With everything going on last week, including the cancellation of some games in the Sac-Joaquin Section, there was no SJS Games of the Week feature for week eight. We resume this week with the Delta League at the top of the heap just like two weeks ago.
Also, don't forget to read our NorCal Games of the Week feature, which highlights the St. Mary’s at Tracy game, and if you did not see our full SJS rankings this week, you can check them out here.
No. 12 Franklin (6-1, 3-1) at No. 8 Jesuit (5-2, 4-0 Delta League), Saturday, 1:00 pm
Since Jesuit opened with losses to No. 3 Granite Bay and No. 1 Folsom the Marauders have won five straight including a 37-29 road victory last week over a Sheldon team that owns a 28-24 home win over Franklin, so despite being 4-0 and alone in first place in the Delta League it’s not looking like a lot separates those three teams, although No. 17 Elk Grove is also 3-1 along with Franklin and Sheldon but they have a 41-14 loss to Jesuit and won’t play the two tied with them until the final two league games.
Jesuit was the top team not only in our rankings from the Delta League to begin the season but also in the Sacramento Bee’s and other rankings for the SJS, but injuries and the two losses dropped them everywhere but in the P2P pecking order. Now, they have to prove themselves again in front of their fans.
The situation with Jesuit missing players due to injury isn’t going to change, but if 6-1, 170-pound junior defensive back and running back Isaiah Rutherford, who currently has offers from Alabama, Colorado, Notre Dame, Oregon and Oregon State for his defensive prowess, continues to play the way he has, and Laiatu Latu, a 6-5, 226-pound junior linebacker and tight end, has another game like he had against Sheldon, Jesuit will be hard to beat but Coach Marlon Blanton will still need to get a total team effort.
As for Franklin, since losing at Sheldon the Wildcats have posted easy victories over No. 21 Monterey Trail and Davis but as for their overall body of work Coach Mike Johnson did not really schedule strong non-league games and the only wins they have over ranked teams is the Monterey Trail win and the win over a No. 22 Grant team in danger of not making the playoffs.
Franklin will look to establish the run with seniors Jalen Lampley and Daniel Ross, but Johnson would likely love to see his son and Wildcats’ leading wide receiver Brady Jonson on the receiving end of some TD passes from sophomore quarterback Brandon Rundgren.
For Franklin to win the Delta League this game is a must and they have to do it on the road.
No. 14 Del Oro (4-4, 1-3 Sierra Foothill League) at No. 2 Oak Ridge (7-0, 4-0), Friday, 7:30 pm
If Oak Ridge is a serious contender this is a game where they have to show they have the arsenal to challenge Folsom in two weeks. So far this season they’re unblemished but last week it took the heroics of senior quarterback Marco Baldacchino to pull out a come from behind 14-7 overtime victory over Granite Bay.
The Trojans have had other close games against good teams including a 24-23 win at Vacaville on a missed extra point, and they finally beat Nevada Reed-Sparks in a 24-21 home victory but that team recently lost 39-0 to a Nevada Reno team that barely escaped at Sheldon with a 28-21 win.
It hasn’t been all Baldacchino every game but he is also the leading rusher. At some point certain scenarios likely will pan out. Others like senior running back Davin Simmons will step up big time against a ranked team, or Baldacchino will be asked to go to the well one too many times, but we don’t see that being a factor against Del Oro.
For first year Coach Jeff Walters and his Golden Eagles they are going to have to reverse a trend that has seen them lose three of the last four games including a 22-12 home loss last week to No. 13 Rocklin and doing it on the road will not be easy.
No. 19 Del Campo (7-0, 4-0 Capital Valley Conference) at No. 18 Antelope (7-0, 4-0), Friday, 7:15 pm
The game everyone in the Capital Valley Conference has been waiting for has arrived and with both teams having identical unblemished records something has got to give.
Despite having a 3-4 record last year in league Del Campo only lost 31-29 at Antelope, but the fact is Del Campo has lost all the meetings since Antelope joined the Capital Valley in 2014 and a meeting in 2013 as well.
A telltale sign that a reversal may be in order is two weeks ago Del Campo put a 48-6 trouncing at home on Cosumnes Oaks and Antelope had to hold on for a 17-12 win at Cosumnes Oaks although it was a road game and they led 17-6 well into the fourth quarter.
Del Campo Coach Mike Dimino may have his best team ever and it’s being led by his son and Cougars quarterback Tyler Dimino. Tyler will need to be on and senior running back Greg Cabral and his junior counterpart Levi Markey will have to grind it out and keep the Antelope offense off the field.
Antelope Coach Matt Ray will pass, and although junior quarterback Nathan Lucero has only attempted 88 passes he’s completed 60 for 841 yards and five TDs, but it’s the running game of the Titans that will likely have to get it done, and that means Ray will need big games from senior running back Moses Paul and junior Mhari Roberts.
