It's that time again, football is in the air. Friday Night Lights is back in action and this weekend the San Francisco 49ers and 49ers PREP presented by U.S. Bank are partnering with The Honor Group to help educate communities about the needs of military veterans that have proudly served our country. This amazing opportunity, known as the Honor Bowl, calls for big time high school football matchups between Northern and Southern California teams.
This Friday and Saturday (Aug. 24 and 25) at St. Francis High School in Mountain View, CA there will be five exciting games and a handful of great players to watch! Ticket prices are $10-15 for adults, and $5-10 for students and you can find them online HERE.
After searching high school recruiting sites, Maxpreps.com, 247sports.com and Rivals.com we have compiled a list of some next level talented student-athletes. Let's take a look at the matchups and players to watch!
Friday Aug. 24
Del Oro High School (1-0) vs. Oak Grove High School (0-0) at 4:00 p.m. PT
- Del Oro High School went 8-6 in 2017. They got the job done in season and made a strong push in the playoffs, making it to the 2017 Sac-Joaquin CIF Championship game before losing to Granite Bay.
- Oak Grove High School finished 6-5 in 2017. The Eagles turned it on during the second half of the season, winning five games in a row before losing to Valley Christian High School in the 2017 Central Coast CIF Playoffs.
St. Francis High School (0-0) vs. Notre Dame Sherman Oaks High School (0-0) at 7:30 p.m. PT
- St. Francis had an amazing 2017 campaign finishing 11-4 on the year. The Lancers made it to the Central Coast CIF Championship game and lost to Serra High School by 1 point. However, they still qualified for the Division 2-A State Playoffs where they beat Grace Brethren High School 22-13 to become the D-2A 2017 State Champions.
- Notre Dame (S.O.) had a tough 2017 schedule and finished the season with a 6-5 record. They still managed to average 30.3 points per game. They were able to make it into the 2017 CIF Southern Section Playoffs, and eventually lost to Calabasas High School.
Saturday Aug. 25
Archbishop Mitty High School (0-0) vs. Oakdale High School (1-0) at 12:00 p.m. PT
- Last season the West Catholic League (WCAL) got the best of Mitty who finished 5-6, but they still managed to sneak into the 2017 CIF Central Coast Playoff Bracket before losing to WCAL opponent Serra.
- Oakdale finished the 2017 season with a stellar 12-2 record and chance to play in the 2017 Sac-Joaquin CIF Championship game where they eventually lost to Manteca High School.
Liberty High School (1-0) vs. Gilroy High School (0-0) at 4:00 p.m. PT
- Liberty had an incredible 2017 campaign finishing with an 11-2 record. The Lions dominated their league and sailed through the playoffs to the North Coast Section CIF Championship game.
- Gilroy capped off an undefeated 2017 season with a Division 5 CIF Championship.
Serra San Mateo (0-0) vs. Serra Gardena (0-0) at 7:30 p.m. PT
- The Serra Padres took the WCAL conference by storm last season finishing the year with a 13-2 record. They carried their regular season momentum into the playoffs and won the 2017 CIF Central Coast Championship. The Padres went on to become the Division 2-AA State Champions, beating Cajon High School in a 38-14 rout.
- The Serra Cavaliers were able to compete and win the Mission league going 4-2 in the league while finishing the year at 605. They made into the 2017 CIF Souther Section Playoffs where they fell to powerhouse Centennial.
Players to Watch
Del Oro High School
- CB Dawson Hurst, #2
- WR Johnny Guzman, #6
St. Francis High School
- DE Josh Pakola, #7
- DB Evan Williams, #32
- ATH Maurice Wilmer, #16
- CB Justin Sinclair, #4
- OL Nikko Pohahau, #75
Notre Dame Sherman Oaks High School
- RB McKel Broussard, #24
- CB Christian Grubb, #23
- FS Sequoia Magdalena, #20
Archbishop Mitty High School
- FS Joseph Vaughn, #16
- RB Aaron Smith, #25
- OL Shane Aberg, #53
Serra San Mateo High School
- TE Michael Churich, #18
- LB Edmond Lahlouh, #6
- QB Luke Bottari, #10
Serra Gardena High School
- DB Max Williams, #5
- WR Melquan Stovall, #6
- DL Jalen Rudolph, #50
- LB Calvin Mouisset, #13
- DL Kenneth Robinson, #55
