Games to watch: Top Stanislaus District high school football matchups for Week 7
This week will feature some Thursday and Saturday games to compensate for the referee shortage that continues to affect the Sac-Joaquin Section and many other areas across California.
Modesto Christian hosts one of the Trans-Valley League’s hottest teams, Hughson, Thursday at 7 p.m. Big Valley Christian welcomes Hamilton of Hamilton City on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Turlock and Pitman will play in the 19th edition of the Harvest Bowl. The Bulldogs are looking to have more success in the Central California Athletic League after yet another tough preseason. Gregori and Enochs highlight another CCAL crosstown showdown, this one between two Modesto schools. Valley Oak League play also begins this week.
Orestimba takes on 5-0 Mariposa County on the road, looking to get a road win after falling by just one point the last time the Warriors made the two-hour drive, 7-6.
Here are some games to watch for in Week 7:
Thursday
Hughson (5-1, 2-0) at Modesto Christian (5-1, 1-1), 7 p.m.
The Crusaders are exactly where coach Jerry Grimshaw expected them to be at this point in the season. A 5-1 record means they took care of business through the easier part of the schedule, but with the four toughest Trans-Valley League teams coming up before the Week 11 bye, Modesto Christian’s coaching staff knows the team is in for a challenge. Hughson and Escalon are the Crusaders’ next two opponents on Thursdays due to the referee shortage. The physicality will be hard to emulate in practice so Grimshaw says they’ll work on being the best version of themselves, tightening up the passing attack and working on defensive schemes they’ll need to plug up holes these next two weeks.
While most teams are good running the ball or passing, a large reason why Hughson is off to a hot start is because it’s great at both. Robert McDaniel has thrown for 1,100 yards and 16 touchdowns and has taken great care of the ball with just one interception. As a complement, the run game has produced 1,163 yards and 15 touchdowns with Liam Bridgford and Alex Villarreal leading the way with 516 yards and 418 yards, respectively.
Friday
Turlock (2-3) at Pitman (1-4) at Turlock High School, 7 p.m.
The Harvest Bowl is always one of the biggest games of the year in Turlock and though this year, the Pride and Bulldogs seem to be in different places as teams, there’s just no telling what can happen in a rivalry game. Turlock has dominated the past few years, winning eight straight games including a 35-0 game last season. The Pride will be hoping to use a good performance in this game as a springboard to turning around their season. After opening their season with a win over Central Valley, they’ve lost four straight. Turlock is coming off its second big win of the season. After beating Rocklin in Week 1, the Bulldogs beat Clayton Valley Charter by two points on Sept. 16 to secure their second win of the season. Both are looking to start CCAL play with a win before Turlock plays unbeaten Downey and Pitman plays Enochs.
Gregori (1-4) at Enochs (2-3) at Downey High School, 7 p.m.
Grant Veneman returned to practice this week, exiting concussion protocols after going down early in the Jaguars’ non-league schedule. He and junior Conner Bailey, who has started the past four games, have battled for Friday night’s start and coach Lamar Wallace says a starter will be named before or at practice Thursday. Gregori played Lodi nearly even in the second half, which they hope carries over into Friday’s first Central California Athletic League game Friday. Enochs ran into a rolling Oakdale squad last week and is looking to bounce back on offense after scoring just seven points and allowing 51.
Escalon (3-2, 0-1) at Hilmar (3-3, 2-0), 7 p.m.
The Cougars lost their TVL opener to Hughson and have been itching to play since. They had a bye last week and coach Andrew Beam says they’ve had good practices to prepare for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V championship rematch on Friday. Escalon and Hilmar would both benefit greatly from a win. The Cougars are chasing their first league victory while the Yellowjackets are looking to stay undefeated. The winner of this game gives themselves a great advantage in the TVL’s final standings.
Though they don’t have their starting quarterback, sophomore Caden Bailey has filled in nicely, starting in both league games and in his three appearances, gaining 220 rushing yards and scoring 5 rushing touchdowns, second on the team in both categories. Escalon’s loss to Hughson has left the league wide open and with a win Friday night, the Yellowjackets could put themselves in prime position to take over the league’s top spot.
Sierra (1-4) at Oakdale (4-1), 7 p.m.
The Mustangs just keep rolling. Now winners of four straight, Oakdale enters Valley Oak League play looking to continue its streak against the struggling Timberwolves. While Sierra has just one win, it came recently against Modesto two weeks ago. Oakdale’s defense allowed just seven points in its final non-league game against Enochs. The Eagles run a lot and the Mustangs’ defensive versatility will need to be on display as a lot of Sierra’s offense is produced by the passing game. Quarterback Tim Sarginson has passed for over 600 yards and four receivers have over 100 yards receiving. Anthony Grady is the team’s best rusher, leading the balanced offensive attack with 549 yards and 11 touchdowns. Getting league wins early will be important as the Mustangs end VOL play with Central Catholic, Kimball and Manteca in three straight weeks.
Orestimba (4-1, 2-0) at Mariposa County (5-0, 2-0), 7:15 p.m.
The last time the Warriors played Mariposa County on the road was in 2019 and the Grizzlies won a one point game, 7-6. This time around, Orestimba has been tested in games that were decided in the fourth quarter. In two of their last three games, the Warriors have come up big in the final frame to secure wins. They’ve won three straight. They went into the fourth quarter trailing Los Banos by six and scored two touchdowns in the fourth to secure a win. Two weeks later when they were ahead by seven points against Ripon Christian, a fourth-quarter touchdown put the game out of reach.
Coach Aaron Souza is hoping that experience will help his team win a big game as both teams enter the contest with 2-0 Southern League records. If playing in a storied matchup isn’t enough of a reason for the Grizzlies to raise their intensity, the fact that they are protecting a 5-0 record and playing in their first home game should do it. Last season, the Warriors won 41-7, but that was at home. Orestimba is preparing for a fight on the road.
