SBLive's Sac-Joaquin Section Fab 15 football rankings: St. Mary's shocks De La Salle; Folsom, Del Oro to face off

The Sierra Foothill League. Have you heard about that lot of teams?

You have? There's more because there's another showdown within the best league in the Sac-Joaquin Section. On Friday, top-ranked Folsom takes on No. 3 Del Oro-Loomis. At some point, it seems likely that Folsom and St. Mary's-Stockton will meet in the SJS Division I playoffs.

The Rams are coming off their biggest regular-season victory perhaps ever, a first-time triumph of vaunted De La Salle-Concord, 45-35 after seven previous losses. It was a major moment for spirited Rams coach Tony Franks.

SJS Fab 15 football rankings (records through Oct. 8)

1. Folsom (6-1)
Last week rank: No. 1
Last week result: Defeated Whitney-Rocklin, 55-7
Next game: Friday vs. Del Oro-Loomis
The Bulldogs rolled again in the SFL, roaring to a 42-0 halftime lead as Austin Mack passed for 228 yards and four touchdowns. The Bulldogs forced four turnovers.

2. St. Mary's-Stockton (7-0)
Last week rank: No. 2
Last week result: De La Salle-Concord, 45-35
Next game: Friday vs. Tracy.
The Rams took a break from their Tri-City Athletic League schedule to host the storied Spartans, leading by as many as 17 in the fourth quarter. Samson Hunkin passed for three scores and ran for two. Might this be the best team in the SJS?

3. Del Oro-Loomis (7-0)
Last week rank: No. 7
Last week result: Defeated Rocklin, 33-20
Next game: Friday at Folsom
The Golden Eagles led 20-0 at the half to move to 2-0 in the SFL as impressive junior Caden Pinnick passed for three touchdowns and ran for one. This came a week after beating Granite Bay 21-10.

4. Monterey Trail-Elk Grove (6-2)
Last week rank: No. 4
Last week result: Defeated McClatchy-Sacramento (forfeit)
Next game: Oct. 21 at Grant-Sacramento
The Mustangs did not play as McClatchy had to forfeit due to low roster numbers. The showdown against Grant will decide the Metro League championship. The losses were to Folsom and De La Salle.

5. Manteca (6-0)
Last week rank: No. 6
Last week result: Defeated Sierra-Manteca, 68-0
Next game: Friday at East Union-Manteca
The Buffaloes are cruising in the Valley Oak League as seven different players reached the end zone. Florida State-commit Blake Nichelon scored on the ground, through the air and on a punt return.

6. Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills (6-1)
Last week rank: No. 8
Last week result: Defeated Granite Bay, 17-16
Next game: vs. Whitney-Rocklin
A sack by Markcus Hoffman stopped Granite Bay's winning two-point conversion attempt with less than a minute to play as the Trojans remained in the SFL chase. The loss was to Folsom.

7. Central Catholic-Modesto (3-4)
Last week rank: No. 9
Last week result: Kimball-Tracy, 49-13
Next game: Friday vs. Oakdale
The early season losses to powers across the state haven't prevented the Raiders from their goal of winning the VOL. Tyler Wentworth passed for 196 yards and accounted for two scores, and Tyler Jacklich had 162 yards rushing and a touchdown against Kimball.

8. Downey-Modesto (7-0)
Last week rank: No. 10
Last week result: Turlock, 24-22
Next game: Thursday vs. Enochs-Modesto
The Knights won a big one in the Central California Conference as Cole Gilbert passed for 232 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 94 and a score, but the hero was Elijah Reyneveld. He kicked the winning field goal as time ran out.

9. Granite Bay (5-2)
Last week rank: No. 7
Last week result: Lost to Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills, 17-16
Next game: Friday at Rocklin
The Grizzlies dropped their second consecutive SFL crusher. This is a young team falling to more experienced ones.

10. Rocklin (5-2)
Last week rank: No. 11
Last week result: Lost to Del Oro-Loomis, 33-20
Next game: Friday vs. Granite Bay
The Thunder trailed by three touchdowns at the half and scored two touchdowns to pull to within 20-13 in the third quarter. Mason Silva had a big game, rushing nine times for 203 yards and two scores. The other loss was a season-opener to Turlock.

11. Jesuit-Carmichael (6-1)
Last week rank: No. 12
Last week result: Defeated Franklin-Elk Grove, 62-7
Next game: Friday at Cosumnes Oaks-Elk Grove
The Marauders bounced back from their 35-21 nonleague loss to Clayton Valley Charter-Concord with a rout of the Wildcats to remain unbeaten in the Delta League. CJ Lee has accounted for 11 touchdowns since taking over as Jesuit's starting quarterback before the fifth game.

12. Placer-Auburn (7-0)
Last week rank: No. 13
Last week result: Defeated Lincoln, 35-14 by rushing 48 times for 448 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 9.7 yards per carry. Kosta Alexsic had 180 yards and three scores for the favorites to win the Foothill Valley League.

13. Tracy (6-1)
Last week rank: No. 16
Last week result: Defeated Tokay-Lodi, 45-26
Next game: Friday at St. Mary's
The Bulldogs are a player in the Tri-City Athletic League and they can become THE player if they topple No. 2 St. Mary's this week.

14. Elk Grove (4-3)
Last week rank: No. 17
Last week result: Defeated Sheldon-Sacramento, 48-27
Next game: Thursday vs. Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove
The Thundering Herd moved to 3-0 in the Delta League and will take on Jesuit on Oct. 21 to decide that race. The losses were to Granite Bay, Menlo-Atherton and San Ramon Valley-Danville.

15. Oakdale (6-1)
Last week rank: No. 18
Last week result: Defeated East Union-Manteca, 35-21
Next game: Friday at Central Catholic-Modesto
The Mustangs have been a force in the Valley Oak League for decades and seek to beat defending champion Central Catholic this week. Coach Trent Merzon quarterbacked Oakdale to championships in the early 1980s.

Bubble:
No. 16 Vacaville (4-3)
No. 17 Vanden (6-1)
No. 18 Sheldon-Sacramento (5-3)
No. 19 Turlock (3-4)
No. 20 Sutter 8-0

Around the SJS

* For the third consecutive week, racist remarks have sullied high school football in the region.

* On Friday, Del Campo-Fair Oaks played at Vista del Lago-Folsom in a Capital Athletic League game. Following the 35-14 loss, Del Campo players were greeted by their own whiteboard in their locker room that was covered in racist taunts and "DC hella sucks"

The school and the Folsom Cordova Unified School District are investigating. Early indications, according to the FCUSD, are that middle-school aged students were caught on surveillance hovering around those locker room doors.

* Previously, Amador-Sutter Creek had its season ended after a 4-0 start due to an investigation in which a group team chat included words, "Kill the blacks." A week later, River Valley-Yuba City had its season halted by administration after they learned of a mock slave auction, including having kids of color stand in shorts only against a wall as teammates pointed and laughed. That team was also winless.

* The leading tackler in the SJS is Peyton Rapper of Lincoln with 95, or 13.6 per game.

* The second leading tackler is Nick Afato of Yuba City with 84. He is also a superb quarterback.

* The leading sack masters in the SJS include guys not attending marquee high school programs: Gabriel Batres of Rodriguez-Fairfield (11 sacks), Rowan Haight of Mira Loma-Sacramento (10), Auckland Asiata of Sutter (9.5), Jericho Johnson of Armijo-Fairfield (8) and Mitchell Carter of Franklin-Elk Grove (8).

The SJS interception leaders Tazain Ford of San Juan-Citrus Heights (7), Baron Taylor of Inderkum-Sacramento (7) and Noah Cozart of Patterson (6).