SJS Football Championship Previews

  There will be plenty on the line when six teams take the field this week for the final three Sac-Joaquin Section football titles up for grabs. We dig into each matchup and give our predictions.

  DIVISION I

  MATCHUP: No. 1 FOLSOM (13-0) vs. No. 7 TRACY (10-3)
  HISTORY: Folsom is in its fifth consecutive section final and the Bulldogs have won three of the previous four trips to Sacramento State. Folsom went on to win the CIF Div. II State Bowl Championship in 2010, and has its sights set on a return to Carson. Senior QB Jake Browning is 41-2 as a starter with Div. II and Div. I titles already on his resume. Tracy is 2-0 in Div. I section finals, but those games took place before any of this year’s players ever donned shoulder pads (1982 and 1987). Tracy was undefeated and the No. 1 seed in 2009, but was upset in the second round and had not advanced to the semifinals in the past decade until this year’s Cinderella run.
  FOLSOM KEYS TO VICTORY: While all eyes will be on QB Jake Browning’s pursuit of the national high school career touchdown record (he is 5 TDs shy of Maty Mauk’s 219), the running game and Folsom’s defense will be the most important factors to secure a third consecutive section title. The defense has provided Browning with lots of scoring opportunities and must limit Tracy’s running attack to continue the offense’s 2014 dominance.
  TRACY KEYS TO VICTORY: Senior RB Nate Jones has found the end zone at least twice in each of Tracy’s last five games, including two scores in each of the team’s three playoff wins. Tracy needs to keep Folsom’s high-powered offense off the field with a balanced attack of Jones and QB Michael Brown (18 passing and 8 rushing TDs) to have a chance at the colossal upset and the program’s first section championship in nearly three decades.
  CIF BOWL IMPLICATIONS: A win for Folsom all but assures the No. 3-ranked team in the state with a NorCal Division I bid. Most observers wrote the Bulldogs’ ticket to the regional final in August, and a CIF rule change in the selection of the Open Division participants in the state bowls presents Folsom with a path to Carson that does not include a third straight showdown with De La Salle-Concord. A Tracy victory would throw the NorCal Division I field into complete chaos that would still probably leave Tracy on the outside looking in.
  PREDICTION: Folsom 56, Tracy 14

  DIVISION II

  MATCHUP: No. 1 GRANT-SACRAMENTO (13-0) vs. No. 3 ST. MARY’S-STOCKTON (12-1)
  HISTORY: Since the North-South format was abandoned in 2009, the Pacers and Rams have gone head-to-head just once in the postseason, a 20-11 Grant win in the 2010 Div. II semifinals. Under legendary coach Mike Alberghini, Grant has won six section titles in seven appearances. The Pacers last won a section title in 2008 when they went on to win the inaugural CIF Open Div. State Bowl game in a thriller over Long Beach Poly. St. Mary’s has appeared in four section championship games and collected the Div. II hardware in 2004 and 2008 under current head coach Tony Franks.
  GRANT KEYS TO VICTORY: The Pacers are built on a power running game behind a behemoth offensive line, but senior QB Donovan Brown has thrown for seven of his 17 touchdowns in the playoffs. Grant has a three-pronged rushing attack of DeShawn Collins, Mike Green II, and Deondre Whittington-Grays that can wear down any team, and a stout defense that must continue to make big stops when needed.
  ST. MARY’S KEYS TO VICTORY: The Rams’ defense has allowed just 65 points in the team’s last five games, including just 41 points in three playoff wins (13.7 points per game). Senior LB Khalil Hodge is the biggest name on defense, but St. Mary’s has thrived on a team concept that relies on contributions from all members on offense, defense, and special teams. The Rams shut down Elk Grove’s triple-threat running game and will have to have similar results against the Pacers to win the program’s third section championship.
  CIF BOWL IMPLICATIONS: Grant is hungry for the potential matchup of undefeateds that could happen if the Pacers and Folsom both win section titles. The Pacers just missed out on playing in the Div. I playoffs (the 16 playoff-eligible teams with the highest enrollment make up the D1 field), and appear the favorite to get awarded a Div. I NorCal showdown with Folsom. If St. Mary’s pulls off the upset, the Rams could make a case for a NorCal Div. I berth that would be bolstered by handing Grant its only loss of the season.
  PREDICTION: Grant 35, St. Mary’s 24

  DIVISION III

  MATCHUP: No. 1 INDERKUM-SACRAMENTO (12-1) vs. No. 3 OAKDALE (12-1)
  HISTORY: Inderkum has been the model of consistency in compiling nine straight 10-win seasons, but the Tigers still have no section banners to hang. Inderkum has twice advanced to the section final, only to lose in overtime in 2008 and by four points in 2009. Oakdale has been a regular in SJS championship games of late. The Mustangs have appeared in four finals since 2007. Trent Merzon’s Mustangs won the Div. III title in 2012 and captured the Div. IV crown seven years ago. Overall, Oakdale has advanced to 11 section finals, but won just three times. After winning the 2012 championship, the Mustangs added a NorCal championship and a CIF State Bowl berth.
  INDERKUM KEYS TO VICTORY: The Tigers are built on speed, and that fits head coach Terry Starks’ Wing-T offense to a T. Senior RBs Austin Thurman and Larry Hardy must continue to make big plays on offense and special teams to bring the elusive section title to Inderkum.
  OAKDALE KEYS TO VICTORY: The Mustangs rely heavily on the run as well, so the battle in the trenches will determine Oakdale’s fate. If the Mustangs’ powerful offensive line can create holes for the likes of bruising back Frankie Trent, they will have the inside track to a second section title in three years.
  CIF BOWL IMPLICATIONS: The winner is likely to get a berth in the NorCal Div. II game for a chance to punch a ticket to Carson. The road through the Bay Area is likely to be challenging, but either Inderkum or Oakdale with just one loss should get a shot at state. 
  PREDICTION: Oakdale 31, Inderkum 28