Playoff quarterfinals preview: How each Stanislaus District top-four seed handled its bye
The big dogs return to action this week.
After having first-round byes in their respective divisions, teams that earned top-four seeds host their first games of the 2024 postseason Friday night. The Stanislaus District had four teams receive byes last week: No. 3 Central Catholic (D-I), No. 1 Oakdale (D-III), No. 2 Patterson (D-IV) and No. 1 Hughson (D-V).
Coaches battled the age-old rest-vs.-rust dilemma, balancing keeping practices competitive with giving players enough rest to fully recover. Nearly every team had members of its coaching staff out at first-round playoff games, doing in-person scouting. Each team handled its game-free week differently, but one thing they all have in common is they are ready for postseason action.
Teams with top two seeds are on opposing sides of the bracket. They both have home field advantage until the section championship games. Third and fourth seeded teams, barring an upset, have home field through the semifinals.
All roads lead to the section championships Nov. 29-30. Title games for Divisions I through VI are at Sacramento City College and the Division VII championship is at St. Mary’s.
Division I
No. 6 Turlock (8-3) at No. 3 Central Catholic (7-3), 7 p.m.
Central Catholic embraced the bye week after finishing the competitive, physical Valley Oak League season in which it finished 5-1, good for second place. This is the Raiders’ third year in the Division I bracket and they have earned a top-four seed each season. Central Catholic is looking to get to the Division I section semifinals for the third straight year as well, after making it in 2022 and 2023. The Raiders enter the postseason riding a four-game win streak. Through the final four games of the regular season, they gave up more than 20 points just once, a 46-27 win over Oakdale.
Central Catholic coach Roger Canepa said the team has grown a lot over the past 10 weeks. He has junior first-year starters, sophomores and a freshman or two littered throughout his offense and defense and a first-year starting quarterback in Kayden McHenry. The rushing attack has been a consistent force this season, led by Joey Alcutt (1,090 yards, 12 touchdowns) and do-it-all reliable offense/defense player Wyatt Dragoo (429 yards, 8 touchdowns). Carter Meeks and Jonathan Fuentes also have over 200 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Division III
No. 8 Woodcreek (5-6) at No. 1 Oakdale (7-3), 7 p.m.
Oakdale’s last game was a competitive loss to Manteca, the VOL champions and No. 4 seed in D-II, in a game where coach Garrett Martin felt the team played well. The Mustangs embraced the bye week because it allowed their players to get healthy. The week of their regular season finale, they had players get sick, now they are ready to go against eight-seed Woodcreek. Martin and the team used the extra preparation time to work on themselves. They balanced pushing each other competitively with still giving them enough of a rest to fully recover. The good thing about earning the top seed is the Mustangs don’t have to leave the Corral. They host quarterfinals and any potential semifinal opponent and if they win both, their first road game of the postseason will be at a neutral site. Martin knows the team that capitalizes on its possessions will be successful, as both Oakdale and Woodcreek like to run the ball.
Oakdale’s dynamic 1,000-plus-yard duo of Wes Burford (2,002 yards, 24 TD) and Chase Lopez (1,001 yards, 9 TD) will go head to head with one of the Sacramento area’s top D-III rushing teams. The Timberwolves have 2,278 total rushing yards with eight runners tallying at least 100 yards and eight with at least one rushing touchdown. Joey Melendez (462 yards, 8 TD) and Trace Murchison (409 yards, 6 TD) lead the team in rushing yards and touchdowns in a balanced rushing attack.
Division IV
No. 10 East Union (6-5) at No. 2 Patterson (5-5), 7 p.m.
Patterson is no stranger to two straight bye weeks. The Tigers last played Oct. 25 and had a scheduled Week 11 bye as one of the newcomers to the VOL. Because of its strength of schedule and a few quality wins, Patterson earned the No. 2 seed in Division VI, ensuring home-field advantage through the quarterfinals and semifinals. That is something coach Rob Cozart wants the team to take advantage of as it looks to make its second straight D-IV title game. The week of Nov. 1, their first bye, players got a lot of rest and recovery. Their playoff bye week was more business as usual with a twist. Their first three practice days were normal, but on Thursday, Cozart said they went live, running about 62 plays to keep the players engaged and competitive during the extended break. They earned Friday off.
This week was all about preparing for the quarterfinals and a rematch with VOL opponent East Union. Patterson went ahead as much as 43-15 in the second quarter of the Sept. 27 matchup, but when the Tigers made some subs, the Lancers took advantage and clawed back into it. Patterson pulled out a 53-50 win. Cozart said both teams made mistakes in their first matchup and they’ve both improved since. He said the Tigers are “a completely different team now.” Max Medina’s and Anthony Morales’ quarterback talents will be on full display Friday. Medina, a school record holder as a junior, has passed for 2,679 yards and 28 touchdowns and Morales has 1,991 passing yards and 21 touchdowns.
Division V
No. 8 El Dorado (6-5) at No. 1 Hughson (10-0), 7 p.m.
Hughson finished the regular season 10-0 as it did not have a regular season finale after it won against Modesto Christian via forfeit in Week 11. Come Friday, the Huskies will play just their second game in 22 days, but coach Shaun King did a lot to help the team prepare both on and off the field. On the field, the Huskies went back to basics, fine tuning blocking schemes and aspects of the run game to be a well-balanced attack. Off the field, they went on team-building activities like weekend bowling, keeping competition friendly and taking their minds off the upcoming challenges they face in D-V. Hughson looks for a three-peat after winning blue banners in Division VI in 2022 and 2023.
Hughson coach Shaun King said he’s a fan of byes, specifically after playing a grueling schedule in the TVL. In a league where all seven teams made the postseason, six will play Friday. With their bye week, King said he and some of his coaches did in-person scouting, making the trip to El Dorado to see its 19-14 win over Lincoln of Lincoln. El Dorado is a run-first team, so the Huskies focused on their pressure upfront. The Cougars’ quarterback, Jason Wilson, has 1,470 passing yards and 11 touchdowns and adds 510 yards and 11 more scores on the ground. Tyler Villa also has over 450 rush yards and six touchdowns.
