Friday nights are back.
Week 0 officially opens the 2026 high school football season, with teams across San Joaquin County finally taking the field.
Each week, The Record will provide the full county schedule while highlighting 10 matchups that deserve a closer look, complete with a preview and prediction for each.
Some picks will feel safe. Others could look much different by the final whistle.
Either way, it’s time to play.
Here are The Record’s 10 games to watch and predictions for Week 0, along with the full schedule.
St. Mary's at Bishop Manogue (Reno, NV), 7 p.m.
Apparently, winning this game comes with a pretty good omen. Bishop Manogue beat St. Mary's 21-14 in 2024 before winning Nevada's 5A Division II state title. The Rams returned the favor 51-38 last year before winning state themselves.
A top-seven Nevada team against a top-35 California team gives that trend a chance to live on.
Prediction: St. Mary's 32, Bishop Manogue 24
Manteca at Saint Francis, 7 p.m.
Three straight semifinal exits, with the latest coming after Manteca watched a one-point lead disappear in the final three minutes against eventual state champion St. Mary's. The Buffaloes want this year to end differently, and a road win over a top-75 team in California would immediately show they're serious.
Prediction: Manteca 21, Saint Francis 17
Elk Grove at Edison, 7 p.m.
Enough talking about how different Edison looks under Eric Crocker. Now we get to see it. The Vikings are favored against Elk Grove, but after entering last year's home opener the same way and getting upset, talent and expectations only mean so much until the games begin.
Prediction: Edison 35, Elk Grove 13
Oakdale at Sonora, 7 p.m.
Before Oakdale's backfield piled up nearly 5,000 rushing yards and 74 touchdowns, Sonora showed it could stop it with a 32-14 win in the opener. Those playmakers have graduated. Sonora, meanwhile, followed its Division 4-A state title by going 15-0 and winning the CIF State Division 2-A championship.
Prediction: Sonora 30, Oakdale 18
Franklin (Elk Grove) at Chavez, 7:15 p.m.
The "biggest win in Chavez history" grabbed the attention, but Chavez's 39-26 win over Franklin a week later may have said even more. Franklin entered fresh off a win over Edison, and the Titans still took care of business. Even after losing pieces on both sides, Chavez finds itself as the favorite this time around.
Prediction: Chavez 40, Franklin 23
Tracy at West, 7 p.m.
Anything can happen in a rivalry. Well, West certainly hopes so. Tracy won 61-6 last season and hasn't lost this matchup since 2011, going 14-0 since then by a combined score of 674-156. Go back to 2004, and the Bulldogs hold a 17-5 advantage.
Prediction: Tracy 56, West 10
Jesuit at Lincoln, 7 p.m.
Jesuit was a 31-15 halftime lead away from the CIF SJS semifinals before St. Mary's stormed back and eventually brought Stockton its first state football title. Can Lincoln hand the Marauders another Stockton stunner? A nearly 100-spot gap between the Trojans and top-80 Jesuit in MaxPreps' state rankings shows what it would take.
Prediction: Jesuit 27, Lincoln 21
Tokay at Lodi, 7:15 p.m.
From the legendary fog game to the mystery of the burning letterman's jacket to once sharing the Grape Bowl, this rivalry has seen it all. Tokay took bragging rights 13-7 last season and rode that start to an 8-3 finish, while Lodi went 1-9.
Prediction: Tokay 17, Lodi 14
Liberty Ranch at Escalon, 7:30 p.m.
Coach Andrew Beam believed Escalon was "a year away" last season. Time to find out. Liberty Ranch went perfect in the regular season, beat Stagg and Linden, then got a taste of the TVL in the CIF SJS Division VI playoffs, beating Ripon 30-28 before falling 52-49 to eventual runner-up Ripon Christian, which beat Escalon by 30.
Prediction: Liberty Ranch 38, Escalon 28
Mountain House at Bear Creek, 7:15 p.m.
Never before have Mountain House and Bear Creek met. That changes with two county teams looking for an early win after Mountain House finished 3-8 and last in the VOL, while Bear Creek went 5-5 and finished fourth in the SJAA. Consider this a small glimpse at how the two leagues stack up.
Prediction: Mountain House 25, Bear Creek 8
Twelve more San Joaquin County games to watch
- Ripon Christian at Summerville, 7:30 p.m.
- East Nicolaus at Linden, 7 p.m.
- Lathrop at Golden Valley, 7 p.m.
- Rio Americano at Stagg, 7 p.m.
- Livermore at Ripon, 7:30 p.m.
- Enochs at Sierra, 7 p.m.
- West Valley at Kimball, 7 p.m.
- McNair at Livingston, 7 p.m.
- Waterford at River Islands, 7:15 p.m.
- Franklin (Stockton) at Galt, 7:15 p.m.
- Weston Ranch at Washington, 7 p.m.
- Futures at Millennium — 7 p.m.
This article originally appeared on The Record: San Joaquin County high school football: Week 0 predictions, schedule
