Games to watch: Top Stanislaus District high school football matchups for Week 10
The Valley Oak League champion essentially will be decided this week.
Central Catholic visits Manteca on Friday night in a battle of teams with undefeated league records. The Buffaloes boast a 7-0 record with dominant wins over Patterson and Turlock in nonleague matchups and are averaging 61 points in three league contests against Kimball, Sierra and East Union.
Also in VOL action, Oakdale looks to bounce back from last week’s loss to the Raiders. The Mustangs face Kimball, whose offense can explode and put up points at any time.
The Central California Athletic League also features a matchup between two teams with 3-0 league records, Downey and Gregori. The Jaguars are entering the toughest part of their league schedule in the final two weeks, playing the Knights this week and Turlock to end the season.
Big Valley Christian’s rival, Stone Ridge Christian, comes to Modesto to play for a league championship and the possibility of securing a playoff spot.
Pitman and Modesto also look for their first CCAL wins at Modesto High’s homecoming.
Here’s a look at the Stanislaus District’s most important games this week:
Central Catholic (4-4, 3-0) at Manteca (7-0, 3-0), 7 p.m.
Central Catholic played in big games all through the preseason, and coach Roger Canepa said it’s for games like Friday. Entering the matchup, the Raiders have seen it all, from different styles of teams to different playing environments, which can all sway a big game a certain way. It’s a battle of reigning champions. Manteca claimed the Division III title over Oakdale, while the Raiders took home the Division II section title and a Division 2-AA Northern California state title. In seven matchups since 2014, Manteca never has beaten the Raiders. The winner of this game essentially locks itself in for a VOL championship. Central Catholic has held at least a share of the VOL title every full season since 2018 and is a combined 20-1 in league games heading into Friday. Despite the minor bangs and bruises that come at this point in the season, Canepa says the team is the healthiest it’s been. The 30-plus-year head coach also says the team has continued to get better with time.
Stone Ridge Christian (6-2, 1-0) at Big Valley Christian (3-4, 1-0), 7 p.m.
Every year in the Central California Athletic Alliance, the league title comes down to the game between Big Valley and Stone Ridge. Because it is such a small league, that championship determines who from the CCAA gets a playoff appearance. So essentially, for the Lions and Knights, a spot in the 2022 playoffs is on the line. Big Valley is looking to build on the previous two weeks where Jordan Banana stepped in at quarterback, leading the team to wins. The Lions recently fully embraced the wing-T offense due to injuries, meaning the game will feature teams that run the same offense. Coach Brian Berkefeld knows the game will be one of the more physical they have played this season, and the fact that it is against a rival with the possibility of a playoff spot on the line should make the home atmosphere electric.
Downey (8-0, 3-0) at Gregori (4-4, 3-0), 7 p.m.
For the second straight year, the Knights and Jaguars will face off with undefeated league records. Downey won 49-20 last season, and with solid performances from all of its usual stars, a win would secure the Knights their second outright league title in as many seasons. Gregori is out to spoil that with running back Michael Marsden, who has over 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns heading into the matchup. Linebackers Ethen Rowland, the Knights’ leader in tackles, and Richard Williams will lead the defense in trying to shut down Marsden, who is averaging 141 rushing yards per game.
Escalon (5-3, 2-2) at Ripon (4-4, 2-2), 7:30 p.m.
Ripon and Escalon already are projected to make the playoffs in a loaded Division V bracket, so Friday’s matchup is more about the rivalry than postseason positioning. The Cougars and Indians have gone back and forth for the past 11 years. Since 2011, they’ve played 12 times and are tied with six wins apiece. The two sides played three times in 2011 alone. During the shortened spring season, the 2021 regular season and the 2021 section playoffs, Escalon won all three. Ripon approached this season with simplicity in mind. With limited depth to start with and multiple injuries as the season went on, coach Chris Musseman has had to put players at positions they haven’t played much. He says they’ve adjusted well and have all responded positively. One thing the Indians do have going for them is they are 4-0 in home games against Escalon since 2011. For the Cougars, coach Andrew Beam says running back Ryker Peters is looking nearly 100% after spending the past few weeks nursing a high ankle sprain. They’ve been able to go deeper into backfield depth in recent wins against Modesto Christian and Riverbank.
Pitman (1-7, 0-3) at Modesto (2-6, 0-3) at Downey High, 7 p.m.
While the Pride and Panthers haven’t had particularly successful seasons, each side has key players who can lead it to its first CCAL win. Pitman’s versatile running back Joey Stout is a handful for any defense to deal with. The senior has 838 total yards and seven touchdowns. Modesto duo Eli McCabe and Heston Blom haven’t slowed down after leading the team to a Week 1 win over Johansen. The connection has produced 810 yards and 11 touchdowns. With each team hoping to secure its first league win, it will be the defense that determines the game. Whoever limits the opposition’s star power will finally earn a 1 in the win column.
Kimball (4-4, 1-2) at Oakdale (6-2, 2-1), 7 p.m.
The last time the Mustangs lost this season, they bounced back by winning five straight games, including their first two VOL contests. They’re hoping to bounce back from a loss to Central Catholic with a win against the Jaguars on Friday. After Friday night’s game against the Raiders, Oakdale coach Trent Merzon knows the Week 10 matchup at home is going to be a big game for his team. Jace Rau and Gabe McDonald were Oakdale’s most productive backs against Kimball, but this season has shown Cameron Guthrie can put together a big rushing game at any time. Running back Sebastian Tate has had an impressive season for the Kimball side, but the connection between quarterback Jayden McKey and receiver Darius Doyle has been lethal, producing 681 yards and 12 touchdowns.
This story was originally published October 20, 2022 at 10:28 AM.
