St. Mary's (6-2, 3-0 TCAL) at Stagg (8-0, 3-0)
Kickoff: 7:15 p.m., Stagg High School
Stagg skinny: Despite having a perfect record going into tonight's game, there really isn't a lot of pressure on the Delta Kings. The Rams are considered on another level from the five public schools in the Tri-City Athletic League. Stagg's big games were against Manteca in nonleague play and McNair and Tokay during the league season. That's where head coach Don Norton and his staff figured the season would turn, and the Delta Kings won all three games. They've also - in all likelihood - realized another preseason goal: Last week's 33-16 win over Tokay gave Stagg eight wins on the season. Last year, the first of the Sac-Joaquin Section's current playoff format, 11 of the 12 teams in Division I through Division IV that went 8-2 during the regular season hosted a first-round playoff game. Stagg hosts winless West next week to end the regular season, so even with a loss tonight, the Delta Kings will likely finish 9-1. That should keep Stagg home for the first round of the playoffs, perhaps two rounds if they advance. Last season 11 teams went 9-1, and 10 of them earned a top-4 seed, which guarantees two home games, with a first-round win of course.
St. Mary's skinny: There are two ways to look at tonight's game: First, if any TCAL team is going to unseat the Rams, the Delta Kings are the likely pick; second, it's highly unlikely any TCAL team is ready to unseat the Rams. St. Mary's hasn't lost a TCAL game since 2006, and it has never lost to a TCAL team other than West. During their 28-game conference run, the Rams have outscored teams by 1,076 points (38.43 per game). They've won by single digits just once, when they beat West 32-27 in 2007. ... This game is actually more important to St. Mary's than it is to Stagg, at least in terms of playoff seeding. Because teams are seeded by total victories, with strength of schedule only breaking ties, the fact St. Mary's played a loaded schedule that included Bakersfield-Stockdale, Modesto-Central Catholic, Concord-De La Salle and Lincoln is irrelevant. The Rams need wins tonight and next week at McNair to lock up a first-round home playoff game.
Stagg player to watch: With junior quarterback Wayne Brooks, sophomore running back/wide receiver Lester Williams and junior wideout Andru Jones - among others - there's plenty to watch. But senior wide receiver Andre Lindsey stands out even when his stats don't. He's second on the team in receptions (29), receiving yards (679) and touchdowns (11), and he's an effective punter. In last week's critical 33-16 win over Tokay, he had four punts for 141 yards (35.25 average) and twice pinned the Tigers inside their own 20.
St. Mary's player to watch: Junior quarterback Kaleb Parrish keeps getting better. While Stagg is 8-0, the Delta Kings did prove vulnerable against a strong passing attack two weeks ago against McNair, when Eagles quarterback Cedrick Phillips threw for 434 yards and three touchdowns. Parrish hasn't put up huge numbers recently, mostly because St. Mary's has built big leads and hasn't thrown a lot, but he's been the model of efficiency. He has completed at least half his passes in every game and was a perfect 10 for 10 in a 49-3 win over West last week. For the season, he's 99 for 148 (67 percent) with 17 TDs and four interceptions.
History: As in the case of every TCAL rivalry involving St. Mary's, it's been all Rams. Last year the Delta Kings were a bit more competitive in a 41-20 loss. Only West (21-7) played St. Mary's closer. Parrish, making his second start after a broken collarbone ended the regular season for starter Bowe Merin, was 7 for 14 for 145 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Prior to last season, St. Mary's won 71-18 (2010), 85-40 (2009), 63-14 (2008) and 66-6 (2007).
- Stephen Roberson