Manteca has stacked dominant wins on its way to a 7-0 record but is still the team with something to prove this Friday when taking on Central Catholic in an anticipated skirmish between Sac-Joaquin Section champions at Guss Schmiedt Field.
That’s because the Buffaloes have not yet beaten the parochial powerhouse out of Modesto since the Raiders joined the Valley Oak league in 2014. Central Catholic has won all seven meetings since — two of them by one-point margins, and four by three or more scores.
Manteca was dealt a 56-33 blow last year, and Central Catholic went on to win the VOL and SJS Division II titles. Meanwhile, the Buffaloes claimed the Division III crown in the postseason. They’re both now playing up a division, because of the SJS’ “continued success” rule.
At 4-4, the Raiders may appear to be underdog going into this first-place battle, but Manteca knows what it’s up against. Central Catholic’s losses came in succession against four behemoth programs with a combined 26-4 record — Saint Francis (4-3) of Mountain View, St. Mary’s (8-0) of Stockton, Serra (7-0) of San Mateo and St. John Bosco (7-1) of Bellflower. Bosco was then the top-rated team in the nation but has since slipped to No. 4 in the MaxPreps rankings.
Two-way standout Tyler Jacklich leads the Raiders. The 6-foot-2, 202-pound running back is among the leading rushers in the SJS with 1,225 yards (10.6 per carry) and 13 touchdowns. Defensively, he’s a two-star rated linebacker, according to 247Sports, and has three offers from NCAA Division I teams.
Quarterback Tyler Paul Wentworth provides balance to CC’s power-running attack. A highly-coveted Division I prospect in baseball, the 6-5 junior has thrown for 1,207 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. He has deep ties locally, as the Ripon resident is the son of former Manteca High multi-sport star Kevin Wentworth.
Brooklyn Cheek and Jaelen Nichols are three-star players who shine on both ends of scrimmage. The 6-2 Cheek is a junior who is getting recruited as a safety, with offers from multiple Pac-12 schools.
In the trenches, few in the region are as stout as Central Catholic. Six-foot-1, 265-pound Anthony Jimenez leads the way, along with 6-2, 380-pound Roman Foumai and 6-2, 346-pound Troy Leota.
The Raiders are coming off a one-sided 35-7 win over Oakdale, a team they’ve had trouble with. Central is now 5-4 against the Mustangs.
Manteca overwhelmed its two cross-town rivals, Sierra and East Union, by a combined score of 130-6 the past two weeks. Overall, the Buffs have outscored their opponents by an average margin of 44 points. Versatile standout Blake Nichelson, who has committed to Florida State, will reunite with some old friends from Central Catholic on Friday. He transferred to Manteca from CC after his freshman year.
The winner is guaranteed at least a share of the VOL title. Manteca closes the regular season next week back at home against Oakdale.
Here’s a look at other Week 9 matchups in the area:
East Union (3-5) at Sierra (1-7): These cross-town rivals are both winless through three VOL games, but for East Union there are more than just bragging rights on the line.
The Lancers can vault themselves into playoff picture by earning the requisite fourth win to qualify. Their strength of schedule puts them in a favorable position, but they must win four games to get in.
East Union has lost four straight, all to traditional powers Lincoln, Central Catholic, Oakdale and Manteca. The other defeat was a 56-6 drubbing by 8-0 Atwater.
Sierra leads the all-time series 19-7 but is in the process of rebuilding under Jeff Harbison, who has returned after a five-year break.
The Timberwolves have dropped four straight since their 59-27 win over Modesto and were held to just 25 points total in their previous three league contests.
Los Banos (6-2) at Lathrop (5-3): Lathrop is 0-4 all-time against the Tigers, who stand alone atop the Western Athletic Conference.
The Spartans are a game back at 4-1 and could improve their chances of making the postseason with a victory.
Los Banos quarterback David Herrera lifted his team to a 29-28 win over Ceres, scoring a late rushing touchdown and the go-ahead two-point conversion. The Tigers are riding a five-game winning streak after back-to-back losses to Hilmar and Orestimba, leaders of the Trans-Valley and Southern Athletic leagues, respectively.
Lathrop has won three in a row since its 29-23 defeat at Pacheco.
Escalon (5-3) at Ripon (4-4): The Indians are on the bubble and in danger of not qualifying for the postseason for the first time since 2014.
And they have a tough closing stretch in the TVL, starting with bitter rival Escalon.
A heavy favorite to repeat as league and SJS Division V champions to start the season, the Cougars were dealt two stunning losses out the gate in TVL play — falling to Hughson 29-14 and Hilmar, 21-20. Their other loss was a competitive 41-40 setback to Buchanan (7-1) of Clovis, one of the top teams out of the Central Section.
Ryker Peters leads Escalon’s Wing-T with 1,090 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. His 120 points tops all scorers in the SJS.
Gustine (4-4) at Ripon Christian (6-2): The Knights are hitting their stride at the right time, and the toughest part of the schedule is behind them.
With Orestimba well positioned to seize an outright claim to the Southern Athletic League title, Ripon Christian still has playoff positioning to fight for. RC is in line for the top seed in Division VII, according to MaxPreps projections.
Gustine were thumped by Waterford and Le Grand the past two weeks, two teams the Knights have already handled. Ripon Christian most recently knocked off Mariposa on the road, 49-0.
