‘We gotta go up there and prove it:” Local teams prepare to face northern schools in D-1 semis
Talk around the Sac-Joaquin Section football world is that bigger schools in the north perform well in the larger divisions, while the south is known for its small-school excellence.
It’s not just talk. History proves it.
Since Merced won back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990, no school south of Stockton has won a Division I title. For more than 30 years, schools like Grant, Jesuit, Nevada Union and Folsom have taken home the majority of titles in the section’s best division.
Trans-Valley League schools Hilmar, Escalon and Ripon have their names in the record books as multiple-time champions in Divisions IV-VI.
In looking at past champions, Central Catholic’s name is everywhere as it has made its way up from Division V, winning a section-best 20 titles with at least one in nearly every division.
Turlock has never made a Division I title game and will play in its first semifinal game since 2002.
The Raiders and Bulldogs have a chance to do something special Friday night against Folsom and Oak Ridge, respectively. Both games are at 7 p.m.
Not only will each make their first appearance in a Division I title game, in getting there they will have knocked off the two most recent D-I champions as Oak Ridge won in 2019 and Folsom in 2021.
To earn a chance at making history, both teams had to travel. Central Catholic to Monterey Trail and Turlock to previously unbeaten St. Mary’s.
The Raiders (8-4), seeded fifth by the section, rolled pass the fourth-ranked Mustangs of Elk Grove, 56-29. The No. 7 Bulldogs (8-4), however, were in a dog fight against the second seeded Rams. Quarterback Cole Gilbert played what Turlock coach James Peterson called “the game of his life”, tallying four passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown to help lead to a 51-50 upset.
Both teams went in as underdogs, both came out victorious.
“Kudos to Turlock, (beating St. Mary’s) was big when they probably were a two or three touchdown underdog,” Central Catholic coach Roger Canepa said. “This week, CalPreps says we’re probably an underdog, but you still gotta play the game.”
Both teams have experience playing in hostile environments.
After picking up a massive win over Rocklin to open the season, Turlock traveled to Fresno to play Clovis West. There, the Bulldogs suffered their worst loss of the season, 48-0.
“We felt like we played our bad games on the road already,” Peterson said. “To have Clovis West just come out and smack us in the mouth was a good lesson.”
Central Catholic played one of the toughest schedules in California, going against Bay Area powerhouses Saint Francis and Serra and traveling to Southern California to take on nationally ranked St. John Bosco.
“I told the kids we put this team in every spot that you can imagine,” Canepa said. “Because I knew that eventually we might get put in (tough) spots and we did.”
As no strangers to road games, players came up big for both teams in the Division I quarterfinals.
Gilbert is receiving national attention for his huge performance, but it was a defensive stop that ultimately sealed the game.
With the Rams marching and the ball near midfield, Andrew Johnson came up with an interception, ending what would have likely been a game winning drive. Johnson has three interceptions in Turlock’s first two playoff games.
“It seemed like it took every single lesson we learned this year as a football team to come out on top,” Peterson said. “Everything that we went through this year with injuries, winning big games but then also going through adversity with not pulling off the league championship, all those things helped us get a victory.”
Central Catholic’s two Tylers are playing better with each game.
Running back Tyler Jacklich eclipsed 2,000 yards thanks to a 288-yard, four-touchdown performance against Monterey Trail. Quarterback Tyler Wentworth’s steady improvement in the passing game has made the Raiders’ offense more dangerous. He completed 7-of-12 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns last Friday.
“For the most part, this is the healthiest we’ve been,” Canepa said. “We’re clicking. We’re playing better defense, we’re throwing the ball and we’re running the ball.”
In the playoffs, every down matters and Peterson’s philosophy is simple.
“Give me six seconds. Can you play as hard as you can play for six seconds,” he said. “And then do it again. And do it again. And do it again. And then let’s not celebrate until the end of the game. No early celebration. Let’s save our energy for the field.”
Now, they face two of the Sierra Foothill League’s best. Folsom (10-1) won the league while Oak Ridge (9-2) finished third. The SFL’s second place team, Rocklin, is the fourth seed in Division II.
The Bulldogs, currently ranked 10th in the state, have a quarterback that is among the best in the section in junior Austin Mack. He has passed for 2,665 yards and 33 touchdowns. Notre Dame commit Rico Flores, Jr. is a tough pass catcher to stop. The receiver has 963 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
Oak Ridge quarterback Maddox Varella has thrown for more than 2,500 yards and 25 touchdowns but with the Trojans’ offense, anyone can get the ball. Three receivers have caught for more than 400 yards and four have at least three touchdowns. Running back Jake Hall balances out the offense with 886 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns.
Both teams also bring above average defenses as Folsom is allowing 12 points a game and has allowed eight points or less in each of its last five games while Oak Ridge gives up 11 points and has four shutouts.
In recent years, St. Mary’s of Stockton has been the most successful school from the southern part of the Sac-Joaquin Section in Division I, winning titles in 2004, 2008 and 2016 while finishing second in 2007 and 2017.
The Stanislaus District has two chances on Friday to send a team from the south to the Division I championship and earn a title as more than just an area with outstanding small schools. Turlock and Central Catholic can help the area earn respect in the larger divisions as well.
“We gotta go up there and prove it,” Peterson said. “We got to consistently win up there if we’re gonna get the respect that we want. (Everyone) is calling a spade a spade. If we want the respect, we’re going to have to come out and take it.”
This story was originally published November 17, 2022 at 12:56 PM.
