Football playoff notes: Sac-Joaquin Section postseason by the numbers
The semifinals of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Football Championships are Friday, which means teams across the section have just one more game to try to punch their ticket to the Nov. 28-29 section championship games at Sacramento City College.
Nine Stanislaus District teams started as part of the newly formed eight-team postseason bracket format, and after last week’s quarterfinals, just five remain. From Divisions III to VII, local football fans will have someone to root for Friday night as the season winds down.
There are only two local games this week. In Division III, No. 2 Oakdale hosts No. 6 Vanden; in D-V, No. 2 Hilmar welcomes No. 3 Sutter to town.
Each year, there are interesting facts and stats, and the 2025 postseason is no different.
From all-time record holders to section playoff first-timers, here is a look at this year’s postseason by the numbers with general playoff facts and information about the quarterfinals and semifinals.
CIF-SJS Playoffs by the numbers
Numbers and stats provided by the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section and Bee reporting
53 — This year is the 53rd Sac-Joaquin Section football postseason. There have been 237 championships won since the playoffs began.
3 — The Hughson Huskies have won three straight section titles, taking blue banners in Division VI (2022, 2023) and Division V (2024).
1971 — The year of the first CIF-SJS postseason. The only championship offered was Class A and it featured four teams, three games and one championship.
7,003 — Oakdale senior Wes Burford has 7,003 career rushing yards. He is the Sac-Joaquin Section’s all-time leading rusher and is No. 18 on the Cal-Hi Sports all-time state rushing list. He also has 93 career rushing touchdowns.
27.67 — Ripon Christian’s Amos Cady averages 27.67 yards per punt return, good for ninth in all of California. He has returned two punts and one kickoff for touchdowns.
199 — Hilmar High head coach Frank Marques enters Friday’s semifinals with 199 career victories. He plans to retire after this season.
8 — The number of divisions in this year’s CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Football Championships. The typical seven-division, 11-man football divisions still exist, and this year the section added an eight-man football championship bracket (Division VIII).
7 — Seven teams entered the postseason with perfect records. In 2024, there were four, and in 2015 the section had a record 10 perfect 10-0 teams entering the playoffs. After the Friday, Nov. 14 results, five of seven unbeaten teams are still alive.
0 — Zero playoff first-timers for the first time in the past 20 years. Every team in this year’s postseason has been there before.
4 — Entering the postseason, four teams had never won a playoff game. After Friday’s results, Valley Christian, Chavez, Encina and Wheatland will have to wait another year for their first playoff win, having lost in the quarterfinals.
9 — Nine teams extended consecutive playoff appearance streaks. Granite Bay has the longest streak in the section (26), followed closely by Central Catholic (24). St. Mary’s (23), Oakdale (19), Bradshaw Christian (18), Inderkum (17), Placer (17), Folsom (16) and Manteca (16) also extended streaks.
2 — Two leagues qualified more teams than any other in the section: the Sierra Foothill League and Trans-Valley League. Six teams from each the SFL and TVL made the playoffs. No other league sent more than four.
16 — There were 16 North vs. South matchups in the SJS quarterfinals. The South won nine.
8 — Eight of this year’s semifinals matchups feature teams that have never met in the postseason. They are:
- Division I: No. 3 Grant at No. 2 Oak Ridge
- Division II: No. 6 Rocklin at No. 2 Granite Bay
- Division IV: No. 4 East Union at No. 1 Twelve Bridges, No. 3 Hughson at No. 2 Roseville
- Division V: No. 3 Sutter at No. 2 Hilmar
- Division VI: No. 3 Ripon Christian at No. 2 Liberty Ranch
- Division VII: No. 7 Linden at No. 3 Summerville, No. 4 Delta at No. 1 Mira Loma
144 — The amount of miles D-V No. 3 Sutter travels to No. 2 Hilmar. It is the longest playoff drive in this year’s semifinals
101 — The second-longest road trip in the semifinals, in miles. Hughson travels to Roseville in Division IV.
85 — Oakdale hosts Vanden, which travels 85 miles for this year’s semifinals.
CIF-SJS semifinals matchups
Division I
No. 4 Monterey Trail at No. 1 Folsom
No. 3 Grant at No. 2 Oak Ridge
Division II
No. 4 St. Mary’s at No. 1 Manteca
No. 6 Rocklin at No. 2 Granite Bay
Division III
No. 5 Rio Americano at No. 1 Woodcreek
No. 6 Vanden at No. 2 Oakdale
Division IV
No. 4 East Union at No. 1 Twelve Bridges
No. 3 Hughson at No. 2 Roseville
Division V
No. 5 Lathrop at No. 1 Casa Roble
No. 3 Sutter at No. 2 Hilmar
Division VI
No. 5 Bradshaw Christian at No. 1 Sonora
No. 3 Ripon Christian at No. 2 Liberty Ranch
Division VII
No. 5 Denair at No. 1 Calaveras
No. 7 Linden at No. 3 Summerville
Division VIII
No. 4 Delta at No. 1 Mira Loma
No. 3 Vacaville Christian at No. 2 Foresthill
This story was originally published November 20, 2025 at 10:36 AM.
