Bay Area News Group high school football predictions: Week 14, 2024
Los Gatos certainly can’t say “nobody believes in us” now.
Four-fifths of the Bay Area News Group’s high school football panel is picking the Wildcats to beat St. Francis in the Central Coast Section Division I championship game on Friday night at San Jose City College.
Only Mike Lefkow is taking the Mountain View school.
The rest of the guys are on the Wildcats’ bandwagon as Los Gatos aims to complete a West Catholic Athletic League sweep on its way to a second consecutive Division I championship. The ‘Cats won road games over Serra and Archbishop Riordan in the first two rounds.
As promised, Christian Babcock made good on his word.
After picking Riordan to beat Los Gatos last week, he said he’d drink orange Kool-Aid on our pick ’em show if the ‘Cats pulled off the victory.
Well, Babcock brought out the Kool-Aid and added a black straw to the mix — Los Gatos’ team colors.
The other powerhouse team in the Bay Area News Group’s coverage area that wears black and orange — Pittsburg — has a crowded bandwagon this week.
All five panelists picked the Pirates to beat San Ramon Valley in the North Coast Section Division I final on Friday night at Diablo Valley College.
And two — Nathan Canilao and Joseph Dycus — aren’t anticipating a nail-biter.
Dycus: “I am not going to pick a total blowout by the Pirates. (But) I think they will handle SRV pretty easily, though, something like 35-14.”
Canilao: “Actually I am going to go farther. I think this is going to be a blowout. There is a lot of speed San Ramon Valley has to keep up with. Marco Jones will be a big X factor. But he can’t cover five wide receivers. I think Pittsburg wins this in a big blowout, something like 42-7.”
Of course, these picks are made in good fun. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Be sure to check out the video for all the prep football talk.
If you just want the picks, keep scrolling.
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On to the picks …
Central Coast Section
Division I final: No. 5 Los Gatos (10-2) vs. No. 2 St. Francis (9-3) at San Jose City College, Friday, 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Los Gatos
Dycus: Los Gatos
Canilao: Los Gatos
Babcock: Los Gatos
Lefkow: St. Francis
Division II final: No. 7 Palma (7-5) vs. No. 1 Wilcox (10-2) at San Jose City College, Saturday, 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Wilcox
Dycus: Wilcox
Canilao: Wilcox
Babcock: Wilcox
Lefkow: Wilcox
Division IV final: No. 4 Burlingame (8-4) vs. No. 3 Sacred Heart Prep (6-6) at San Jose City College, Saturday, 1 p.m.
Sabedra: Sacred Heart Prep
Dycus: Sacred Heart Prep
Canilao: Sacred Heart Prep
Babcock: Sacred Heart Prep
Lefkow: Sacred Heart Prep
Division V final: No. 4 Sequoia (7-5) vs. No. 3 Leland (9-3) at MacDonald HS, Saturday, 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Sequoia
Dycus: Leland
Canilao: Sequoia
Babcock: Sequoia
Lefkow: Leland
North Coast Section
Division I final: No. 3 San Ramon Valley (11-1) vs. No. 2 Pittsburg (10-2) at Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill, Friday, 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Pittsburg
Dycus: Pittsburg
Canilao: Pittsburg
Babcock: Pittsburg
Lefkow: Pittsburg
Division II final: No. 4 Bishop O’Dowd (10-2) vs. No. 2 Amador Valley (8-4) at Dublin HS, Friday, 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Bishop O’Dowd
Dycus: Bishop O’Dowd
Canilao: Bishop O’Dowd
Babcock: Amador Valley
Lefkow: Amador Valley
Division III final: No. 2 Campolindo (7-5) vs. No. 1 Acalanes (9-3) at Las Lomas HS, Friday, 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Campolindo
Dycus: Acalanes
Canilao: Campolindo
Babcock: Acalanes
Lefkow: Acalanes
Division VI final: No. 2 Miramonte (6-6) vs. No. 1 Arcata (11-1) at McKinleyville HS, Saturday, 1 p.m.
Sabedra: Arcata
Dycus: Miramonte
Canilao: Arcata
Babcock: Arcata
Lefkow: Arcata
Division VII final: No. 2 Ferndale (11-1) vs. No. 1 Moreau Catholic (8-4) at Hayward HS, Saturday, 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Ferndale
Dycus: Moreau Catholic
Canilao: Moreau Catholic
Babcock: Ferndale
Lefkow: Moreau Catholic
WEEK 13 RESULTS
Central Coast Section
Open/Division I
Open final
No. 1 St. Ignatius 10, No. 2 St. Francis 7
Sabedra: St. Francis (L)
Dycus: St. Francis (L)
Canilao: St. Francis (L)
Babcock: St. Francis (L)
Lefkow: St. Francis (L)
Division I semifinal
No. 5 Los Gatos 35, No. 3 Riordan 28
Sabedra: Riordan (L)
Dycus: Los Gatos (W)
Canilao: Riordan (L)
Babcock: Riordan (L)
Lefkow: Riordan (L)
Division II semifinals
No. 7 Palma 24, No. 6 Menlo 23
Sabedra: Menlo (L)
Dycus: Menlo (L)
Canilao: Menlo (L)
Babcock: Palma (W)
Lefkow: Menlo (L)
No. 1 Wilcox 10, No. 4 Menlo-Atherton 7
Sabedra: Wilcox (W)
Dycus: Wilcox (W)
Canilao: Wilcox (W)
Babcock: Wilcox (W)
Lefkow: Wilcox (W)
Division III semifinals
No. 7 Aptos 49, No. 3 Palo Alto 35
Sabedra: Palo Alto (L)
Dycus: Palo Alto (L)
Canilao: Palo Alto (L)
Babcock: Palo Alto (L)
Lefkow: Palo Alto (L)
Division IV semifinals
No. 3 Sacred Heart Prep 28, No. 2 Branham 14
Sabedra: Branham (L)
Dycus: SHP (W)
Canilao: Branham (L)
Babcock: Branham (L)
Lefkow: Branham (L)
No. 4 Burlingame 14, No. 1 Piedmont Hills 12
Sabedra: Piedmont Hills (L)
Dycus: Burlingame (W)
Canilao: Burlingame (W)
Babcock: Piedmont Hills (L)
Lefkow: Piedmont Hills (L)
Division V semifinals
No. 4 Sequoia 21, No. 1 South San Francisco 6
Sabedra: South San Francisco (L)
Dycus: South San Francisco (L)
Canilao: South San Francisco (L)
Babcock: Sequoia (W)
Lefkow: South San Francisco (L)
North Coast Section
Open/Division I
Open final
No. 1 De La Salle 10, No. 2 Pittsburg 7
Sabedra: De La Salle (W)
Dycus: De La Salle (W)
Canilao: Pittsburg (L)
Babcock: De La Salle (W)
Lefkow: De La Salle (W)
Division I semifinal
No. 3 San Ramon Valley 7, No. 5 Cardinal Newman 0
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)
Division II semifinals
No. 2 Amador Valley 38, No. 3 Windsor 29
Sabedra: Amador Valley (W)
Dycus: Windsor (L)
Canilao: Amador Valley (W)
Babcock: Amador Valley (W)
Lefkow: Amador Valley (W)
No. 4 Bishop O’Dowd 23, No. 1 Liberty 15
Sabedra: Liberty (L)
Dycus: Bishop O’Dowd (W)
Canilao: Bishop O’Dowd (W)
Babcock: Liberty (L)
Lefkow: Liberty (L)
Division III semifinals
No. 2 Campolindo 40, No. 6 San Leandro 7
Sabedra: Campolindo (W)
Dycus: San Leandro (L)
Canilao: Campolindo (W)
Babcock: Campolindo (W)
Lefkow: Campolindo (W)
No. 1 Acalanes 34, No. 4 Heritage 14
Sabedra: Acalanes (W)
Dycus: Acalanes (W)
Canilao: Acalanes (W)
Babcock: Acalanes (W)
Lefkow: Acalanes (W)
Division IV semifinals
No. 2 American Canyon 45, No. 3 Granada 12
Sabedra: Granada (L)
Dycus: American Canyon (W)
Canilao: American Canyon (W)
Babcock: Granada (L)
Lefkow: American Canyon (W)
Division V semifinals
No. 3 Sonoma Valley 36, No. 2 Salesian 27
Sabedra: Salesian (L)
Dycus: Salesian (L)
Canilao: Salesian (L)
Babcock: Salesian (L)
Lefkow: Salesian (L)
WEEK 13 STANDINGS
Dycus: 9-7
Canilao: 8-8
Babcock: 8-8
Lefkow: 7-9
Sabedra: 6-10
SEASON STANDINGS
Sabedra: 135-63
Babcock: 134-64
Canilao: 129-69
Lefkow: 127-71
Dycus: 111-87