Mike Lefkow, who has won our all-in-fun Bay Area News Group high school football picks competition multiple times, must have been feeling pretty confident after taking sole possession of first place over the weekend.
He went bold in one pick this week.
Very bold.
Lefkow isn’t just taking De La Salle to bounce back from its loss last week against Serra to beat St. Francis on Friday in Concord. He stunned young Joseph Dycus and yours truly by saying it could be a mercy-rule outcome.
That’s correct. Lefkow says De La Salle in a blowout over St. Francis, the team that ended De La Salle’s 30-year, 318-game unbeaten streak against regional opponents last season.
“I’m taking De La Salle,” Lefkow said in the video. “I could see a running clock in the fourth quarter. I just think De La Salle is going to come out snorting fire, breathing fire. They’re going to be angry. They’re going to be upset. I think they just have a better team. I think St. Francis is a little down this year.”
Lefkow isn’t wrong about St. Francis’ dip from its super team last year, one that beat De La Salle and Serra during the regular season and was undefeated until losing to Serra in the Central Coast Section Division I final.
St. Francis is coming off a 28-7 loss at home Friday to Monterey Trail-Elk Grove, which lost at home to De La Salle 36-20 a week earlier.
And the last time St. Francis visited De La Salle, in 2019, the home team won by … yup, a running clock score of 48-0.
Maybe Lefkow is on to something.
As always, we pick 15 games on the video. This week’s lineup includes Live Oak at Los Gatos, Pittsburg at California, Tennyson at Mt. Eden and Central Catholic-Modesto at Serra.
We also discuss Serra’s epic win over De La Salle, and get Dycus’ impressions of De La Salle after reading Neil Hayes’ book about the program, “When The Game Stands Tall,” in just two days.
Dycus also tells us what he thinks about Bellarmine and McClymonds after he covered their overtime thriller last week.
If you want just the predictions, keep scrolling.
Also, if you haven’t already, please subscribe here for digital access all season long.
Enjoy the video.
WEEK 3 PICKS
Friday
Live Oak (2-0) at Los Gatos (1-1), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Los Gatos
Dycus: Los Gatos
Lefkow: Los Gatos
Elk Grove (1-2) at San Ramon Valley (1-0), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: SRV
Dycus: SRV
Lefkow: SRV
Skyline (1-0) at Miramonte (2-0), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Miramonte
Dycus: Miramonte
Lefkow: Miramonte
McClymonds (1-0) at De Anza (1-0), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: McClymonds
Dycus: McClymonds
Lefkow: McClymonds
Tennyson (2-0) at Mt. Eden (2-0), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Tennyson
Dycus: Tennyson
Lefkow: Tennyson
Aragon (2-0) at Lincoln-San Jose (2-0), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Lincoln
Dycus: Lincoln
Lefkow: Lincoln
Santa Teresa (1-1) at Archbishop Mitty (2-0), 7:30 p.m.
Sabedra: Mitty
Dycus: Mitty
Lefkow: Mitty
Acalanes (2-0) at Sheldon-Sacramento (3-0), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Sheldon
Dycus: Sheldon
Lefkow: Sheldon
Rocklin (2-1) at Antioch (1-1), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Rocklin
Dycus: Antioch
Lefkow: Rocklin
Clayton Valley Charter (0-2) at Canyon Springs-North Las Vegas (1-1), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Clayton Valley
Dycus: Clayton Valley
Lefkow: Clayton Valley
Bellarmine (0-2) vs. San Leandro (1-1) at Burrell Field in San Leandro, 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Bellarmine
Dycus: Bellarmine
Lefkow: Bellarmine
Pittsburg (2-0) at California (2-0), 7 p.m.
Sabedra: Pittsburg
Dycus: California
Lefkow: Pittsburg
St. Francis (1-1) at De La Salle (1-1), 7:30 p.m.
Sabedra: De La Salle
Dycus: De La Salle
Lefkow: De La Salle
Saturday
Central Catholic-Modesto (1-2) at Serra (2-0), 1:30 p.m.
Sabedra: Serra
Dycus: Serra
Lefkow: Serra
Amador Valley (1-1) at Menlo School (2-0), 2 p.m.
Sabedra: Menlo School
Dycus: Menlo School
Lefkow: Menlo School
WEEK 2 RESULTS
Wilcox 38, Hollister 14
Sabedra: Wilcox (W)
Dycus: Wilcox (W)
Lefkow: Wilcox (W)
Christopher 51, Piedmont Hills 9
Sabedra: Christopher (W)
Dycus: Christopher (W)
Lefkow: Christopher (W)
Washington-Fremont 41, Kennedy-Fremont 24
Sabedra: Washington (W)
Dycus: Kennedy (L)
Lefkow: Washington (W)
James Logan 35, Las Lomas 26
Sabedra: Las Lomas (L)
Dycus: Las Lomas (L)
Lefkow: James Logan (W)
Los Gatos 31, Liberty-Brentwood 0
Sabedra: Los Gatos (W)
Dycus: Los Gatos (W)
Lefkow: Los Gatos (W)
Pioneer 28, Leigh 21
Sabedra: Pioneer (W)
Dycus: Pioneer (W)
Lefkow: Pioneer (W)
Heritage 54, Granada 14
Sabedra: Heritage (W)
Dycus: Heritage (W)
Lefkow: Heritage (W)
Del Oro-Loomis 31, Clayton Valley Charter 27
Sabedra: Del Oro (W)
Dycus: Clayton Valley (L)
Lefkow: Clayton Valley (L)
Archbishop Mitty 48, Mountain View 7
Sabedra: Mitty (W)
Dycus: Mountain View (L)
Lefkow: Mitty (W)
Livermore 51, Alhambra 7
Sabedra: Livermore (W)
Dycus: Livermore (W)
Lefkow: Livermore (W)
Monterey Trail-Elk Grove 28, St. Francis 7
Sabedra: St. Francis (L)
Dycus: St. Francis (L)
Lefkow: St. Francis (L)
McClymonds 24, Bellarmine 21 (OT)
Sabedra: Bellarmine (L)
Dycus: McClymonds (W)
Lefkow: Bellarmine (L)
Campolindo 30, Aptos 22
Sabedra: Aptos (L)
Dycus: Campolindo (W)
Lefkow: Aptos (L)
Serra 24, De La Salle 21
Sabedra: De La Salle (L)
Dycus: Serra (W)
Lefkow: De La Salle (L)
Pittsburg 30, Liberty-Henderson, Nev., 2
Sabedra: Liberty (L)
Dycus: Liberty (L)
Lefkow: Pittsburg (W)
WEEK 2 STANDINGS
Lefkow: 10-5
Sabedra: 9-6
Dycus: 9-6
SEASON STANDINGS
Lefkow: 19-11
Sabedra: 18-12
Dycus: 15-15
Source: www.mercurynews.com