SBLive's Sac-Joaquin Section Fab 15 football rankings: No. 5 Central Catholic, No. 6 Manteca combine for 104 points

One week to go. That's what is left for the Sac-Joaquin Section football teams in the regular season.

One more game to either secure a playoff berth, to clinch a league championship, to secure a winning record or to save face on a long, lost season.

Last week, the Valley Oak League champion was all but decided when Central Catholic-Modesto beat Manteca in a shootout. In the Metro League, No. 3 Monterey beat Grant-Sacramento for league honors. In the Delta League, No. 10 Elk Grove topped No. 12 Jesuit-Carmichael to win those league honors.

In Placer County, Placer-Auburn outlasted West Park-Roseville to win the Foothill Valley League.

Clearly, teams are playing hard to the end. Prolific performances were performed throughout the section, including a pair of 500-yard-plus passing performances (see below).

This week, no ranked teams are in a league championship showdown.

SJS's Fab 15 football rankings (records thru Oct. 22)
1. Folsom (8-1)
Last week rank: No. 1
Last week result: Defeated Granite Bay, 55-27
Next game: Thursday vs. Rocklin
The Bulldogs have already clinched at least a share of their 11th league championship since 2010 and they now set aim on their ninth section crown in that span.

2. St. Mary's-Stockton (9-0)
Last week rank: No. 2
Last week result: Defeated Tokay-Lodi, 38-7
Next game: Friday vs. Lincoln-Stockton
The Rams have a good argument to land the No. 1 seed in the playoffs should they go 10-0. At worst, they will be the No. 2 seed behind Folsom.

3. Monterey Trail-Elk Grove (7-2)
Last week rank: No. 2
Last week result: Defeated Grant-Sacramento, 49-42
Next game: Friday vs. River City-West Sacramento
The Mustangs outlasted Grant to win their fourth consecutive Metro League championship and will be a difficult draw in the D-I playoffs.

4. Del Oro-Loomis (8-1)
Last week rank: No. 4
Last week result: Defeated Whitney-Rocklin, 42-30
Next game: Friday at Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills
A win this week may land the Golden Eagles the No. 1 seed in D-II with their only loss coming to likely No. 1 D-I seed Folsom in Sierra Foothill League play.

5. Central Catholic-Modesto (5-4)
Last week rank: No. 7
Last week result: Defeated Manteca, 55-49
Next game: Friday vs. Sierra-Manteca
At long last, the Raiders have a winning record after clinching at least a share of the Valley Oak League championship and having endured a brutal nonleague schedule that included losses to Bosco, Serra and St. Mary's. Tyler Wentworth passed for three touchdowns and Tyler Jacklich ran for 201 yards and four scores.

6. Manteca (7-1)
Last week rank: No. 5
Last week result: Lost to Central Catholic, 55-49
Next game: Friday vs. Oakdale
The Buffaloes received the game of a lifetime from Florida State-bound Blake Nichelson, who rushed 24 times for a remarkable 400 yards and seven touchdowns. No one wants to face that wrecking ball in the playoffs.

7. Downey-Modesto (9-0)
Last week rank: No. 8
Last week result: Defeated Gregori-Modesto, 51-10
Next game: Friday vs. Pittman-Turlock
The Knights have perhaps their greatest team, and it should garner one of the top three seeds in D-II. Conner Stoddard passed for three touchdowns and KI Ragland rushed for 180 yards and three scores against Gregori.

8. Rocklin (7-2)
Last week rank: No. 9
Last week result: Defeated Oak Ridge, 21-17
Next game: Thursday at Folsom
The Thunder cap the regular season at Folsom, the team they beat last season to win the SFL but lost to in the D-I section finals. Against Oak Ridge, Joey Roberts passed for two touchdowns and Mason Silva rushed for one.

9. Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills (7-2)
Last week rank: No 6
Last week result: Lost to Rocklin, 21-17
Next game: Friday vs. Del Oro-Loomis
The Trojans went 3-7 a year ago and are back in the D-I playoffs with QB Maddox Varella, RB Jake Hall and a strong defense.

10. Elk Grove (5-3)
Last week rank: No. 13
Last week result: Defeated Jesuit-Carmichael, 34-21
Next game: Friday vs. Franklin-Elk Grove
Beating Jesuit ensures that the Thundering Herd win the Delta League and enter the D-I playoffs, having won the D-II section title in 2019. David Hale is emerging as a sophomore quarterback, and he passed for two touchdowns against Jesuit while rushing for 91 yards.

11. Placer-Auburn (9-0)
Last week rank: No. 12
Last week result: Defeated West Park-Roseville 42-35
Next game: Friday at Oakmont-Roseville
The Hillmen won their ninth league championship in 10 years and seek their fourth 10-0 team in that stretch as they seek a D-III section banner.

12. Jesuit-Carmichael (7-2)
Last week rank: No. 10
Last week result: Last to Elk Grove, 34-21
Next game: Saturday vs. Davis
Losing to Elk Grove means the Marauders will be in the D-II playoffs as the winner of this league is always a D-I entry.

13. Turlock (5-4)
Last week rank: No. 14
Last week result: Defeated Enochs-Modesto, 56-16
Next game: Friday vs. Gregori-Modesto
The Bulldogs showed what they were all about with an opening-night win over Rocklin, and Cole Gilbert continues to impress. The senior QB passed for 233 yards and four touchdowns.

14. Granite Bay (5-4)
Last week rank: No. 11
Last week result: Lost to Folsom, 55-27
Next game: Friday vs. Whitney-Rocklin
The Grizzlies started the season 5-0 but have lost agonizingly close losses since to Del Oro (21-10), Oak Ridge (17-16) and Rocklin (21-14) before the Folsom setback. They're still in the D-II playoffs.

15. Vacaville (6-3)
Last week rank: No. 15
Last week result: Defeated Armijo-Fairfield, 44-6
Next game: Friday vs. Wood
The Bulldogs have not lost a Monticello Empire League game since 2016, and they clinched another MEL title despite a rash of injuries. They are in the D-II playoffs.

Bubble:
No. 16 Tracy (7-2)
No. 17. Vanden-Fairfield (8-1)
No. 18. Sheldon-Sacramento (6-3)
No. 19. Sutter (9-0)
No. 20. Lincoln-Stockton (6-3)
No. 21. Liberty Ranch-Galt (9-0)

* A parking-lot shooting Friday night that killed a 20-year old marred what was a great game between Grant-Sacramento and Monterey Trail in Del Paso Heights. The shooting happened late in the game, outside the stadium, though most inside the stadium did not know about it, and Monterey Trail players and coaches didn't learn of it until their bus ride home. The Sacramento Police Department is still searching for the shooter. The identity of the victim has not been announced. Grant's regular-season finale at home against Laguna Creek-Elk Grove will happen, albeit with more security to ensure safety, both schools confirmed.

* The SJS playoff seedings will be announced by the section office on Sunday afternoon. The playoffs start Nov. 4 with 80 teams spread over seven divisions.

* Marino Fragata of Johnson-Sacramento had a game for the ages, completing 22 of 26 passes for 520 yards and eight touchdowns to beat Cordova 52-14 in a Greater Sacramento League contest. The SJS record for touchdowns in a game is 10, set by Jake Browning of Folsom in 2012 when he was a sophomore. Browning went on to pass for a national prep record 229 career touchdowns, excelled at Washington and is with the Cincinnati Bengals.

* In leading Antelope past Sonora 53-51 in a nonleague game, senior quarterback Jasiah Bateman completed 24 of 36 passes for a school-record 540 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions. The game came about because River Valley-Yuba City forfeited the bulk of its Capital Valley Conference games due to a racially-charged social media post of a mock slave auction, leaving other CVC programs to scramble to find games.