Serra or St. Ignatius? Christopher or Branham? Acalanes or Amador Valley?
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.
This week, the guys were unanimous in just six of the 14 games on the list — and Serra’s visit to St. Ignatius on Friday night was not among them.
Dycus, who sits last in the season standings, went against the group by picking SI in the West Catholic Athletic League opener.
“I’m going to completely contradict what I said earlier about Serra being the best team in the WCAL,” Dycus said. “I still think they are. But you know what? SI, they’re playing at home, coming off a big win. They’ve got college talent, just like Serra does.
“Give me SI.”
The guys unanimously picked De La Salle to beat El Cerrito in one of this week’s Top 10 matchups. But at least one made a bold prediction.
“I’m probably gonna agree with the computer a little bit,” Canilao said, referring to calpreps predicting De La Salle to win 42-6. “I’m gonna go De La Salle, and I think this one might be a blowout.”
One of the toughest picks of the week was Heritage visiting Livermore on Friday. Both will bring 3-1 records to the field.
Our guys were unanimous, each picking Heritage, but they’re not entirely convinced.
“I’m going Heritage, but I think this is another one that’s pretty close,” Babcock said. “But like Nathan said, emotion can go different ways. I think they’ll be locked in ready to go.”
Before making the picks, the guys gave their thoughts on the WCAL race, Pittsburg’s competitive loss against St. John Bosco and what San Ramon Valley’s dominant start could mean moving forward.
Be sure to check out the video.
If you just want the picks, keep scrolling.
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On to the picks …
WEEK 5 PICKS
Thursday
Christopher (3-1) at Branham (3-1), 7:15 p.m.
Sabedra: Christopher
Dycus: Branham
Canilao: Branham
Babcock: Christopher
Lefkow: Christopher
Friday
Acalanes (3-1) at Amador Valley (1-3), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Acalanes
Dycus: Acalanes
Canilao: Acalanes
Babcock: Amador Valley
Lefkow: Amador Valley
Berkeley (3-1) at Moreau Catholic (1-3), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Moreau Catholic
Dycus: Berkeley
Canilao: Berkeley
Babcock: Moreau Catholic
Lefkow: Moreau Catholic
Heritage (3-1) at Livermore (3-1), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Heritage
Dycus: Heritage
Canilao: Heritage
Babcock: Heritage
Lefkow: Heritage
Sacred Heart Prep (2-2) at Hillsdale (2-2), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: SHP
Dycus: SHP
Canilao: SHP
Babcock: Hillsdale
Lefkow: Hillsdale
Newark Memorial (2-2) at Alameda (3-1), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Alameda
Dycus: Alameda
Canilao: Alameda
Babcock: Alameda
Lefkow: Alameda
Leland (2-2) at Silver Creek (3-0), 7:15 p.m.
Sabedra: Silver Creek
Dycus: Silver Creek
Canilao: Silver Creek
Babcock: Silver Creek
Lefkow: Leland
Willow Glen (3-0) at Pioneer (2-2), 7:15 p.m.
Sabedra: Willow Glen
Dycus: Willow Glen
Canilao: Willow Glen
Babcock: Willow Glen
Lefkow: Pioneer
California (4-0) at Granada (2-2), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: California
Dycus: California
Canilao: California
Babcock: California
Lefkow: California
Serra (1-2) at St. Ignatius (2-1), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Serra
Dycus: St. Ignatius
Canilao: Serra
Babcock: Serra
Lefkow: Serra
De La Salle (4-0) at El Cerrito (4-0), 7:30 p.m.
Sabedra: De La Salle
Dycus: De La Salle
Canilao: De La Salle
Babcock: De La Salle
Lefkow: De La Salle
Saturday
Miramonte (3-1) at Menlo School (4-0), 1:30 p.m.
Sabedra: Menlo School
Dycus: Miramonte
Canilao: Miramonte
Babcock: Menlo School
Lefkow: Menlo School
Sacred Heart Cathedral (2-1) at Archbishop Riordan (1-2), 1:30 p.m.
Sabedra: Riordan
Dycus: Riordan
Canilao: Riordan
Babcock: Riordan
Lefkow: Riordan
Archbishop Mitty (3-0) at Valley Christian (1-2), 6 p.m.
Sabedra: Mitty
Dycus: Mitty
Canilao: Mitty
Babcock: Mitty
Lefkow: Mitty
WEEK 4 RESULTS
Milpitas 27, Homestead 6
Sabedra: Milpitas (W)
Dycus: Milpitas (W)
Canilao: Milpitas (W)
Babcock: Milpitas (W)
Lefkow: Milpitas (W)
Half Moon Bay 43, Woodside 29
Sabedra: Half Moon Bay (W)
Dycus: Half Moon Bay (W)
Canilao: Half Moon Bay (W)
Babcock: Half Moon Bay (W)
Lefkow: Half Moon Bay (W)
Foothill 30, San Leandro 29
Sabedra: Foothill (W)
Dycus: San Leandro (L)
Canilao: San Leandro (L)
Babcock: Foothill (W)
Lefkow: Foothill (W)
El Cerrito 49, Campolindo 0
Sabedra: El Cerrito (W)
Dycus: El Cerrito (W)
Canilao: El Cerrito (W)
Babcock: El Cerrito (W)
Lefkow: El Cerrito (W)
Arcata 38, Oakland 20
Sabedra: Arcata (W)
Dycus: Oakland (L)
Canilao: Oakland (L)
Babcock: Oakland (L)
Lefkow: Arcata (W)
Cardinal Newman 56, Bishop O’Dowd 0
Sabedra: Cardinal Newman (W)
Dycus: Bishop O’Dowd (L)
Canilao: Cardinal Newman (W)
Babcock: Cardinal Newman (W)
Lefkow: Cardinal Newman (W)
Liberty 35, Amador Valley 28
Sabedra: Liberty (W)
Dycus: Amador Valley (L)
Canilao: Liberty (W)
Babcock: Liberty (W)
Lefkow: Liberty (W)
Heritage 56, Terra Linda 0
Sabedra: Heritage (W)
Dycus: Heritage (W)
Canilao: Heritage (W)
Babcock: Terra Linda (L)
Lefkow: Heritage (W)
Carlmont 26, South San Francisco 21
Sabedra: Carlmont (W)
Dycus: South San Francisco (L)
Canilao: Carlmont (W)
Babcock: South San Francisco (L)
Lefkow: Carlmont (W)
Burlingame 19, Wilcox 18
Sabedra: Wilcox (L)
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Dycus: Wilcox (L)
Canilao: Wilcox (L)
Babcock: Wilcox (L)
Lefkow: Wilcox (L)
Gunn 28, Monta Vista 0
Sabedra: Monta Vista (L)
Dycus: Gunn (W)
Canilao: Gunn (W)
Babcock: Monta Vista (L)
Lefkow: Monta Vista (L)
Santa Teresa 17, Hillsdale 0
Sabedra: Santa Teresa (W)
Dycus: Santa Teresa (W)
Canilao: Santa Teresa (W)
Babcock: Santa Teresa (W)
Lefkow: Santa Teresa (W)
Menlo School 38, Capuchino 28
Sabedra: Menlo School (W)
Dycus: Menlo School (W)
Canilao: Menlo School (W)
Babcock: Menlo School (W)
Lefkow: Menlo School (W)
De La Salle 38, St. Mary’s-Stockton 35
Sabedra: De La Salle (W)
Dycus: De La Salle (W)
Canilao: De La Salle (W)
Babcock: De La Salle (W)
Lefkow: De La Salle (W)
St. John Bosco-Bellflower 35, Pittsburg 14
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)
BONUS GAME
San Ramon Valley 51, McClymonds 14
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)
WEEK 4 STANDINGS
Sabedra: 14-2
Lefkow: 14-2
Canilao: 13-3
Babcock: 11-5
Dycus: 10-6
SEASON STANDINGS
Sabedra: 47-14
Canilao: 42-19
Lefkow: 40-21
Babcock: 37-24
Dycus: 36-25