Bay Area News Group high school football predictions: Week 3, 2024

De La Salle or St. Francis? Bishop O’Dowd or McClymonds? Pittsburg or Archbishop Riordan?

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.

In our video roundtable, the crew discussed St. Francis’ odds of defeating De La Salle for the second time in four years.

The Lancers routed McClymonds 34-14 last week, with Kingston Keanaaina rushing for 336 yards and three touchdowns behind a mammoth offensive line. They looked like vintage St. Francis. 

Now the Lancers will take on the Bay Area News Group’s No. 1 team – a DLS unit fresh off a 39-10 victory over Serra – in Concord. The Lancers famously snapped the Spartans’ 318-game unbeaten streak against NorCal opponents in 2021. 

Four of the panelists went with DLS. 

You already know who decided to go against the grain and predict that St. Francis would beat De La Salle.

“Kingston Keanaaina is on another level,” Joseph Dycus proclaimed. “I think they execute the strategy that Serra was trying to do in that first half, and they do it a little bit better. And they’ve got the offensive line to play with De La Salle.”

That wasn’t the only surprising prediction of the show. Nathan Canilao is firmly on the Bishop O’Dowd bandwagon. After watching the Dragons defeat Monte Vista 24-20, he thinks O’Dowd has what it takes to be the first Oakland team to defeat McClymonds since 2012.

“I went back and forth on this, but I’m going with O’Dowd,” Canilao said. “I’m buying all the Hardy Nickerson stock right now. I think they’re on a roll and they believe in themselves, and they believe in themselves when no one else does.” 

Pittsburg and Archbishop Riordan’s Week 3 showdown is expected to go down to the wire as the Bay Area’s other matchup of Top 5 teams. 

“Pittsburg’s been rolling right along as expected, and you know, there’s going to be a lot of college talent on that field,” Sabedra said. 

The Pirates and Riordan have some college talent, but Serra’s opponent on Saturday is essentially a high-level juco team.

On Saturday, Serra will play host to St. John Bosco-Bellflower in a rematch of the 2022 Open Division state championship game. 

The Trinity League giant won that game 45-0, and the encore probably won’t be any closer.

But even if winning isn’t even a remote possibility, Christian Babcock sees value in the Padres playing the SoCal juggernaut. 

“As much as football coaches hate to talk about moral victories, if you’re trying to grow a young team, you might as well throw them out there against the best,” Babcock said.  

Be sure to check out the video.

If you just want the picks, keep scrolling.

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On to the picks …

WEEK 3 PICKS

Friday

Clayton Valley (1-1) at San Ramon Valley (2-0), 7 p.m

Sabedra: San Ramon Valley

Dycus: San Ramon Valley

Canilao: San Ramon Valley

Babcock: San Ramon Valley

Lefkow: San Ramon Valley

Hayward (1-1) at Tennyson (1-1), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Hayward

Dycus: Hayward

Canilao: Hayward

Babcock: Hayward

Lefkow: Hayward

Heritage (1-1) at Dublin (0-2), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Heritage

Dycus: Heritage

Canilao: Heritage

Babcock: Heritage

Lefkow: Heritage

Windsor (2-0) at Campolindo (1-1), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Windsor

Dycus: Campolindo

Canilao: Windsor

Babcock: Campolindo

Lefkow: Campolindo

Christopher (1-1) at Palo Alto (2-0), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Palo Alto

Dycus: Palo Alto

Canilao: Palo Alto

Babcock: Palo Alto

Lefkow: Palo Alto

Leigh (2-0) at South San Francisco (1-1), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Leigh

Dycus: South San Francisco

Canilao: Leigh

Babcock: Leigh

Lefkow: Leigh

Menlo-Atherton (2-0) vs. Archbishop Mitty (2-0) at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Archbishop Mitty

Dycus: Menlo-Atherton

Canilao: Menlo-Atherton

Babcock: Menlo-Atherton

Lefkow: Menlo-Atherton

Pioneer (1-1) at Santa Teresa (2-0), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Santa Teresa

Dycus: Santa Teresa

Canilao: Santa Teresa

Babcock: Santa Teresa

Lefkow: Santa Teresa

Wilcox (1-1) vs. Sacred Heart Cathedral (2-0) at Kezar Stadium, 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Wilcox

Dycus: Sacred Heart Cathedral

Canilao: Wilcox

Babcock: Sacred Heart Cathedral

Lefkow: Sacred Heart Cathedral

McClymonds (0-2) at Bishop O’Dowd (2-0), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: McClymonds

Dycus: McClymonds

Canilao: Bishop O’Dowd

Babcock: Bishop O’Dowd

Lefkow: McClymonds

Archbishop Riordan (1-1) at Pittsburg (2-0), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Pittsburg

Dycus: Pittsburg

Canilao: Pittsburg

Babcock: Pittsburg

Lefkow: Pittsburg

St. Francis (2-0) at De La Salle (2-0), 7:30 p.m.

Sabedra: De La Salle

Dycus: St. Francis

Canilao: De La Salle

Babcock: De La Salle

Lefkow: De La Salle

St. Ignatius (1-1) at Cathedral-San Diego (3-0), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Cathedral-San Diego

Dycus: Cathedral-San Diego

Canilao: Cathedral-San Diego

Babcock: Cathedral-San Diego

Lefkow: Cathedral-San Diego

Saturday

Half Moon Bay (2-0) at Sacred Heart Prep (1-1), 2 p.m.

Sabedra: Half Moon Bay

Dycus: Half Moon Bay

Canilao: Sacred Heart Prep

Babcock: Sacred Heart Prep

Lefkow: Sacred Heart Prep

St. John Bosco-Bellflower (3-0) at Serra (1-1), 1:30 p.m.

Sabedra: St. John Bosco-Bellflower

Dycus: St. John Bosco-Bellflower

Canilao: St. John Bosco-Bellflower

Babcock: St. John Bosco-Bellflower

Lefkow: St. John Bosco-Bellflower

WEEK 2 RESULTS

Santa Teresa 25,  Milpitas 7

Sabedra: Milpitas (L)

Dycus: Santa Teresa (W)

Canilao: Milpitas (L)

Babcock: Santa Teresa (W)

Lefkow: Milpitas (L)

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Bishop O’Dowd 24, Monte Vista 20

Sabedra: Monte Vista (L)

Dycus: Monte Vista (L)

Canilao: Monte Vista (L)

Babcock: Monte Vista (L)

Lefkow: Monte Vista (L)

Salesian 41, Moreau Catholic 27

Sabedra: Salesian (W)

Dycus: Salesian (W)

Canilao: Moreau Catholic (L)

Babcock: Salesian (W)

Lefkow: Moreau Catholic (L)

Half Moon Bay 21, Hillsdale 14

Sabedra: Half Moon Bay (W)

Dycus: Hillsdale (L)

Canilao: Hillsdale (L)

Babcock: Hillsdale (L)

Lefkow: Hillsdale (L)

Lincoln-San Jose 42, San Jose 0

Sabedra: Lincoln-San Jose (W)

Dycus: Lincoln-San Jose (W)

Canilao: Lincoln-San Jose (W)

Babcock: Lincoln-San Jose (W)

Lefkow: Lincoln-San Jose (W)

Sacred Heart Cathedral 33, Sacred Heart Prep 6

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)

Salinas 24, Valley Christian 7

Sabedra: Valley Christian (L)

Dycus: Valley Christian (L)

Canilao: Valley Christian (L)

Babcock: Valley Christian (L)

Lefkow: Valley Christian (L)

Aragon 31, San Mateo 21

Sabedra: Aragon (W)

Dycus: San Mateo (L)

Canilao: San Mateo (L)

Babcock: San Mateo (L)

Lefkow: Aragon (W)

Pittsburg 41, Bishop Manogue-Reno 14

Sabedra: Pittsburg (W)

Dycus: Pittsburg (W)

Canilao: Pittsburg (W)

Babcock: Pittsburg (W)

Lefkow: Pittsburg (W)

Los Gatos 38, Liberty 21

Sabedra: Los Gatos (W)

Dycus: Liberty (L)

Canilao: Liberty (L)

Babcock: Los Gatos (W)

Lefkow: Los Gatos (W)

St. Francis 34, McClymonds 14

Sabedra: St. Francis (W)

Dycus: St. Francis (W)

Canilao: St. Francis (W)

Babcock: St. Francis (W)

Lefkow: St. Francis (W)

St. Bonaventure-Ventura 42, Archbishop Riordan 34

Sabedra: Archbishop Riordan (L)

Dycus: St. Bonaventure-Ventura (W)

Canilao: St. Bonaventure-Ventura (W)

Babcock: Archbishop Riordan (L)

Lefkow: St. Bonaventure-Ventura (W)

De La Salle 39, Serra 10

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)

San Ramon Valley 14, Soquel 7

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)

Dorsey-Los Angeles 20, Castlemont 0

Sabedra: Castlemont (L)

Dycus: Castlemont (L)

Canilao: Castlemont (L)

Babcock: Castlemont (L)

Lefkow: Castlemont (L)

WEEK 2 STANDINGS

Sabedra: 9-6

Babcock: 8-7

Lefkow: 8-7

Dycus: 8-7

Canilao: 6-9

SEASON STANDINGS

Sabedra: 21-9

Canilao: 20-10

Babcock: 19-11

Lefkow: 18-12

Dycus: 17-13

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