We've known since the start of the season that the Valley Oak League was not only the best in the Stanislaus District, but one of the best leagues in the Sac-Joaquin Section.
Now everyone else knows it, after Friday's three-game playoff sweep by the VOL, a performance that included two upset wins on the road.
Oakdale pounded Vanden 56-14 in Division 3, shutting down Sac State-bound Chris Broadnax — one of the best in the section — and piling up 422 yards rushing in a battle featuring 10-1 teams.
Sonora also had a long trip to Lincoln of Placer County, and it stunned the top seed in Division 4B as Dan Link dominated with 32 carries for 187 yards and four TDs.
Sierra, meanwhile, hung on for a 40-39 home win over Benicia in D3. The Panthers scored with 3:53 left to make it 40-39, but the two-point try failed and Jarrod Daniels intercepted a pass with 1:25 to play to seal the victory.
Link wasn't the only VOL back shredding a defense.
Oakdale fullback Tim House and wingback Devin Brooks combined for 36 carries, 284 yards and five TDs; Daniels had 27 carries for a school-record 294 yards and four TDs.
So what happens next?
All will travel for Friday's semifinals and all will be underdogs: Oakdale (11-1) at Inderkum (12-0) and Sierra (11-1) at Del Campo (11-1) in D3, and Sonora (10-2) at Placer (11-1) in D4A action.
There's an opportunity for an all-VOL final in D3, but it's a longshot — Inderkum is one of the fastest teams in the state, and Del Campo is led by one of the state's best in Ryan Dimino.
WHILE VOL TEAMS travel to farflung sites, one of the top games in the state will be right in Modesto: A Holy Bowl pitting legendary Central Catholic against upstart Modesto Christian.
You won't find a better battle between quarterbacks, as Central's Dylan Swartz meets Isaiah Burse. It's a battle between a classically trained thrower and a new-age quarterback
Swartz threw three TDs Friday, giving him 34 scores this season with one pick, and is the best pure passer in the district. Burse ran for 235 yards and four TDs, and threw for 97 yards and a TD, and is one of the top athletes in the section.
What makes this one great is Central Catholic (11-1) has to visit MC (12-0) — here's a word of advice, get plenty of portable bleachers on that field by Friday or move the game to a larger site — and the winner is one win from a State Bowl.
Central is among the few teams capable of playing MC on even terms: CC has its "athlete" in safety Billy Flamion. Just try to find a more fascinating one-on-one battle than Burse-Flamion.
Neither player spends much time on the sideline and they'll track each other virtually every play, as Burse also is a safety and Flamion is a receiver.
These are the top teams in D4. The winner has a date in the D4 final with Sonora or Placer, and it's for more than a section title. Only section champs are eligible for a State Bowl, and CC and MC are virtual locks to get a berth with a section crown.
IF YOU WANT to talk upsets, it's hard to top Los Banos' shocker over No. 1 Tracy in D1. No. 8 LB, on an emotional high following its overtime win in the first round, rallied for the last 13 points to beat the previously undefeated Bulldogs 28-27.
How long can the Tigers maintain this frenetic pace? We'll find out Friday when No. 8 LB visits No. 5 Monterey Trail in a semifinal battle.
It's great to see QB Erik Martin having this late run, considering his season was in jeopardy after he suffered an early season concussion.
There were plenty of other upsets Friday, too:
A third top seed is done: D2 No. 1 St. Mary's, which amazed everyone with its offense but impressed no one with its defense, paid the price for that shortcoming. The Rams' gave up 400-plus yards in a 30-29 loss to eighth-seeded Del Oro.
D1 No. 2 Vacaville, another team that won on the strength of its offense, was stunned 38-28 by No. 7 Pleasant Grove. It's no surprise the four left in D1 — LB, Monterey Trail, Pleasant Grove and No. 3 Nevada Union — can both score and tackle.
Though St. Mary's is gone, the section got the marquee matchup in D2 with Rocklin (12-0) facing Grant (12-0). The game was moved to Folsom (neutral site) and to Saturday (larger crowd). I already hear the cash registers at the section office, as the section gets all gate receipts, ringing.
The section previously said it wouldn't move games to Saturday — the question has been asked for years why games aren't split over two nights, giving folks the chance to see even more football. Guarantee the section a mountain of cash — the section gets all ticket sales — and they'll move it.
Personally, I love the idea of playing games on Friday and Saturday. Imagine the opportunity to see Sierra play Friday, then the next night see Oakdale or Sonora? Wow, talk about a cash cow!
Bee staff writer Richard T. Estrada can be reached at restrada@modbee.com or (209) 578-2300.
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