Three undefeated teams took their first losses of the season in what was a tough Week 4 for area schools, which were a combined 1-6.

The lone winner was Manteca, which capped a road-heavy first half of its schedule with a dominant effort at Patterson. The Buffaloes are in reach of a fourth straight victory with struggling Mountain House visiting on Friday, and then they can shift their focus to their big Valley Oak League clash with Central Catholic.

Central Catholic just so happens to be the first league opponent for East Union. The Lancers ride to David Patton Field after dropping their pre-league finale to unbeaten Placer.

Meanwhile, Sierra regroups its bye week following a one-sided VOL-opening loss at Oakdale. Mountain House will the Timberwolves next week.

The Trans Valley League battle royal resumes with another slate of marquee match-ups. Coming off losses in their league openers, Ripon and Ripon Christian are again set to face off with traditional powerhouses. Ripon travels to Hughson, while the Knights host two-time reigning state champion Sonora in a Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI final-round rematch.

Western Athletic Conference champion Lathrop began its title defense with a loss to Johansen and will look to bounce back against Pacheco.

River Islands kicked off Mother Lode League action with a humbling defeat at the hands of state champion Calaveras. The next assignment is no walkover, as the Riptide travel to Tuolumne to take on a rejuvenated Summerville squad that stunned previously-undefeated Big Valley Christian.

Here’s a closer look at the Week 5 match-ups:

Valley Oak League

East Union (0-0, 3-1) at Central Catholic (1-0, 4-1): After coasting past their first three opponents, the Lancers entered the meat of their schedule last week and lost to Placer, 47-28.

It only gets tougher with Central Catholic, the 12th-ranked team in the SJS, according to MaxPreps. The Raiders waxed Mountain House 56-0 in their league opener, but that followed impressive wins over St. Mary’s, St. Bonaventure of Ventura and Chico-based Pleasant Valley. The lone loss is to undefeated Homedale, the No. 4-ranked team in Idaho.

Central Catholic coach Roger Canepa is on the cusp of a career milestone in his 19th year, which includes successful stops at Sonora and Calaveras. The next win will be No. 300, adding to his SJS-leading mark.

His Raiders are stocked with returning talent, such as New Mexico-committed Collin Benninger. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound tight end/defensive end is CC’s top receiver with 13 catches for 241 yards and four touchdowns.

Quarterback Cruz Costa (48 of 77, 752 yards, 10 TDs, interception) has another big target in 6-3, 185-pound junior Ezekiel Gradford (13 receptions, 170 yards, three TDs), and senior running back Zymir Nelson (549 yards, 8.3 per carry, seven TDs).

The defense is led by 6-1, 230-pound lineman Louis Gregoris (30 tackles, 7.0 for losses, 4.0 sacks).

Mountain House (0-1, 1-4) at Manteca (1-0, 3-2): The Buffaloes, No. 13 in the section, are not leaving town for the rest of the season after playing in Mountain View, Clovis, Chico and Patterson in the last five weeks.

They started the season with losses at St. Francis and No. 20 state-ranked Buchanan but are rounding into form.

Mountain House starts VOL play against the top two teams and has not scored a touchdown in the past three weeks against teams — Deer Valley, River Islands, Central Catholic — that are a combined 12-2. The Mustangs averaged just 97.7 yards of offense in that stretch.

Jackson Healy (16 catches, 240 pounds, TD), a 6-3, 185-pound tight end, has been a bright spot for an offense that has used three different quarterbacks. Middle linebacker Barrett Engstrom is among the tackle leaders in the section with 57, including eight for losses.

Trans Valley League

Ripon (0-1, 2-3) at Hughson (0-0, 3-1): All of Ripon’s losses have come against opponents that are still undefeated, and it’s responsible for the lone losses of the opponents it has beaten.

The gauntlet resumes Friday against a team that is fresh off its bye week. Spearheaded by sophomore quarterback Hudson Baldwin, Hughson exploded for 468 passing yards in a 50-21 victory over Linden two weeks ago. The Huskies’ loss was dealt by the Patterson, 27-20.

Baldwin, who has an offer from Boise State, has completed 72.9% of his passes for 949 yards and nine touchdowns with no interceptions.

He’s supported by one of the most productive pass-catching tandems in the section in 6-3 tight end Titus Beers (19 receptions, 433 yards, four TDs) and 6-2 receiver Noah Bradley (10-321-3). Beers has also been a terror on the defensive side (47 tackles, 7.0 for losses, 3.0 sacks), where the Huskies get even stronger Blake Hobbs, a 5-11, 215-pound sophomore, is another two-way standout as Hughson’s leading rusher (282 yards, 6.1 per carry, four TDs) and third-leading tackler (38 tackles, 2.0 for losses, 1.0 sack).

Sonora (1-0, 3-2) at Ripon Christian (0-1, 4-1): Both schools graduated much of their core talent that played in the 2025 SJS Division VI title game, but they’ve still been competitive with new faces at key spots.

Sonora’s two losses were to both SJS Division III finalists, Oakdale and Woodcreek. The Wildcats actually dominated Woodcreek in the NorCal Division II-A Bowl Game last year en route to a second consecutive state title.

Senior Jeremy Snyder has taken the reins of Sonora’s prolific triple-option offense. He has been efficient as a passer (14 of 20, 256 yards, two TDs, no INTs) and a threat on the run (342 rushing yards, 5.8 per carry, four TDs).

George Renault has emerged as the multi-faceted standout. He leads the Wildcats in rushing (378 yards, 12.2 per carry, six TDs), receiving (five catches, 174 yards, TD) and special teams returns.

Linebacker Lemar Vaughn and versatile third-year lineman Wyatt Ling are back as two-way contributors.

Western Athletic Conference

Pacheco (1-0, 2-2) at Lathrop (0-1, 1-3): The two-time defending WAC champion Spartans have not played to expectations, scoring 13 points in their three losses. One of those defeats came at the hands of top-10 ranked Tracy.

Lathrop tangles with a Pacheco team that has already matched its win total from 2025. The Panthers outlasted winless Livingston 22-17 in their WAC opener and started the season by edging out Stone Ridge Christian, 23-22. They were blown out by Sonora and Dos Palos in between.

Pacheco brought up seven sophomores to the varsity last season and have eight this year. Among the sophomores are quarterback Marco Anaya and running back/linebacker Iker Lugo. Second-year junior receiver/strong safety Alejandro Sandoval has emerged as a leader alongside returning All-WAC First-Team linebacker Joseph Valencia.

Central California Athletic Alliance

River Islands (0-1, 4-1) at Summerville (1-0, 1-3): With star receiver Darien East hobbled by injury, River Islands was clobbered by state champion Calaveras, 48-6.

Now, the Riptide hit the road to encounter a 2024 state champion that has undergone some changes. Summerville registered the first win under new coach Kole Elkins last week with a 36-28 stunner against previously-undefeated Big Valley Christian.

Sophomore quarterback Cort Leslie and running back Malakai Lopez lead the Bears’ spread offense.