Games to Watch: Big matchups highlight Week 1 of Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs
For the first time in two years, there will be Sac-Joaquin Section playoff football on Friday night.
The coronavirus pandemic forced the postponement of the 2019 season to the 2020 spring season, when there was only time to get in a shortened regular season.
So tonight, football players from throughout the district will be getting their first sniff of playoff action.
And others, will have to wait a week.
Central Catholic, Oakdale, Escalon and Hughson all have first-round byes after earning one of the top four seeds in their respective divisions.
Here’s a quick look at the best games tonight:
No. 9 Turlock (4-6) at No. 8 Sheldon (7-3)
What started out as an uphill battle leveled out for the Bulldogs when Central California Athletic League play came around. Turlock is in the playoffs for the the seventh straight season after barely reaching the four-win threshold with a 21-7 win over Enochs.
Turlock lost a league game for the first time since joining the CCAL. It fell to playoff teams Downey and Gregori, finishing league with a 3-2 record.
The Bulldogs travel to Sacramento to play the third best team in the Delta League.
No. 10 Enochs (5-4) at No. 7 Del Oro (6-4)
First-year coach Tracey Traub spoke about proving that this year’s Enochs team was different than years past. Though the Eagles didn’t win as many league games as they hoped, making the playoffs is a step in the right direction.
They are doing everything they can to be prepared.
First, they practed at Downey High to get used to the turf that they will play on at Del Oro on Friday. Traub is also adding in new offensive and defensive packages to throw a different look at the Golden Eagles.
Enochs will get middle linebacker Andres Delatore back after missing the previous three weeks. He is still nursing a quad injury, but the addition allows the Eagles to be more versatile defensively.
They have one of the farthest first-round road games in the section, traveling 100 miles and over two hours to Loomis.
No. 9 Orestimba (6-4) at No. 8 Linden (6-4)
Orestimba is making its first playoff appearance since 2018 after finishing fourth in the Southern Athletic League.
The Warriors will have their hands full with the Sierra Delta League champions led by Joe Cowan, who has 778 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns and receiver Jordan Sherman, who has 41 receptions for 993 yards and five touchdowns.
They have a powerful running attack led by the trio Vincent Lopez, Kai Brazil and Lazs King, who each have over 500 yards rushing.
Linden is credited with 10 wins on MaxPreps after winning four games via forfeit.
No. 12 Ceres (5-5) at No. 5 Ripon (6-4)
Ceres returns to the postseason for the first time since 2004 and is looking for its first playoff win since 1994. The Bulldogs snuck into the Division V playoffs despite three straight WAC losses.
The Indians finished second in the Trans-Valley League, one of the best small-school leagues in Northern California but are on a two-game losing streak after falling to Division V playoff teams Escalon and Hughson.
They are coming off section and state titles in 2019, and enter the postseason for the sixth season in a row.
No. 9 Lodi (7-3) at No. 8 Downey (9-1)
Downey won the CCAL for the first time in coach Jeremy Plaa’s head coaching career. The Knights find that rewarding, but Plaa is making sure his team realizes that goal is behind them and the postseason presents a different challenge.
Quarterback Conner Stoddard will be the key to Downey’s pass-heavy offense. The junior quarterback admits it took him a few weeks to find his stride but he’s been dominant lately. In the past three games, he’s thrown for an average of 324 yards and 16 total touchdowns.
Plaa feels his team’s tough schedule has prepared them for the physicality of postseason more than in previous years, and being able to host a playoff game is an advantage as well.
No. 11 Summerville (4-4) at No. 6 Waterford (9-1)
The SAL champion Wildcats missed an undefeated season after losing to Mariposa in Week 10. They bounced back with a blowout win over Denair, which leads them to the sixth seed in the Division VI playoffs.
Waterford enters the playoffs for the first time since 2018, when they lost to Ripon Christian 28-0 in the second round.
The Wildcats played Summerville, which finished third in the Mother Lode League, earlier in the season, beating them 35-28.
No. 9 Roseville (6-4) at No. 8 Davis (10-0)
Davis made the playoffs for the first time in 20 years after an undefeated season and Western Athletic Conference outright championship.
Head coach Tim Garcia’s goal was to bring back a sense of community to the program and earning a home playoff game is a step in the right direction.
Starting quarterback Jayson Munthe was carried off the field by teammates and coaches in the Spartans’ 33-24 win over Ceres with a knee injury. But if he can’t play in the playoff game, Garcia is confident his team’s depth.
Senior Jose Sanchez started the first five weeks at quarterback before Munthe became eligible after transferring from Beyer.
The Spartans play Roseville at Modesto Junior College, just as they did when Garcia was a student-athlete.
No. 11 Gregori (6-4) at No. 6 Elk Grove (6-3)
Gregori is one of this year’s surprise teams of the CCAL. After many years of Downey and Turlock being the top two teams in the league, the Jaguars made their presence felt among the leagues best, beating Turlock and finishing second.
Success in the tough preseason and CCAL is what has Gregori coaches confident in their team despite their low seed. The games against Downey and Turlock stand out to head coach Lamar Wallace specifically. Though they lost to Downey, Wallace was happy with the way his team played.
The final game of the season against Turlock provided a test similar to one they will see in the playoffs with a very physical team and this year, and Wallace was pleased with how they were able to match that.
Normally a Division I team based on enrollment, the Jaguars are competing in the Division II playoffs.
No. 11 Los Banos (6-4) at No. 6 Hilmar (8-2)
Hilmar is one of five teams the TVL sent to the playoffs. The league’s third-place team is in the postseason for the sixth year in a row.
Los Banos finished second in the WAC. It’s only league loss was to unbeaten Davis. The Yellowjackets and Tigers met in the regular season, with Hilmar winning 23-6.
Hilmar produced 226 rushing yards led by Broc Perry’s 14 carries, 77 yards and one touchdown. The defense had four sacks.
The winner of this matchup plays No. 2 Sonora in the quarterfinals.
No. 12 Burbank (6-4) at No. 5 Patterson (8-2)
After winning the Central California Conference, Patterson advanced to the playoffs via automatic entry given to all league champions.
The Tigers enter the playoffs on a tear. After losing its first two games, Patterson won eight straight, including six consecutive CCC contests.
Jacob Guevarra leads Patterson’s dynamic offense with 1,402 passing yards and 24 touchdowns and 499 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. Junior running backs Sean Hansen and Lolo Mataele combined for 1,792 yards and 17 rushing touchdowns
Burbank has a long history in the playoffs. Before missing the postseason in 2019, the Titans made the playoffs 14-straight seasons.
