Prep football picks: Unbeaten records on the line

It's another loaded week of high school football in the region, with plenty of unbeaten teams looking to keep their hot starts alive. Friday night's slate is highlighted by rivalry clashes, interstate battles and showdowns between some of the best in the section. Ponderosa (3-0) at Granite Bay (2-1) Jordan: Even after taking a week off of coverage and fighting through newborn-induced sleep deprivation, I am still pulling away in the standings and it's only the third week of the season. If you had asked me to pick this game in July, I would have said Granite Bay blows the doors off of Ponderosa. Now after Pondo's impressive win over Casa Roble, I think it can put up more of a fight. Unfortunately for the upstart Bruins, the Grizzlies pack too much of a punch to drop this battle of ursids. Granite Bay 34, Ponderosa 21. Matt: OK, I'm off to a slow start and five games back of Jordan already. It's time to start taking these picks a bit more seriously. The Bruins are 3-0 but have played no one close to the caliber of the Grizzlies. Granite Bay beat Ponderosa's Capital Valley Conference rival Vista del Lago last week 45-7. I expect something similar here. Granite Bay 49, Ponderosa 20. Bill: Jordan's youngster will be teething by week 8, meaning I just need to stay within striking distance. Until then, Granite Bay 31, Ponderosa 24. Stockton-St. Mary's (3-0) at Oak Ridge (1-1) Jordan: This might be the best game in the section and the winner looks to be the clear No. 2 team. Casey Taylor just has a way of preparing his teams for games like this and I think that will be the difference here. Oak Ridge 24, St. Mary's 17. Matt: This is a potential playoff semifinal game being played early in the season. St. Mary's is rolling early at 3-0, while the Trojans have split two games against good opponents and are coming off a bye week. This will be a good one. Oak Ridge is looking forward to playing their home opener. Oak Ridge 28, St. Mary's 27. Bill: St. Mary's was St. Mary's when I didn't play 50 years ago (I was in the band, where I belonged). And with a trumpet blast ... St. Mary's 45, Oak Ridge 28. Twelve Bridges (3-0) at Arroyo Grande (1-2) Jordan: The Raging Rhinos just keep finding ways to win, but this will be another tough test. I have learned my lesson in picking against Twelve Bridges and although I think this can be its toughest test to date, I will not be trampled by doubting the Rhinos again. Twelve Bridges 31, Arroyo Grande 27. Matt: I know nothing about the Eagles from Arroyo Grande, but I'm hoping I don't need to. Does 12B ever lose before November? Twelve Bridges 38, Arroyo Grande 28. Bill: The fun part is the Rhinos get to go to Arroyo Grande, one of my favorite California coastal towns. Twelve Bridges 38, Arroyo Grande 21. Palo Cedro-Foothill (0-2) at Del Oro (2-0) Jordan: The Golden Eagles are showing that the 2024 campaign may have been a fluke, already matching last year's win total. Northern Section power Foothill is still searching for that first taste of victory after a tough nonleague stretch. Expect Del Oro to keep the momentum soaring in this clash of two football towns. Del Oro 27, Foothill 14. Matt: I'm going to assume that at 2-0, Del Oro is a pretty good team, and at 0-2, Palo Cedro-Foothill is not as good. Del Oro 31, Palo Cedro Foothill 21. Bill: No contest here - Del Oro 28, Foothill 17. Vacaville Christian (2-0) at Foresthill (2-0) Jordan: The Wildfires are off to a sizzling 2-0 start for only the second time in school history, and the team has looked sharp doing it. First-year coach Nick Gleason is on a mission to bring Foresthill back to the postseason and a win here would be a huge step. Expect plenty of fireworks, or in this case maybe a wildfire. Foresthill 54, Vacaville Christian 41. Matt: Vacaville Christian hasn't allowed a point this season. Vacaville Christian 38, Foresthill 0. Bill: Up front, picking eight-man football is way tougher than 11-man football. Who is Kairos Public? Anyway ... Foresthill 42, Vacaville Christian 34. Lincoln (2-0) at Pierce (1-0) Jordan: Dylan Knell and Mason Volzer are becoming household names in Lincoln, adding more to an already strong roster. Lincoln will have its work cut out for it here against a strong Pierce team, but they don't call 'em the Fighting Zebras for nothing! Lincoln 24, Pierce 23. Matt: Let's go with Lincoln here. Lincoln 28, Pierce 6. Bill: Pierce shut down an Amador team that combined for 102 points in its two victories. Good game shaping up. Tough one! Pick Bill, GEEZ! OK ... Pierce 21, Lincoln 14. Roseville (3-0) at Woodcreek (2-0) Jordan: The Junction Bowl always delivers. Roseville's Tigers have been scrappy, but the Timberwolves look ready to run the show. It wouldn't surprise me to see Roseville win, but Woodcreek has section championship potential this season. Woodcreek 34, Roseville 28. Matt: Here we are again with another tough game between two Roseville teams. I'm picking Woodcreek for the same reason I picked West Park last week (even though I got that game wrong). Roseville has too many top guys out on offense to score enough points to stay with a Woodcreek team averaging 36 points per game, let alone coming off a bye week refreshed and healthy. Woodcreek 33, Roseville 21. Bill: I am a prognosticator of my word; plus, it's just September ... Woodcreek 34, Roseville 27. Golden Sierra (2-0) at Bear River (2-1) Jordan: Fun fact, this is the second matchup this week that is Grizzlies vs. Bruins in our predictions. Bear River has impressed me so far, especially after drubbing Union Mine on the road Friday night. I think there is something a'Bruin up in Lake of the Pines. Bear River 27, Golden Sierra 13. Matt: I think Bear River will score too many points for Golden Sierra to keep up. Bear River 29, Golden Sierra 21. Bill: Golden Sierra has beaten Johnson and Galt. Nah, not gonna cut it. ... Bear River 27, Golden Sierra 13. Placer (1-2) at Antelope (0-3) Jordan: Both of these teams are better than their records show, but both need a win here to avoid falling too far behind the 8-ball. If the Hillmen are back to full strength, they should have no problem winning this one on the road. Placer 32, Antelope 23. Matt: Placer is coming off a disappointing performance in a loss to Del Oro. I say they will snap back into place Friday night. Placer 34, Antelope 13. Bill: All Placer here, but it's a gut-check game for this high school team. Do you want this, or not? Placer 34, Antelope 13. S.F.-Sacred Heart Cathedral (2-0) at Folsom (2-1) Jordan: The true mark of this Folsom team will be how it responds to a tough loss at the hands of nationally ranked Mission Viejo. I think the Bulldogs bounce back in a big way here as they set the tone for SFL play with a lopsided win. Folsom 42, SHCP 10. Matt: I think the last time the Bulldogs lost two games in a row was 2021. I don't think it will happen here, even with Ryder Lyons not on the field, which might or might not be the case. Brody Rudnicki might get a chance to show how good he is and give a glimpse of what next year's offense will look like with him running the show. Folsom 44, Sacred Heart Cathedral 28. Bill: As Mike Tyson said, "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face." Fortunately for Folsom, a blowout loss to Mission Viejo is nothing like getting punched in the face by Tyson. The Bulldogs will be the Bulldogs here, blow out Sacred Heart and resume their march to a state bowl game - just not in the Open Division. Folsom 54, Sacred Heart Cathedral 13. Week 3 picks: Jordan 6-2, Bill 5-3, Matt 4-4 Records: Jordan 20-8, Bill 17-11, Matt 15-13