What a week for Merced County high school football. Division races have never been clearer as teams are left with just one more game in the regular season. The old adage it’s not how you start; it’s how you finish has never been truer as we wrap up week 10 of the regular season. Let’s check out how the local teams are doing as we approach the first day of the last week of the regular season.
Merced 49, Atwater 14: There was a lot of preseason talk about this year’s Sante Fe Bowl being a game to watch. Many believed that Atwater had a chance of defeating Merced and challenging them for the CCC. However, the Bears erased all doubt about who’s the boss of the CCC as soon as this game began. The Bears challenged the Falcons in all three phases of the game at a speed the Falcons were unable to fly with. The Bears mounted a 42-0 lead by halftime and cruised the rest of the way. Merced has now obliterated every CCC opponent they’ve faced by at least two touchdowns. They have just one opponent left, Buhach Colony. The Bears will travel to Atwater in week 11 to pay them a visit. Meanwhile, Atwater has now lost three of their last four. They will travel to Los Banos to wrap up the regular season.
Los Banos 34, Golden Valley 7: Speaking of Los Banos, the Tigers delivered a strong performance by dominating the Golden Valley Cougars. Los Banos looked fierce on the ground. They began and closed out the scoring with a rushing touchdown. They also returned a punt for a touchdown and an interception for a touchdown. In the second half, the Cougars starting quarterback went down with an injury. At that point, the Cougar offense struggled to keep Golden Valley in the game. Los Banos returns home in week 11 to take on Atwater High, while Golden Valley hosts El Capitan High.
El Capitan 26, Buhach 6: After losing their last four in a row, the El Capitan Gauchos needed a win to show they could compete with the CCC. They delivered an emphatic win against the Thunder. Lorenzo Peters got the Gauchos on the board first with a 58-yard touchdown run. He followed that up with a 33-yard touchdown run a few possessions later. Buhach returned a lateral pass by El Capitan to the endzone but could not muster any points on offense. El Capitan needed to deliver on defense, and they did. CCC opponents were averaging over 50 points a game against the Gauchos, but in this game the defense answered the call by keeping the Thunder offense out of the endzone. In week 11, Buhach will take on Merced High, while El Capitan travels to Golden Valley.
Stone Ridge Christian 43, Gustine 7: The league leading Knights easily dispatched Gustine High. The Knights have been on a winning streak since losing their first league game over a month ago. They have now won five straight and appear to be in prime position to win their league. Gustine, on the other hand, appears to be going the other way. They are now 0-5 in league play and have lost their last six in a row. In week 11, the Knights will take on San Rafael High in a non-league matchup, while Gustine finishes off the season in Delhi against the Hawks.
Dos Palos 31, Firebaugh 14: The Broncos played a competitive game against league rival Firebaugh, but as the game progressed, Dos Palos’ athletes gained the advantage and led their team to victory. With that victory, Dos Palos has won five straight against Firebaugh. This victory keeps the Broncos tied atop their league with Coalinga. In week 11 Coalinga travels to Dos Palos to take on the Broncos in a match that will decide who wins the league. This game should be intense!
Johansen 38, Livingston 14: The Wolves put together a competitive effort on Friday night, but they could not match the Vikings’ offensive output as they lost their final home game in decisive fashion. Livingston has now lost three of their last four league games and holds a 3-3 record in their league. They will have a chance to finish above .500 in week 11 when they travel to Pacheco High to take on the winless Panthers.
Hughson 35, Hilmar 29: The best team in Merced County with a sub .500 league record is Hilmar High. The Yellowjackets are one of the best teams in Merced County, but the TVL is so tough that they are 2-3 in their league after losing to Hughson. Hilmar has fallen to Escalon, Sonora, and Hughson. Each loss has been by a touchdown or less. Because they’ve been on the wrong side of some tough breaks, they currently rest in 5th place in their league. They can still finish the regular season on a high note if they can travel to Ripon in week 11 and defeat the Indians on the road.
Grace Davis 25, Pacheco 0: The Panthers were defeated on Friday night as they traveled to Grace Davis to take on the Spartans. Grace Davis has been a solid team this season and last Friday was no exception as they shut out the Panthers and defeated them in convincing fashion. This was the second time this season that Pacheco has been shut out. They have struggled to play four quarters of competitive football and were unable to remain competitive in this one. They have one more chance, however, to get into the win column in week 11. They will host the Livingston Wolves in a matchup sure to bring out the best in purple uniforms.
Denair 41, Delhi 0: The Delhi Hawks were unable to do much on Friday night as they were defeated at home by the Denair Coyotes. The Coyotes are 4-1 in their league and couldn’t afford to drop a match to Delhi if they wanted to remain in competition for the top spot. Delhi, on the other hand, has been trending in the wrong direction losing their 7th straight and getting shut out for the second time in their last four games. Week 11 should be interesting for Delhi. They will host Gustine High who is also 0-5 in league play and currently enduring a 6-game losing streak of their own.
Ripon Christian 57, Orestimba 0: The Warriors have been at the bottom of the TVL standings since league play began and have really struggled to score points against league opponents. This is their 4th shutout in five league games. Even though this season has not gone the way they had hoped, they still have a chance to turn some heads if they can find a way to steal a victory from visiting Escalon in week 11.
(10/23/25) Le Grand 28, Yosemite 21: The Bulldogs’ game was rescheduled to Thursday evening, but that small change didn’t seem to slow down the Le Grand offense. The Bulldogs jumped in front of the Badgers in the first quarter, but the Badgers fought back and took the lead by halftime. In the second half, however, Le Grand did just enough on offense and defense to take the lead and hold off the Badgers in the 4th quarter. Le Grand (7-3) has placed itself in good position for the postseason, but if they can travel to Mariposa County in week 11 and defeat the Grizzles (8-1), it should really boost their seeding.
The last week of the regular season has begun. The playoffs are just around the corner, and everyone involved is now talking projections and bowl selections. With one more week left in the regular season, who will finish strong, who will continue onward, and who will wrap up ready to move on?
