays in the run game and easily beat Grant 42-14. Duece Jones-Drew and Derrick Blanche each rushed for more than 100 yards. Ant Dean provided one of the week’s highlights by striping the ball and returning it for a score. Serra has won two straight games in this series.

Liberty (1-0) at Los Gatos (1-0) 7:00 PM

Junior running back Jaxon Bell ran for 187 yards and two touchdowns and added a 48 yard reception in a 24-7 win over Frontier-Bakersfield, which beat Oak Ridge the previous week. The Lions also had two interceptions in their opener. Beau Musser had a kickoff return for a score for Los Gatos in a 14-7 win over Soquel. Grayson Doslak had a rushing touchdown for the Wildcats’ other score. The 2023 matchup saw Liberty get out to a 34-14 lead before Los Gatos scored the game’s final 21 points in the 35-34 victory.

#12 McClymonds (0-1) at #7 St. Francis-Mountain View (1-0) 7:00 PM

In a 35-14 opening win over Helix, St. Francis got more than 150 total yards from senior Kingston Keanaaina, who also had three rushing touchdowns. Senior Jackson Cahoon had 12 tackles and was one of three Lancers with double digit tacklers. McClymonds played well in its opener and led Riordan 34-20 in the fourth quarter , but couldn’t hold the lead in falling 35-34. New starting quarterback Berell Staples was one of the bright spots with two passing touchdowns. It is the second straight Top 10 matchup for McClymonds, which also has San Ramon Valley on the schedule later this month.

Placer (2-0) at Del Oro (0-1) 7:00 PM

Placer has scored at least 42 points in each game in beating Casa Roble and Rio Linda. The Hillmen have employed multiple runners, led by Baylor Kelley, averaging nine yards per game and 282 yards as a team. This projects as one of Placer’s best teams in the past decade. Del Oro had a bye following a 28-14 loss to Reed in the first game as head coach for Josh Parry. Nolen Sauve had 120 passing yards and a touchdown in the loss.

Salinas (0-0) at Valley Christian-San Jose (1-0) 7:00 PM

Salinas is one of the few teams that hasn’t started their season yet and likely enter the season as the favorites in the Galiban Division with a 38-2 league mark over the past 40 games. Players to watch include defensive lineman Joshua Na and WR/DB Emarrcis Turner. Chad Arrieta had an interception return for a score in a 24-7 win over Wilcox. Valley Christian ran for nearly 200 yards using multiple runners.

Downey (2-0) at Merced (1-1) 7:00 PM

Carson Lamb is back leading the Downey passing attack after throwing for more than 2,000 yards as a junior. Through two games this fall, he has thrown for 482 yards and seven touchdowns against Lincoln-Stockton and Elk Grove. His top receiver has been Joseph Ramirez. Merced lost its opener to Patterson 39-21 but bounced back to beat Gregori 42-12. Merced quarterback Quintell Dupree threw for 168 yards and three touchdowns and ran for a score in just the first half against Gregori.

Salesian (1-0) at Moreau Catholic (1-0) 7:00 PM

Moreau Catholic posted a shutout to start 2024 with a 37-0 win over St. Mary’s-Berkeley. Running back Jayden Bryant had three touchdowns in the win. Salesian also rolled in its opener with a 46-14 win over Piedmont. The Pride have won double digit games in three of the past four full seasons, but did lose to the Mariners (23-21) in 2023.

St. Vincent (1-0) at Truckee (2-0) 7:00 PM

In St. Vincent’s 48-6 win over De Anza, Gabe Casanovas threw for 207 yards and three touchdowns on only 10 attempts. Joseph Phillips had 67 yard and 33 yard touchdown catches. The Mustangs are coming off a 13-2 season culminating with the 6-AA state title. Truckee has won 24 straight games dating back to the 2022 season. Truckee running back Joseph Birnbaum has 204 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries through two games. Last week, it beat Union Mine 42-0.

#16 Cardinal Newman (1-0) at Vacaville (1-1) 7:30 PM

Cardinal Newman showed off some of its explosive ability in a 61-14 win over Casa Grande. Sophomore wide receiver Zion Cargill had six catches for 138 yards and a touchdown. Vacaville has played a pair of close games in beating Escalon 23-21 and losing to Granite Bay 17-14. Tanner Boyd has 170 rushing yards and a touchdown and is the team’s leading receiver. In the 2023 meeting in Santa Rosa, Cardinal Newman won 27-7.

SATURDAY

#13 Inderkum (2-0) at #9 Grant (1-1) 2:00 PM

Inderkum is coming off a convincing defensive performance in a 26-0 win at Marin Catholic. Through two games, the defense has recorded 17 tackles for loss. Quarterback Ricky Cole is completing 66 percent of his passes and has a team high 25 rush attempts. Grant struggled in a 42-14 loss to De La Salle, but has a pair of talented sophomore receiving targets to watch in Koby Shabazz and Zo Edwards. Can the Pacers bounce back in what should be one of the top non-league games in the SJS this fall?

Game of the Week Poll

Here is the schedule for this week. Picks are due at 7:00 PM on Friday

St. Mary's-Stockton at Central Catholic
Grant at De La Salle (Game of the Week)
Inderkum at Marin Catholic
Vanden at Campolindo
Vacaville at Granite Bay
Amador Valley at El Cerrito
St. Ignatius at San Ramon Valley
Riordan at McClymonds
Bellarmine at Menlo-Atherton
Los Gatos at Soquel

Game of the Week Poll- https://norcalpreps.forums.rivals.com/threads/week-2-pickem-game-of-the-week-poll.30664/

We're on track for our biggest event since 2019 -- which means we should be able to put teams in brackets with seven other teams at a similar level.

It's possible we'll run out of room as well, so here's the link to register:

Ok football gurus predictions for Pitt, Folsom, Riordan, J Serra , Mack, St F , St Marys preseason, alot of traveling going on in these preseason match ups. And if you have teams not listed lets add them on. Pick the best competitive game on their preseason schedule

Lots of outstanding match-ups, so if you’re at the game or watching remotely, send those scores on — varsity, JV, Freshman — all are welcomed. Pictures and short videos also thumbs up!!