Games to watch: Do Patterson and Enochs host top Week 4 games? Turlock travels to Folsom
Another full slate of Friday night football is ahead for Stanislaus District schools. In total, local teams will be featured in 16 games this weekend.
Fans won’t have to go far to see some of the best games in the Sac-Joaquin Section this week as several schools in Modesto welcome tough non-league opponents from the SJS and surrounding sections. Patterson, and Enochs host SJS opponents Vacaville and East Union, respectively, in what have the potential to be close, entertaining contests. Central Catholic welcomes a top-5 team from Nevada, Bishop Manogue, and Downey hosts Amador Valley, a playoff contender from the North Coast Section. Turlock travels to the Sacramento-area to face off against a top-15 team in California with a host of Division I recruits.
Here is a closer look at some of the key games this week.
No. 5 Turlock (1-2) at Folsom (1-1), 7 p.m.
The Bulldogs nearly pulled off the comeback in Week 3 against the defending Central Section Division I runner up, Central of Fresno. But they get no breaks this week as they travel to one of California’s best and nationally ranked teams, Folsom. Awaiting them is a host of four-and five-star recruits, led by five-star junior quarterback Ryder Lyons. Turlock pulled out a win in Week 2 against Tracy. A potential game-winning drive came up short on fourth down Friday night in a game where freshman Scout Silva threw a pair of interceptions, a hiccup in what has been an incredible start to his varsity career. Silva and the Bulldogs offense will be tested once again Friday night against the Folsom Bulldogs who already have a win against California powerhouse Long Beach Poly on the resume. Lyons has passed for 330 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 169 yards and a pair of scores. Carter Jackson and Daymion Rivera have each rushed for over 100 yards and have five combined rushing touchdowns in two games. Jameson Powell is Folsom’s leading receiver with 117 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. Folsom is ranked No. 53 nationally and No. 11 in California by CalPreps and is the Sacramento Bee’s No. 1 Sacramento-area team.
Vacaville (1-2) at No. 3 Patterson (2-1), 7 p.m.
Patterson enters the week looking to pick up another key win before starting Valley Oak League play in a week. The Bulldogs’ lone win of the season came in Week 1, when they held off a feisty Escalon side in a competitive 23-21 game. The next two weeks, they had a three-point loss to Granite Bay and an 18-point loss to Cardinal Newman of Santa Rosa. In their two wins this season, Patterson has allowed an average of 19 points. As a team, they have forced four interceptions, a forced fumble, eight sacks and 24 tackles for loss in their first three games. Quarterback Max Medina is already over 1,000 passing yards and has nine touchdown passes as the leader of their fast-paced offense. Running back Jeremiah Lugo has nearly 300 rushing yards and four touchdowns and Ty Todd has just over 150 rushing yards. The Tigers, with a win, will enter their new league on a two-game win streak and will be just one win away from the four-win minimum needed for postseason qualification.
Bishop Manogue (2-2) at No. 1 Central Catholic (1-2), 7 p.m.
The Raiders will look to bounce back from back-to-back losses at home Friday night against the No. 4 ranked team in Nevada. Raiders coaches were likely drilling tackling once again this week as they did not have the best showing in Oregon against the state’s top team, the Central Catholic Rams. In each of the Raiders’ three games this season, their opponents have scored on their opening drive, a streak they are hoping ends Friday night. Joey Alcutt and Wyatt Dragoo each rushed for 90 or more yards in Oregon and Kayden McHenry tossed a pair of touchdown passes, both to sophomore Caine Walker. All three members of the Raiders’ backfield, Dragoo, Alcutt and Carter Meeks each registered at least 10 carries. Three-star junior quarterback Brandon Mann leads the Miners with 669 passing yards and six touchdowns in four games. He has also thrown four interceptions. Mann has Division I offers from Washington State, Virginia Tech and Nevada. The Miners have two running backs with over 150 rushing yards and three TD’s apiece, a receiver with over 200 receiving yards and one with over 140 receiving yards. The Raiders may have to compete without McHenry, who injured his throwing hand last Friday.
Amador Valley (1-1) at No. 2 Downey (3-0), 7 p.m.
The Knights’ strongest non-league schedule in school history continues Friday with a completely new opponent, Amador Valley. Coach Jeremy Plaa compares the Dons to Turlock with a quarterback who will likely be one of the best they face all season. Tristan Ti’a is a three-star senior with Division I offers from Boston College, Northern Arizona, Sacramento State, San Jose State and UNLV. Through the first two games this season, Ti’a has 544 passing yards and has not thrown an interception. The Dons are perennial North Coast Section playoff qualifiers who moved into the East Bay - Mountain League after going 4-0 in the East Bay - Valley League last season. Plaa and the Downey coaching staff would love to see the Knights put teams away earlier. In two of their three wins, they went ahead 14-0 and 15-0 but let their opponents back into the game. With the Knights’ high powered offense, they can score with nearly anyone. Carson Lamb is 22nd in California in passing yards (834) and total yards (941), Ethan Woodmansee is eighth in the section in total touchdowns (7) and Julius Padron is 24th in the nation and fifth in California with 303 total return yards.
East Union (3-0) at Enochs (2-1) at Johansen High School, 8 p.m.
While East Union vs Enochs might not jump off the paper as a key non-league matchup, this game has the potential to be a good one. Both sides have a common opponent, Ripon and each played in competitive matchups. The Eagles lost a 10-7 defensive battle in Week 2 while last week, East Union beat Ripon in a 45-38 shootout. While East Union might not match up size wise, they make up for it with their speed on the outside. The Lancers have two receivers with over 100 receiving yards and have three receivers with at least three touchdown catches. Eric Myles has been a do-it-all force for the Eagles through three games. He has four rushing touchdowns and is one of four players with two receiving touchdowns. Enochs quarterback Johnny Staggs broke the school’s passing touchdown record, tossing five in a win over Buhach Colony, but receiver Brennan Whitten Jr. will not be available for the third straight week after suffering an injury in the season opener. Head coach Tracey Traub says the Eagles will also be without a pair of linemen Friday night.
This story was originally published September 12, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
