Bay Area high school football 2023: Week 4 preview, schedule
Will McClymonds turn back San Ramon Valley for the second year in a row? De La Salle gets a shot to avenge last season’s loss at St. Mary’s-Stockton? Will Pittsburg cool off red-hot California?
The fourth week of the high school football season has arrived.
The big games of the weekend are McClymonds at San Ramon Valley and St. Mary’s of Stockton at De La Salle, both of which looked good when practices began in August.
The schedule also includes a strong matchup in Pleasanton between Monte Vista and host Amador Valley, as well as another in San Mateo between Hillsdale and Sacred Heart Prep.
This weekend and throughout the season, the Bay Area News Group will provide comprehensive coverage. Please sign up for a digital subscription if you haven’t already. Your contributions enable us to continue operating.
Here are the top matchups and schedule for this week:
Today is Friday
7:30 p.m., St. Mary’s-Stockton (3-0) vs. No. 2 De La Salle (1-2): De La Salle will try to get back to.500 in Concord, a year after losing to the Rams in Stockton. Following seven scoreless quarters against Orange-Lutheran and Serra, the Spartans broke out of their offensive slump last week with a 35-17 victory at St. Francis. De La Salle quarterback Toa Faavae rushed for three touchdowns, and junior RB Dominic Kelley (135 yards) transformed the Spartans’ ground game. The Rams are coming off a bye after winning their first three games. St. Mary’s secondary is led by senior three-star recruit Omari Gayles and junior three-star Ahmyri McGee-Hall. Senior running back Asante Carter has 305 yards and eight touchdowns, and sophomore wide receiver Kenneth Moore averages 92 yards per game. Jaden Jefferson, a sophomore defensive back, has two interceptions for the Spartans. Before last season’s 45-35 loss, De La Salle had won seven straight against Stockton. In that game, the Spartans jumped out to a 14-0 lead before St. Mary’s outscored DLS 31-31 over the next 32:57 minutes. — Dycus, Joseph
7 p.m., No. 6 McClymonds (2-0) vs. No. 3 San Ramon Valley (3-0): In this high-profile matchup, something will have to give. This season, McClymonds has not allowed a point, blanking Bellarmine 40-0 and Bishop O’Dowd 45-0. San Ramon Valley, led by QB Luke Baker, the Bay Area News Group’s player of the year last season, is averaging 43.7 points per game. Baker completed 16 of 18 passes for 384 yards and six touchdowns in his team’s 45-7 road win over Elk Grove last week. Baker’s top target is Owen Scott. He has 18 catches for 390 yards and three touchdowns. Hudson Brinton has four touchdown receptions. The Wolves’ rushing attack is led by John Pau Mendoza (151 yards, four touchdowns), and the defense is led by LB Marco Jones. Mack held Bellarmine to 12 yards and O’Dowd to 29 yards. Last week against O’Dowd, Tajir Golden and Sharky Tamale each had two rushing touchdowns. Last season, Mack defeated SRV 45-42 in Oakland, but Baker threw for 513 yards and five touchdowns. Michael Peters, Mack’s coach, compares the 5-foot-11 Baker to former NFL star Drew Brees. The computer at calpreps.com predicts SRV to win 31-22. Darren Sabedra’s
7 p.m., No. 19 California (2-1) vs. No. 4 Pittsburg (3-0):The Grizzlies may have started the season quietly, but that is no longer the case. California defeated undefeated Escalon 42-21 last Friday. Senior quarterback Jayden Macedo threw five touchdown passes to three interceptions. Devan Love had nine carries for 116 yards. Macedo’s five touchdown passes were caught by junior receivers Nick Fox and Chase McGill. Secondary stalwarts Stavi Booras and Cole Fokas split 14 tackles evenly. The Calpreps.com computer was impressed enough to rank the Grizzlies fifth in the section overall. Pittsburg, which is ranked third, is one of the teams they support. The Pirates defeated their first two opponents, Sacred Heart Cathedral and Granite Bay, by a combined score of 90-34. Last week, the Pirates needed a fourth-quarter field goal to beat Monterey Trail 10-7 at home. If Monterey Trail wasn’t in Elk Grove, it would be a Top 25 team in the Bay Area News Group poll. So don’t put too much stock in the Pirates’ narrow escape. This is a young team with a lot of talent. At least four Pitt players have Power 5 offers. They’re all freshmen. Safety Juniors include Jadyn Hudson, Etene Pritchard, and Jewelous Walls on the edge. WR/DB Bell, Truly, is a sophomore. Marley Alcantara, a junior quarterback, has relied on Makari Kenion and senior Noah Quesada to catch the majority of his passes. The starting running back is junior Elijah Bow. – Michael Lefkow
7 p.m., No. 12 Monte Vista (3-0) vs. No. 16 Amador Valley (2-1):Because they are in different divisions, two East Bay Athletic League teams will play a non-league game. Monte Vista is located in the Mountain division, which is regarded as the stronger of the two EBAL divisions. Amador Valley is located in the Valley. While the EBAL has separated the schools (the Dons were in the Mountain last year), both will compete in the North Coast Section playoffs as one of 11 teams in Division I. So the outcome of this game will have a significant impact on how the eight-team D-1 bracket is seeded and which three schools miss out on the postseason. The host Dons are listed as underdogs by Calpreps.com, with Monte Vista winning 19-14. Amador Valley will be without starting quarterback Tristan Tia for the next two games. After transferring from Granada, he had to miss Amador Valley’s first five games, and the Dons have only scored 27 points in three games. Monte Vista’s lowest output was 40 points in a win over Bellarmine last Friday. So far, the Dons have had the more difficult schedule. Amador Valley’s schedule strength is rated 10.2 by the Calpreps.com computer. Monte Vista has a minus-7.4 rating. These ratings will shift as the season progresses. To slow down the Mustangs, the Dons will rely on LB Sean Cervantes, 6-3 junior FS Nate Jetter, and defensive linemen Gio Kovacs (6-4, 290) and Cooper Longmire (6-2, 275). RB Julian McMahan has six touchdowns and averages 114 yards per game. Cal, Arizona, and No. 8 Washington have all made offers to the junior. TE Kellan Ford has also received interest from the Golden Bears and U-Dub. Brayden Turner, the quarterback, has thrown for 720 yards and nine touchdowns. – Michael Lefkow
7 p.m., No. 18 Sacred Heart Prep (2-1) vs. No. 23 Hillsdale (3-0): This game will be the most difficult of Hillsdale’s non-league schedule. Since opening the season with a blowout loss at Archbishop Riordan, Sacred Heart Prep has won by double digits against Sacred Heart Cathedral and Palo Alto. Hillsdale has won 24-20 against Livermore, 49-7 against El Camino, and 28-12 against Woodside. Erick Waugh threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns in last week’s win over Woodside. Kyle King caught six passes from Waugh for 99 yards and a touchdown. Hillsdale’s leading rusher is Elliott Regan (145 yards, three touchdowns). SHP’s offense is led by Anthony Noto and Ravu Savali. Noto has gained 244 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Savali has 206 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Since 2016, SHP is 3-3 against Hillsdale. The computer at Calpreps.com predicts SHP to win this one 27-14. Darren Sabedra’s
7:15 p.m., Piedmont Hills (1-1) vs. Silver Creek (3-0): Silver Creek has gone undefeated this season, winning by an average of 33 points thanks to a dynamic rushing attack. Senior running back Gabriel Lim has 326 yards and four touchdowns, and senior Dominic Lim and sophomore Alijah Guzman have both rushed for more than 100 yards. Trajan Sinatra, the senior quarterback, has thrown three touchdown passes. Piedmont Hills’ defense, on the other hand, should pose a challenge, with junior standouts Alonzo Johnson and Bubba Ortiz flanking the defensive line. CalPreps.com‘s computer prefers Piedmont Hills. — Dycus, Joseph
Timetable
Thursday, September 14th
BAY OF EAST
Non-league
Williams hosts Concord at 7 p.m.
SOUTH BAY AND PENINSULA
Non-league
Capuchino vs. El Camino, 7 p.m.
At 7:15 p.m., I overfelt at Christopher.
Friday, September 15th
BAY OF EAST
Non-league
7 p.m., American at Washington-Fremont.
Bethel hosts Benicia at 7:30 p.m. in Vallejo.
California plays at Pittsburg at 7 p.m.
Cardinal Newman takes on De Anza at 7 p.m.
Deer Valley vs. Castro Valley, 7 p.m.
Antioch at College Park, 7 p.m.
7 p.m., Dublin vs. Windsor.
El Cerrito vs. Foothill, 7 p.m.
Freedom plays Rancho Cotate at 7 p.m.
Granada hosts Berkeley at 7 p.m.
Hayward hosts Montgomery at 7 p.m.
Heritage vs. Vintage at Napa’s Memorial Stadium, 7 p.m.
Kennedy-Richmond vs. Healdsburg, 7 p.m., at Rec Park in Healdsburg.
Alhambra vs. Las Lomas, 7 p.m.
Marin Catholic takes on Logan at 7 p.m.
Amador Valley vs. Monte Vista, 7 p.m.
Moreau Catholic takes on Livermore at 7:30 p.m.
7 p.m., Mt. Eden at Newark Memorial.
Piedmont hosts Encinal at 7 p.m.
Miramonte vs. Pinole Valley, 7 p.m.
Mt. Diablo vs. San Lorenzo, 7 p.m.
SOUTH BAY AND PENINSULA
Lake PAL
7 p.m., South San Francisco vs. Mills.
Santa Teresa-Foothill BVAL
7:15 p.m., Piedmont Hills at Silver Creek.
Non-league
Carlmont hosts Aragon at 7 p.m.
Burlingame vs. Half Moon Bay, 7 p.m.
Mountain View Homestead, 7 p.m.
Leigh takes on Santa Teresa at 7:15 p.m.
Lynbrook hosts Branham at 7 p.m.
Oak Grove at Mt. Pleasant, 7:15 p.m.
Palo Alto hosts Los Gatos at 7 p.m.
Hillsdale vs. Sacred Heart Prep, 7 p.m.
San Mateo takes on Los Altos at 7 p.m.
Milpitas vs. Santa Clara, 7 p.m.
Woodside vs. Sequoia, 7 p.m.
Terra Nova takes on Fremont-Sunnyvale at 7 p.m.
7 p.m., Westmont vs. Lincoln-San Jose.
Willow Glen hosts Leland at 7 p.m.
INTERSECTIONAL
7 p.m., Castlemont vs. Bishop O’Dowd.
Turlock at Clayton Valley, 7 p.m.
Liberty vs. Fremont-Oakland, 7 p.m.
Hercules hosts Oakland at 7 p.m.
Irvington hosts Lick at 7 p.m.
San Ramon Valley vs. McClymonds, 7 p.m.
Tennyson vs. Oakland Tech, 7 p.m.
Richmond hosts Skyline at 7 p.m.
De La Salle at St. Mary’s-Stockton, 7:30 p.m.
Ygnacio Valley hosts Washington-San Francisco at 7 p.m.
Saturday, September 16th
BAY OF EAST
Non-league
Arroyo vs. St. Mary’s-Berkeley, 2 p.m.
Berean Christian vs. St. Patrick-St. Vincent, 12:30 p.m.
SOUTH BAY AND PENINSULA
Non-league
Sobrato vs. Live Oak, 1 p.m.
Menlo-Atherton takes on Menlo School at 2 p.m.
INTERSECTIONAL
Lowell at Dougherty Valley, 2 p.m.
5 p.m. at San Juan-Citrus Heights.
Vallejo hosts Lincoln-San Francisco at 2 p.m.
