Here are the Top 10 football games to watch in the Stanislaus District for Week 3

There are a couple of big games in the area this week, some with bragging rights while others could help with playoff implications later in the season. Here are the games to watch for Week 3:

Merced (2-0) at Downey (2-0), 7 p.m.

After a wild 44-42 win over Manteca last week, Downey returns to Chuck Hughes Stadium and will host Merced, which beat Gregori, 41-22. Bears seniors Dhameer Warren and Junior Garcia combined for 320 passing yards in the win over the Jaguars.

“They will test you with their speed,” Downey coach Jeremy Plaa said. “They are as physical as can be.”

Whether its Beau Green or Bryce Gouker at quarterback for the Knights remains a question. The starter will have the trio of steady targets in seniors Bryce Peterson and Anderson Groverm along with junior Ethan Difuntorum.

Expect a lot of points as both teams are averaging over 40 points a game.

The teams last met in 2013. Merced won 43-6.

Tracy (2-0) at Turlock (1-1), 7 p.m.

Can Turlock stop Tracy’s high-power offense? That is the big question heading into the night as Tracy has scored 137 points in two games this season.

Junior quarterback Logan Fife has been phenomenal this year with six passing and five rushing touchdowns and zero turnovers. Tracy is averaging 221 yards passing and 289 yards rushing in two games.

Turlock has junior wide receiver Holden Baldwin, who had four receptions and 141 yards and a touchdown last week in the Bulldogs’ 47-21 win over Reno. Baldwin was a Bee Player of the Week nominee.

Tracy beat Turlock in the regular season and the first round of the playoffs last year. Before that, Turlock had won the last two meetings.

St. Mary’s (0-1) at Central Catholic (1-1), 7 p.m.

Two teams that are coming off losses last week will face off in the Holy Bowl. They have split the last four meetings with the Raiders winning, 20-7, last year. St. Mary’s lost to Pittsburg 48-7 last week while Central Catholic trailed by 14 entering the fourth quarter before falling to De La Salle, 35-7.

Big Valley Christian (1-0) at Le Grand (1-0), 7 p.m.

It’s a little unusual for two teams to be meeting in Week 3 when they are both coming off byes.

Le Grand beat Livingston 27-20 in Week 1 and senior running back Tony Garcia ran for 291 yards and two touchdowns. The Lions have their own record-breaking running back in junior Javyn Drobnick. He ran for 372 yards and three touchdowns in the Lions’ 47-20 over Harker in Week 1.

“Le Grand is a big challenge,” Big Valley Christian coach Brian Berkefeld said. “They are in a league above us and we feel like we are playing a mirror image of us.”

Le Grand is in Division VI while Big Valley Christian is in VII.

Davis (1-1) at Atwater (1-1), 7 p.m.

Davis Head Coach Tim Garcia said the depth of Falcons could be a problem for the Spartans.

“We have our work cut out for us,” Garcia said. “None of their guys go both ways. They have 55 guys.”

Senior quarterback Xavier Rodriguez threw for a school-record 458 yards last week in Davis’ 43-6 win over Franklin. Atwater lost to Stagg last week. The Falcons average 276 rushing yards per game.

Escalon (2-0) at Sonora (0-2), 7 p.m.

Two teams that have started the year in opposite directions face off for the first time since the second round of the 2011 Division IV playoffs when Escalon won 28-7. The Cougars are 2-0 under first-year head coach Andrew Beam and the Cougars defense has forced six turnovers. The Wildcats have been outscored 83-0 in their two losses.

Modesto Christian (2-0) at Calaveras (0-1), 7:15 p.m.

The Crusaders defense has shined in two wins this year. They have forced five turnovers, six tackles for a loss, and have held both of their opponents to a combined 12 points. Senior Johnny Williams has two interceptions for Modesto Christian. Calaveras lost to Escalon, 21-7 last week.

Beyer (0-2) at Gregori (0-2), 7:30 p.m

After an 11-1 season last year, its been a slow start for Gregori but head coach Jason McCoy remains optimistic. This will be the Jaguars’ home opener against a former Modesto Metro Conference foe. Beyer has been outscored 79-13 in two games this year. The two teams have split the last four meetings.

Gustine (1-0) at Hilmar (2-0), 7:30 p.m

Senior running back Issac Sharp does it all for the Yellowjackets. He had two rushing touchdowns, one receiving, and one kickoff return for a touchdown last week in Hilmar’s 41-9 win over Los Banos. Sharp, a Bee Player of the Week nominee, also had six tackles. Senior running back Brandon Garbez had 198 rushing yards and two touchdowns last week. Gustine beat Hilmar, 30-24, last year.

Ripon Christian (2-0) at Summerville (1-0), 7 p.m.

Ripon Christian hasn’t started the season 3-0 since 2015. Senior running back Michael Kamps is second in the Stanislaus District with 304 rushing yards and first with six touchdowns. The Bears beat Mariposa County, 10-9 last week and had eight tackles for a loss. Summerville beat Ripon Christian, 42-30 last year.