We’re back for another season of high school football picks.
All in fun, of course.
Our lineup this year features longtimers Mike Lefkow and myself, along with Nathan Canilao and Christian Babcock, who are in their second season on the Bay Area News Group’s prep football beat.
Joseph Dycus has moved on to cover the Warriors for us, so he won’t make picks this fall but could drop in on occasion to join our weekly show that we post on YouTube and add the link in this space below.
In this week’s show, the guys discuss the fire that was set on Mt. Diablo’s new field, our two-part Bellarmine football series and the transfer era of high school football.
As we know, nothing creates chatter like transfers.
“I hated it at first,” said Lefkow, who has closely followed high school football for decades. “I think now I’ve come to accept it. This is the way high school football is. it’s not just one or two schools that are doing it. It’s more and more schools doing it.”
My thoughts: “I’m old school. I don’t like it. I’m a loyalty guy. If you start some place, you should try to finish there. But a lot of kids see what’s happening in college football, happening at other schools around the state, around the country, and one way to build a program quick is to bring in a lot of transfers.”
A couple of surprises arose in the picks’ portion of the show.
Canilao went against the field and took Granada to beat Berkeley and Hayward to topple Moreau Catholic.
Lefkow was the only one to pick Serra over Folsom. Canilao and the HSratings.com (formerly Calpreps) went the other way and don’t think it’s going to be close.
They say Folsom by a lot.
“I think it’s going to be Folsom by running clock midway through the third quarter,” Canilao said.
The computer projects Folsom to win 40-0.
Canilao, Lefkow, Babcock and the computer pick Sobrato to extend Bellarmine’s losing streak, which stands at 11 dating to the final game of the 2023 season.
I am going with Bellarmine.
Be sure to check out the video.
On to the picks …
WEEK 1 PICKS
Friday
Archbishop Mitty at Acalanes, 7 p.m.
Babcock: Acalanes
Canilao: Acalanes
Lefkow: Mitty
Sabedra: Mitty
Berkeley at Dublin, 7 p.m.
Babcock: Dublin
Canilao: Berkeley
Lefkow: Berkeley
Sabedra: Berkeley
Campolindo at Granada, 7:15 p.m.
Babcock: Campolindo
Canilao: Granada
Lefkow: Campolindo
Sabedra: Campolindo
Cathedral Catholic at St. Francis, 7 p.m.
Babcock: Cathedral Catholic
Canilao: Cathedral Catholic
Lefkow: St. Francis
Sabedra: Cathedral Catholic
El Cerrito at San Ramon Valley, 7 p.m.
Babcock: SRV
Canilao: SRV
Lefkow: SRV
Sabedra: SRV
Lakeland, Florida (1-0) at De La Salle, 7 p.m.
Babcock: DLS
Canilao: DLS
Lefkow: DLS
Sabedra: DLS
Moreau Catholic at Hayward, 7 p.m.
Babcock: Moreau Catholic
Canilao: Hayward
Lefkow: Moreau Catholic
Sabedra: Moreau Catholic
Mountain View at Palo Alto, 7 p.m.
Babcock: Palo Alto
Canilao: Palo Alto
Lefkow: Palo Alto
Sabedra: Palo Alto
San Marin at St. Ignatius, 7 p.m.
Babcock: St. Ignatius
Canilao: San Marin
Lefkow: San Marin
Sabedra: St. Ignatius
Sobrato at Bellarmine, 7 p.m.
Babcock: Sobrato
Canilao: Sobrato
Lefkow: Sobrato
Sabedra: Bellarmine
Soquel at Los Gatos, 7 p.m.
Babcock: Los Gatos
Canilao: Los Gatos
Lefkow: Los Gatos
Sabedra: Los Gatos
Related Articles
Mt. Diablo finds temporary home football field after fire damages its on-campus facility
High school football 2025 preseason rankings: Bay Area News Group Top 25
Bellarmine football: What’s next after storied program’s first 0-10 season?
Mt. Diablo’s field set on fire, displacing football team days before first game
Monday Morning Lights: What to know as Bay Area teams kick off season
Wilcox at Valley Christian, 7 p.m.
Babcock: Valley Christian
Canilao: Valley Christian
Lefkow: Valley Christian
Sabedra: Valley Christian
Willow Glen at Lincoln-San Jose, 7:15 p.m.
Babcock: Willow Glen
Canilao: Willow Glen
Lefkow: Willow Glen
Sabedra: Willow Glen
Granite Bay at Pittsburg, 7 p.m.
Babcock: Pittsburg
Canilao: Pittsburg
Lefkow: Pittsburg
Sabedra: Pittsburg
Saturday
Folsom at Serra, 2:30 p.m.
Babcock: Folsom
Canilao: Folsom
Lefkow: Serra
Sabedra: Folsom
McClymonds at Archbishop Riordan, 1:30 p.m.
Babcock: Riordan
Canilao: Riordan
Lefkow: Riordan
Sabedra: Riordan