We’re on to section championship weekend.
There are 11 games that feature at least one team from the Bay Area News Group’s coverage area, and our crew of Christian Babcock, Nathan Canilao, Mike Lefkow and Darren Sabedra predicts the winners in each of them – all in fun, as always.
On Friday night, the lineup includes heavyweight matchups between Pittsburg and Cardinal Newman for the North Coast Section Division I championship and Los Gatos and Serra for the Central Coast Section Division I title.
The Saturday games are highlighted by rivals St. Ignatius and Sacred Heart Cathedral meeting for the CCS Division II crown and Hayward and Miramonte colliding for the NCS Division IV title.
Babcock and Lefkow sizzled in Week 13, each picking 18 of 22 games correctly, two games better than Sabedra. Canilao struggled at 11-11.
With three weeks left in the season, Babcock leads Sabedra by four games and the team of Lefkow and Glenn Reeves by nine games. Canilao is 15 games back.
In this week’s video podcast, Canilao shares his thoughts about last week’s NCS Open Division championship thriller between De La Salle and Pittsburg, which DLS narrowly won, and Babcock discusses his thoughts about Archbishop Riordan’s impressive victory over Serra in the CCS Open final.
Be sure to check out the video below.
On to the picks …
Week 14 predictions
CCS playoffs
Friday
Division I final
No. 3 Los Gatos (9-3) vs. No. 2 Serra (7-5) at San Jose City College, 7 p.m.
Babcock: Serra
Canilao: Serra
Lefkow: Los Gatos
Sabedra: Serra
NCS playoffs
Friday
Division I final
No. 3 Cardinal Newman (11-1) vs. No. 2 Pittsburg (10-2) at Diablo Valley College, 7 p.m.
Babcock: Pittsburg
Canilao: Pittsburg
Lefkow: Pittsburg
Sabedra: Pittsburg
Division II final
No. 2 Monte Vista (7-5) vs. No. 4 Clayton Valley Charter (7-5) at Dublin HS, 7 p.m.
Babcock: Clayton Valley
Canilao: Clayton Valley
Lefkow: Clayton Valley
Sabedra: Clayton Valley
Division III final
No. 3 El Cerrito (10-2) vs. No. 5 Ukiah (8-4) American Canyon HS, 7 p.m.
Babcock: El Cerrito
Canilao: El Cerrito
Lefkow: El Cerrito
Sabedra: El Cerrito
Division VII final
No. 2 Piedmont (8-4) vs. No. 1 Middletown (10-2) at Justin-Siena HS, 7 p.m.
Babcock: Middletown
Canilao: Piedmont
Lefkow: Middletown
Sabedra: Piedmont
CCS playoffs
Saturday
Division II final
No. 2 Sacred Heart Cathedral (6-6) vs. No. 1 St. Ignatius (6-6) at San Jose City College, 1 p.m.
Babcock: St. Ignatius
Canilao: Sacred Heart Cathedral
Lefkow: St. Ignatius
Sabedra: St. Ignatius
Division III final
No. 8 San Mateo (9-3) vs. No. 3 Menlo-Atherton (6-6) at MacDonald HS, 7 p.m.
Babcock: Menlo-Atherton
Canilao: San Mateo
Lefkow: Menlo-Atherton
Sabedra: Menlo-Atherton
Division IV final
No. 3 Lincoln-San Jose (9-3) vs. No. 1 Branham (7-5) at San Jose City College, 7 p.m.
Babcock: Lincoln-San Jose
Canilao: Lincoln-San Jose
Lefkow: Branham
Sabedra: Lincoln-San Jose
Division V final
No. 2 Sobrato (8-4) vs. No. 1 Piedmont Hills (9-3) at MacDonald HS, 1 p.m.
Babcock: Piedmont Hills
Canilao: Piedmont Hills
Lefkow: Sobrato
Sabedra: Piedmont Hills
NCS playoffs
Division IV final
No. 3 Miramonte (7-5) vs. No. 1 Hayward (9-3) at Moreau Catholic HS, 7 p.m.
Babcock: Hayward
Canilao: Hayward
Lefkow: Hayward
Sabedra: Hayward
Division VI final
No. 4 Fortuna (8-4) vs. No. 3 Bishop O’Dowd (8-4) at Moreau Catholic HS, 2 p.m.
Babcock: Bishop O’Dowd
Canilao: Bishop O’Dowd
Lefkow: Bishop O’Dowd
Sabedra: Bishop O’Dowd
Week 13 results
CCS football playoffs
Open/Division I
Open final
No. 1 Archbishop Riordan 33, No. 2 Serra 13
Babcock: Riordan (W)
Canilao: Serra (L)
Lefkow: Riordan (W)
Sabedra: Serra (L)
Division I semifinal
No. 3 Los Gatos 45, No. 4 Palma 21
Babcock: Los Gatos (W)
Canilao: Palma (L)
Lefkow: Los Gatos (W)
Sabedra: Los Gatos (W)
Division II semifinals
No. 2 Sacred Heart Cathedral 63, No. 3 Santa Teresa 27
Babcock: Sacred Heart Cathedral
Canilao: Sacred Heart Cathedral
Lefkow: Sacred Heart Cathedral
Sabedra: Sacred Heart Cathedral
No. 1 St. Ignatius 42, No. 4 Menlo School 6
Babcock: St. Ignatius (W)
Canilao: St. Ignatius (W)
Lefkow: St. Ignatius (W)
Sabedra: St. Ignatius (W)
Division III semifinals
No. 3 Menlo-Atherton 36, No. 7 Sacred Heart Prep 14
Babcock: Menlo-Atherton (W)
Canilao: Sacred Heart Prep (L)
Lefkow: Menlo-Atherton (W)
Sabedra: Menlo-Atherton (W)
No. 8 San Mateo 40, No. 4 Live Oak 36
Babcock: Live Oak (L)
Canilao: San Mateo (W)
Lefkow: Live Oak (L)
Sabedra: San Mateo (W)
Division IV semifinals
No. 3 Lincoln-San Jose 49, No. 2 Willow Glen 14
Babcock: Lincoln-San Jose (W)
Canilao: Lincoln-San Jose (W)
Lefkow: Willow Glen (L)
Sabedra: Lincoln-San Jose (W)
No. 1 Branham 56, No. 5 Half Moon Bay 45
Babcock: Branham (W)
Canilao: Half Moon Bay (L)
Lefkow: Half Moon Bay (L)
Sabedra: Half Moon Bay (L)
Division V
No. 2 Sobrato 27, No. 3 Terra Nova 19
Babcock: Sobrato (W)
Canilao: Sobrato (W)
Lefkow: Sobrato (W)
Sabedra: Terra Nova (L)
No. 1 Piedmont Hills 41, No. 4 Jefferson 14
Babcock: Jefferson (L)
Canilao: Jefferson (L)
Lefkow: Piedmont Hills (W)
Sabedra: Jefferson (L)
NCS football playoffs
Open/Division I
Open final
No. 1 De La Salle 24, No. 2 Pittsburg 17
Babcock: De La Salle (W)
Canilao: De La Salle (W)
Lefkow: De La Salle (W)
Sabedra: De La Salle (W)
Division I
No. 3 Cardinal Newman 52, No. 4 Acalanes 17
Babcock: Acalanes (L)
Canilao: Acalanes (L)
Lefkow: Cardinal Newman (W)
Sabedra: Acalanes (L)
Division II
No. 2 Monte Vista 35, No. 3 California 21
Babcock: California (L)
Canilao: California (L)
Lefkow: Monte Vista (W)
Sabedra: Monte Vista (W)
No. 4 Clayton Valley Charter 21, No. 1 Campolindo 17
Babcock: Clayton Valley (W)
Canilao: Campolindo (L)
Lefkow: Clayton Valley (W)
Sabedra: Campolindo (L)
Division III
No. 3 El Cerrito 26, No. 2 Rancho Cotate 9
Babcock: El Cerrito (W)
Canilao: Rancho Cotate (L)
Lefkow: Rancho Cotate (L)
Sabedra: El Cerrito (W)
Division IV
No. 3 Miramonte 20, No. 7 Redwood 0
Babcock: Miramonte (W)
Canilao: Miramonte (W)
Lefkow: Miramonte (W)
Sabedra: Miramonte (W)
No. 1 Hayward 41, No. 4 Granada 18
Babcock: Hayward (W)
Canilao: Granada (L)
Lefkow: Hayward (W)
Sabedra: Hayward (W)
Division V
No. 2 Ferndale 35, No. 3 Salesian 7
Babcock: Ferndale (W)
Canilao: Ferndale (W)
Lefkow: Ferndale (W)
Sabedra: Ferndale (W)
Division VI
No. 3 Bishop O’Dowd 49, No. 2 St. Helena 26
Babcock: Bishop O’Dowd (W)
Canilao: Bishop O’Dowd (W)
Lefkow: Bishop O’Dowd (W)
Sabedra: Bishop O’Dowd (W)
Division VII
No. 2 Piedmont 28, No. 3 Willits 10
Babcock: Piedmont (W)
Canilao: Willits (L)
Lefkow: Piedmont (W)
Sabedra: Piedmont (W)
No. 1 Middletown 48, No. 5 Concord 8
Babcock: Middletown (W)
Canilao: Middletown (W)
Lefkow: Middletown (W)
Sabedra: Middletown (W)
Oakland Section football playoffs
Silver Bowl
No. 1 McClymonds 34, No. 3 Oakland Tech 0
Babcock: McClymonds (W)
Canilao: McClymonds (W)
Lefkow: McClymonds (W)
Sabedra: McClymonds (W)
WEEK 13 STANDINGS
Babcock: 18-4
Lefkow: 18-4
Sabedra: 16-6
Canilao: 11-11
SEASON STANDINGS
Babcock: 155-46
Sabedra: 151-50
Lefkow/Reeves: 146-55
Canilao: 140-61