Yuba City and Sutter are positioned for strong runs in the upcoming Sac-Joaquin Section football playoffs, according to recent MaxPreps projections. Yuba City is projected as a No. 2 seed, while Sutter holds a No. 3 seed as teams approach the final weeks of the regular season. The section playoffs are scheduled to open on November 13.
Yuba City, with a 7-1 overall record, is currently ranked as the No. 2 seed, trailing only top-seed Twelve Bridges in both the projections and rankings. The Honkers are preparing for a significant game scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday night at Honker Stadium against Twelve Bridges. The last time Twelve Bridges visited Yuba City, it secured a 56-0 victory en route to a 2A state final appearance. For the first round of the playoffs, Yuba City is projected to host East Union of Manteca in a No. 2-7 matchup.
Sutter High School maintains an undefeated 8-0 record and is projected as a No. 3 seed in the Division V playoffs. The Huskies recently defeated Rio Linda 40-7, a victory that included a substantial performance from senior Losi Asiata, who accumulated 339 total yards in the run game. Head coach Ryan Reynolds described Asiata’s performance as a "milestone in his 30-plus year career at Sutter Union High." If the postseason were to begin today, Sutter is projected to open its playoff run at home against Foothill of Sacramento, a team from the Greater Sacramento League. The Huskies' projection places them behind Trans Valley at-large Escalon, which is a No. 2 seed, and TVL automatic qualifier Hilmar, which holds the No. 1 seed, according to the October 25 MaxPreps projections.
Elsewhere in the region, Wheatland and Lindhurst are in contention for playoff berths. Wheatland secured its second consecutive win, defeating Marysville 32-9 on Friday at War Memorial Stadium on the Marysville High School campus, bringing its record to 4-4 and making the team playoff eligible. Despite this, the Pirates are currently ranked No. 12, just outside the top-8 bracket. Lindhurst is ranked No. 13, one spot behind Wheatland. Both area teams are considered playoff eligible. If Lindhurst were to enter the top-8 bracket in the coming two weeks, it would mark the school's first postseason bid since 2010, according to Appeal-Democrat archives. The archives also note that Lindhurst experienced a successful period under former head coach Mike Mason, achieving back-to-back Sac-Joaquin Division VI titles and three Golden Empire League championships over six years from 2002 to 2007.
The Sac-Joaquin Section’s postseason formula dictates that each league will earn one automatic qualifier spot in the playoffs. Following these automatic bids, at-large selections are determined, partly based on MaxPreps division computer rankings, which are updated twice weekly throughout the season. Most divisions are set to receive three to five automatic bids first, with at-large spots then filling the remainder of each of the eight 8-team brackets. Teams ranked from No. 9 to No. 16, along with those that narrowly miss the playoffs, will be eligible for bowl games, according to the MaxPreps and SJS criteria.
MaxPreps emphasizes that these are current projections, and the playoff picture can shift during the final weeks of the regular season, which concludes for most teams on November 6. The Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs are scheduled to commence on November 13.
