League titles are on the line this Friday when Manteca and Lathrop hit the road against teams they have not yet beaten.

Meanwhile, intra-city foes East Union and Sierra tangle for a ticket to the dance.

It’s a big week for all area teams battling for championships and postseason berths.

Here’s a run-through of where teams stand for the playoffs, based on MaxPreps projections:

·        With its two toughest Valley Oak League opponents ahead, defending champion Manteca is fourth in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II bracket. The Buffaloes would have a first-round bye if they remain in the top four.

·        In Division IV, East Union, which still needs one more win to fulfill the Section’s four-win requirement to advance, is in the eighth spot. Sierra is also a win short and on the bubble but is predicted by MaxPreps to lose its final two.

·        Lathrop is eighth in Division V and appears to be better positioned to qualify than it was at this point last season. A win at Los Banos would guarantee itself at least a share of the Western Athletic Conference crown and a playoff bid. All champions are automatically in.

·        Following a tough loss at Livingston, Ripon is now on the Division VI bubble. The Indians have three wins but close Trans-Valley League play with state champions Escalon and Hughson.

·        Reigning Division VII champion Ripon Christian has the highest MaxPreps rating in its bracket and it’s not close. The Knights are expected to wrap up the regular season with lopsided wins in the Southern Athletic League.

Eighty-four teams in all will fill eight postseason brackets. There will be 12 teams in Divisions I-VI, eight in Division VII-A and four in Division VII-B. The last two teams standing in the Division VII brackets will vie for a spot in the state playoffs.

Here’s a closer look at the Week 9 matchups:

Manteca (3-0, 6-2) at Central Catholic (3-0, 6-2): On a night of many important games across the SJS, the main event is at David Patton Field.

Manteca is sixth in MaxPreps’ overall Section rankings, while the Raiders check in at No. 5.

Although there have been some epic duels between these heavyweights in recent years, including the back-and-forth 56-49 slugfest of 2022, history is overwhelmingly tilted in Central Catholic’s favor. Since joining the VOL in 2014, CC is 8-0 against the Buffaloes.

Both teams are rounding into postseason form and riding four-game winning streaks, but with experienced Division I prospects at every level the Raiders come in as the favorite.

It starts with fourth-year quarterback/safety Tyler Wentworth, who has Manteca roots and is committed to Clemson for baseball. Then there’s Cal-committed Brooklyn Cheek, a three-star safety who is also CC’s second-leading pass catcher behind two-star receiver Trace Hernandez.

Up front, the Raiders have gotten even bigger with the transfer from 6-foog-5, 290-pound Manasse Itete. The four-star offensive tackle has committed to Florida State.

Manteca can secure at least a share of the VOL title by pulling off the upset. Regardless of the result, the Buffs have traditional rival Oakdale in Week 10. Oakdale hung with Central Catholic for a half last week but ultimately fell, 64-39.

Sierra (0-3, 3-5) at East Union (0-3, 3-5): The Lancers finally get to play on their turf, as the renovated Dino Cunial Field gets unveiled.

They’d love to christen it with a win over a rival and a third-straight playoff berth.

Sierra just isn’t in it to play spoiler, however. The Timberwolves also must win after their narrow 21-16 defeat at Kimball last week. They had the ball on the Jaguars’ 9-yard line in the closing seconds but were sacked. A loss on Friday means Sierra will have to beat powerhouse Central Catholic next week.

East Union closes with Kimball, so its chances would not be as daunting with a loss this week. The Lancers would still like to end their four-game skid.

These two spread offenses, both loaded with young talent, got off to a hot start but have been halted by the VOL powers. Sierra did miss an opportunity in its league opener against Oakdale, which escaped Daniel Teicheira Memorial Stadium. with a 42-35 win.

Coming off three straight one-win seasons, the T’wolves are much improved under first-year coach Jeff Abrew. Sierra lost the last two meetings with EU but holds the all-time lead at 19-8.  

Lathrop (5-0, 6-2) at Los Banos (5-0, 7-1): The Spartans’ program-record six-game winning streak will be challenged at Loftin Stadium.

Los Banos has been a thorn on their side over the years, winning all four matchups in Western Athletic Conference play. This will be the defending champion Tigers’ final year in the WAC, as they head back to the Division III Central California Conference.

The first time these two faced off was in Lathrop’s first — and only — playoff appearance in 2015. The Spartans were the top seed in Division IV but were stunned by No. 8 Los Banos, 30-29.

Lathrop is coming off its biggest win of the season, outlasting Johansen 31-22 last week after falling behind, 16-0.

Los Banos edged Johansen 23-22 two weeks ago and has also won six in a row. The lone loss was to TVL juggernaut Hilmar, 21-13. The Tigers bounced back with a comfortable 24-14 win over Southern Athletic League champ Orestimba.

It’s old school versus new, as Lathrop brings its physical Wing-T while Los Banos has its productive spread led by dual-threat QB David Herrera.

Ripon (1-2, 3-5) at Escalon (3-0, 7-1): The Indians have two shots at getting that fourth win, but it won’t be easy.

Up first is their oldest rival. The Cougars have won their last four against Ripon and are 47-23-4 all-time. They’ve been rolling since winning the state Division IV-AA title last year, losing only to large-school California of San Ramon 42-21 on the road.

Escalon does have some notable non-league wins over Buchanan of Clovis, Windsor and Oakdale — all on the road. The Cougars then traveled to Division state Division V-AA champion Hughson to kick off league and prevailed, 21-14. They’re coming off a 49-21 win over defending TVL champ Hilmar.

Third-year QB Donovan Rozevink conducts Escalon’s balanced Wing-T that also stars RB Joshua Graham and two tall receivers in 6-1 Sam Jimenez and 6-4 Ryan Lewis.

Ripon has struggled with injuries and were without its two leading rushers, Xzavier Clark and Anden Ries, in the 28-14 loss at Livingston last week. It is just the second win of the season for Livingston, which also upset the Indians last year.

Ripon caps its TVL schedule next week at home against Hughson.

Ripon Christian (5-0, 7-1) at Gustine (4-1, 4-4): Ripon Christian can wrap up at least a co-championship in the SAL.

The Knights have been dominant during their current seven-game winning streak, outscoring opponents 338-26 while shutting out five of them.

After dropping its first three non-league contests, Gustine got on a roll before it was halted last week at Le Grand, 34-18. Ripon Christian waxed Le Grand 56-14 the previous week.

Gustine’s flexbone offense leans on its big offensive line and the rushing talents of slot back Zander Leyva (1,007 yards, 9.8 per carry, 15 TDs) and sophomore fullback Joao Palomino (963-5.7-5).