1. Vacaville quarterback Brody Fortunati (Air Force) was terrific in the opener going 23-for-28 for 321 yards and four touchdowns against Davis. He showed accuracy to multiple levels and the arm strength to get the ball out to the sidelines.
2. Twelve Bridges 2024 running back Nathan Crawford (5-foot-11, 190 pounds) ran for more than 1,300 yards as a junior and started 2023 with a 236 yard, six touchdown effort against Nevada Union. He broke multiple tackles and showed some speed to break runs outside for big gainers.
3. Christian Brothers 2024 defensive lineman Mason Vicari (6-foot-4, 270 pounds) is a senior to watch in the SJS and posted four sacks in the opening win over Reno. Playing defensive end, he used power to win and also ran down quarterbacks who tried to take off from the pressure. He also played well at offensive tackle.
4. Casa Roble boasts a talented receiving duo as seen in the 21-7 win over Placer. 2024 Cole Owens had five catches for 66 yards and added a rushing touchdown. 2025 Elijah Huddle caught four passes for 65 yards. The Rams play at fellow 1-0 West Park on Friday.
5. The Game of the Week sees Folsom travel to Serra with nine 2024 Top 50 prospects expected to be on the field. Folsom also has a pair of 2025 To9p 30 defensive linemen. The game is a rematch of last year’s game that saw Serra control time of possession and beat the Bulldogs on the blue turf by the score of 17-12. The winner of this game will have the EARLY inside track on the NorCal Open Division bid.
6. While intersectional games are fun, it is also great to see ranked section matchups in the non-league. Oak Ridge hosts Grant as the top contenders in the Sacramento area behind Folsom. Manteca and Granite Bay play a rematch of the SJS Division II finals in a game that could last less than two hours with their running attacks. And in Stockton, the Rams will look to build on its opening win over Clovis West. Central Catholic comes in after running for nearly 400 yards in a win over Merced.
7. De La Salle kicks off their season on Friday as it hosts Orange Lutheran for one of the best matchups in the state. The teams are ranked No. 9 and No. 10 respectively by CalHiSports. It will be the first look at what should be a really good defense for the Spartans led by defensive linemen Matthew Johnson and Chris Biller, linebacker Andrew Cunningham and defensive backs Jonathan Guerrero and Robert Santiago.
8. A pair of rematches in Week 2 feature Acalanes traveling to San Marin (Acalanes won 21-14 in 2022) and Salinas hosting Clayton Valley Charter (Salinas got the 21-14 road win last year). Clayton Valley Charter is the only team out of the four in the NCP Top 20, but the other three teams make the list if it is expanded to 30.
9. The highly anticipated 2023 season for Riordan starts on Friday at Sacred Heart Prep, which was one of the top teams in the section a year ago. The Crusaders are anticipated to have a big play passing attack and strong line play. Sacred Heart Prep, which has had five straight winning seasons under head coach Mark Grieb, should be led by RB/LB Anthony Noto.
10. Two games that didn’t make the 10 pick’em games that I will keep an eye on are Escalon traveling to Buchanan as part of seven straight road games to start the year as their stadium undergoes renovations. Oakdale, which beat Sonora 27-20 in the first game for new head coach Garrett Martin, will travel to Aptos in a matchup of wing-T programs.
2. Twelve Bridges 2024 running back Nathan Crawford (5-foot-11, 190 pounds) ran for more than 1,300 yards as a junior and started 2023 with a 236 yard, six touchdown effort against Nevada Union. He broke multiple tackles and showed some speed to break runs outside for big gainers.
3. Christian Brothers 2024 defensive lineman Mason Vicari (6-foot-4, 270 pounds) is a senior to watch in the SJS and posted four sacks in the opening win over Reno. Playing defensive end, he used power to win and also ran down quarterbacks who tried to take off from the pressure. He also played well at offensive tackle.
4. Casa Roble boasts a talented receiving duo as seen in the 21-7 win over Placer. 2024 Cole Owens had five catches for 66 yards and added a rushing touchdown. 2025 Elijah Huddle caught four passes for 65 yards. The Rams play at fellow 1-0 West Park on Friday.
5. The Game of the Week sees Folsom travel to Serra with nine 2024 Top 50 prospects expected to be on the field. Folsom also has a pair of 2025 To9p 30 defensive linemen. The game is a rematch of last year’s game that saw Serra control time of possession and beat the Bulldogs on the blue turf by the score of 17-12. The winner of this game will have the EARLY inside track on the NorCal Open Division bid.
6. While intersectional games are fun, it is also great to see ranked section matchups in the non-league. Oak Ridge hosts Grant as the top contenders in the Sacramento area behind Folsom. Manteca and Granite Bay play a rematch of the SJS Division II finals in a game that could last less than two hours with their running attacks. And in Stockton, the Rams will look to build on its opening win over Clovis West. Central Catholic comes in after running for nearly 400 yards in a win over Merced.
7. De La Salle kicks off their season on Friday as it hosts Orange Lutheran for one of the best matchups in the state. The teams are ranked No. 9 and No. 10 respectively by CalHiSports. It will be the first look at what should be a really good defense for the Spartans led by defensive linemen Matthew Johnson and Chris Biller, linebacker Andrew Cunningham and defensive backs Jonathan Guerrero and Robert Santiago.
8. A pair of rematches in Week 2 feature Acalanes traveling to San Marin (Acalanes won 21-14 in 2022) and Salinas hosting Clayton Valley Charter (Salinas got the 21-14 road win last year). Clayton Valley Charter is the only team out of the four in the NCP Top 20, but the other three teams make the list if it is expanded to 30.
9. The highly anticipated 2023 season for Riordan starts on Friday at Sacred Heart Prep, which was one of the top teams in the section a year ago. The Crusaders are anticipated to have a big play passing attack and strong line play. Sacred Heart Prep, which has had five straight winning seasons under head coach Mark Grieb, should be led by RB/LB Anthony Noto.
10. Two games that didn’t make the 10 pick’em games that I will keep an eye on are Escalon traveling to Buchanan as part of seven straight road games to start the year as their stadium undergoes renovations. Oakdale, which beat Sonora 27-20 in the first game for new head coach Garrett Martin, will travel to Aptos in a matchup of wing-T programs.
