Santa Teresa or Hillsdale? Pittsburg or St. John Bosco? Gunn or Monta Vista?
The Bay Area News Group’s high school crew is back for another week of football predictions.
Christian Babcock, Nathan Canilao and Joseph Dycus join long-timers Mike Lefkow and Darren Sabedra to see who can pick the most games correctly each week.
All in good fun, of course.
The guys had differing expectations for Pittsburg – which is headed to the Los Angeles area to play at powerhouse St. John Bosco-Bellflower.
Dycus predicted one touchdown and Sabedra predicted an even 10 points for the visitors.
Canilao – who watched Pittsburg hang 56 on Archbishop Riordan last week – predicted an offensive explosion for the Pirates.
“I’m going to triple you Joseph and say they’ll score three touchdowns,” Canilao said. “If Serra can get some points on the board, I think Pittsburg has enough playmakers to give us two or more touchdowns.”
When discussing the other side of the ball, Babcock came away thoroughly impressed by Archbishop Mitty, the team that has defied preseason expectations by leaning on defense and the run game to start 3-0.
“Their identity, as always, is to be gritty,” Babcock said. “Which is funny, because they’re called the Monarchs, but they make it work. They hang in there and play tough defense.”
The guys didn’t just talk about the heavy-hitters this week, though. Among the games picked was Gunn at Monta Vista – a matchup that pits surprising 3-0 teams against each other.
“I think that 2024 has been a good year for Gunn,” Dycus said. “They beat Palo Alto in (boys) basketball, they won a league title in softball, and I think they’ll start 4-0 in football.”
Be sure to check out the video.
If you just want the picks, including a bonus game not in the video, keep scrolling.
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On to the picks …
WEEK 4 PICKS
Thursday
Milpitas (2-1) at Homestead (2-1), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Milpitas
Dycus: Milpitas
Canilao: Milpitas
Babcock: Milpitas
Lefkow: Milpitas
Friday
Woodside (2-1) at Half Moon Bay (3-0), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Half Moon Bay
Dycus: Half Moon Bay
Canilao: Half Moon Bay
Babcock: Half Moon Bay
Lefkow: Half Moon Bay
San Leandro (2-1) at Foothill (2-1), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Foothill
Dycus: San Leandro
Canilao: San Leandro
Babcock: Foothill
Lefkow: Foothill
Campolindo (1-2) at El Cerrito (3-0), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: El Cerrito
Dycus: El Cerrito
Canilao: El Cerrito
Babcock: El Cerrito
Lefkow: El Cerrito
Arcata (3-0) at Oakland (3-0), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Arcata
Dycus: Oakland
Canilao: Oakland
Babcock: Oakland
Lefkow: Arcata
Bishop O’Dowd (2-1) at Cardinal Newman (3-0), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Cardinal Newman
Dycus: Bishop O’Dowd
Canilao: Cardinal Newman
Babcock: Cardinal Newman
Lefkow: Cardinal Newman
Liberty (2-1) at Amador Valley (1-2), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Liberty
Dycus: Amador Valley
Canilao: Liberty
Babcock: Liberty
Lefkow: Liberty
Terra Linda (2-0) at Heritage (2-1), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Heritage
Dycus: Heritage
Canilao: Heritage
Babcock: Terra Linda
Lefkow: Heritage
South San Francisco (2-1) at Carlmont (2-1), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Carlmont
Dycus: South San Francisco
Canilao: Carlmont
Babcock: South San Francisco
Lefkow: Carlmont
Burlingame (2-1) at Wilcox (2-1), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Wilcox
Dycus: Wilcox
Canilao: Wilcox
Babcock: Wilcox
Lefkow: Wilcox
Gunn (3-0) at Monta Vista (3-0), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Monta Vista
Dycus: Gunn
Canilao: Gunn
Babcock: Monta Vista
Lefkow: Monta Vista
Hillsdale (2-1) at Santa Teresa (3-0), 7:15 p.m.
Sabedra: Santa Teresa
Dycus: Santa Teresa
Canilao: Santa Teresa
Babcock: Santa Teresa
Lefkow: Santa Teresa
Menlo School (3-0) at Capuchino (3-0), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Menlo School
Dycus: Menlo School
Canilao: Menlo School
Babcock: Menlo School
Lefkow: Menlo School
De La Salle (3-0) at St. Mary’s-Stockton (2-1), 7:15 p.m.
Sabedra: De La Salle
Dycus: De La Salle
Canilao: De La Salle
Babcock: De La Salle
Lefkow: De La Salle
Pittsburg (3-0) at St. John Bosco-Bellflower (4-0), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: St. John Bosco-Bellflower
Dycus: St. John Bosco-Bellflower
Canilao: St. John Bosco-Bellflower
Babcock: St. John Bosco-Bellflower
Lefkow: St. John Bosco-Bellflower
BONUS GAME
San Ramon Valley (3-0) at McClymonds (1-2), 7:15 p.m.
Sabedra: San Ramon Valley
Dycus: San Ramon Valley
Canilao: San Ramon Valley
Babcock: San Ramon Valley
Lefkow: San Ramon Valley
WEEK 3 PICKS
Friday
San Ramon Valley 31, Clayton Valley 15
Sabedra: San Ramon Valley (W)
Dycus: San Ramon Valley (W)
Canilao: San Ramon Valley (W)
Babcock: San Ramon Valley (W)
Lefkow: San Ramon Valley (W)
Hayward 40, Tennyson 32
Sabedra: Hayward (W)
Dycus: Hayward (W)
Canilao: Hayward (W)
Babcock: Hayward (W)
Lefkow: Hayward (W)
Heritage 22, Dublin 13
Sabedra: Heritage (W)
Dycus: Heritage (W)
Canilao: Heritage (W)
Babcock: Heritage (W)
Lefkow: Heritage (W)
Windsor 33, Campolindo 14
Sabedra: Windsor (W)
Dycus: Campolindo (L)
Canilao: Windsor (W)
Babcock: Campolindo (L)
Lefkow: Campolindo (L)
Christopher 31, Palo Alto 21
Sabedra: Palo Alto (L)
Dycus: Palo Alto (L)
Canilao: Palo Alto (L)
Babcock: Palo Alto (L)
Lefkow: Palo Alto (L)
South San Francisco 25, Leigh 20
Sabedra: Leigh (L)
Dycus: South San Francisco (W)
Canilao: Leigh (L)
Babcock: Leigh (L)
Lefkow: Leigh (L)
Archbishop Mitty 21, Menlo-Atherton 0
Sabedra: Archbishop Mitty (W)
Dycus: Menlo-Atherton (L)
Canilao: Menlo-Atherton (L)
Babcock: Menlo-Atherton (L)
Lefkow: Menlo-Atherton (L)
Santa Teresa 41, Pioneer 35, OT
Sabedra: Santa Teresa (W)
Dycus: Santa Teresa (W)
Canilao: Santa Teresa (W)
Babcock: Santa Teresa (W)
Lefkow: Santa Teresa (W)
Wilcox 39, Sacred Heart Cathedral 14
Sabedra: Wilcox (W)
Dycus: Sacred Heart Cathedral (L)
Canilao: Wilcox (W)
Babcock: Sacred Heart Cathedral (L)
Lefkow: Sacred Heart Cathedral (L)
McClymonds 28, Bishop O’Dowd 14
Sabedra: McClymonds (W)
Dycus: McClymonds (W)
Canilao: Bishop O’Dowd (L)
Babcock: Bishop O’Dowd (L)
Lefkow: McClymonds (W)
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Pittsburg 56, Archbishop Riordan 42
Sabedra: Pittsburg (W)
Dycus: Pittsburg (W)
Canilao: Pittsburg (W)
Babcock: Pittsburg (W)
Lefkow: Pittsburg (W)
De La Salle 42, St. Francis 7
Sabedra: De La Salle (W)
Dycus: St. Francis (L)
Canilao: De La Salle (W)
Babcock: De La Salle (W)
Lefkow: De La Salle (W)
St. Ignatius 16, Cathedral-San Diego 14
Sabedra: Cathedral-San Diego (L)
Dycus: Cathedral-San Diego (L)
Canilao: Cathedral-San Diego (L)
Babcock: Cathedral-San Diego (L)
Lefkow: Cathedral-San Diego (L)
Saturday
Half Moon Bay 22, Sacred Heart Prep 21
Sabedra: Half Moon Bay (W)
Dycus: Half Moon Bay (W)
Canilao: Sacred Heart Prep (L)
Babcock: Sacred Heart Prep (L)
Lefkow: Sacred Heart Prep (L)
St. John Bosco-Bellflower 56, Serra 16
Sabedra: St. John Bosco-Bellflower (W)
Dycus: St. John Bosco-Bellflower (W)
Canilao: St. John Bosco-Bellflower (W)
Babcock: St. John Bosco-Bellflower (W)
Lefkow: St. John Bosco-Bellflower (W)
WEEK 3 STANDINGS
Sabedra: 12-3
Dycus: 9-6
Canilao: 9-6
Lefkow: 8-7
Babcock: 7-8
SEASON STANDINGS
Sabedra: 33-12
Canilao: 29-16
Babcock: 26-19
Lefkow: 26-19
Dycus: 26-19