Three Modesto football teams play huge games Friday with title, playoff implications
If last week’s Modesto-area football games brought some impactful results, this week brings more of the same, and then some.
The Valley Oak League, Central California Athletic League and Western Athletic Conference all feature matchups between each league’s top three seeds. Even though it is early, playoff spots and championship hopes will be impacted.
Central Catholic beat Oakdale 32-12, but the gauntlet that is the VOL doesn’t show sympathy. The Raiders host 6-0 Kimball and its dynamic offense that features the state’s leading passer, Nicholas Coronado, this week.
The Raiders are 6-0 against Kimball since joining the VOL but this year’s team is taking the league by storm. Coronado has 2,344 yards and 31 touchdowns and the Jaguars have scored 320 points.
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Central Catholic head coach Roger Canepa expects his team to rely on the experience they gained in their non-league games.
“They don’t score that many points not being very good,” Canepa said. “We just have to do what we do, and make some plays.
“We’ve played five spread teams, so we’ve seen all this, which makes it nice.”
Canepa, whose team is 5-1, , is right. Merced, St. Mary’s, San Ramon Valley and Bellarmine highlighted the Raiders stacked preseason. But what sets Kimball apart is its ability to improvise once it looks like a play breaks down.
“We practice scramble drill, a lot of people don’t,” Kimball head coach Latef Grim told The Bee after its 63-56 win over Oakdale. “Once (Coronado) breaks, everybody goes to their spots, so he’s already knowing where everybody is going to be to make a play.”
In the VOL, two league losses puts you out of the running for the title. Kimball and Central Catholic are undefeated in league, and both play Manteca (6-0, 2-0) in the coming weeks.
“You could possibly get a (co-league title) with one loss but I think somebody is going to either run the table or there’s going to be a couple teams with one loss,” said Canepa on what the 7 p.m. game means in league standings. “But (this game) is big ... the ‘Big 3’ might be the ‘Big 4’ now.”
Huge CCAL matchup
Downey (5-1) has bounced back from its Week 1 loss against Manteca perfectly. The Knights, who host Turlock on Friday, have won five straight, most recently beating Modesto High, 57-6, in their CCAL league opener.
“Confident” is how head coach Jeremy Plaa feels about his team after the Week 1 defeat to Manteca, ranked fourth in MaxPreps Sac-Joaquin Section rankings behind No. 1 Folsom, No. 2 Rocklin and No. 3 Jesuit.
“We continue to grow every week.” Plaa said.
The 7 p.m. matchup between the Knights and Bulldogs – both 1-0 in the CCAL – has Plaa and his team “excited to hurry up and get the game here.”
Turlock’s record isn’t what many might expect from a “league leader.” They sit at 2-4 after beating Clovis West and Pitman in back-to-back weeks. Although Turlock began the season losing four straight, Plaa isn’t fooled.
“I can’t even tell you what their record is, I know they’re good,” he said. “They’re huge up front, they’ve got a good quarterback and running back and they always have a great defense. So we have to play our best game on Friday.”
The league usually runs through Turlock High and a win on Friday night can put Downey at the front of the race for a title.
“Our goal is to win a CCAL title, and that’s been our goal since the CCAL was created,” Plaa said. “Turlock has gotten it every single year so they’re the ones that have the target on their back. Everybody’s gunning for those guys, us included.”
Davis stands tall in WAC
At 6-0, Davis is one of two Stanislaus District teams still undefeated, which makes its game against Lathrop (5-1, 3-0) at Modesto Junior College so meaningful.
Davis coach Tim Garcia isn’t satisfied. He’s focused on improvement within his team, mostly on attitude, preparation and effort.
“My big message to the kids every week is just worry about what we can control and not about other people or other things.” he said.
In the two matchups between the teams, Davis has outscored Lathrop 112-41. But this year’s battle of the Spartans could present more of a test with Lathrop’s new head coach, former Sierra High of Manteca standout Ryan Teicheira, and new offensive scheme.
“You can tell he’s changing the culture and he’s doing a great job.” Garcia said.
Still, Garcia’s approach seems to be making sure his team is at its best Friday and try not to worry about the playoff implications that come from the 7 p.m. matchup between the two best teams in the Western Athletic Conference.
“We’re just gonna treat it like a normal football game,” Garcia said. “We’re going to keep everything under our umbrella on what we can control and how we can prepare, and then let the chips fall where they fall.”
This story was originally published October 5, 2021 at 6:52 AM.
