Central Catholic football coach Roger Canepa has been named the state’s small schools Coach of the Year by Cal-Hi Sports after leading the Raiders to a third consecutive state championship.

Modesto’s Central Catholic High School won its third straight CIF Division IV state football championship Friday, Dec. 19, 2014, at the StubHub Center in Carson with a 31-19 victory over St. Margaret’s (San Juan Capistrano). Senior tight end/safety Jared Rice delivered a final all-around performance with a sack, two interceptions and six receptions for 73 yards and two scores.

Justin Rice, the 2,000-yard rusher for Modesto’s Central Catholic High School football team, sat out the second half of Friday’s CIF Division IV state championship game with an injured right knee. His teammates more than picked up the slack as the Raiders defeated St. Margaret’s (San Juan Capistrano) 31-19.

The Central Catholic Raiders will play for their third straight straight state football title when they face St. Margaret’s of San Juan Capistrano. Kickoff is at 4 p.m. today.

There’s good news for fans of the Central Catholic High School football team: Starting tailback Justin Rice, who has rushed for 2,096 yards and 30 touchdowns this season, will start in today’s CIF Division IV state championship game against St. Margaret’s of San Juan Capistrano at the StubHub Center.

A hardy and enthusiastic crowd braved the pre-dawn chill Thursday to send the Central Catholic High School football team off to Southern California.

Last season, as the Central Catholic Raiders were preparing for the CIF Division IV football championship, they did so without running back Matt Ringer.

Clayton Valley Charter (15-0), which entered Saturday’s contest averaging a national-best 449 yards per game on the ground, rolled up 407 – getting 235 from tailback Miles Harrison – and ended Oakdale’s season with a 28-7 victory.

Modesto’s Central Catholic High School, behind a school record 307 yards from Justin Rice – the Stanislaus District’s newest 2,000-yard rusher – defeated previously unbeaten Capital Christian 35-14 to win a third consecutive Northern California regional football championship.

The Oakdale High Mustangs have accomplished great things in football over the years. But, going into tonight’s Northern California Division II title game at Clayton Valley Charter High of of Concord, head coach Trent Merzon believes he’s never had a team more hot.

Junior Justin Rice was a fill-in tailback for Modesto’s Central Catholic High School after an injury to starter Montell Bland. Ten weeks later, Rice has surpassed the 100-yard mark 10 consecutive times and is nearing the magical 2,000-yard plateau.

The Central Catholic and Oakdale high school football teams will play at least one more game. Each received a bid Sunday to the CIF Regional Football Championship Bowl Games.

A furious comeback from a 20-0 halftime deficit netted the Oakdale Mustangs a 27-23 over Inderkum and the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III title.

Pairings for the CIF State Regional Football Championship Bowl Games will be announced Sunday afternoon.