Games to watch: Top Stanislaus District high school football matchups, playoffs Week 2
Stanislaus District teams that received top-four seeds in their respective divisions return to action this week after a first-round bye.
It’s a split decision on byes. Some coaches appreciate a week off to start the playoffs, while others would rather their team keep rolling with the momentum they gained at the end of the regular season. Either way, the hiatus is seen as a way to reward teams for noteworthy regular seasons.
A Trans-Valley League rivalry is renewed in the quarterfinals this week as Escalon visits Hilmar. It is the earliest the two sides have met in the playoffs in a few years.
Patterson’s playoff journey begins this week as the Tigers look to make the section finals after being knocked out in the semifinals or sooner in each of the past four postseasons. They were eliminated by Oakdale in three of their last four appearances.
Central Catholic, the Division I fifth seed, travels to No. 4 Monterey Trail, and No. 3 Downey hosts sixth-ranked Granite Bay.
Here is some more information about some of the playoff games this week:
No. 5 Central Catholic (7-4) at No. 4 Monterey Trail (8-3), 7 p.m.
The Raiders will face the Mustangs for the second straight postseason. Last year, its running back duo led Central Catholic to a 43-22 blowout win to secure the Division II section title. This year, in the second-ever postseason matchup between the two sides, the Raiders feature a less predictable offense. While it is still run-dominant with Tyler Jacklich, the mixing in of passes from quarterback Tyler Wentworth has proven to beat its fair share of teams. Division II top seed Manteca stacked the box in the second half, to which Wentworth answered with three third-quarter touchdown passes. The Metropolitan league champion, Monterey Trail boasts a versatile rushing attack with three running backs with more than 450 rushing yards and four with four or more touchdowns.
No. 5 Escalon (8-3) at No. 4 Hilmar (7-3), 7 p.m.
A matchup that in past seasons has been reserved for the later rounds shows up in the quarterfinals this year. Hilmar and Escalon have met nine times in the postseason, with the Cougars enjoying a 5-4 head-to-head advantage. In the previous few seasons, Escalon has won the regular season TVL matchup, but a 21-20 game this year went the Yellowjackets’ way. Special teams blunders cost Escalon the game and both sides know it. The Cougars are looking for redemption after this year’s early season loss, while Hilmar has two years of postseason payback to play for. The two matched up in the Division VI section championship in 2019 and the Division V title game last year. Escalon won both.
No. 10 Roseville (7-4) at No. 2 Patterson (9-1), 7 p.m.
For the second regular season in a row, the Tigers enter the postseason riding a win streak. Last year’s was seven games, this year’s is eight. After a slow start to the season, running back Lolo Mataele has really come on in recent games while continuing to produce on defense. Sean Hansen Jr. has rushed for more than 1,100 yards for the second straight season, and freshman quarterback Max Medina has thrown 18 touchdowns and just five interceptions. Roseville upset the Division III seven seed Oakdale last week ending the Mustangs’ final drive with an interception in the end zone with under two minutes left. Friday night could be a shootout. Roseville has been in 40-37, 48-42 and 64-36 games this season. They are 2-1 in such matchups. Last season, coach Rob Cozart’s team saw its season end at the hands of Oakdale. It was the third time in their last four postseason trips where the Mustangs ended a Patterson postseason run. With Oakdale out of the picture and Manteca up in Division II, D-3 seems to be wide open.
No. 6 Granite Bay (7-4) at No. 3 Downey (10-0), 7 p.m.
The Knights did some in-person scouting last week, making the trip to Granite Bay to watch the Grizzlies beat Inderkum. Downey is in the second round for the first time since 2018, when it upset Grant High in an 11 vs. 6 matchup, 57-27. Going by the numbers, the game appears to be a clash of styles. Downey will have to stop the Grizzlies prolific run game, which has produced nearly 2,000 yards from sophomore Carter Jackson (1,299 yards) and freshman Isaiah Ene (512 yards). Jackson has produced nearly twice as many as the passing game, rushing for 20 scores. The Knights are looking for their first postseason win against Granite Bay with an all-time postseason record of 0-3 against the Grizzlies.
No. 6 Colfax (7-3) at No. 3 Orestimba (9-1), 7 p.m.
The Warriors return from their bye week to face a rolling Colfax team in the Division VI quarterfinals. Winners of four straight, the Falcons were victorious in their final three Pioneer Valley League games and narrowly escaped Argonaut with a 25-22 win last week. Orestimba is on a roll of its own. It brings an eight-game win streak into Friday’s matchup that includes a perfect Southern League record. The Warriors first-round bye places them in the second round for the first time since 2016. Kai Brazil continues to shine for Orestimba, and junior quarterback Alex Milan is recorded throwing 30 touchdown passes up to this point. They will look to help their team win its first postseason game over Colfax and advance to the semifinals for the first time ever.
This story was originally published November 10, 2022 at 10:55 AM.
