The Stanislaus District’s Top 15 games of 2015

▪ Aug. 28

(1) Escalon at Patterson: These old Trans-Valley League foes have locked horns for decades. “It seems like we’ve played each other forever,” Patterson coach Rob Cozart said. “We’ve given each other really good games, and being early in the year, it creates a playoff atmosphere for the fans and the players.” Patterson, which left the TVL in 2006 for the newly formed Western Athletic Conference, will kick off the school’s centennial year by celebrating the 20th anniversary of its 1995 TVL champions.

(2) Sonora at Oakdale: Oakdale has won the last nine meetings, including a 28-14 decision last year at The Corral. The Wildcats bounced back from that loss to post 11 consecutive wins and reach the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV final. With a wealth of experience and one of the strongest two-way player in the Stanislaus District in linebacker/fullback Bradley Canepa, the Wildcats have revenge in their eyes. The game returns to The Corral, though, where Oakdale simply doesn’t lose.

Other games: Buhach Colony at Manteca; Pitman at Downey; Chavez at Gregori; Ripon at Sierra; Clovis West at Merced.

▪ Sept. 4

(3) Capital Christian at Modesto Christian: The Crusaders have had this game circled on the calendar since a heartbreaking loss to Capital Christian in the D-VI final. Modesto Christian lost only two games all season and both came at the hands of the Cougars. Many of Capital Christian’s principle members have graduated, including do-everything athlete Justice Shelton-Mosley, but they won’t get any sympathy from the Crusaders who return one of the section’s best juniors in running back Chris Brown.

Other games: Atwater at Central Catholic; Turlock at Oakdale; Merced at Monterey Trail; Ripon Christian at Stone Ridge Christian; Beyer at Golden Valley; Lincoln at Pitman; Ripon at Patterson.

▪ Sept. 11

(4) Central Catholic at St. Mary’s: No team dominates the Raiders quite like St. Mary’s of Stockton. Central Catholic has won three consecutive section and state titles, but is just 2-5 against the Rams under head coach Roger Canepa. Blessed with one of its biggest teams in recent memory, St. Mary’s won a thrilling “Holy Bowl” tug-o-war at David Patton Field, 18-13. The game shifts to St. Mary’s, where Central Catholic quarterback Hunter Petlansky played as a freshman.

Other games: Hilmar at Sonora; Patterson at Gregori; Napa at Pitman; Buhach Colony at Clovis North; Turlock at Clovis West; Edison (Fresno) at Merced; Calaveras at Modesto Christian; Le Grand at Livingston.

▪ Sept. 18

(5) Sonora at Ripon: The Wildcats believe they have a team that can compete for a D-IV title. Ripon does, too, thanks in large part to the security blanket under center. Senior quarterback Nick Price is back for a third season and he’s feeling nostalgic. Two years ago, the Indians possessed a dynamic, high-scoring offense. Price was surrounded with playmakers by the name of Ysit (Michael) and Clark (Bradley). Well, there’s another Ysit (Matthew) in the fold, along with a host of other promising options.

Other games: Dos Palos at Los Banos; Lincoln at Downey; Modesto at Turlock.

▪ Sept. 25

(6) Sierra at Oakdale: The Valley Oak League’s reputation as a power conference is owed, in large part, to Oakdale, which won its fourth section title and played in a Northern California regional bowl last fall. Sierra had section and state title aspirations of its own after surprising Oakdale, 31-20. The two would eventually finish in a tie atop the standings, setting up this grudge match. While graduation decimated both defenses, the Timberwolves possess a hard-hitting trio of safeties: Nashon Tamiano, SeuSeu Alofaituli and Marcos Castillo. All three started last season as sophomores.

Other games: Turlock at Tracy; Beyer at Downey; Ripon Christian at Orestimba; Pacheco at Central Valley; Bear River at Escalon.

▪ Oct. 2

(7) Modesto at Downey: If the last two meetings are any indication, the city of Modesto’s oldest rivalry is only getting better with age. Two years ago, the Panthers pounced on the Knights, 46-19, to earn a share of the Modesto Metro Conference championship and the No. 1 playoff seed. Last fall, Downey’s defense made a goal-line stand on the final play to preserve a thrilling 35-32 win.

(8) Calaveras at Sonora: These Mother Lode League rivals got a close look at one another at the Mountain Misery football camp, where Calaveras showcased a much-improved pass offense. The winner of this game will set the pace in the MLL. Last season, Sonora enjoyed being the big fish in a pond of smaller schools, but Calaveras and junior quarterback Dylan Byrd believe they’ve closed the gap.

Other games: Le Grand at Ripon Christian; Buhach Colony at St. Mary’s; Merced at Lincoln; Beyer at Gregori.

▪ Oct. 9

(9) Manteca at Sierra: The Timberwolves had cleared two major hurdles – Central Catholic and Oakdale – and seemed poised to net the program’s first outright VOL championship, when it happened: Buckets of rain. A downpour turned Manteca High’s Guss Schmeidt Field into a swamp, effectively bogging down 2,000-yard running back Mark Paule Jr. and the Sierra ground attack. Conversely, the Buffaloes had no problems playing in the muck, unleashing Hector Soto (30 carries, 196 yards, 2 TDs) in 34-20 win. Manteca outscored Sierra 20-6 in the second half.

Other games: Ripon at Hilmar; Hughson at Escalon.

▪ Oct. 16

(10) Central Catholic at Manteca: Justin Rice rescued the Raiders in their Valley Oak League debut, launching his stardom with a four-touchdown performance. The Buffaloes played half of that game without their top running back (Soto). This time around, the Buffaloes will attack through the air with quarterback Dakarai Charles and wideout Ronaldo Tijero. Can a Raider secondary without Jared Rice (eight interceptions) keep up?

Other games: Patterson at Los Banos; Merced at Pitman; Modesto at Gregori; Escalon at Hilmar.

▪ Oct. 23

(11) Sierra at Central Catholic: Wide receiver Hunter Johnson hurdled a defender on his way into the end zone for the eventual game-winning touchdowns and the Timberwolves pestered Petlanksy throughout a 17-14 win. Head coach Jeff Harbison called it one of the greatest victories in school history, and now the challenge becomes thsi: Can Sierra do it again? While the Raiders reload, Sierra has suffered considerable loss. Much of that fly-to-the-ball defense is gone. So too is Johnson and quarterback Devin Nunez. The T'wolves’ best assets are Paule Jr. and offensive lineman Joshua Fala, but the ground game netted just 10 second-half yards against the Raiders. Hardly inspiring.

Other games: Buhach Colony at Merced; Modesto Christian at Ripon; Pacheco at Patterson.

▪ Oct. 30

(12) Escalon at Ripon: There’s no love lost between these fueding neighbors. Ripon had gone nearly two decades without a win against Escalon. That all changed in 2012, when it walked onto Engel Field and toppled the Cougars, 34-28. Ripon has won two of the last three meetings to turn the tables on this longstanding rivalry, or maybe not. “We won something like 16 in a row,” Escalon offensive lineman Bo Capps said. “They’ve won two. I wouldn’t call that a rivalry.”

(13) Turlock at Merced: The cold, wet weather only exaserbated Turlock’s brooding mood. The young Bulldogs had to watch Central California Conference MVP Jabar Byrd and Merced dance in the rain following a come-from-behind 10-7 victory that clinched at least a share of the CCC crown. Turlock succeeded in disrupting Merced quarterback Tyrone Williams, but had only themselves to blame in the crushing defeat. The Bulldogs found themselves inside the Merced 25-yard line three times but scored just once.

Other games: Manteca at Oakdale; Davis vs. Downey (at Gregori); Hilmar at Modesto Christian.

▪ Nov. 6

(14) Oakdale at Central Catholic: The Mustangs play their best football late in the season, and true to form, Oakdale used a 48-28 victory over Central Catholic to fuel its section title run in 2014. This game could have title implications (again) and may ultimately decide the VOL rushing title.

(15) Downey at Gregori: The Jaguars have improved their win total every season since arriving as a varsity program at 0-10 in 2011. But is this the year the new kid on the block closes the gap atop the MMC standings, becoming king of the block? Head coach Jason McCoy certainly has the pieces in running back Demetrius Vinson, who rushed for 1,274 yards, 6-foot-5, 285-pound offensive lineman Blake Evans and nose tackle Matt Michael Osborne (6-1, 255).

Other games: Orestimba at Gustine; Pitman at Turlock; Stone Ridge Christian vs. Brookside Christian at Castle Air Force Base; Mariposa at Le Grand; Los Banos at Pacheco; Central Valley at Ceres.

This story was originally published August 27, 2015 at 6:34 PM with the headline "The Stanislaus District’s Top 15 games of 2015."