Bay Area News Group high school football predictions: Week 2, 2024

Serra or De La Salle? St. Francis or McClymonds? Liberty or Los Gatos?

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 Serra’s chances of beating De La Salle. 

Coming off a stunning 22-21 victory at powerhouse Folsom, Serra has an opportunity to reclaim its spot atop the Bay Area pecking order if it takes down the Spartans in Concord. 

If Serra is looking for doubters to provide motivation, all they’ll need to do is watch the pick ‘em show. For the second week in a row, all five panelists picked against the Padres. 

“You know, Patrick Walsh said ‘Never doubt those Serra Padres,’ but that’s exactly what I’m gonna do,” said Canilao, who covered the upset at Folsom.  

“If Serra wins this game, they need to get everyone on the team a subscription to the Mercury News (and East Bay Times), because we’re giving them an endless supply of bulletin board material at this point,” Babcock added. 

De La Salle’s experience could be a determining factor. The Concord school has lost each of the past two meetings to the Padres, but Serra had to replace 18 of the 22 starters from last year’s 28-0 decision. 

“I think that if De La Salle is going to get back to being the top dog in NorCal – they’ve got a veteran team with a veteran quarterback, quick running backs and are good on the line — if they don’t get Serra this time, I’m not sure when they’re going to get them,” Sabedra said. 

The show wasn’t all predictions and bluster, though. 

Bay Area high school football historian Mike Lefkow remembered the late Steve Alameda, the longtime Kennedy-Richmond and Pinole Valley coach who died this past weekend. 

“He was one of the great coaches in West Contra Costa County,” Lefkow said. “He had some really good players and some really good teams, and you know, he was just a nice person.”

Be sure to check out the video.

If you just want the picks, keep scrolling.

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On to the picks …

WEEK 2 PICKS

Thursday

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

Sabedra: Milpitas

Dycus: Santa Teresa

Canilao: Milpitas

Babcock: Santa Teresa

Lefkow: Milpitas

Friday

Bishop O’Dowd (1-0) at Monte Vista (1-0), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Monte Vista

Dycus: Monte Vista

Canilao: Monte Vista

Babcock: Monte Vista

Lefkow: Monte Vista

Salesian (1-0) at Moreau Catholic (1-0), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Salesian

Dycus: Salesian

Canilao: Moreau Catholic

Babcock: Salesian

Lefkow: Moreau Catholic

Hillsdale (1-0) at Half Moon Bay (1-0), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Half Moon Bay

Dycus: Hillsdale

Canilao: Hillsdale

Babcock: Hillsdale

Lefkow: Hillsdale

Lincoln-San Jose (0-1) at San Jose (1-0), 7:15 p.m.

Sabedra: Lincoln-San Jose

Dycus: Lincoln-San Jose

Canilao: Lincoln-San Jose

Babcock: Lincoln-San Jose

Lefkow: Lincoln-San Jose

Sacred Heart Prep (1-0) vs. Sacred Heart Cathedra (1-0)l at Kezar Stadium, 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Sacred Heart Prep

Dycus: Sacred Heart Prep

Canilao: Sacred Heart Prep

Babcock: Sacred Heart Prep

Lefkow: Sacred Heart Prep

Salinas (0-0) at Valley Christian (1-0), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Valley Christian

Dycus: Valley Christian

Canilao: Valley Christian

Babcock: Valley Christian

Lefkow: Valley Christian

San Mateo (1-0) at Aragon (0-1), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Aragon

Dycus: San Mateo

Canilao: San Mateo

Babcock: San Mateo

Lefkow: Aragon

Bishop Manogue-Reno (2-1) at Pittsburg (1-0), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Pittsburg

Dycus: Pittsburg

Canilao: Pittsburg

Babcock: Pittsburg

Lefkow: Pittsburg

Liberty (1-0) at Los Gatos (1-0), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Los Gatos

Dycus: Liberty

Canilao: Liberty

Babcock: Los Gatos

Lefkow: Los Gatos

McClymonds (0-1) at St. Francis (1-0), 7:30 p.m.

Sabedra: St. Francis

Dycus: St. Francis

Canilao: St. Francis

Babcock: St. Francis

Lefkow: St. Francis

Archbishop Riordan (1-0) vs. St. Bonaventure-Ventura (2-0) at Ventura College, 7 p.m.

Sabedra: Archbishop Riordan

Dycus: St. Bonaventure-Ventura

Canilao: St. Bonaventure-Ventura

Babcock: Archbishop Riordan

Lefkow: St. Bonaventure-Ventura

Serra (1-0) at De La Salle (1-0), 7 p.m.

Sabedra: De La Salle

Dycus: De La Salle

Canilao: De La Salle

Babcock: De La Salle

Lefkow: De La Salle

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

Sabedra: San Ramon Valley

Dycus: San Ramon Valley

Canilao: San Ramon Valley

Babcock: San Ramon Valley

Lefkow: San Ramon Valley

Saturday, Sept. 7

Dorsey (0-1) at Castlemont (0-0), 12:30 p.m.

Sabedra: Castlemont

Dycus: Castlemont

Canilao: Castlemont

Babcock: Castlemont

Lefkow: Castlemont

WEEK 1 RESULTS

Thursday

Willow Glen 31, Lincoln-San Jose 7

Sabedra: Lincoln-San Jose (L)

Dycus: Willow Glen (W)

Canilao: Willow Glen (W)

Babcock: Lincoln-San Jose (L)

Lefkow: Lincoln-San Jose (L)

Santa Teresa 48, Fremont-Sunnyvale 7

Sabedra: Santa Teresa (W)

Dycus: Santa Teresa (W)

Canilao: Santa Teresa (W)

Babcock: Santa Teresa (W)

Lefkow: Santa Teresa  (W)

Friday

El Cerrito 38, Amador Valley 16

Sabedra: El Cerrito (W)

Dycus: Amador Valley (L)

Canilao: El Cerrito (W)

Babcock: El Cerrito (W)

Lefkow: Amador Valley (L)

Moreau Catholic 37, St. Mary’s-Berkeley 0

Sabedra: Moreau Catholic (W)

Dycus: Moreau Catholic (W)

Canilao: Moreau Catholic (W)

Babcock: Moreau Catholic (W)

Lefkow: Moreau Catholic (W)

Leigh 27, Leland 9

Sabedra: Leigh (W) 

Dycus: Leigh (W)

Canilao: Leigh (W)

Babcock: Leigh (W)

Lefkow: Leigh (W) 

Los Gatos 14, Soquel 7

Sabedra: Los Gatos (W)

Dycus: Los Gatos (W) 

Canilao: Los Gatos (W)

Babcock: Los Gatos (W)

Lefkow: Los Gatos (W) 

Palo Alto 25, Mountain View 13

Sabedra: Palo Alto (W)

Dycus: Palo Alto (W)

Canilao: Palo Alto (W)

Babcock: Palo Alto (W)

Lefkow: Palo Alto (W)

Valley Christian 24, Wilcox 7

Sabedra: Valley Christian (W)

Dycus: Valley Christian (W) 

Canilao: Valley Christian (W)

Babcock: Wilcox (L)

Lefkow: Valley Christian (W)

De La Salle 42, Grant-Sacramento 14

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)

Pittsburg 43, Monterey Trail-Elk Grove 13

Sabedra: Pittsburg (W) 

Dycus: Pittsburg (W) 

Canilao: Pittsburg (W)

Babcock: Pittsburg (W)

Lefkow: Pittsburg (W)

Riordan 35, McClymonds 34

Sabedra: Riordan (W)

Dycus: McClymonds (L)

Canilao: Riordan (W)

Babcock: Riordan (W)

Lefkow: McClymonds (L)

San Ramon Valley 28, St. Ignatius 10

Sabedra: San Ramon Valley (W)

Dycus: St. Ignatius (L)

Canilao: San Ramon Valley (W)

Babcock: San Ramon Valley (W)

Lefkow: San Ramon Valley (W)

Vanden-Fairfield 23, Campolindo 7

Sabedra: Campolindo (L)

Dycus: Campolindo (L)

Canilao: Vanden-Fairfield (W)

Babcock: Campolindo (L)

Lefkow: Vanden-Fairfield (L)

Serra 22, Folsom 21

Sabedra: Folsom (L)

Dycus: Folsom (L)

Canilao: Folsom (L)

Babcock: Folsom (L)

Lefkow: Folsom (L)

Saturday

Menlo-Atherton 40, Bellarmine 10

Sabedra: Menlo-Atherton (W)

Dycus: Bellarmine (L)

Canilao: Menlo-Atherton (W)

Babcock: Menlo-Atherton (W)

Lefkow: Menlo-Atherton (W)

WEEK 1 STANDINGS

Canilao: 14-1

Sabedra: 12-3

Babcock: 11-4

Lefkow: 10-5

Dycus: 9-6

SEASON STANDINGS

Canilao: 14-1

Sabedra: 12-3

Babcock: 11-4

Lefkow: 10-5

Dycus: 9-6