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Week 3 preview: Manteca ready for rematch with Marin Catholic
Week 3 football preview
Manteca running back Nikko Juarez follows the block from Maava Tialavea during the Buffaloes’ Week Zero win over visiting Elk Grove on Aug. 22. - photo by JONAMAR JACINTO/The Bulletin

Coming out of its bye week, Manteca is rested and raring for another marquee matchup in the North Bay.

This time, the Buffaloes are out for revenge.

They’ll get reacquainted with tradition-rich Marin Catholic during a Saturday matinee in Kentfield. Manteca has ascended to No. 5 in MaxPreps’ Northern California top-20 list after trouncing Cardinal Newman 40-7 in Santa Rosa two weeks ago.

Three other local squads will be in action Friday for their Week 3 engagements, and three others are idle.

East Union and Ripon Christian are eyeing 4-0 starts, and Sierra looks to build off of its first win of the season. All three will be at home.

Undefeated Ripon (3-0) gets a break before its Trans Valley League opener against reigning champion Hughson on Sept. 19. Lathrop (2-1) begins its Western Athletic Conference title defense Sept. 19 at Pacheco, while River Islands (1-2) kicks off its second go-round in the Mother Lode League at Big Valley Christian.

Here’s a closer look at the Week 3 contests:

 

Manteca (2-0) at Marin Catholic (0-2): The Buffaloes dominated their first meeting with MC but don’t have the win to show for it. The Wildcats battled back from a two-score deficit in the fourth quarter to escape victorious, 29-28.

Nikko Juarez ran for four touchdowns and more than 200 yards, while the defense sacked then-quarterback Caedon Afsharipour 10 times. The Wildcats went on to win the North Bay Adobe Division championship but lost their North Coast Section Open Division playoff opener to league rival Cardinal Newman.

Marin Catholic coach Mazi Moayed has an experienced team led by three-star prospect Jarred Geissberger, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound running back who has committed to Cal Poly. Two-way lineman Vince Tarantino holds two Division I offers.

The Wildcats will have to rely on young quarterbacks, however, after Afsharipour, now a senior, transferred to St. Ignatius of San Francisco. Dylan Skrinar led MC’s 7-3 JV team last year, and fellow sophomore Jamar Lincoln is an incoming transfer from El Cerrito.

Marin Catholic has won state championships in 2021 and 2023 but is off to an 0-2 start for a second straight year. The Wildcats are starting their 2025 campaign playing three of the top-ranked teams of the Sac-Joaquin Section. Last week, they dropped a 28-7 decision to No. 2 St. Mary’s and opened with a narrow 21-20 loss to No. 11 Inderkum. Manteca is ranked sixth in the SJS, according to MaxPreps.

 

Enochs (1-2) at East Union (3-0): Averaging 66.7 points and 525.3 offensive yards per game, the Lancers’ are back at Dino Cunial Stadium on Friday after two lopsided wins on the road.

UC Davis-committed receiver Jackson Fay is among the state’s leaders with 10 total touchdowns, and Anthony Zavala ranks No. 1 in the SJS in point-after kicks made.

The scoring spree should continue against an Enochs team that surrendered 50+ points in its first two games before losing 18-13 to Buhach Colony, which ended a 23-game skid.

The Eagles also have explosive weapons who each had productive outings in a 61-55 zero-week win over Sierra and a 64-28 loss at Ripon. Anthony Brown and Isaiah Maxey are big-target receivers for senior quarterback Isaiah Maestas. Running back Kayden Brown is another threat in the passing game.

 

Sheldon (0-3) at Sierra (1-2): The Timberwolves got their needed first win of the season last week, shutting out previously-unbeaten Modesto in the first half en route and cruising, 27-6.

Sierra now takes on a team that hasn’t scored since its 13-10 overtime loss in Week Zero. Sheldon lost that heartbreaker at home to Cordova and has since been shut out by River City 37-0 and Will C. Wood, 28-0.

The Huskies have returned several players in key positions from their 4-6 team a year ago. Second-year sophomore Gavin Workman is back behind center, and junior Rayshawn Cannaday returns at running back.

Sierra downed Sheldon 24-14 last season, getting four interceptions from A.J. Chapman.

 

Mesa Verde (1-1) at Ripon Christian (3-0): After knocking off Mother Lode League heavyweights in two of the first three weeks, RC meets the Mavericks from Citrus Heights for the first time.

Mesa Verde split two low-scoring affairs before its Week 2 bye, coming up short against Justin Garza of Fresno 18-12 and edging out Cordova, 18-13.

The Mavericks are coming off a 6-4 campaign, which is their best since going 6-4 in 20024. Their top two-way player is back in running back/linebacker Cesar Granados, who leads them with 228 rushing yards and three touchdowns as well as 19 tackles and an interception.