This week’s lineup not only features a game with an out of state opponent from Nevada and one intersectional matchup, but we went out of the box and included one game within the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section that is likely the top game of the season. We also included a new “Best of the Rest” and four of the five are intersectional contests and there’s one more with a team from Nevada involved.
De La Salle-Concord (4-0) hosting Bishop Gorman-Las Vegas (Nevada) (1-2), Friday, 7:00 pm
We had De La Salle on the ticket last week for their match-up on the road at St. Francis-Mountain View but it wasn’t the lead, so this week’s face-off with perennial Nevada power Bishop Gorman-Las Vegas is the first time Coach Justin Alumbaugh and his boys take center stage.
The Northern California Regional Games of the Week could lead with De La Salle every week since it’s pretty apparent what separates the Spartans from the rest of the teams north of the Tehachapi Mountains this year is a 14-0 blanking of Folsom to open the season.
Otherwise it’s basically the same old song as Sparta marched to Mountain View and left with 294 straight wins against teams north of Fresno, and although the 33-15 win over the Lancers was not the dominating type of performance their faithful and even the coaching staff wants to see, it was a Prep2Prep NorCal No. 1 versus No. 4 matchup, and St. Francis is loaded with talent for a NorCal team. Even so, De La Salle led by 19 at halftime and at that point the deal was pretty much sealed.
It’s looking like junior Shamar Garrett is settling in as the featured running back in the vaunted veer. There’s also very capable 6-2, 230-pound two-way senior star Henry To’oto’o, who has tons of offers including warm ones from Alabama, Cal, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington, and at least 15 more. Add in junior James Coby and it gives Coach Justin Alumbaugh a solid 1-2-3 punch rushing the football.
Although his performance last week rushing was three yards short of his season high against Central Catholic, Garrett did it on both sides of the ball. The 5-9, 175-pound speedster had 148 rushing and two TDs plus he had an 84-yard pick six on defense for a third score.
Sophomore quarterback Dorian Hale has done what Alumbaugh has asked so far and while there have been mistakes in his learning curve none has been seriously costly.
Isaiah Foskey, a 6-4, 220-pound senior defensive end and tight end, with solid offers from Cal, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Washington, plus others including Alabama, has been wreaking havoc on both sides of the ball.
Despite losing 42-0 at home on ESPN to state and national No. 1 Mater Dei-Santa Ana, and then falling 13-7 to Arizona No. 2 Centennial-Peoria, Bishop Gorman rebounded with a 31-21 home victory over Utah No. 3 Orem last week. With that win they still look formidable, but maybe not quite as dominating as they were last year, when they lost 35-21 to Mater Dei, and handled De La Salle 34-7 at home before going on the a final No. 13 national ranking with De La Salle with a No. 25 finish.
Bishop Gorman features 6-1, 180-pound dual-threat junior quarterback Micah Bowens. He has five solid offers from Arizona, Brigham Young, Kansas, Nebraska and New Mexico, and that list is likely to grow. Another junior to watch for is 6-0, 195-pound running back Ikaika Ragsdale. He has offers from Arizona, Brigham Young and Oregon. A third junior to watch for on a young Gaels team is 6-1, 185-pound wide receiver Rome Odunze. He already has offers from Brigham Young and Kansas. Senior running back Amod Cianelli had a team-high 80 yards and a TD rushing against De La Salle last year.
None of the four Gorman players has really had a breakout game but consider the competition. Bowens passed for 233 yards and a TD last week agaisnt Orem, but he was intercepted twice. The rushing game combined for 128 yards and three TDs but the only long run was 31-yards by Cianelli.
Gorman is still the top team in Nevada but only comes in at No. 85 nationally on the computer. De La Salle is No. 3 in California and No. 10 nationally in the computer rankings
On paper it would appear that if the De La Salle defense doesn’t give up the big plays and it executes like it did in the 14-0 shutout over a Folsom team that went on the score 70 points last week against state-ranked Chaminade-West Hills, Sparta should march to victory.
Folsom (3-1) hosting Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills (3-0), Friday, 7:00 pm
For the first few weeks of the season, and before most leagues begin league play, we try to preview intersectional match-ups for this feature, but with Prep2Prep NorCal No. 2 Folsom hosting No. 6 Oak Ridge right out of the box in a Sierra Foothill League opener, it was too hard to pass on.
For us it’s a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section No. 1 versus No. 3 match-up, but in the Sacramento Bee rankings its one versus two, so this is obviously the biggest game of the year not only in the Sacramento Metro area but the entire section.
Folsom has had almost the same kind of dominance over teams from the Sierra Foothill and Sacramento Metro area as De La Salle has had north of Fresno. One of the biggest rivalries the Bulldogs have had is with nearby Oak Ridge, and although the Trojans have made it close Folsom has won 12 straight games, including twice in 2012 when the two met of the CIUFSJS D1 title game.
Since getting shut out 14-0 by De La Salle the defending CIF state Division 1-AA Bowl Game champion Bulldogs have averaged just under 54 points a game and last week the offense exploded in a 70-34 road victory over previously state-ranked Chaminade-West Hills. Quarterback Kaiden Bennett accounted for eight touchdowns after passing for 346 yards and six TDs and running for two more scores. Joe Ngata, who has offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Cal, plus 20 other major programs had 173 yards receiving and three touchdowns. If those two are on together with the rest of the Bulldogs, it could be a long night for Oak Ridge.
But don’t count Coach Eric Cavalier and his boys out just yet. We went to noted Sacramento Bee sports scribe to find out what it will take for the Trojans to upset the apple cart.
“Oak Ridge can win this game for several reasons, including this; the Trojans are balanced on offense, have played good defense and are superbly coached. And they badly want to be an area team to topple Folsom,” Davidson said. “Oak Ridge has to keep up with Folsom, meaning a lot of first downs and touchdowns by Matt Jenner because slowing Folsom may be too tall of a task for any team in the Sac-Joaquin Section.”
We’ll find out Friday night if Oak Ridge is up to the task.
McClymonds (1-2) at Downey-Modesto 3-1, Friday, 7:00 pm
Had both teams kept up the pace they opened the season with this game would be even more interesting than it is already.
After opening with wins over East Union-Manteca and Manteca, Downey was in the P2P NorCal Others Considered group until two weeks ago when they lost to FrontRowPreps.com Large School No. 2 Merced. They are now No. 4 in the FrontRowPreps Large School ranking after last week when they set a school record for points in a game when they posted an 82-6 on the road at cross-town Johansen.
Defending CIF state Division 5-AA Bowl Game champion McClymonds won’t be able to supplicate the 14-0 record from last season but Coach Michael Peters scheduled a lot tougher and the two game skid Mack is on includes a loss to state-ranked and P2P NorCal No. 3 Liberty. Last week’s loss to upstart Palo Alto was a bit of an upset and dropped the Warriors to the NorCal Others Considered list, so you can rest assured Peters will have his boys ready in what could be a very competitive game.
Best of the rest
Eureka (4-0) at Shasta-Redding (1-1), Friday, 7:30 pm[/]
Fortuna (3-1) at Tracy (2-2), Friday, 7:15 pm[/]
Pittsburg (2-2) at Vacaville (1-3), Friday, 7:30 pm
Rio Vista (3-1) at Galileo-San Francisco (2-0), Saturday 2:00 pm
Damonte Ranch-Reno (Nevada) (3-0) at St. Mary's-Stockton (0-3), Friday, 7:00 pm/bold]
