Late in last week’s El Dorado-Hughson playoff football game, the public address announcer began giving Husky fans updates from the Turlock-Central Catholic clash taking place just 12 miles away.
At times, it seemed as if some of the fans and players were more interested in the Division 1 matchup than the Division 5 contest unfolding before them.
But that just shows how alluring the Turlock-Central Catholic showdown was in these parts.
I started covering high school football for the Merced Sun-Star in 1986, nearly 40 seasons ago, and the Bulldogs’ scintillating 43-42 overtime victory last week is easily one of the top five games I’ve ever covered.
And, you know what? It’s time to make it an annual happening.
So, consider this column an official appeal to both schools to revamp their schedules and get this game on the books.
Each team already has a rivalry game scheduled for Week 2. Turlock plays Tracy in the annual Battle for the Bone (both teams share the Bulldog nickname), and Central Catholic takes on St. Mary’s (Stockton) in the annual Holy Bowl. These games should not be messed with, but all other preseason games could be jettisoned once contracts expire.
A lot of factors go into scheduling, and it can be tricky trying to create a schedule with five home and five away games.
Central Catholic plays in the seven-team Valley Oak League, while Turlock plays in the six-team Central California Athletic League. The Bulldogs need to schedule five preseason games, while the Raiders must find four non-conference foes, and traditionally teams enter into two-year, home-and-away contracts. If School A has a Week 1 contract that expires in an even year, and School B has a Week 1 contract expiring in odd year, it can be difficult for them to line up a Week 1 meeting without breaking a contract.
However, both Turlock and CC have Week 3 contracts that expire after the 2025 season. The Bulldogs are obligated to face Central (Fresno) one more time, while the Raiders have one more date with Central Catholic (Portland, Ore.).
Think of it: the first week of September each season could be the annual date for this budding regional rivalry.
It needs to happen.
“It just comes down to if they want to do it,” said one Stanislaus County athletic director. “If they want to, they can make it happen. It’s up to them.”
And while it’s not ideal scheduling somebody you might face in the playoffs, remember that Turlock already faces Folsom in the preseason, and a win this Friday would send the ’Dogs into a postseason rematch with the three-time defending D-1 champ. Central Catholic faced VOL foe Oakdale in the 2015 regular season, then again for the D-3 championship that year. It happens sometimes, but it’s never a guarantee.
And if last Friday night proved anything, it’s that these schools, located just 17 miles apart, should be guaranteed at least one meeting every season.
It’s win-win for both schools.
If you’re wondering about the other four prep football games in my Top 5 that I mentioned, here’s the rundown. (Note: I’m only including games that I attended as a working reporter.)
Honorable mention: Hughson 40, Bradshaw Christian 39, 2023 — Playing for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 6 title, Hughson trailed by 18 (31-13) in the third quarter half of a playoff game for the second consecutive season. And against BC’s time-chewing, ball-control offense, things looked particularly hopeless. But Huskies quarterback Robert McDaniel spearheaded the comeback that result in a second consecutive championship banner.
No. 5: Hughson 52, Sonora 51, 2024 — Both teams entered this Trans-Valley League encounter 6-0 and they swapped haymakers for 48 minutes. Trailing 52-45, Sonora scored with three seconds to play, and opted to attempt a game-winning two-point conversion. After having rushed for 475 yards, the Wildcats called for a short pass that was broken up by linebacker Colt Foss.
No. 4: Turlock 43, Central Catholic (OT), 2024 — There were so many different story lines in this first-ever matchup between Turlock, the largest public school in the region, and Central Catholic, the parochial power that owns a Sac-Joaquin Section record 20 championship banners. They’ll be talking about this one forever.
No. 3: Central Catholic 42, Oakdale 37, 2015 — Both teams entered the Valley Oak League showdown with matching 9-0 marks. Central jumped out to an early lead and had to hold on for a 42-37 victory. Justin Rice rushed for 288 yards and three scores, and had a key interception on the defensive side. The teams would meet four weeks later for the Division 3 title, with CC winning 21-7 in a game that was much closer than the final score would lead you to believe. The Raiders went on to win the state championship with a 16-0 record. But make no mistake, that Mustangs team was a state-championship-caliber squad.
No. 2: Manteca 69, Central Valley 55, 2013 — Ja’Quan Gardner rushed for 378 yards and four touchdowns (he also threw a 17-yard TD) for the underdog Hawks, while CV quarterback Kendel Johnson ran for 221 yards and three scores. Still, more than 600 yards on the ground wasn’t enough to overcome a 258-yard, five-TD performance from Manteca running back Alex Laurel, who was aided by 103 yards and two TDs from backfield mate Mikey Gonzalez, and quarterback Joe Manzel, who 8-of-14 for 200 yards and two TDs.
Receiver Brandon Dabney had two catches for 83 yards — both for scores. It was the second time that Manteca and CV had met that season.
Interesting side note, Gardner rushed for 330 yards that year in a 43-34 loss to Central Catholic, on its way to winning its second of four consecutive state titles. Gardner was unstoppable.
No. 1: Merced High 48, Atwater 12, 1990 — This turned out to be not much of a contest, but it’s my No. 1 because of the pre-game build-up. I’ve never witnessed a game featuring more hype than this one. Remember, this was pre-internet, and still the anticipation was seismic. Both teams were 9-0 as they entered the annual Santa Fe Bowl (when they were the only schools in their respective towns) played at Falcon Field. Merced was ranked No. 1 in Northern California, and No. 2 in the state, while Atwater was No. 9 in Cal-Hi Sports’ NorCal poll. By the end of the night, top-ranked Eisenhower (Rialto) has lost to Bishop Amat (La Puente) down south, and the Bears became the state’s No. 1 team, on their way to a mythical state title. Merced and Atwater would meet in the D-1 semifinals a few weeks later, with a similar result. The Bears, who were ranked as high as No. 5 in the nation, had a three-headed backfield of Jhay Roland, Stephon Jackson, and Anthony Volsan — all of whom accepted offers to Division I universities.
Want some more history? I mentioned Gardner (Class of 2014) and Rice (Class of 2016) up above, and I should point out that they, along with Freddy Bland (Class of 1993) from Merced High, were the greatest players I’ve ever seen (limiting the pool of eligible players to those I saw in the districts that I’ve covered during my career).
The greatest team I’ve covered? That’s a tough call, but I’d say the 2015 Central Catholic Raiders were the best, edging out the 1990 Merced Bears and the 1999 Dos Palos Broncos — and that’s saying a lot because I’m a Merced High grad and was born in Dos Palos (where my folks both went to school).
Don’t misunderstand, I’m not saying that Division 3 Central Catholic could beat Division 1 Merced in a head-to-head matchup. My decision is simply based on how those teams handled their business on the field. And the Raiders twice had to beat Oakdale, as I mentioned above, a team that was absolutely capable of winning a state title (something the Mustangs did the following year). Plus, Central Catholic had to survive two extra rounds to capture the state crown. Merced (14-0) and Dos Palos (13-0) did not have to play a NorCal Bowl and then face the Southern California champion. Their seasons stopped after the section final. Back then, Cal-Hi Sports’ top-ranked team at the end of the year was “declared” the state champ — and that’s a big difference.
