Honkers must fly past Pioneer

In previous years, winning three league games and taking third in the Tri-County Conference was good enough for a team to qualify for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs.

But after a boom in the construction of high schools in recent years and with the need to allow more teams into the big dance, section officials decided to rework things and mix it up a little this season, one year before major realignment hits all divisions.

The change in playoff format could make or break Yuba City High, which enters tonight's must-win TCC game at Pioneer as a team on the bubble.

"They're trying to get more teams involved because our section has grown so much, so this year it's a little different," Honkers' coach John Ithurburn said. "There's a lot more leagues involved with it now, so we need to win out to make it in."

Instead of eight teams from the Solano County Athletic League, Capital Athletic League and TCC comprising Division III, the section decided to lump Divisions III and IV together and expanded the brackets from three leagues to nine. In all, 32 schools will qualify for the postseason, with the top 16 schools by enrollment size competing in Division III and the bottom 16 competing in Division IV.

"In the past, there were teams that were 8-2 and didn't get in because they lost two league games, and in other divisions there were 5-5 teams that made it," Ithurburn said. "It's nice for the kids and for schools for us. We can slide in if we can get it done, but we need to be 6-4 to get in."

The Honkers (4-4, 1-2) come into tonight's game led by junior running back Taylor Rowe, who has rushed for a Mid-Valley best 1,062 yards while scoring nine touchdowns on the year.

The Patriots (5-3, 1-2) have a solid back of their own in senior Chris Thoma, who has rumbled for 1,355 yards and 14 scores on the ground.

"They got a good running back so we have to stop him, but they also got a big wide receiver that killed us last year," Ithurburn said. "They're not as good defensively as they are on the offensive side of the ball, but we definitely don't want to get into a track meet with these guys."

Cap. Chr. (5-3) at Lindhurst (3-5)

The Blazers look to extend their three-game winning streak and keep their postseason hopes intact when they welcome Golden Empire League frontrunner Capital Christian into Dean Miller Stadium. Angel Vega has been the offensive catalyst for Lindhurst (3-1 GEL), rushing for 876 yards rushing and five touchdowns on the year. Defensively, the Blazers are led by a quartet of linebackers in brothers Angel and Anthony Vega, Edgar Guzman and Joey Soto.

Highlands (4-4) at Marysville (3-5)

Much like the Honkers, the injury bug has hit the Indians hard as they head into a their key GEL matchup against Highlands with 12 starters in street clothes. The ailments have hit the backfield extremely hard with Marysville's top three rushers Michael Barabin (broken leg), Blake Rodeman (broken hand) and Dylan Bond (torn ACL) all out of the lineup tonight.

"I've never been a part of anything like this," said Marysville coach Cullen Meyer. "All the breaks we got last year have made a 180 on us, but we still control our own destiny and the kids still believe."

While the injuries have been alarming, Meyer said that his offensive line is still intact with Neal Denny (fractured skull) the only starter slated to miss action. With their top playmakers out, the offensive burden will no doubt fall to quarterback Chant DeForest, who will also start at linebacker.

Willows (3-6) at Pierce (6-3)

The Bears look to clinch a share of the Sacramento Valley League championship when they welcome the Honkers into Arbuckle in the regular season finale. Pierce (4-1 SVL), which finished 0-10 in 2008, enters the game following last week's huge 28-21 victory at Live Oak in which they scored the game-winning touchdown with just 60 seconds remaining.

Live Oak (4-5) at Rio Vista (0-9)

Although the Lions have dropped four consecutive extremely tight games, a victory over the winless Rams coupled with a Willows' loss to Pierce could be enough to gain them entry into the wide-open Northern Section Division III title chase. Offensively, Live Oak (1-4 SVL) will look to running back Paul Kang and wide receiver Ish Gardon to snap the skid and extend the season.

East Nic. (6-3) at Hamilton (7-2)

With their playoff position already secure, the Spartans play what amounts to a tune-up game when they visit Hamilton City to take on the Braves (5-1 MVL). East Nicolaus, which bounced back from a disappointing loss to Quincy with a 34-13 win over Esparto a week ago, currently sits as the No. 4 seed and would host Quincy is the playoffs started today.

Colusa (6-3) at Portola (9-0)

The playoff-bound Redskins face their toughest competition of the season when they visit Portola to face the high-scoring Tigers. Colusa (4-2 MVL) is currently the No. 4 seed in the Division III tournament and should host a first-round game when the playoffs kick off next week.

Tulelake (3-4) at Maxwell (6-3)

The red-hot Panthers can sew up the Evergreen League title with a win over Tulelake at home. Maxwell has lit up the scoreboard of late by scoring 273 points in its last five games — all of them blowout victories. They are currently seeded No. 2 in Division V and seem destined to face Fall River in the section finals yet again.

Biggs (2-7) at Williams (1-8)

One team will conclude its season on a high note when the Wolverines and Yellowjackets get together for their season finales. Biggs (0-6 MVL) comes in off one of its better performances of the season last week against Colusa.Williams (1-5 MVL) will look to the skills of multi-talented quarterback Carlos Velasquez to supply the offense and double its win total.

Natomas (5-3) at River Valley (2-6)

The Falcons look to snap their five-game losing skid and climb out of the TCC cellar when they welcome a much-improved Natomas team into The Nest. A win by River Valley (0-3 TCC) would be huge lift for the Falcons, who are looking to build confidence heading into next week's Mayor's Cup.

Winters (5-4) at Gridley (2-7)

Winters has a chance to secure a playoff berth when they visit the Bone Yard in Gridley for the Bulldogs' season finale. Gridley (1-3 BVL) is paced by the quarterback-receiver combo of Anthony Paredes (1,082 passing yards, seven TDs).