Three weeks down. Plenty more football to come.
Each week, The Record will provide the full San Joaquin County high school football schedule while highlighting 10 matchups that deserve a closer look, complete
with a preview and prediction for each.
After an 11-9 start through the first two weeks, The Record showed some improvement, finishing 6-4 in Week 2. So, can we finally get over the seven-win hump this week, or will county teams keep proving us wrong?
Some picks will feel safe. Others could look much different by the final whistle.
Here are The Record’s 10 games to watch and predictions for Week 3, along with the full schedule.
De La Salle (3-0) at St. Mary’s (1-2), 7 p.m.
Everybody knows De La Salle. A 151-game winning streak from 1992 to 2004 made sure of that. More recently, the Spartans have finished as back-to-back CIF State Open Division runners-up and crushed St. Mary's 36-7 last season. Ranked No. 6 in California and No. 29 nationally, they're every bit the giant their name suggests.
Prediction: De La Salle 45, St. Mary's 20
Manteca (1-2) at Chico (1-2), 7 p.m.
Hope Manteca packed for more than a 150-mile bus ride. Chico won 11 games and a Northern Section Division II championship before reaching the Division 5-AA NorCal Regional final last season. And if that wasn't enough, both teams to beat Chico this year are ranked inside California's top 70.
Prediction: Manteca 38, Chico 14
Crean Lutheran (2-2) at Oakdale (1-2), 7 p.m.
So much for a breather. After suffering two straight upset losses, Oakdale gets a Crean Lutheran team from Irvine ranked No. 35 in California by MaxPreps. Its only two losses came against top-25 Oak Ridge and No. 10 JSerra Catholic. The good news? Irvine is a long way from Oakdale.
Prediction: Crean Lutheran 31, Oakdale 17
McNair (3-0) at Chavez (1-2), 7:15 p.m.
Well, look what McNair has turned this into. Chavez has paired the SJAA's most dynamic offense with back-to-back league titles under Derek Graves. McNair, meanwhile, has already matched last year's win total while churning out 468, 451, and 391 yards. Three games have created the buzz. This one should tell us how real it is.
Prediction: Chavez 35, McNair 17
Stagg (1-2) at Tokay (3-0), 7:15 p.m.
This one is simple. Tokay was three points away from second place last season. Stagg's 24-21 win took it instead. With defending champion Chavez entering as the favorite again, both may need this one to have a chance at the SJAA title.
Prediction: Stagg 28, Tokay 24
Ripon (2-1) at Tracy (3-0), 7:15 p.m.
Maybe this is the year for both. Tracy hasn't won a league title since 2013 despite currently sitting as the county's highest-ranked team by MaxPreps. Ripon hasn't won one since 2012 and has endured four straight losing league records. This game won't win either a championship, but it can keep that belief growing.
Prediction: Tracy 42, Ripon 21
West Park (2-1) at Lincoln (1-2), 7:15 p.m
"Lincoln's back." Quarterback Julian Perez said it, then the Trojans went out and stunned Oakdale for one of their biggest wins in recent memory. That's the kind of win that gets people believing. Keeping them believing means following it with wins against teams Lincoln should have every chance to beat.
Prediction: Lincoln 24, West Park 21
River Islands (3-0) at Mountain House (1-2), 7 p.m.
Three years in, and River Islands is already making some noise. The Riptide have topped 40 points every week and piled up 520 yards in a 46-20 win over Modesto Christian, matching their season-best win total. The only question has been the competition. Mountain House, out of the VOL, should provide their toughest test yet.
Prediction: River Island 34, Mountain House 16
Hughson (2-1) at Linden (2-1), 7 p.m.
Neither program has to reach far into the past to remember a championship run. Hughson won the CIF SJS Division V title in 2024, and Linden reached the Division VII final a year later. Both are replacing pieces from those teams, but both want to get back. One leaves feeling a little closer.
Prediction: Linden 27, Hughson 22
Escalon (1-2) at Damonte Ranch-Nevada (4-0), 7 p.m.
How far down California's rankings do you have to go before Nevada catches up? St. Mary's, ranked inside California's top 70, already beat Nevada's No. 12 team in Week 0. Escalon sits at No. 326, but has a win over a California top-100 team. Now the Cougars get Nevada's No. 17. That's what makes this one fascinating.
Prediction: Damonte Ranch 35, Escalon 23
Eight more San Joaquin County games to watch
- Sierra (2-1) at Gregori (1-2), 7 p.m. — Thursday, Sept. 17
- Pleasant Grove (1-2) at Edison (2-1), 7:15 p.m.
- Lincoln-San Francisco (0-2) at Kimball (0-3), 7 p.m.
- Ripon Christian (3-0) at Pioneer (3-0), 7:30 p.m.
- East Union (2-0) at Enochs (1-2), 7 p.m.
- Lodi (1-2) at Liberty Ranch (2-0), 7:15 p.m.
- Bear Creek (0-3) at West (2-1), 7:15 p.m.
- Weston Ranch (0-3) at Franklin (1-2), 7 p.m.
This article originally appeared on The Record: San Joaquin County high school football Week 3 predictions, schedule
