Bay Area News Group high school football predictions: Week 16, 2024

State championship week is upon us in high school football.

Four Bay Area teams have advanced to the final weekend of the high school season and will play for a CIF state title this Friday and Saturday.

Moreau Catholic will take on Lindsay. Amador Valley will meet Frontier-Bakersfield. Pittsburg will match up with Lincoln-San Diego.

And De La Salle will try to upset perennial national powerhouse Mater Dei-Santa Ana, the undefeated wire-to-wire top high school team in the country this season, in the CIF Open Division championship game.

Amador Valley quarterback Tristan Tia (3) and head coach Danny Jones confer during the first quarter of their North Coast Section Division 3-AA high school football championship against McClymonds, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, at McClymonds High School in Oakland, Calif. (D. Ross Cameron for the Bay Area News Group) 

Christian Babcock, Nathan Canilao and Joseph Dycus join long-timers Mike Lefkow and Darren Sabedra to pick the champions of this week’s state championship games.

All in good fun, of course.

In our weekly video show, the guys recapped NorCal championship week and broke down all four state title games this week, including an extended discussion of the Open matchup.

The Spartans will have a tall task even just keeping things close. In a bonus pick this week, our staff made its selections on whether Mater Dei would induce a running clock in the fourth quarter.

Moreau Catholic celebrates after winning against Leland during the NorCal Division 7-AA championship at Moreau Catholic High School in Hayward, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) 

Dycus was the only one to fully believe in De La Salle, picking them to win the game.

“Remember a few years ago Darren? Lefty picked Serra over Bosco just off principle? That’s what I’m doing,” Dycus said. “Is Mater Dei probably going to win? Sure. But you know what? I’ll predict De La Salle, they’re going to win. It’s going to be something like 28-21, where De La Salle scores on every single drive and each drive takes 8-10 minutes.”

Sabedra didn’t go that bold, but he agreed De La Salle would keep it close enough to avoid a running clock.

“De La Salle is going to find a way to make it close,” Sabedra said. “You’re going to think they’re out, and then all of a sudden, I’m looking up and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, it’s a two-touchdown game. Oh my God, it’s a one-touchdown game. What is going on out there?’”

Canilao did not share Sabedra’s faith that De La Salle could keep the margin under 35 throughout the fourth quarter.

Pittsburg head coach Charlie Ramirez lifts up the first place plaque as he runs to the bleachers after defeating Folsom during their CIF NorCal Division 1-AA regional championship game at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. Pittsburg defeated Folsom 28-27. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) 

“They’ll start off and there’s going to be a lot of energy, and they’ll maybe string together a great drive that ends with a field goal or maybe even a touchdown,” Canilao said of the Spartans. “But from there, I don’t see Mater Dei letting their foot off the gas. Sometime in the fourth quarter, we might have Mater Dei up in the high 40s and De La Salle still trying to get to double digits.”

Babcock concurred with Canilao’s assessment.

“I went back and forth on this for a while,” Babcock said. “I was pacing around my house for about an hour trying to ponder the mysteries of the running clock, and I landed on yes. Maybe Mater Dei goes up 35 and then De La Salle scores after that. I hinted at this earlier, I think this game is ultimately going to be played on Mater Dei’s terms. So it may come down to how many points they want to score, whether or not it’s a running clock.”

Be sure to check out the video for all of our guys’ prep football talk.

If you just want the picks, keep scrolling.

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On to the picks …

WEEK 16 PICKS

OPEN DIVISION

De La Salle (12-0) vs. Mater Dei-Santa Ana (12-0) at Saddleback College, Saturday, Dec. 14, 8 p.m.

Sabedra: Mater Dei-Santa Ana

Dycus: De La Salle

Canilao: Mater Dei-Santa Ana

Babcock: Mater Dei-Santa Ana

Lefkow: Mater Dei-Santa Ana

DIVISION 1-AA

State final: Pittsburg (12-2) vs. Lincoln-San Diego (11-2) at Saddleback College, Friday, Dec. 13, 8 p.m.

Sabedra: Pittsburg

Dycus: Pittsburg

Canilao: Pittsburg

Babcock: Lincoln-San Diego

Lefkow: Pittsburg

DIVISION 7-AA

State final: Moreau Catholic (10-4) vs. Lindsay (10-5) at Fullerton UHSD Stadium, Friday, 4 p.m.

Sabedra: Moreau Catholic

Dycus: Moreau Catholic

Canilao: Moreau Catholic

Babcock: Moreau Catholic

Lefkow: Moreau Catholic

BONUS

Will the Open Division game end with a running clock?

Sabedra: No

Dycus: No

Canilao: Yes

Babcock: Yes

Lefkow: No

WEEK 15 RESULTS

DIVISION 7-AA

North: Moreau Catholic 42, Leland 11

Sabedra: Moreau Catholic (W)

Dycus: Moreau Catholic (W)

Canilao: Moreau Catholic (W)

Babcock: Moreau Catholic (W)

Lefkow: Moreau Catholic (W)

DIVISION 6-A

North: Summerville 45, Sacred Heart Prep 28

Sabedra: Sacred Heart Prep (L)

Dycus: Sacred Heart Prep (L)

Canilao: Sacred Heart Prep (L)

Babcock: Sacred Heart Prep (L)

Lefkow: Sacred Heart Prep (L)

DIVISION 5-AA

North: Carmel 42, Acalanes 41

Sabedra: Acalanes (L)

Dycus: Acalanes (L)

Canilao: Acalanes (L)

Babcock: Acalanes (L)

Lefkow: Carmel (W)

DIVISION 3-AA

North: Amador Valley 44, McClymonds 33

Sabedra: Amador Valley (W)

Dycus: McClymonds (L)

Canilao: Amador Valley (W)

Babcock: Amador Valley (W)

Lefkow: Amador Valley (W)

DIVISION 2-A

North: Twelve Bridges 28, Wilcox 27

Sabedra: Twelve Bridges (W)

Dycus: Wilcox (L)

Canilao: Twelve Bridges (W)

Babcock: Twelve Bridges (W)

Lefkow: Twelve Bridges (W)

DIVISION 2-AA

North: Grant-Sacramento 32, St. Francis 30

Sabedra: Grant-Sacramento (W)

Dycus: Grant-Sacramento (W)

Canilao: Grant-Sacramento (W)

Babcock: Grant-Sacramento (W)

Lefkow: St. Francis (L)

DIVISION 1-A

North: Central-Fresno 33, St. Ignatius 23

Sabedra: Central-Fresno (W)

Dycus: Central-Fresno (W)

Canilao: Central-Fresno (W)

Babcock: Central-Fresno (W)

Lefkow: St. Ignatius (L)

DIVISION 1-AA

North: Pittsburg 28, Folsom 27

Sabedra: Folsom (L)

Dycus: Pittsburg (W)

Canilao: Pittsburg (W)

Babcock: Folsom (L)

Lefkow: Pittsburg (W)

WEEK 15 STANDINGS

Canilao: 6-2

Babcock: 5-3

Lefkow: 5-3

Sabedra: 5-3

Dycus: 4-4

SEASON STANDINGS

Babcock: 145-70

Sabedra: 144-71

Lefkow: 141-74

Canilao: 140-75

Dycus: 121-94