Marquee matchups revealed as Folsom Bulldogs, Grant Pacers prepare for CIF NorCal finals

Joe Davidson
·3 min read

Folsom and Grant are the last two Sacramento-area football teams standing. Both storied programs will play again this week for the opportunity to advance to the CIF State Championships.

Folsom (12-1) will host De La Salle (9-3) on Friday in the Northern California Division I-AA championship, a rematch of last year’s NorCal title thriller and an early-season 2022 nonleague affair.

Folsom topped De La Salle 28-27 in Concord to win the NorCal championship last season. The Bulldogs then beat DLS 24-20 on Sept. 23 when quarterback Austin Mack jumped up and over — by a hair — on a late keeper at the goal line. In doing so, Folsom became the first Sac-Joaquin Section team to beat De La Salle in back-to-back meetings since DLS rose to power in 1982.

“They’re always great,” Folsom coach Paul Doherty said.

The Bulldogs got here by beating Sierra Foothill League rival Oak Ridge 23-13 on Friday to win their 11th Sac-Joaquin Section championship and ninth since 2010. Folsom over that span has won four CIF state championships in five appearances.

Grant, the section Division III winner, will visit unbeaten El Cerrito (13-0) of the North Coast Section on Friday for the DIII-AA championship. The Pacers beat Christian Brothers 20-12 to win their eighth section banner and first since 2014. This figures to be a fast and prolific game.

Grant High School’s Semaj Mafu-Hart breaks a tackle by Christian Brothers’ Isaiah Jordan to score touchdown for a 12-6 lead in the first half during the CIF Sac-Joaquin Division III section championship at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento on Friday, Nov. 25, 2022.
Grant High School’s Semaj Mafu-Hart breaks a tackle by Christian Brothers’ Isaiah Jordan to score touchdown for a 12-6 lead in the first half during the CIF Sac-Joaquin Division III section championship at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento on Friday, Nov. 25, 2022.

Grant won the 2008 CIF Open Division championship. In 2014, a 14-0 Grant team lost to Folsom in the NorCal Division I-AA finale while Folsom went on to finish as a 16-0 state champion.

Folsom’s loss this season was to Northern California top-ranked Serra of San Mateo, 17-12, on Aug. 26. Serra (13-0) won the Central Coast Section Division I championship and will advance straight to the Open Division state championship game Dec. 10 against national powerhouse Bosco of Bellflower, which just topped national No. 1 Mater Dei 23-16 in the Southern Section finals.

The top-ranked teams in Northern and Southern California bypass the regional finals to appear in the Open Division final.

The CIF state football championships started in 2006. The prestigious Open Division was introduced in 2008.

CIF Northern California Regional Championships

Division I-AA

De La Salle at Folsom, Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Division I-A

Manteca at Pittsburg, Saturday, 6 pm.

Division 2-AA

Lemoore at McClymonds-Oakland, Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Division 2-A

Marin Catholic at San Ramon Valley-Danville, Saturday, 6 p.m.

Division 3-AA

Grant at El Cerrito, Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Division 3-A

Vanden vs. Bellarmine-San Jose, Saturday, 6 p.m.

Division 4-AA

Pleasant Valley-Chico at Escalon, Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Division 4-A

Menlo at San Marin, Saturday, 6 p.m.

Division 5-AA

Ripon Christian at Hughson, Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Division 5-A

Clear Lake at Orland, Saturday, 6 p.m.

Division 6-AA

Santa Teresa at Palo Alto, Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Division 6-A

Atascadero at Colusa, Saturday, 6 p.m.

Division 7-AA

Pinole Valley at Mendota, Saturday, 6 p.m.

Division 7-A

Lincoln-San Francisco, BYE

* Fall River of the Northern Section opted out

CIF State Open Division Championship

Serra-San Mateo vs. Bosco-Bellflower, Saturday, Dec. 10, 8 p.m.

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