Web exclusive: A quick look at prep football's D1 quarterfinals

MODESTO -- Now that the first round, with its requisite routs, has passed, it’s time for the serious football to get under way with the quarterfinals. Lots of familiar faces here, and a new one with Downey and Hawaii commit QB Aaron Zwahlen:

DIVISION 1 (Click here for bracket)

Quarterfinal pairings: #8 Lincoln-Stockton (8-3) at Franklin-Elk Grove (11-0), #5 Granite Bay (8-3) at #4 Downey (10-1), #6 Pitman (10-1) at #3 Oak Ridge (10-1), #10 Pleasant Grove (7-4) at #2 Burbank (11-0). Quarterfinal projected winners: Franklin-EG, Downey, Oak Ridge, Burbank.

Franklin plays defense like no one else in the section. Not a lot of excitement when it has the ball, but what fun when the defense is on the field. Lincoln RB Justin Davis looked like a USC recruit with 300-yard game & 5 TDs in 52-7 rout of Merced – that was one of the most surprising scores of the weekend – and Franklin won’t see a better player in the section playoffs.

Maybe Downey’s a wishful pick? Be fun to see him try to throw against Franklin’s secondary in a semifinal. So long as Zwahlen is upright and has four receivers, the Knights are in position to spring an upset – but they’ll need a few turnovers and minimize drops.

Oak Ridge just pounded Enochs 49-21, and now it gets Pitman – which is a lot like Enochs. Having won the “practice” game so handily, Trojans gotta feel good their chances here. OR’s loss was 49-21 to Folsom (No. 1 seed in D2) in league opener and it’s got some nice Ws (Grant, Pleasant Grove, Ponderosa, Vista Del Lago- its only loss –Vacavile).

I want to see Burbank win just to match the Titans with Franklin or Downey in the final. Talk about fun: Burbank’s great runners vs. Franklin defense or Burbank running wild on Downey and Zwahlen flinging balls the whole night against Titan’s secondary. That would be entertaining.