This week we feature five games to watch for with one of them, a Metropolitan League showdown, already completed on Thursday night
Rocklin (7-1, 3-1 Sierra Foothill League) at Granite Bay (6-2, 3-1 Sierra Foothill League) 7:30 p.m. Friday
First place in the Sierra Foothill League is pretty much a lock for Folsom but the battle for second place and with it the seeding position in the upcoming Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs is at stake in this game. Rocklin won at home last year 31-14 but this season the game is at Granite Bay and the Thunder are without injured quarterback Max O’Rourke although they played very respectably in a 56-21 loss last week to Folsom.
Granite Bay has won four straight since a 63-0 loss to Folsom including back-to-back shutouts of Grass Valley Nevada Union and Roseville Woodcreek 38-0 and 47-0, respectively. This one could go to the wire.
Rio Linda (7-1, 3-1 Tri-County Conference) at Inderkum (Sacramento) (7-1, 4-0 Tri-County Conference) Friday 7:00p.m.
Not only can Inderkum lock up the Tri-County Conference title with a win the Cal-Hi Sports CIF NorCal Division II Bowl No. 6 ranked Tigers have to keep winning in league and in the upcoming playoffs to have any chance of getting a NorCal Bowl berth. The visiting Knights have won three straight, including 70-plus points the past two weeks, but they have a bad loss to Yuba City River Valley on their resume.
Since a 29-27 loss to large school Monterey Trail (Elk Grove) in week two, Inderkum hasn’t really been challenged. Whose running game can take control should be the difference with both teams using multiple runners to get the job done. Inderkum would seem to have the advantage here.
Sacramento (7-2, 5-1 Metropolitan League) at Burbank (Sacramento) (6-3, 6-0 Metropolitan League) Thursday 5:30 p.m.
The Thursday night match-up for control of the Metropolitan League was all Burbank in a 41-12 victory for the larger school. Sacramento came into the game ranked No. 9 in the Cal-Hi Sports NorCal D2 Bowl rankings, and while the loss will probably drop them down according to Joe Davidson of the Sacramento Bee and most other CIF-SJS observers and analysts they should still be a factor in the CIF-SJS Division III playoffs.
Monterey Trail (Elk Grove) (5-3, 2-3 Delta League) at Jesuit (Carmichael) (7-1, 5-0 Delta League) Saturday 1 p.m.
With Delta League co-leader Grant-Sacramento having pretty much a gimme game against Davis its on Jesuit to maintain its momentum and keep pace atop the Delta League in its match-up with visiting Monterey Trail this week heading into the showdown with Grant next week.
Sierra (Manteca) (8-0, 5-0 Valley Oak League) at Manteca (6-2, 3-2 Valley Oak League) Friday 7 p.m.
Sierra clinches a share of a Valley Oak League championship with a victory, puts itself in line to be a No. 1 seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs, and the Cal-Hi Sports D-II No. 3 ranked Timberwolves keep their CIF NorCal Division II Bowl Game hopes alive. Manteca would like nothing better than to put the kibosh on their 20-year arch-rival whose coaching staff is entwined with theirs. Sierra is the hot team this year but Manteca has beaten them in three of four and seven of 10, and won 35-14 last season.
