Top matchups
No. 1 De La Salle (2-0) at No. 8 St. Francis (1-0), Friday, 7:30 p.m.: Fourth game between the teams since 2017. De La Salle has won them all. The 2018 game, the only one until now played in Mountain View, was the tightest of the previous three. De La Salle won 33-15 on a night when St. Francis had a few golden opportunities to take advantage of turnovers that would have made things interesting. When De La Salle won the rematch 48-0 in Concord in 2019, St. Francis had a roster filled with sophomores. Those young players are now seniors. St. Francis won its opener over Oak Grove 55-0 last week after its scheduled opener, Aug. 27 at Central Catholic-Modesto, was canceled because of poor air quality from the wildfires. De La Salle beat St. Mary’s-Stockton 52-16 in Week 1 and Monterey Trail-Elk Grove 68-6 last week. DB/RB Zeke Berry (foot) didn’t play for DLS against Monterey Trail but will be back Friday, coach Justin Alumbaugh said. TE Brodie Tagaloa, who missed last week’s game, is still out, according to Alumbaugh. Luke Dermon threw four TD passes against Monterey Trail to four targets. Viliami Teu ran for three TDs and Kamau Julien rushed for two in St. Francis’ rout of Oak Grove. — Darren Sabedra
No. 5 Valley Christian (2-0) at No. 3 Pittsburg (0-1), Friday, 7 p.m.: Valley Christian has silenced any doubters with large wins over two tough teams. But neither matches the magnitude of the Warriors’ game this week. The Pirates’ started their season a week and a day late because of wildfires but still hung with Folsom, which CalPreps considers the No. 5 team in the state and which had two games already under its belt. There’s room for improvement for the Pirates: Their young secondary will be challenged again against Valley Christian QB Jakson Berman (53% passing, 252 yards, 5 TD; 286 rush yards, 5 TDs), one of the top sprinters in the state, and his top receiving target Jurrion Dickey (13 receptions, 205 yards, 4 TD), who this week earned an offer from USC. Last week, Folsom passed for 388 yards and scored 38 points. Expect the Pirates to score more than 17 with an attack led by QB Jaden Rashada, who spread the ball around to seven receivers last week. Junior RB Charles Brown Jr. also impressed in his starting debut, going over 100 yards and scoring both Pittsburg’s touchdowns. — Evan Webeck
PREP FOOTBALL WEEK 3 COVERAGE
- Passing the eye test: Can St. Francis pose a threat to DLS?
- Predictions: Darren Sabedra, Evan Webeck, Mike Lefkow pick Week 3’s top games
- Football rankings: Bay Area News Group Top 25
- Monday Morning Lights: What happened to Campolindo?
- Where to find our Week 2 content
No. 4 San Ramon Valley (1-0) at Central Catholic-Modesto (2-0), Thursday, 6 p.m.: This is likely going to be the toughest test San Ramon Valley will face until a three-week stretch against Clayton Valley, De La Salle and California in October. Central Catholic is a replacement for the Vintage game on Aug. 27 that was canceled due to the smoke-filled air in Northern California. Wolves coach Aaron Becker couldn’t have found a much tougher opponent. Combine a 65-mile bus ride, a game that will likely kick off in 100-degree heat and a host team ranked above SRV in Calpreps.com state poll, and you get a picture of what the Wolves are up against. On the other hand, SRV’s 34-7 wipeout of Bishop O’Dowd was impressive. Central Catholic has a three-point win over Merced and a 41-27 triumph over St. Mary’s-Stockton, which was playing without its starting quarterback. The Raiders like to keep the ball on the ground, with more than seven of every 10 yards gained in their first two games coming on handoffs. SRV has an excellent defense led by three-star recruits (247sports) Tyler Hoffman, who had five sacks against O’Dowd, and linebacker Tanner Salisbury, who also plays receiver. The offense has two more three-stars in OL Jackson Brown, who is committed to Cal, and senior QB Jack Quigley. — Mike Lefkow
No. 9 California (2-0) at Freedom (1-1), Friday, 7 p.m.: Both teams have displayed strong offenses in their first two games. But California has also played good defense, yielding 27 points thus far. Freedom held Hayward to one touchdown in its opener, then San Leandro piled on 55 last Friday. The Pirates needed most of it to win 55-44. Both teams have offensive-minded coaches. Veteran Cal coach Dan Calcagno has QB Teddy Booras, receivers Jake Calcagno and Dominick Tuyor, and RB Trevor Rund to run his offense. All are seniors. Freedom is a young team under first-year coach Zach Sims. “They run a good offensive scheme,” San Leandro coach Brad Bowers said. Sophomore QB Taylor Edmon is a budding star. In two games he is 24-of-32 for 430 yards and four TDs. He has two good targets in sophomore Herschel Turner Jr. and junior Dominick Tomlin. Top rusher Shamond Brooks Jr. is a senior. Don’t expect a 7-6 outcome, but if one team scores 50 or more, it’s likely this game will be a rout. — Mike Lefkow
No. 11 Clayton Valley (1-1) vs. Liberty-Bakersfield (3-0) in Honor Bowl at Liberty-Brentwood, Saturday, 7:30 p.m.: The finale of the 2021 Honor Bowl features a loaded Liberty squad and ever-competitive Clayton Valley. Liberty has lived up to its reputation as one of the Central Valley’s top teams with three wins — and a 135-3 point differential — but the Ugly Eagles present their toughest test yet. Clayton should have a rare home-field advantage, despite the neutral setting, as one of only two nonconference games within an hour-and-a-half drive from campus. The Ugly Eagles took a tough loss at Del Oro-Loomis last week, but their offensive system appears to be churning along despite replacing its top two playmakers and mastermind Tim Murphy taking a step back this season. QB Brendan Bush and RB Rashaan Woodland II have stepped in seamlessly to starting roles this season. They’ll attempt to score the first touchdown on Liberty’s defense all year. Watch out for the Patriots’ Grant Buckey, a 6-foot-5 defensive end with offers from Michigan, Cal and Washington, rushing off the edge. — Evan Webeck
No. 12 Bellarmine (1-0) vs. No. 14 San Leandro (2-0) at Burrell Field in San Leandro, Friday, 7 p.m.: Both of these teams come into this matchup feeling good. San Leandro has victories on the road over Cardinal Newman 20-17 and Freedom 55-44. Bellarmine outlasted then-No. 5 Menlo-Atherton 56-41 in its opener and had a bye last week to get ready for San Leandro. The first to 50 points could win this one, or so it seems. San Leandro’s Devon Daniels, a 5-8, 152-pound junior, ran for 111 yards and two TDs, caught five passes and scored on four two-point conversions against Freedom. Ben Pfaff, a 5-11, 190-pound junior for Bellarmine, ran for 207 yards and four TDs in 20 carries and Wade Smith passed for 280 yards and three TDs against M-A. Bellarmine and San Leandro played every season from 2009-2014, with Bellarmine winning all six meetings against coach Brad Bowers’ program. (Bowers is a Bellarmine alum.) — Darren Sabedra
St. Mary’s-Stockton (0-2) at No. 13 St. Ignatius (2-0), Saturday, 1 p.m.: This will be a good test for St. Ignatius even though St. Mary’s is still seeking its first victory. The Stockton power lost to De La Salle 52-16 to open the season and Central Catholic-Modesto 41-27 last week. QB Cruz Herrera didn’t play against Central Catholic after being injured on a crushing hit in the second half against De La Salle. It is unclear if he will play Saturday. St. Mary’s trailed De La Salle 17-16 at halftime before getting outscored 35-0 in the second half. Four-star receiver Jadyn Marshall had a big day for St. Mary’s against Central Catholic. St. Ignatius, two seasons removed from sharing the West Catholic Athletic League title, has played stout defense through two games. The Wildcats won at Palo Alto 28-7 to open the season and at home against Sacred Heart Prep 13-7 last week. Aidan Smith’s 5-yard pass to Ryan Ivers accounted for SI’s only touchdown against SHP. When St. Ignatius and St. Mary’s met in San Francisco in 2014, SI won 27-24 in double OT. St. Mary’s won in Stockton the following season, 47-23. This is the first meeting between the teams since then. — Darren Sabedra
No. 18 Bishop O’Dowd (0-1) at No. 17 El Cerrito (1-1), Friday, 7:15 p.m.: Senior RB Matt White (191 all-purpose yards) dazzled for the Dragons in their season opener, but they mustered only seven points — and no offensive touchdowns — in a loss at San Ramon Valley. El Cerrito’s defense is equally staunch. The Gauchos have split their first two games but only surrendered 12 points. Robert Freeman, a three-star recruit who came down with a pick-six last week, teams up with Warren Smith to create a shutdown secondary — a stiff test for O’Dowd QB Michael Dixon, making his second varsity start. He was an efficient 18-of-26 for 114 yards but threw an interception in his starting debut last week. On offense, QB Jace Taylor and RB Antonio Hines team up in the backfield for El Cerrito; they had a far better showing last week, with 26 points, after being blanked in a 6-0 season-opening loss to Marin Catholic. — Evan Webeck
No. 23 Amador Valley (2-0) at No. 22 Dublin (2-0), Friday, 7 p.m.: This would have been an East Bay Athletic League contest two years ago, when both schools were in the Valley Division. But Amador Valley has since moved to the tougher Mountain Division, so it’s now a non-league game. Dublin is 0-5 against the Dons in the MaxPreps era. This game will be a test of how far Dublin has progressed under third-year coach Brandon Black, who’s 10-7 record is better than any Gaels’ coach since MaxPreps began keeping records in 2004. On paper, Amador Valley appears to have more talent, led by junior edge rusher Brady Nassar, who goes 6-foot-5, 240, has an offer from Washington, and is hearing from Cal and Arizona. He’s a 247sports three-star recruit. Quarterback E.J. Thomsen is 15-of 19 for 212 yards and three touchdowns. Marcus Hoerz (5-9, 215) has rushed for 219 yards. Kai Burgermeister (6-1, 210) has seven catches for 122 yards and two scores. The Dons have outscored their opponents 92-7, but Dublin has the most impressive win thus far, beating Heritage 21-6 in its opener. Receiver T.J. Costello (6-1, 230) is hard to defend. QB Anthony Armendariz has passed for 445 yards and four TDs. K.J. Sweeney has 23 tackles. This is a chance for Dublin to flex is new-found muscle. — Mike Lefkow
Schedule
Thursday, Sept. 9
South Bay/Peninsula
The King’s Academy 20, Homestead 19
Leigh 48, Mt. Pleasant 0
Lincoln-San Jose 62, Willow Glen 8
Palo Alto 27, Pioneer 10
Westmont 48, Saratoga 14
Yerba Buena 34, Mills 33
Intersectional
Central Catholic-Modesto 21, San Ramon Valley 14
Friday, Sept. 10
South Bay/Peninsula
Aragon at Woodside, 7 p.m.
Capuchino at Sequoia, 7 p.m.
Carlmont at San Mateo, 7 p.m.
Cupertino at Prospect, 7 p.m.
El Camino at Hillsdale, 7 p.m.
Gunderson at Overfelt, 7 p.m.
Hill at Gunn, 7 p.m.
Independence at Fremont-Sunnyvale 7 p.m.
Jefferson at Terra Nova, 7 p.m.
Leland at Wilcox, 7 p.m.
Los Gatos at Live Oak, 7 p.m.
Milpitas at Silver Creek, 7 p.m.
Mountain View at Los Altos, 7 p.m.
Piedmont Hills at Branham, 7 p.m.
Sacred Heart Cathedral at Burlingame, 7 p.m.
Santa Clara at Del Mar, 7 p.m.
East Bay
Campolindo at Liberty in Honor Bowl, 7 p.m.
Alameda at Encinal, 7 p.m.
Amador Valley at Dublin, 7 p.m.
American at Mt. Diablo, 7 p.m.
American Canyon at Berkeley, 7 p.m.
Bishop O’Dowd at El Cerrito, 7:15 p.m.
California at Freedom, 7 p.m.
Carrillo at Benicia, 7:30 p.m.
Dougherty Valley at Washington-Fremont, 7 p.m.
Granada at Castro Valley, 7 p.m.
Miramonte at Lower Lake, 7:30 p.m.
Monte Vista at James Logan, 7 p.m.
Mt. Eden at Tennyson, 7 p.m.
Northgate at Las Lomas, 7 p.m.
San Marin at Moreau Catholic, 7 p.m.
St. Mary’s-Albany at Justin-Siena, 7 p.m.
St. Patrick-St. Vincent vs. Bethel at Vallejo, 7:30 p.m.
Intersectional
Albany at Lowell, 3 p.m.
Balboa at Acalanes, 7 p.m.
Bellarmine vs. San Leandro at Burrell Field in San Leandro, 7 p.m.
Burton at Monta Vista, 6 p.m.
De Anza at McClymonds, 7 p.m.
Deer Valley at San Jose, 7 p.m.
De La Salle at St. Francis, 7:30 p.m.
Durham at Piedmont, 7:30 p.m.
Hercules at Castlemont, 7 p.m.
Irvington at Lick, 7 p.m.
Livermore at Gregori-Modesto, 7 p.m.
Mitty at Oakdale, 7:30 p.m.
Oakland at Pinole Valley, 7:30 p.m.
San Lorenzo Valley at Richmond, 7 p.m.
Skyline at Antioch, 7 p.m.
Tokay at Concord, 7 p.m.
Valley Christian at Pittsburg, 7 p.m.
Vanden at Foothill, 7 p.m.
Ygnacio Valley at Rosemont, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 11
South Bay/Peninsula
Half Moon Bay at Serra, 2:30 p.m.
Lynbrook at Evergreen Valley, 5 p.m.
Sobrato at Rancho San Juan, noon
East Bay
Kennedy-Richmond at Novato, 2 p.m.
Salesian at Berean Christian, 1 p.m.
Intersectional
Clayton Valley vs. Liberty-Bakersfield in Honor Bowl at Liberty-Brentwood, 7:30 p.m.
Heritage vs. Clovis East in Honor Bowl at Liberty-Brentwood, noon
Menlo-Atherton vs. Pleasant Valley in Honor Bowl at Liberty-Brentwood, 4 p.m.
Mission-San Francisco at Menlo, 2 p.m.
St. Mary’s-Stockton at St. Ignatius, 1 p.m.
San Lorenzo at Fremont-Oakland, 1 p.m.
Tamalpais at Riordan, 2 p.m.
Schedule changes
For schedule updates, please let us know at highschools@bayareanewsgroup.com.
How to report results/game details
We encourage Bay Area coaches or team statisticians to email the final score and key scoring plays (a few stats, if you have them) to highschools@bayareanewsgroup.com right after each game. Please include the school names in the subject line.
Predictions
Look here as the Bay Area News Group’s Darren Sabedra and Evan Webeck and correspondent Mike Lefkow make their Week 3 predictions.
