At this point, there are no secrets between Manteca and Granite Bay.
These Sac-Joaquin Section heavyweights will go toe-to-toe for a third time in the last year this Friday at Guss Schmiedt Field, this time for a quarterfinal in the Division II playoffs at Guss Schmiedt Field.
The fourth-seeded Buffaloes (7-3) shut out Granite Bay (6-5) in a non-league game at home on Aug. 25, 15-0. It was a rematch of the 2022 SJS Division II final also won by the Buffs, 51-48.
Manteca is 3-0 against the Grizzlies in this millennium, as the 2001 team tamed them 14-0 in the quarterfinals en route to the Division II championship.
Both teams have reasons to believe they have improved since their last meeting. The No. 5 Grizzlies took care of No. 12 Rodriguez 49-12 in the first round, while Manteca had a bye.
“Obviously, we have a few key pieces back and a few pieces up from the lower level,” Manteca coach Mark Varnum said. “Hopefully we can give them a different kind of look, but we want to play our kind of game. They’re a lot like us and they like to play physical, so it should be a lot of fun.”
Manteca was without standout running back Bryson Davis (1,299 yards, 15 TDs) in that Week 1 encounter, and rising freshman Nikko Juarez (450 yards, seven TDs) was still on the junior varsity squad.
Sophomore Jhadis Luckey (459 yards, six TDs) was instrumental in the 15-0 defensive slugfest, breaking out for 197 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.
Meanwhile, the defense had one of its best efforts against a top team, holding the Grizzlies to just 139 yards. Cal commit Carter Jackson (1,279 yards, 19 TDs) was limited to 47 yards on seven touches.
Manteca’s offense has hit its stride with the eventual return of Davis (elbow) from a four-game absence and the emergence of the passing game headed by quarterback Garrison Reis (36-of-59 passing, 551 yards, five TDs) and receiver Julian Moncada (304 yards, four TDs).
The youth-laden defense has also improved after getting tested by other Section powers such as St. Mary’s, Rocklin and Central Catholic.
“The experience they’ve gained has been huge,” Varnum said. “We have four to five sophomores getting a lot of time, and Nikko is getting some playing time on defense as a freshman. We’ve had eight games since them. Hopefully the experience plays a huge part and they can get it done again.”
Granite Bay has also had its share of injuries. Junior quarterback Nick Harris, a transfer from Rocklin, hasn’t played a down as he recovers from a fractured ankle, and 6-foot-3, 220-pound middle linebacker Frank Cusano (72 tackles, 3.0 sacks), who is committed to Washington State, got hurt early in the previous Manteca game and missed the next two weeks.
Freshman Dominic Cattolico has helped ignite Granite Bay’s attack. He got his first varsity start in Week 9 against Rocklin, and the Grizzlies lost the Sierra Foothill League contest in triple overtime, 43-35. He completed 11 of 15 passes for 132 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Rocklin, the No. 2 seed in Division II, handled Manteca 35-14 in the NorCal Honor Bowl on Sept. 9.
Older brother Joseph Cattolico is a standout receiver for the Grizzlies, who are coached by their father, Joe.
Second-year sophomore Isaiah Ene (643 yards, four TDs; 71 tackles, four picks) is another key player for Granite Bay.
“They still have phenomenal athletes and they’re going to do what they want to do; the ball in the hands of their dudes, just like we do,” Varnum said.
The winner likely travels to top-seeded St. Mary’s (9-1), which faces No. 9 Vacaville (7-4).
Here’s a look at other postseason matchups for area teams:
Lathrop (8-3) at Casa Roble (9-1): Coming off their impressive 47-0 pasting of No. 10 Foothill, No. 7 Lathrop is headed toward uncharted territory.
The Spartans are in the second round for the first time, and they’ll be heavy underdogs in Orangevale as they get acquainted with No. 2-seeded Casa Roble.
The Rams’ only loss 31-13 to Sierra Foothill League power Del Oro, and they’ve won six straight since while cruising to the Golden Empire League title. They’re led by a talented junior class starring QB Connor Campbell (116-195, 1,922 yards, 25 TDs, two picks), running backs Braylen Blevins (733 yards, 11 TDs) and Richie Graham (557 yards, seven TDs) and 6-3 receiver Elijah Huddle (607 yards, 10 TDs).
Casa Roble’s defense is anchored by senior linebacker Evan Combs (147 tackles, 8.0 sacks, three fumble recoveries), sophomore linebacker Zander Freitag (63 tackles, 7.5 sacks), 6-5, 290-pound nose guard Darren Dalton (46 tackles, 8.5 sacks) and defensive back Dylan Richards (60 tackles, three INTs).
The victor advances to the semifinal and plays No. 3 Hilmar (7-3) or No. 6 Pioneer (8-3).
Rio Vista (8-2) at Ripon Christian (10-1): It’s a postseason rubber match in this Division VII-A semifinal. They split their previous two contests, with Rio Vista claiming the 2017 Division VII title 56-28, and the Knights dominated the rematch in an opening-round route 57-0 last year.
Both teams shut out their first-round opponents; top-seeded RC blasted No. 8 Golden Sierra 63-0, while No. 4
Senior Marco Carrillo is the leading rusher and receiver for Rio Vista. Inside linebacker Matthew Bodle, who also plays quarterback, sophomore safety Emmett Medders and sophomore lineman Nathan Frisbie lead the defense.
Ripon Christian is one of three Southern Athletic League teams left in the bracket. No. 2 Orestimba (8-3) hosts No. 3 Le Grand (9-2) in the other semifinal.
