Games to watch: A pair of Modesto schools hope to make up for 2022 nonleague losses
Week 1 featured a matchup between two of the top 10 teams in the Stanislaus District, and Week 2 promises to be even better.
The Bee’s No. 1 team, Central Catholic, looks to bounce back from a blowout loss to St. Mary’s-Stockton in the 2022 Holy Bowl. The Raiders were hampered by injury last season, which is not the case this year. They beat Merced handily and got out injury free.
Enochs also is looking for a good showing against a team it lost to in 2022. Last season, the Eagles traveled to Brentwood to face Liberty and lost 56-0. Liberty was an experienced, senior-heavy team and Enochs was a team full of juniors. This year, Aiden Muhammad leads a battle-tested team looking to put a better product on the field.
Hughson, Patterson, Escalon and Downey join Enochs and Central Catholic and a number of teams looking to move to 2-0 early in the season. The Cougars travel to Fresno to take on Buchanan, Downey hosts Lodi, Hughson hosts Central Valley and Patterson hosts Mountain House.
Enochs plays the Stanislaus District’s first Thursday night game.
Thursday
Liberty-Brentwood (0-0) vs. Enochs (1-0) at Johansen, 7 p.m.
Enochs coach Tracey Traub does not mind that his team will play the area’s first Thursday night game. He is embracing the short week because it does not give the team the chance to overthink the matchup with Liberty. They can “just go out and play.”
Enochs is looking for redemption against Liberty after the Lions shut out Enochs last season. A 70-yard pass play on Liberty’s first possession foreshadowed a 56-0 game.
The Eagles are more experienced this year. Last year’s game was the first high-level varsity game most of the team played, but with a full season under their belt, players will know what to expect.
With just three practices before game day, the Eagles worked on limiting the big play this week. Traub says his team will have to “execute to perfection” to come on top. Enochs adds 6-foot-4 tight end Brennan Whitten Jr. this week.
Friday
Escalon (1-0) at Buchanan (1-0), 7 p.m.
Escalon escaped Golden Valley with a narrow 20-14 win and now prepares for 2022 Central Section Division I semifinalist Buchanan. The Bears are characterized as a bubble team in the Cal-Hi Sports top 50 state football rankings and are coming off a 38-18 Week 1 win.
Joshua Graham had a breakout performance in Week 1, rushing for 111 yards on 15 carries, and Jamin Miller proved his versatility, catching a touchdown pass, rushing for 29 yards and recording nine tackles with two tackles for loss and a sack.
This is the second matchup in as many years between Escalon and Buchanan. The Cougars and Bears played in a thriller in their first-ever matchup last season. Escalon fell 41-40 at Engel Field but proved it could compete with one of the best programs in California.
Central Valley (0-1) at Hughson (1-0), 7 p.m.
Hughson opened its state title defense with a dominant Week 1 performance against Ceres. The Huskies play another larger school in Week 2, welcoming the Hawks for their home opener.
Hughson’s offense gets a lot of headlines with returners at quarterback, receiver and on the offensive line, but its defense was dominant in the season’s first game. David Delgado finished with three tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. Jesus Artea and Larkin Meyer came away with an interception.
Central Valley is an experienced side with a pair of returning quarterbacks and a number of defensive players back for another year. The Hawks are hungry for their first win this season after falling 29-7 to Pitman in Week 1.
In their first home game since capturing the 2022 Division 5-AA state title, the Huskies have the chance to pick up a pair of nonleague wins before taking on CCAL schools Pitman and Downey the next two weeks.
Mountain House (1-0) at Patterson (1-0), 7 p.m.
Patterson opened the season with a victory over Hilmar for the second straight season in Week 1. Everything was working. Max Medina tossed four touchdown passes without an interception and rushed for a touchdown. Coby Joseph ran for over 150 yards and a score on just 18 touches.
In the second contest of a two-game homestand, the Tigers welcome Mountain House. Patterson came away with two interceptions last week against second year-starter Caden Bailey. They will be tasked this week with stopping four-year varsity quarterback Amare Brooks. Brooks is a three-year starter who completed 12 passes for 180 yards.
The Mustangs likely enter this season hungry after going 1-5 in games decided by eight points or less in 2022.
Central Catholic (1-0) at St. Mary’s (1-0), 7 p.m.
Central Catholic is historically a run-first team, but with one of the area’s top quarterbacks, a bulked-up offensive line unit and a pair of dynamic receivers, it seemed possible that the passing game was due for a big year.
Friday against Merced, the key to winning was dominance on the ground. Now they set their sights on St. Mary’s and the Holy Bowl.
The Raiders won in 2021 but battled injuries last season and were blown out 47-7. Canepa was honest with last season’s effort, saying Central Catholic just showed up and wasn’t ready to play, while St. Mary’s was the aggressor.
It will be a battle of two experienced teams with contrasting playing styles. The Rams are a spread team with quick playmakers, while the Raiders ground and pound their way down the field on most days. The Raiders, ranked 35th in the state by Cal-HiSports, are fully healthy entering Friday night, which will be key to slowing down the state’s No. 16 team.
Lodi (0-1) at Downey (1-0), 7 p.m.
The Knights match up against Lodi for the first time since the Flames upset them at Chuck Hughes Stadium in the first round of the 2021 playoffs. That 2021 meeting served as somewhat of a wake-up call for Downey, which has scheduled a triple option team in the two preseasons since.
Coach Jeremy Plaa said before this season that the team’s defensive line was strong, and the big guys up front proved him right. Derrick Kirkendall led the team with 11 tackles, five tackles for loss and three sacks. Defensive linemen Ryne Moore, Jack Hinchey and Ismael Lopez each added at least five tackles and a tackle for loss.
Lodi has a new head coach this season, but Plaa knows that portions of the old regime’s triple option offense remain. The line will be tested in the Knights’ second of three straight home games.
