San Ramon Valley or California? De La Salle vs. NFL Academy? Serra or St. Francis? Oakland or Oakland Tech? Tennyson or San Leandro? Willow Glen or Sobrato?
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.
Arguably the biggest game of the Bay Area’s footballing week doesn’t even take place in the United States. De La Salle has traveled to London to take on NFL Academy at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday, and Dycus couldn’t fathom going against the European all-star team.
“I’ve made some crazy picks over the course of my time here, but I cannot bring myself to pick against a team that has NFL in its name,” Dycus said.
The rest of the crew picked the Concord powerhouse, but Babcock also said this game would be far from a cakewalk for the visiting Spartans.
“There’s all this hoopla going on and that’s great, but if they want to win the football game, they’re gonna have to lock in,” Babcock said.
San Ramon Valley has the furthest thing from a tune-up game in the week leading up to its showdown with De La Salle. The Wolves will play fellow 6-0 team California in an East Bay Athletic League Mountain Division opener.
California and star runner Jhadis Luckey have taken care of business so far, but Babcock couldn’t see them getting past the Wolves and all-Bay Area News Group linebacker Marco Jones.
“SRV has certainly been taking care of business, too,” Babcock said. “I think they have the higher ceiling.”
Meanwhile, the group wondered when 2-3 Campolindo would begin it customary second-half surge under its longtime head coach, Kevin Macy, as the season winds down.
“I’m waiting, and waiting, and waiting for the Kevin Macy effect to start at Campo,” Sabedra said. “Maybe it did last week against Alhambra, but this is a much better gauge here against Amador.”
Elsewhere, Half Moon Bay should be well-rested as it starts league play with a trip to Milpitas.
Canilao offered up a unique theory as to why HMB’s ground-and-pound attack has been so effective during its 5-0 start.
“I wonder if running on the beach makes your legs stronger,” Canilao said. “Maybe that’s why the running game over at Half Moon Bay is good.”
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On to the picks …
WEEK 7 PICKS
Tuesday
De La Salle (5-0) vs. NFL Academy at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, 10 a.m.
Sabedra: De La Salle
Dycus: NFL Academy
Canilao: De La Salle
Babcock: De La Salle
Lefkow: De La Salle
Friday
Westmont (3-2) at Leland (3-2), 7:15 p.m.
Sabedra: Leland
Dycus: Leland
Canilao: Westmont
Babcock: Leland
Lefkow: Leland
Half Moon Bay (5-0) at Milpitas (3-2), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Half Moon Bay
Dycus: Half Moon Bay
Canilao: Half Moon Bay
Babcock: Half Moon Bay
Lefkow: Half Moon Bay
Sacred Heart Prep (3-2) at Palo Alto (4-1), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Palo Alto
Dycus: Palo Alto
Canilao: Sacred Heart Prep
Babcock: Palo Alto
Lefkow: Sacred Heart Prep
Clayton Valley Charter (3-2) at Las Lomas (5-1), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Clayton Valley Charter
Dycus: Clayton Valley Charter
Canilao: Clayton Valley Charter
Babcock: Clayton Valley Charter
Lefkow: Clayton Valley Charter
Los Gatos (4-1) at Menlo-Atherton (4-1), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Los Gatos
Dycus: Los Gatos
Canilao: Los Gatos
Babcock: Los Gatos
Lefkow: Los Gatos
Campolindo (2-3) at Amador Valley (3-3), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Amador Valley
Dycus: Campolindo
Canilao: Amador Valley
Babcock: Campolindo
Lefkow: Amador Valley
Irvington (5-0) at Washington-Fremont (2-3), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Irvington
Dycus: Irvington
Canilao: Irvington
Babcock: Irvington
Lefkow: Washington-Fremont
Miramonte (4-2) at Acalanes (4-2), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Acalanes
Dycus: Acalanes
Canilao: Acalanes
Babcock: Acalanes
Lefkow: Acalanes
Oakland (4-1) at Oakland Tech (1-4), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Oakland Tech
Dycus: Oakland Tech
Canilao: Oakland
Babcock: Oakland Tech
Lefkow: Oakland Tech
San Leandro (3-2) at Tennyson (2-3), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: San Leandro
Dycus: Tennyson
Canilao: San Leandro
Babcock: San Leandro
Lefkow: San Leandro
Archbishop Riordan (2-3) at Valley Christian (3-2), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Valley Christian
Dycus: Archbishop Riordan
Canilao: Archbishop Riordan
Babcock: Archbishop Riordan
Lefkow: Valley Christian
Serra (2-3) at St. Francis (4-1), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: St. Francis
Dycus: Serra
Canilao: St. Francis
Babcock: Serra
Lefkow: Serra
California (6-0) at San Ramon Valley (6-0), 7:15 p.m.
Sabedra: San Ramon Valley
Dycus: California
Canilao: San Ramon Valley
Babcock: San Ramon Valley
Lefkow: San Ramon Valley
Saturday
Wilcox (3-2) at Menlo School (5-0), 2 p.m.
Sabedra: Wilcox
Dycus: Menlo School
Canilao: Menlo School
Babcock: Menlo School
Lefkow: Menlo School
Willow Glen (5-0) at Sobrato (4-1), 2:30 p.m.
Sabedra: Willow Glen
Dycus: Sobrato
Canilao: Willow Glen
Babcock: Willow Glen
Lefkow: Sobrato
WEEK 6 RESULTS
San Leandro 13, Berkeley 12
Sabedra: San Leandro (W)
Dycus: Berkeley (L)
Canilao: San Leandro (W)
Babcock: San Leandro (W)
Lefkow: San Leandro (W)
Saratoga 27, Monta Vista 27 (tie)
Sabedra: Saratoga (NC)
Dycus: Saratoga (NC)
Canilao: Saratoga (NC)
Babcock: Saratoga (NC)
Lefkow: Saratoga (NC)
Moreau Catholic 26, James Logan 22
Sabedra: Moreau Catholic (W)
Dycus: Moreau Catholic (W)
Canilao: Moreau Catholic (W)
Babcock: Moreau Catholic (W)
Lefkow: Moreau Catholic (W)
Piedmont 41, Dougherty Valley 0
Sabedra: Piedmont (W)
Dycus: Piedmont (W)
Canilao: Piedmont (W)
Babcock: Piedmont (W)
Lefkow: Piedmont (W)
San Mateo 21, Milpitas 14
Sabedra: Milpitas (L)
Dycus: San Mateo (W)
Canilao: Milpitas (L)
Babcock: Milpitas (L)
Lefkow: Milpitas (L)
Del Norte-Crescent City 13, Oakland Tech 7
Sabedra: Del Norte (W)
Dycus: Del Norte (W)
Canilao: Del Norte (W)
Babcock: Del Norte (W)
Lefkow: Oakland Tech (L)
Branham 55, Lincoln-San Jose 40
Sabedra: Lincoln-San Jose (L)
Dycus: Lincoln-San Jose (L)
Canilao: Branham (W)
Babcock: Branham (W)
Lefkow: Branham (W)
Acalanes 52, Benicia 0
Sabedra: Acalanes (W)
Dycus: Acalanes (W)
Canilao: Acalanes (W)
Babcock: Acalanes (W)
Lefkow: Acalanes (W)
Christopher 31, Santa Teresa 14
Sabedra: Santa Teresa (L)
Dycus: Santa Teresa (L)
Canilao: Christopher (W)
Babcock: Christopher (W)
Lefkow: Christopher (W)
Live Oak 14, Leigh 0
Sabedra: Leigh (L)
Dycus: Leigh (L)
Canilao: Live Oak (W)
Babcock: Live Oak (W)
Lefkow: Leigh (L)
San Lorenzo (2-2) at Ygnacio Valley (3-2), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Ygnacio Valley
Dycus: Ygnacio Valley
Canilao: Ygnacio Valley
Babcock: Ygnacio Valley
Lefkow: Ygnacio Valley
Amador Valley 48, Foothill 12
Sabedra: Amador Valley (W)
Dycus: Amador Valley (W)
Canilao: Amador Valley (W)
Babcock: Amador Valley (W)
Lefkow: Amador Valley (W)
St. Francis 30, Archbishop Mitty 27
Sabedra: St. Francis (W)
Dycus: St. Francis (W)
Canilao: St. Francis (W)
Babcock: St. Francis (W)
Lefkow: St. Francis (W)
St. Ignatius 31, Archbishop Riordan 28
Sabedra: Archbishop Riordan (L)
Dycus: Archbishop Riordan (L)
Canilao: Archbishop Riordan (L)
Babcock: Archbishop Riordan (L)
Lefkow: Archbishop Riordan (L)
Pittsburg 37, Los Gatos 20
Sabedra: Pittsburg (W)
Dycus: Los Gatos (L)
Canilao: Pittsburg (W)
Babcock: Pittsburg (W)
Lefkow: Pittsburg (W)
WEEK 6 STANDINGS
Babcock: 12-2
Canilao: 12-2
Lefkow: 10-4
Sabedra: 9-5
Dycus: 8-6
SEASON STANDINGS
Sabedra: 65-24
Canilao: 60-29
Lefkow: 59-30
Babcock: 58-31
Dycus: 51-38
