League races, playoff picture come into view in Week 10

It’s time to start talking titles and playoff scenarios.

With two weeks left in the regular season, several races in the Stanislaus District will be decided or heavily influenced by what transpires on the football field Friday.

Here’s an early look at Week 10’s top games and their big-picture impact:

Merced (6-2, 3-1) at Turlock (6-2, 4-0) – The Bears are still in the hunt for a fourth consecutive CCC title, but everything needs to go right over the final two weeks, beginning with a victory at Turlock. Merced will close the season with the Bulldogs, who have their own motivations, and a Mayor’s Cup rivalry game against upset-minded Golden Valley. If Turlock can get past Merced, a Harvest Bowl of epic proportions awaits. First thing’s first. Both teams must answer some obvious questions Friday: Can Merced bottle up Turlock quarterback Danny Velasquez, who has played at an MVP level? Can Turlock keep pace with Merced’s athletes, namely Ulonzo Gilliam Jr., who is averaging better than 10 yards per rushing attempt? And which coach – Merced’s Rob Scheidt or Turlock’s James Peterson – will make the right in-game adjustment or introduce a game-changing wrinkle? Merced has won eight of the past 10 meetings, including the past four. Turlock’s last victory in the series was a 28-21 overtime victory in 2011.

Oakdale (7-1, 5-0) at Manteca (7-1, 4-1) – The Mustangs are as healthy as they’ve been all season, and coach Trent Merzon has found playmakers to fill out his vaunted Wing-T offense. Despite an ankle injury that kept him out of most of three games, senior running back Will Semone has enjoyed a breakout season. Semone missed his entire junior year at Central Catholic because of a shoulder injury. He has topped 100 rushing yards in all fives games he’s finished this season, including a 200-yard effort Friday in a win over Weston Ranch. For as well as Semone has played, junior Cameron Cherry has been even better. Cherry was thrust into a starring role when Semone went down early against Sierra. He had a streak of four consecutive 100-yard games snapped Friday. The Mustangs won’t beat the balanced Buffaloes through the air, so look for Semone and Cherry to establish their presence early. Oakdale has won four of the past five meetings, but Manteca, young and explosive, has a team capable of making a Sac-Joaquin Section and CIF State Bowl run.

Orestimba (7-1, 5-0) at Delhi (7-1, 4-1) – The Hawks have never won a Southern League title, but they have enjoyed a historic season behind the hard-charging Jesse Flores and Scorpio Castorena. To summit the mountaintop, though, Delhi will need to knock off the defending champion. Orestimba travels to Delhi with the momentum of a seven-game winning streak in their sails, setting the stakes for the biggest game in the Hawks’ history. The road Warriors are 4-0 away from home this season, while Delhi had its seven-game streak snapped by Denair on Friday. Hawks coach Rod McCombs rested Flores (ankle) for the first half of that loss, hoping to spare his banged-up star. Linebacker Castorena (back) was also questionable going into the game. The Hawks will need their physical and emotional tone-setters to be healthy to have any shot at derailing Orestimba’s title defense.

Escalon (3-5, 1-2) at Modesto Christian (3-5, 1-2) – Despite their season-long struggles, the Cougars and Crusaders remain a part of the Sac-Joaquin Section postseason discussion. The Trans-Valley League gets three automatic playoff berths, which puts an emphasis on this game. Hilmar and Ripon have established themselves as the top two teams in the TVL, and the title will likely be decided when those two meet on the final Friday of the regular season; Escalon-Modesto Christian may carry just as much weight. The winner will have the inside track to an automatic playoff berth and satisfy the section’s requirement that all playoff teams have at least two league wins. Modesto Christian has the easiest path. If the Crusaders beat the Cougars, they’ll be a heavy favorite in their finale against TVL-winless Mountain House (0-3). Escalon will close the regular season against Hughson (1-2).

Gregori (6-2, 3-1) vs. Modesto (6-2, 3-1), at Chuck Hughes Stadium – Quietly, the Jaguars stalk their first Modesto Metro Conference championship. With victories over Beyer and Modesto, Downey (5-0) is the clear front-runner in the MMC. The Knights clinched at least a share of their fifth crown in Friday’s win at Modesto. Still, no other team has as much control of the final order than Gregori. If the Jaguars can run the table, which would include victories over Modesto and Downey, Modesto’s youngest public school will celebrate a league title. There’s just one problem: Gregori has lost two in a row to Modesto and has never beaten Downey.

This story was originally published October 22, 2016 at 5:56 PM with the headline "League races, playoff picture come into view in Week 10."