De La Salle or St. Francis? Bishop O'Dowd or McClymonds? Pittsburg or Archbishop Riordan?
The Bay Area News Group highschool team is back for an additional week of football predictions.
Christian Babcock, Nathan Canilao and Joseph Dycus join long-time players Mike Lefkow and Darren Sabedra to see who can appropriately predict essentially the most games each week.
All just kidding, after all.
In our video panel, the crew discussed St. Francis' probabilities of defeating De La Salle for the second time in 4 years.
The Lancers beat McClymonds 34-14 last week, with Kingston Keanaaina rushing for 336 yards and scoring three touchdowns behind an enormous offensive line. They looked like classic St. Francis.
Now the Lancers will face the Bay Area News Group's No. 1 team in Concord – a DLS unit that just celebrated a 39-10 victory over Serra. The Lancers ended the Spartans' 318-game winning streak against NorCal opponents in 2021.
Four of the panelists selected DLS.
You already know who went against the grain and predicted that St. Francis would defeat De La Salle.
“Kingston Keanaaina is on another level,” Joseph Dycus proclaimed. “I think they're executing the strategy that Serra tried in the first half and they're doing it a little better. And they have the offensive line to play with De La Salle.”
That wasn't the one surprising prediction from the show. Nathan Canilao is firmly on the Bishop O'Dowd bandwagon. After watching the Dragons beat Monte Vista 24-20, he believes O'Dowd has what it takes to be the primary Oakland team to beat McClymonds since 2012.
“I've gone back and forth, but I'm sticking with O'Dowd,” Canilao said. “I'm buying all of Hardy Nickerson's stock right now. I think they're on a winning streak and believe in themselves, and they believe in themselves when no one else does.”
The Week 3 clash between Pittsburg and Archbishop Riordan is anticipated to be one other exciting matchup between the highest five teams within the Bay Area.
“Pittsburg is doing well as expected and you know there is a lot of college talent on that field,” Sabedra said.
The Pirates and Riordan have some college talent, but Serra's opponent on Saturday is actually a top-level juco team.
On Saturday, Serra hosts St. John Bosco-Bellflower in a rematch of the 2022 Open Division state championship game.
The giant of the Trinity League won this game 45-0 and the encore is unlikely to be any closer.
But even when a win just isn’t even remotely possible, Christian Babcock sees a bonus for the Padres in the sport against the superior team from Southern California.
“As much as football coaches hate to talk about moral victories, if you want to build a young team, you might as well put them against the best,” Babcock said.
Be sure to look at the video.
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TIPS FOR WEEK 3
Friday
Clayton Valley (1-1) at San Ramon Valley (2-0), 7 p.m
Sabedra: San Ramon Valley
Dycus: San Ramon Valley
Canilao: San Ramon Valley
Babcock: San Ramon Valley
Lefkow: San Ramon Valley
Hayward (1-1) at Tennyson (1-1), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Hayward
Dycus: Hayward
Canilao: Hayward
Babcock: Hayward
Lefkow: Hayward
Heritage (1-1) in Dublin (0-2), 7pm
Sabedra: Legacy
Dycus: Heritage
Canilao: Heritage
Babcock: Legacy
Lefkow: Heritage
Windsor (2-0) at Campolindo (1-1), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Windsor
Dycus: Campolindo
Canilao: Windsor
Babcock: Campolindo
Lefkow: Campolindo
Christopher (1-1) at Palo Alto (2-0), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Palo Alto
Dycus: Palo Alto
Kennel: Palo Alto
Babcock: San Francisco
Lefkow: Palo Alto
Leigh (2-0) at South San Francisco (1-1), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Leigh
Dycus: South San Francisco
Canilao: Leigh
Babcock: Leigh
Lefkow: Leigh
Menlo-Atherton (2-0) vs. Archbishop Mitty (2-0) at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Archbishop Mitty
Dycus: Menlo-Atherton
Canilao: Menlo-Atherton
Babcock: Menlo-Atherton
Lefkow: Menlo-Atherton
Pioneer (1-1) at Santa Teresa (2-0), 7 p.m.
Did you already know: Saint Teresa
Dycus: Saint Teresa
Canilao: Santa Teresa
Babcock: Santa Teresa
Lefkow: Santa Teresa
Wilcox (1-1) vs. Sacred Heart Cathedral (2-0) at Kezar Stadium, 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Wilcox
Dycus: Sacred Heart Cathedral
Canilao: Wilcox
Babcock: Sacred Heart Cathedral
Lefkow: Sacred Heart Cathedral
McClymonds (0-2) at Bishop O'Dowd (2-0), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: McClymonds
Dycus: McClymonds
Kennel: Bishop O'Dowd
Babcock: Bishop O'Dowd
Lefkow: McClymonds
Archbishop Riordan (1-1) in Pittsburg (2-0), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Pittsburgh
Dycus: Pittsburgh
Canilao: Pittsburgh
Babcock: Pittsburgh
Lefkow: Pittsburgh
St. Francis (2-0) at De La Salle (2-0), 7:30 p.m.
Sabedra: De La Salle
Dycus: St. Francis
Canilao: De La Salle
Babcock: De La Salle
Lefkow: De La Salle
St. Ignatius (1-1) at Cathedral-San Diego (3-0), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Cathedral-San Diego
Dycus: Cathedral-San Diego
Canilao: Cathedral-San Diego
Babcock: Cathedral-San Diego
Lefkow: Cathedral-San Diego
Saturday
Half Moon Bay (2-0) at Sacred Heart Prep (1-1), 2:00 p.m.
Sabedra: Half Moon Bay
Dycus: Half Moon Bay
Canilao: Preparation for the Sacred Heart
Babcock: Preparing for the Sacred Heart
Lefkow: Preparation for the Sacred Heart
St. John Bosco-Bellflower (3-0) at Serra (1-1), 1:30 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
RESULTS WEEK 2
Santa Teresa 25, Milpitas 7
Sabedra: Milpitas (L)
Dycus: Santa Teresa (W)
Canilao: Milpitas (L)
Babcock: Santa Teresa (F)
Lefkow: Milpitas (L)
Bishop O'Dowd 24, Monte Vista 20
Sabedra: Monte Vista (L)
Dycus: Monte Vista (L)
Kennel: Monte Vista (L)
Babcock: Monte Vista (L)
Lefkow: Monte Vista (L)
Salesians 41, Moreau Catholics 27
Sabedra: Salesians (W)
Dycus: Salesians (W)
Canilao: Moreau Catholic (L)
Babcock: Salesians (W)
Lefkow: Moreau Catholic (L)
Half Moon Bay 21, Hillsdale 14
Sabedra: Half Moon Bay (W)
Dycus: Hillsdale (L)
Canilao: Hillsdale (L)
Babcock: Hillsdale (L)
Lefkow: Hillsdale (L)
Lincoln-San Jose 42, San Jose 0
Sabedra: Lincoln – San Jose (W)
Dycus: Lincoln – San Jose (W)
Canilao: Lincoln-San Jose (F)
Babcock: Lincoln – San Jose (W)
Lefkow: Lincoln – San Jose (F)
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart 33, Preparatory Course 6 of the Sacred Heart
Sabedra: Preparation for the Sacred Heart (L)
Dycus: Preparation for the Sacred Heart (L)
Canilao: Preparation for the Sacred Heart (L)
Babcock: Preparing for the Sacred Heart (L)
Lefkow: Preparation for the Sacred Heart (L)
Salinas 24, Valley Christian 7
Sabedra: Valley Christian (L)
Dycus: Valley Christian (L)
Canilao: Valley Christian (L)
Babcock: Valley Christian (L)
Lefkow: Valley Christian (L)
Aragon 31, San Mateo 21
Sabedra: Aragon (F)
Dycus: San Mateo (L)
Canilao: San Mateo (L)
Babcock: San Mateo (L)
Lefkow: Aragon (F)
Pittsburg 41, Bishop Manogue-Reno 14
Sabedra: Pittsburgh (W)
Dycus: Pittsburgh (W)
Canilao: Pittsburgh (F)
Babcock: Pittsburgh (F)
Lefkow: Pittsburgh (F)
Los Gatos 38, Liberty 21
Sabedra: The Cats (W)
Dycus: Freedom (L)
Canilao: Freedom (L)
Babcock: Los Gatos (F)
Lefkow: Los Gatos (F)
St. Francis 34, McClymonds 14
Sabedra: St. Francis (W)
Dycus: St. Francis (W)
Canilao: St. Francis (W)
Babcock: St. Francis (F)
Lefkow: St. Francis (W)
St. Bonaventure-Ventura 42, Archbishop Riordan 34
Sabedra: Archbishop Riordan (L)
Dycus: St. Bonaventure-Ventura (W)
Canilao: St. Bonaventure-Ventura (F)
Babcock: Archbishop Riordan (L)
Lefkow: St. Bonaventure-Ventura (W)
From La Salle 39, Serra 10
Sabedra: De La Salle (F)
Dycus: De La Salle (W)
Canilao: De La Salle (F)
Babcock: De La Salle (W)
Lefkow: De La Salle (W)
San Ramon Valley 14, Soquel 7
Sabedra: San Ramon Valley (W)
Dycus: San Ramon Valley (W)
Canilao: San Ramon Valley (West)
Babcock: San Ramon Valley (W)
Lefkow: San Ramon Valley (W)
Dorsey-Los Angeles 20, Castlemont 0
Sabedra: Castlemont (L)
Dycus: Castlemont (L)
Canilao: Castlemont (L)
Babcock: Castlemont (L)
Lefkow: Castlemont (L)
Table Week 2
Sabedra: 9-6
Babcock: 8-7
Lefkov: 8-7
Dycus: 8-7
Canilao: 6-9
SEASON STANDING
Sabedra: 21-9
Canilao: 20-10
Babcock: 19-11
Lefkov: 18-12
Dycus: 17-13
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