Section football playoffs kick off tonight; Gregori and Modesto on hold

Gregori High football coach Jason McCoy is a self-admitted football junkie, and has been attending games in these parts for more than 25 years.

McCoy remembers attending the 1995 Sac-Joaquin Section D-I final played at the University of the Pacific, when upstart Golden Valley, then in its second year of existence, nearly pulled off an upset against powerful Jesuit.

“I remember that game, and that GV had a running back named Davy Malaythong,” said McCoy, referencing the Cougars’ first great player. “Golden Valley nearly won it.”

Golden Valley lost by just two points, 21-19, and wasn’t given much of a chance heading into that showdown.

And neither are McCoy’s 15th-seeded Jaguars, who travel to Carmichael on Saturday to face No. 2 Jesuit (8-2) in a first-round Division I game.

“We’re going to try and make it a special day for the kids,” said McCoy, now in his third season coaching Gregori after four years at Johansen, his alma mater. “We’re going to go up, have breakfast, play the game and, afterward, have lunch. We’ll just try to enjoy the moment.”

If the outcome of the Gregori-Jesuit matchup seems, well, inevitable, at least the Jaguars will get an extra day to savor the school’s first football playoff appearance.

Gregori (7-3) and Modesto High, which hosts Franklin (Elk Grove) at Downey High on Saturday, don’t kick off until 1 p.m. By that time, 23 other Stanislaus District teams – all of which play tonight and kick off at 7 p.m. – will know whether to put the equipment in mothballs or gas up the bus.

Gregori isn’t the only district team facing colossal odds. Patterson (7-3) is seeded 16th in the Division II bracket and will face Grant (Sacramento), the ninth-ranked team in Cal-Hi Sports’ statewide poll. The Pacers are coming off an impressive 52-14 mauling of Jesuit.

Downey High, the No. 8 seed in D-II, hosts Antelope at Chuck Hughes Stadium.

In Division III, three district teams – Valley Oak League rivals Sierra, Oakdale and Manteca, seeded 2-4, respectively – will try their luck trying to chase down Inderkum, a finalist in 2008 and 2009 and the favorite to win it all this year.

Oakdale welcomes No. 14 Pacheco to The Corral. The Panthers are led by senior Frank Ginda, a 6-1, 230-pound fullback/linebacker who has impressed Mustangs coach Trent Merzon.

“You don’t see linebackers who can catch the ball on a post (pattern) and run away from DBs,” said Merzon. “He poses some serious concerns on both sides of the ball.”

In Division IV, Stanislaus District teams are the top four seeds – No. 1 Central Catholic, No. 2 Sonora, No. 3 Los Banos and No. 4 Escalon – and it’s likely all four will be alive next week in the semifinal round, which would guarantee an all-district final two weeks from now.

Division V is another possibility for an all-district final, though top seeds Bear River and Colfax are from up north.

No. 8 Orestimba draws top-seeded Bear Creek, while No. 7 Summerville must deal with second-seeded Colfax. The other two pairings are local affairs, with No. 4 Hughson hosting No. 5 Le Grand, the four-time reigning champ; and No. 6 Amador paying a visit to No. 3 Mariposa in the Battle of Highway 49.

In Division VI, No. 1 Capital Christian and No. 2 Modesto Christian could meet in the final on Nov. 29 at Lodi’s Grape Bowl. Capital Christian handed MC its only loss this season, 23-22, when they met Sept. 5 in Sacramento.

First things first, though. Tonight the Crusaders take on Rio Vista, while No. 6 Gustine travels to take on third-seeded Bradshaw Christian and No. 5 Ripon Christian visits No. 4 Golden Sierra.

In D-VII, Stone Ridge Christian of Merced entertains Foresthill at Castle Field in Atwater.

So, McCoy and his players have an extensive menu of games from which to choose, before an early reveille Saturday before the long trip north to face the 1995 and 2002 section champs.

“We just need to go up there and compete and do the best job we can do,” McCoy said. “I told the guys, ‘There are a lot of other teams that turned in their equipment this week and you’re still out here playing football with your friends.’ ”

This story was originally published November 13, 2014 at 9:45 PM with the headline "Section football playoffs kick off tonight; Gregori and Modesto on hold."