Bay Area News Group high school football predictions: Week 5, 2024
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Bay Area News Group high school football predictions: Week 5, 2024

Serra or St. Ignatius? Christopher or Branham? Acalanes or Amador Valley?

The Bay Area News Group’s high school crew is back for another week of football predictions.

Christian Babcock, Nathan Canilao and Joseph Dycus join long-timers Mike Lefkow and Darren Sabedra to see who can pick the most games correctly each week.

All in good fun, of course.

This week, the guys were unanimous in just six of the 14 games on the list — and Serra’s visit to St. Ignatius on Friday night was not among them.

Dycus, who sits last in the season standings, went against the group by picking SI in the West Catholic Athletic League opener.

“I’m going to completely contradict what I said earlier about Serra being the best team in the WCAL,” Dycus said. “I still think they are. But you know what? SI, they’re playing at home, coming off a big win. They’ve got college talent, just like Serra does.

“Give me SI.”

The guys unanimously picked De La Salle to beat El Cerrito in one of this week’s Top 10 matchups. But at least one made a bold prediction.

“I’m probably gonna agree with the computer a little bit,” Canilao said, referring to calpreps predicting De La Salle to win 42-6. “I’m gonna go De La Salle, and I think this one might be a blowout.”

One of the toughest picks of the week was Heritage visiting Livermore on Friday. Both will bring 3-1 records to the field.

Our guys were unanimous, each picking Heritage, but they’re not entirely convinced.

“I’m going Heritage, but I think this is another one that’s pretty close,” Babcock said. “But like Nathan said, emotion can go different ways. I think they’ll be locked in ready to go.”

Before making the picks, the guys gave their thoughts on the WCAL race, Pittsburg’s competitive loss against St. John Bosco and what San Ramon Valley’s dominant start could mean moving forward.

Be sure to check out the video.

If you just want the picks, keep scrolling.

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On to the picks …

WEEK 5 PICKS

Thursday

Christopher (3-1) at Branham (3-1), 7:15 p.m.

Sabedra: Christopher 

Dycus: Branham

Canilao: Branham

Babcock: Christopher 

Lefkow: Christopher 

Friday

Acalanes (3-1) at Amador Valley (1-3), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Acalanes

Dycus: Acalanes

Canilao: Acalanes

Babcock: Amador Valley

Lefkow: Amador Valley

Berkeley (3-1) at Moreau Catholic (1-3), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Moreau Catholic

Dycus: Berkeley

Canilao: Berkeley

Babcock: Moreau Catholic 

Lefkow: Moreau Catholic

Heritage (3-1) at Livermore (3-1), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Heritage

Dycus: Heritage

Canilao: Heritage

Babcock: Heritage

Lefkow: Heritage

Sacred Heart Prep (2-2) at Hillsdale (2-2), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: SHP

Dycus: SHP

Canilao: SHP

Babcock: Hillsdale

Lefkow: Hillsdale

Newark Memorial (2-2) at Alameda (3-1), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Alameda

Dycus: Alameda 

Canilao: Alameda 

Babcock: Alameda 

Lefkow: Alameda 

Leland (2-2) at Silver Creek (3-0), 7:15 p.m.

Sabedra: Silver Creek

Dycus: Silver Creek

Canilao: Silver Creek

Babcock: Silver Creek

Lefkow: Leland

Willow Glen (3-0) at Pioneer (2-2), 7:15 p.m.

Sabedra: Willow Glen

Dycus: Willow Glen

Canilao: Willow Glen

Babcock: Willow Glen

Lefkow: Pioneer

California (4-0) at Granada (2-2), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: California

Dycus: California

Canilao: California

Babcock: California

Lefkow: California

Serra (1-2) at St. Ignatius (2-1), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Serra

Dycus: St. Ignatius

Canilao: Serra

Babcock: Serra

Lefkow: Serra

De La Salle (4-0) at El Cerrito (4-0), 7:30 p.m.

Sabedra: De La Salle

Dycus: De La Salle

Canilao: De La Salle

Babcock: De La Salle

Lefkow: De La Salle

Saturday

Miramonte (3-1) at Menlo School (4-0), 1:30 p.m.

Sabedra: Menlo School

Dycus: Miramonte

Canilao: Miramonte

Babcock: Menlo School

Lefkow: Menlo School

Sacred Heart Cathedral (2-1) at Archbishop Riordan (1-2), 1:30 p.m.

Sabedra: Riordan

Dycus: Riordan

Canilao: Riordan

Babcock: Riordan

Lefkow: Riordan

Archbishop Mitty (3-0) at Valley Christian (1-2), 6 p.m.

Sabedra: Mitty

Dycus: Mitty

Canilao: Mitty

Babcock: Mitty

Lefkow: Mitty

WEEK 4 RESULTS

Milpitas 27, Homestead 6

Sabedra: Milpitas (W)

Dycus: Milpitas (W)

Canilao: Milpitas (W)

Babcock: Milpitas (W)

Lefkow: Milpitas (W)

Half Moon Bay 43, Woodside 29

Sabedra: Half Moon Bay (W)

Dycus: Half Moon Bay (W)

Canilao: Half Moon Bay (W)

Babcock: Half Moon Bay (W)

Lefkow: Half Moon Bay (W)

Foothill 30, San Leandro 29

Sabedra: Foothill (W)

Dycus: San Leandro (L)

Canilao: San Leandro (L)

Babcock: Foothill (W)

Lefkow: Foothill (W)

El Cerrito 49, Campolindo 0

Sabedra: El Cerrito (W)

Dycus: El Cerrito (W)

Canilao: El Cerrito (W)

Babcock: El Cerrito (W)

Lefkow: El Cerrito (W)

Arcata 38, Oakland 20

Sabedra: Arcata (W)

Dycus: Oakland (L)

Canilao: Oakland (L)

Babcock: Oakland (L)

Lefkow: Arcata (W)

Cardinal Newman 56, Bishop O’Dowd 0

Sabedra: Cardinal Newman (W)

Dycus: Bishop O’Dowd (L)

Canilao: Cardinal Newman (W)

Babcock: Cardinal Newman (W)

Lefkow: Cardinal Newman (W)

Liberty 35, Amador Valley 28

Sabedra: Liberty (W)

Dycus: Amador Valley (L)

Canilao: Liberty (W)

Babcock: Liberty (W)

Lefkow: Liberty (W)

 

Heritage 56, Terra Linda 0

Sabedra: Heritage (W)

Dycus: Heritage (W)

Canilao: Heritage (W)

Babcock: Terra Linda (L)

Lefkow: Heritage (W)

Carlmont 26, South San Francisco 21

Sabedra: Carlmont (W)

Dycus: South San Francisco (L)

Canilao: Carlmont (W)

Babcock: South San Francisco (L)

Lefkow: Carlmont (W)

Burlingame 19, Wilcox 18

Sabedra: Wilcox (L)

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Dycus: Wilcox (L)

Canilao: Wilcox (L)

Babcock: Wilcox (L)

Lefkow: Wilcox (L)

Gunn 28, Monta Vista 0

Sabedra: Monta Vista (L)

Dycus: Gunn (W)

Canilao: Gunn (W)

Babcock: Monta Vista (L)

Lefkow: Monta Vista (L)

Santa Teresa 17, Hillsdale 0

Sabedra: Santa Teresa (W)

Dycus: Santa Teresa (W)

Canilao: Santa Teresa (W)

Babcock: Santa Teresa (W)

Lefkow: Santa Teresa (W)

Menlo School 38, Capuchino 28

Sabedra: Menlo School (W)

Dycus: Menlo School (W)

Canilao: Menlo School (W)

Babcock: Menlo School (W)

Lefkow: Menlo School (W)

De La Salle 38, St. Mary’s-Stockton 35

Sabedra: De La Salle (W)

Dycus: De La Salle (W)

Canilao: De La Salle (W)

Babcock: De La Salle (W)

Lefkow: De La Salle (W)

St. John Bosco-Bellflower 35, Pittsburg 14

Sabedra: St. John Bosco-Bellflower (W)

Dycus: St. John Bosco-Bellflower (W)

Canilao: St. John Bosco-Bellflower (W)

Babcock: St. John Bosco-Bellflower (W)

Lefkow: St. John Bosco-Bellflower (W)

BONUS GAME

San Ramon Valley 51, McClymonds 14

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)

WEEK 4 STANDINGS

Sabedra: 14-2

Lefkow: 14-2

Canilao: 13-3

Babcock: 11-5

Dycus: 10-6

SEASON STANDINGS

Sabedra: 47-14

Canilao: 42-19

Lefkow: 40-21

Babcock: 37-24

Dycus: 36-25