Welcome back to the Bay Area News Group’s high school football preview.
Here, you’ll find the week’s top matchups and complete weekend schedule for teams in this news organization’s coverage area, which encompasses leagues based primarily in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.
Check back every Thursday morning during the season for the preview.
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On the top matchups …
No. 1 De La Salle (8-0, 2-0) at No. 9 California (7-1, 1-1), 7:15 p.m.: California will be facing its toughest test of the season when it plays host to a De La Salle team that is rolling. The Spartans cruised to a 42-7 victory over Monte Vista last week behind a three-touchdown performance from quarterback Toa Faavae. Faave along with running backs Dominic Kelley, Derrick Blanche, Duece Jones-Drew and Jaden Jefferson have formed one of the scariest rushing attacks in the state as the Spartans are averaging over 38 points per game this season. California will be well-rested coming off a bye. The Grizzlies’ offense runs through running back Jhadis Luckey, who rushed for 317 yards and five touchdowns on 33 carries in California’s 50-36 win over Monte Vista two weeks ago. Quarterback Arjun Banerjee is also a threat as he has thrown for over 1,200 yards and 16 touchdowns this season. Calpreps’ computer picked De La Salle to cruise again, 46-14. – Nathan Canilao
No. 3 St. Francis (7-1, 5-0) at No. 7 Valley Christian (5-3, 4-1), 7 p.m.: The stakes are high in this one as both teams remain alive in the chase for the West Catholic Athletic League championship with two games to play. St. Francis can claim at least a share of the league crown with a victory. If Valley wins, it is likely that St. Francis, Valley and St. Ignatius – which plays Sacred Heart Cathedral on Friday – will enter the final weekend of the regular season tied for first. Next week, St. Francis plays at Archbishop Riordan, Valley travels to Serra and SI meets Archbishop Mitty at Foothill College. St. Francis has won its past three against Valley, but none by more than two scores. Before that, Valley had won four in a row in the series. This season, St. Francis has relied heavily on senior RB Kingston Keanaaina, who averages 9.2 yards per carry. He has rushed for 1,580 yards and 15 TDs. QB Aaron Knapp has passed for 10 TDs for the Lancers. Valley’s Marcel Leggett and Ekiah McLemore have combined to rush for 1,221 yards and 12 TDs. Calpreps projects St. Francis to win 21-14. – Darren Sabedra
No. 10 Wilcox (6-2, 3-0) at No. 6 Los Gatos (7-1, 3-0), 7 p.m.: The annual battle for a league championship comes to a head in Los Gatos. The two best South Bay public school teams will slug it out once again in what has been a perennial showdown, this time for the top spot in the Peninsula Athletic League’s Bay Division. Wilcox has won four games in a row since a surprise one-point loss to Burlingame, while Los Gatos has not lost since facing No. 2 Pittsburg on Oct. 4. Kai Imahara and Brayden Rosa form a potent one-two punch in the backfield for Wilcox. Rosa ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns in Wilcox’s 35-7 win over Sacred Heart Prep last Friday. Imahara took an option keeper around the left side for a 70-yard TD on the first play from scrimmage. Defensively, Elijah Vallejo snagged two interceptions for the Chargers. Los Gatos has played both quarterbacks Scotty Brennan and Callum Schweitzer this season. Brennan completed 5 of 10 passes for 126 yards and a score in the Cats’ 38-0 win over Menlo School. Schweitzer completed 2 of 5 tosses for 73 yards and two TDs. Max Thomas is the leading receiver for the Wildcats, averaging 58.6 yards per game. Grayson Doslak is Los Gatos’ top rusher with 486 yards this year. Calpreps is taking Los Gatos, 31-17. – Christian Babcock
No. 12 Acalanes (6-2, 2-0) at Campolindo (4-4, 1-1), 7 p.m.: Acalanes can lock up at least a share of the DAL Foothill title with a victory and close in on its first outright league title since 1981. Of course, the Dons appeared to be well on their way to doing that last season, until they gave up a 14-point lead to Campo in the fourth quarter and lost 25-24. Acalanes sophomore QB Tyler Winkles has formed a potent combo with senior wide receiver Niko White (821 yards, 12 TDs). Senior linemen Drew McKenzie and Bethel Imasuen have combined for 12 sacks. Campolindo will counter with a passing game headlined by quarterback Reid Habas and wide receiver Joe Revelos. Running back Micah Parker is a speedster who can take any carry the distance. The Cougars have won four consecutive games against Acalanes, but CalPreps favors the visitors 31-21. – Joseph Dycus
Sequoia (4-4, 3-0) at No. 25 San Mateo (7-1, 4-0), 7 p.m: The path to an outright league championship is clear for San Mateo. If the Bearcats win on Friday, they are the Peninsula Athletic League’s Ocean Division champion. But for that to happen, San Mateo will have to cool off one of the hottest teams on the Peninsula. Since beginning the season 0-4 under new coach Frank Mems, Sequoia has won four consecutive games to put itself in a position for the outright Ocean crown. If the Ravens win on Friday and again next Friday at home against Carlmont, they will be the outright Ocean champion. Sequoia has gotten it done behind senior RB Jordan Crockett V, whose return from injury in the team’s fifth game has ignited the resurgence. He has rushed for 612 yards and seven TDs. San Mateo is led by senior RB Emmanuel J Fitzgerald (824 yards, five TDs rushing) and QB Cameron Palma (six TDs passing, two rushing). Calpreps is taking San Mateo, 21-7. – Darren Sabedra
Schedule
Thursday, Oct. 31
SOUTH BAY/PENINSULA
BVAL Mt. Hamilton
Leigh at Christopher, 7:15 p.m.
BVAL Santa Teresa-Valley
Leland at Gilroy, 7:15 p.m.
BVAL West Valley
Evergreen Valley at Mt. Pleasant, 7:15 p.m.
PAL De Anza
The King’s Academy at Aragon, 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 1
EAST BAY
Bay Valley
Freedom at Liberty, 7 p.m.
Heritage at Antioch, 7 p.m.
Pittsburg at Deer Valley, 7 p.m.
DAL Foothill
Acalanes at Campolindo, 7 p.m.
Clayton Valley at Miramonte, 7 p.m.
DAL Valley
Benicia at College Park, 7:30 p.m.
Northgate at Alhambra, 7 p.m.
DAL Mountain
Berean Christian at Concord, 7:30 p.m.
Mt. Diablo at Ygnacio Valley, 7 p.m.
EBAL Mountain
Amador Valley at Monte Vista, 7 p.m.
De La Salle at California, 7:15 p.m.
EBAL Valley
Dougherty Valley at Granada, 7 p.m.
Foothill at Livermore, 7:15 p.m.
Oakland Athletic League
Castlemont at Oakland Tech, 7 p.m.
Oakland at McClymonds, 7 p.m.
Skyline at Fremont-Oakland, 7 p.m.
TCAL Rock
Pinole Valley at El Cerrito, 7 p.m.
Vallejo at De Anza, 7 p.m.
TCAL Stone
Hercules at Richmond, 7 p.m.
Kennedy-Richmond vs. Bethel at Vallejo, 7 p.m.
WACC Foothill
Logan at Bishop O’Dowd, 7 p.m.
San Leandro at Castro Valley, 7 p.m.
Tennyson at Berkeley, 7 p.m.
WACC Mission
Irvington at Hayward, 7 p.m.
WACC Shoreline
Arroyo vs. American at Washington-Fremont, 7 p.m.
Mt. Eden vs. Encinal at Estuary Park, 7 p.m.
SOUTH BAY/PENINSULA
BVAL Mt. Hamilton
Branham at Oak Grove, 7:15 p.m.
Santa Teresa at Lincoln-San Jose, 7:15 p.m.
BVAL Santa Teresa-Foothill
Del Mar at Piedmont Hills, 7:15 p.m.
Independence at Silver Creek, 7:15 p.m.
Overfelt at Pioneer, 7:15 p.m.
BVAL Santa Teresa-Valley
Leland at Gilroy, 7:15 p.m.
Westmont at Willow Glen, 7:15 p.m.
BVAL West Valley
Lick at Hill, 7:15 p.m.
Yerba Buena at San Jose, 7:15 p.m.
PAL Bay
Wilcox at Los Gatos, 7 p.m.
PAL De Anza
King’s Academy at Aragon, 7 p.m.
Mountain View at Hillsdale, 7 p.m.
PAL Ocean
Milpitas at Terra Nova, 7 p.m.
Sequoia at San Mateo, 7 p.m.
PAL El Camino
Homestead at South San Francisco, 7 p.m.
Santa Clara at Los Altos, 7 p.m.
Woodside at Fremont-Sunnyvale, 7 p.m.
PAL Lake
Cupertino at Lynbrook, 7 p.m.
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Gunn at Saratoga, 7 p.m.
MacDonald at El Camino, 7 p.m.
Monta Vista at Mills, 7 p.m.
West Catholic
Archbishop Mitty vs. Bellarmine at San Jose City College, 7 p.m.
St. Ignatius vs. Sacred Heart Cathedral at Kezar Stadium, 5 p.m.
St. Francis at Valley Christian, 7 p.m.
INTERSECTIONAL
Redwood Christian at Esparto, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 2
EAST BAY
TCAL Rock
St. Mary’s-Berkeley at Salesian, 1:30 p.m.
WACC Mission
WACC Mission
Newark Memorial at Washington-Fremont, 7 p.m.
Piedmont vs. Kennedy-Fremont at Washington-Fremont, 2 p.m.
WACC Shoreline
Alameda at San Lorenzo, noon
SOUTH BAY/PENINSULA
BVAL Santa Teresa-Valley
Prospect at Sobrato, 2:30 p.m.
PAL Bay
Menlo-Atherton at Sacred Heart Prep, 2 p.m.
Palo Alto at Menlo School, 3 p.m.
PAL De Anza
Burlingame at Capuchino, 7 p.m.
PAL Ocean
Carlmont at Half Moon Bay, 7 p.m.
West Catholic
Serra at Archbishop Riordan, 1:30 p.m.