The playoffs may already be starting for some area teams.
Reigning league champion Manteca and Lathrop are fighting to stay out of the bubble in their respective divisions, while East Union and Ripon are still chasing their fourth wins — at-large qualifiers must have at least four regular-season victories.
Sierra has the requisite four wins, but needs to improve its ranking to sneak in. Only one team per league gets an automatic berth, and the rest of the eight-team brackets across seven divisions are filled by teams with the highest MaxPreps ratings.
Teams that don’t qualify for the playoffs but finish with top-16 rankings in their divisions may compete in one-off section bowl games.
Ripon Christian and River Islands are well positioned to make the playoffs but can shoot for higher seeds with some big games ahead.
Here’s a closer look at Week 8 match-ups:
Valley Oak League
Oakdale (3-0, 4-3) at Manteca (3-1, 5-3): Ranked seventh in the loaded Division II field, Manteca could potentially get bumped out by one or more lower-rated teams that are in contention to win league titles.
The good news for the Buffaloes, who are No. 13 overall in the SJS, is that they can get a ratings boost with a win over No. 16 Oakdale. They then end their regular season at East Union on Nov. 6 following a Week 9 bye.
Manteca and Oakdale meet for the 107th time Friday at Guss Schmiedt Field. It was 100 years ago, on Oct. 8, 1926, that the Buffaloes defeated what would become their longtime rival for the first time, 6-0.
The Mustangs lead the series 53-49-4, but Manteca has won the last five, including the 2021 Division III final, and nine of the last 10. Last week, the Buffs shellacked cross-town foe Sierra 65-14 for their section-leading 650th all-time win.
Meanwhile, Oakdale notched its 33rd straight win over East Union, 41-21. Anthony Navarro starred in the Wing-T rushing attack with 216 yards and five touchdowns on 24 carries. For the season, he’s among section leaders with 979 rushing yards on the season and 13 touchdowns.
East Union (0-3, 3-4) at Mountain House (0-4, 1-7): East Union stands a good chance at securing its fourth win of the season against a struggling Mustangs team that had a touchdown-scoring snapped last week in a 51-6 loss at Patterson. The Lancers are 3-0 against them.
Mountain House was kept out of the end zone in the previous five games, scoring only a safety against River Islands in that stretch. Bode Jacobsen hit 6-foot-5 tight end Rece Turner for a short-yardage TD.
The Lancers are on a skid of their own, having dropped four straight. They’ve slid to No. 7 in Division IV, but the toughest part of their schedule is behind them. With a Week 10 clash with powerhouse Manteca looming, EU can solidify its place in the postseason with wins over Mountain House and Sierra.
Sierra (1-2, 4-3) at Central Catholic (3-0, 6-1): The Timberwolves are currently 13th in Division IV but have games the next two weeks against No. 7 East Union at No. 5 Patterson.
They first take on one of the top teams in the section this Friday at Central Catholic, which has won the previous 10 meetings.
The Raiders are No. 8 overall in the section and fourth in Division. They’re also in the driver’s seat to end Manteca’s two-year reign in the VOL after beating the Buffs 42-13 two weeks ago. Central Catholic is riding a six-game winning streak and coming off its bye.
Hard-running Zymir Nelson (971 yards, 9.5 per carry, 12 TDs) is the workhorse in the Raiders’ I-formation. They also have size in the passing game with 6-5, 225-pound, New Mexico-committed tight end Collin Benninger (19 receptions, 327 yards, five TDs) and 6-3, 185-pound wide out Ezekiel Gradford (20-305-4).
Louis Gregoris (41 tackles, 7.0 for losses, 4.0 sacks) heads a stingy defense that has given up 11.6 points per game in its winning streak.
Western Athletic Conference
Lathrop (3-1, 4-3) at Grace Davis (3-1, 4-3): Lathrop survived a homecoming scare against Central Valley to stay in the hunt for the conference title and a spot in the Division V playoffs. If Central Valley downs Johansen this week, the Lathrop-Grace Davis winner would be locked in a three-way tie for first place.
Davis’ lone conference loss is to Central Valley, 31-26. Lathrop, the two-time defending champ, dropped its WAC opener to Johansen, 24-7, but has been on a roll since the addition of running back Roman Duvernay, who sat out the first half of the season because of transfer protocols.
Lathrop is No. 8 in the D-V rankings. Grace Davis is battling to get within range of a postseason berth but is 16th in Division III. The all-Spartans battle will take place at Downey High’s Chuck Hughes Stadium in Modesto.
Lathrop won the last four against Grace Davis to take a 4-3 all-time lead. Davis is led by third-year quarterback Caleb Zaragoza, a dual threat with 1,186 passing yards and 12 touchdowns, along with 381 yards and four scores rushing. Running back Maxilliano Sanchez (933 total yards, 10 TDs) is also Grace Davis’ leading receiver.
Mother Lode League
Linden (3-0, 5-2) at River Islands (3-1, 7-1): The Riptide are off to an historic start but still lack a marquee victory in their short existence.
They have an opportunity to get one Friday at home while putting themselves in the mix for a top-three seed in Division VII. They’re ranked fourth, while Linden is third.
The Lions won the first two showdowns with River Islands and repelled a late comeback last year to avoid an upset. The Riptide trailed 25-6 at halftime but scored two unanswered touchdowns to give themselves a chance.
Linden since lost MLL Offensive Player of the Year Andrew Juarez to graduation, but Issac Ruvalcaba (979 yards, 7.6 per carry, 13 TDs) has taken the reins and the new star running back. He amassed 248 yards and five touchdowns on 24 carries in the Lions’ 32-20 win over Big Valley Christian last week. River Islands closes its regular-season schedule next week against BVC, another key match-up with postseason implications.
Trans Valley League
Ripon (0-3, 2-5) at Sonora (2-2, 4-4): Ripon is ranked No. 4 in Division VI but needs to win at least two of its final three games for a playoff spot.
Ripon visits Dunlavy Field looking to end a four-game slide. Sonora, a two-time reigning state champion, is 7-3 in its last 10 games against Ripon.
Ranked No. 4 in Division V, the Wildcats are battling to for a first-round home game in the playoffs. They’re coming off successive losses to still-unbeaten Hilmar, 35-29, and Hughson, 31-14. Ripon has also lost two both teams and led longtime rival Escalon 10-3 at halftime last week before falling, 45-24.
Sonora lost much of its standouts from the state championship teams but still has weapons in its triple-option offense. Quarterback Jack Snyder leads the way with 537 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, to go with 480 passing yards and three TDs. The Wildcats have three rushers with more than 400 yards, including George Renault (552 yards, 9.7 per carry, six TDs).
Freshman linebacker Barrett Salyers leads the Wildcats defense with 45 tackles.
Hilmar (4-0, 8-0) at Ripon Christian (1-2, 5-2): The Knights are 0-5 all-time against Hilmar, which is on pace to grab the top seed in Division V. Escalon and Sonora are ranked Nos. 2 and 4, respectively.
In Division VI, Ripon Christian is third with opportunities to possibly move up in the final three weeks. Next week, the Knights head to Hughson before ending the regular season with rival Ripon.
Both RC and Hilmar are coming off wins over Orestimba, one of two teams without a win in TVL play. The Knights dispatched the Warriors in Newman 17-6 two weeks ago before their bye. Hilmar then took care of 35-6, following one score-wins over Escalon and Sonora.
Dual-threat QB Cohen Felber (611 passing yards, five TDs; 922 rushing yard, 12 TDs) has been the engine of Hilmar’s offense, and he runs behind the likes of 6-7, 295-pound tackle Justin Ortiz, a Fresno State commit.
