The league schedule kicks off for area squads this week, and there are already title and postseason implications in play. In the Valley Oak League, winless — yes, winless, but more on that later — Central Catholic begins its championship defense Friday at Manteca (3-1), which hasn’t beaten the Raiders in five tries since their return to the VOL. East Union (3-1) has an even longer slump to bust out of when it faces Oakdale (2-2) at The Corral, where the Mustangs are tough to beat. Then there’s upstart Sierra (4-0), the only team in league still boasting a perfect record. The Timberwolves await Kimball (3-1), another much-improved team.