Top 10 Sac-Joaquin Section high school football games, predictions of Week 1 (8/29/2024 to 8/31/2024)

Serra at Folsom and Grant at De La Salle headline a big week of games in the SJS

Serra wide receiver Charlie Wiley (82) is one of the few key returning starters from last year's squad. Here he scored on an 80-yard catch and run during a 21-14 opening win over Folsom to start the 2023 season. / Photo: Dennis Lee

If Week 0 featured some great high school football games in the Sac-Joaquin Section last week — which it did — Week 1 should be even better.

• WEEK 1 SCOREBOARD/SCHEDULE: California | San Diego Section | Southern | LA City | Central | Central Coast | San Francisco | Oakland | North Coast | Sac-Joaquin | Northern
• ALL SCORES/SCHEDULE BY DAY: Thursday | Friday | Saturday

1. Serra at Folsom (Predicted score: Folsom 28, Serra 14)

Folsom (1-0) has a game under its belt and this is season opener for the Padres, which lost 17 seniors to graduation off last year's 12-1 team. Folsom has score to settle also. Two of them in fact, having lost its last two games to the Padres. Even though it's a whole new team for the Padres, with a whopping 99 players on their roster and a crazy amount of 260 in the program, head coach Patrick Walsh and staff have a lot of personnel to pick through. Folsom has one of the nation's top quarterbacks in Ryder Lyons. WATCH: NFHS

What makes Ryder Lyons so effective is that he's equally good in or at of the pocket, as he displayed Friday in a 63-20 opening game win of the 2024 season in Folsom. / Photo: Ralph Thompson

2. Grant at De La Salle (Prediction: De La Salle 35, Grant 17)

Remarkably these two NorCal juggernauts have never played. De La Salle has a trio of backs — quarterback Toa Faavae and running backs Dominic Kelley and Derrick Blanche Jr. — who have all started since their sophomore seasons. That experience counts. The Spartans will also be able to switch things up with backup quarterback Brayden Knight (6-3, 185), who coach Justin Alumbaugh does not hesitant in saying is a "Division I" quarterback. That's rare air for Alumbaugh to go out on such a limb. Faavae is definitely the speed QB, a 10.60-second sprinter in the 100 meter dash. Makes for an interesting combination. Waiting in the wings in the backfield is Duece Jones-Drew, the sophomore son of former NFL standout Maurice Jones-Drew, who starred for the Spartans at the turn of the century. As much as Alumbaugh likes everything about his team, he knows Grant will present significant challenges: "Grant is really good — big, physical, fast. They are as advertised." The Pacers, a state runner-up last season and state champion in 2022, They feature returning quarterback Luke Alexander who completed 191 of 289 passes last year for 3,105 yards and 43 touchdowns. If he didn't get concussed in the first half of last year's state title game, the Pacers would likely be two-time defending champion. Grant opened the season with a 28-7 win over Edison-Stockton thank largely to 20 carries for 181 yards and three touchdowns by Brandon Lambert. De La Salle (0-0) has won a state best seven state titles, but looking for their first since 2015. WATCH: NFHS

Grant Union QB Luke Alexander during 21-19 2023 CIF State D2-AA loss to La Serna. Alexander threw for 43 touchdowns in 2023 and is one of the top QBs to watch in the SJS in 2024. / Photo: Joe Bergman

3. Oak Ridge at San Clemente (Prediction: San Clemente 21, Oak Ridge 20)

Both teams lost tough openers, San Clement 17-16 in overtime to Chaparral and Oak Ridge to Central power Frontier of Bakersfield, 28-14. WATCH: NFHS

4. Inderkum at Marin Catholic (Prediction: Marin Catholic 24, Inderkum 21)

First meeting between the two NorCal powers. Marin Catholic (0-0) is the defending state 3-A champion and Inderkum (1-0) is coming off an 11-2 season. WATCH: NFHS

5. St. Mary's at Central Catholic (Prediictions: St. Mary's 28, Central Catholic 27)

Now this has been an annual rivalry like few others in the SJS. St. Mary's owns an 11-7 edge in the series since 2006 with St. Mary's winning last year's game 42-33. Other scores in the series: 45-41 (SM 2007), 27-25 (CC 2008), 25-24 (SM 2011), 18-13 (SM 2014) and 41-27 (CC 2021). St. Mary's (0-1) is coming off a disappointing 21-14 loss at Bishop Monogue in Reno last week, while Central Catholic (1-0) recorded a 28-21 win over Northern Section power Pleasant Valley. WATCH: NFHS

6. Vacaville at Granite Bay (Prediction: Granite Bay 21, Vacaville 17)

Another fun series that has renewed every nonleague series since 2004 with Granite Bay (1-0) holding a 11-7-1 lead. That one tie was in 2004, a 37-37 deadlock. Granite Bay has won the last three 14-9, 35-13 and 35-13. Vacaville opened with a 23-21 win over Escalon. WATCH: NFHS

7. West Park at Casa Roble (Prediction: West Park 21, Casa Roble 20)

Casa Roble (0-1) comes in with a little chip after getting beat soundly by Placer, 42-20. West Park (1-0) pulled out a defensive struggle, 10-7 over Whitney.

8. Bishop Monogue at Rocklin (Rocklin 24, Bishop Monogue 14)

Bishop Monogue (2-0) would love to score two straight wins over a SJS team, but Rocklin, the section's No. 3 team, features one of Northern California's top junior quarterbacks in Reeve Slone, who accounted for three touchdowns in a 41-28 win over Turlock. Bishop Monogue hopes to go 3-0 after beating Damonte Ranch (48-14) and St. Mary's (14-7). WATCH: NFHS

9. Monterey Trail at Pittsburg (Prediction: Pittsburg 35, Monterey Trail 21)

This was a low scoring affair last year with the host Pirates holding on for a 10-7 win. The host Pirates (0-0) are loaded this season with a ton of returners at all key spots, including second-year starting QB Marley Alcantara, who threw for 2,675 yards and 37 touchdowns last season. Monterey Trail opened with a tough 27-21 loss to Inderkum. WATCH: NFHS

10. Patterson at California (Prediction: California 29, Patterson 28)

First meeting between the two schools. Patterson (1-0) opened with a 39-21 win over Merced as Max Medina threw for 324 yards and three scores and Jeremiah Luogo rushed for 195 yards and three more scores and Noah Cozart had eight catches for 171 yards and three touchdowns. WATCH: NFHS