#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?
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?
