Plenty of hardware on the line as rivalries highlight last week of regular season

Friday night will mark the 25th time Merced and Golden Valley have squared off against each other on the football field in the Battle for the Mayor’s Cup.

There will be plenty of story lines at play at Veterans Stadium.

Golden Valley (6-3, 3-2 Central California Conference) is trying to snap a 12 game losing streak to its crosstown rival. The Bears (9-0, 5-0 CCC) hold an all-time 16-8 advantage in the all-time series.

The Cougars are in the playoff hunt, but desperately need a win to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2006. Golden Valley enters the final week of the season ranked 11th in Division III in CalPreps ratings. The top 12 teams qualify for the playoffs.

The Cougars have had a big turnaround in Rick Martinez’s first season as the GV’s head coach, going from 0-10 last year to 6-3. The Cougars played tough in a 26-21 loss to Buhach Colony last week.

Staying with Merced will be a tall task. The Bears have crushed the rest of the CCC, outscoring teams 258 to 45 in five conference games.

Merced also comes in with the motivation of finishing off its first 10-0 regular season since 2007. A Bears win would lock up a top four seed in Division III and a first-round bye in the playoffs.

Bloss Bowl

Buhach Colony holds an 8-4 all-time edge against Atwater. The Thunder (7-2, 4-1 CCC) could help secure a first-round home playoff game with a victory.

The Falcons (5-4, 2-3 CCC) have lost three consecutive games after starting the season 5-1. Atwater sits at No. 14 in Calpreps Division III ratings. A win over the Thunder might boost the Falcons into the playoffs.

The Thunder have been banged up in recent weeks with players like Jon Buttrey, Youlas Dickson and Owen Thomas missing time. Buhach Colony is looking to get healthy and get in rhythm heading into the postseason.

Crosstown Clash

The stakes couldn’t be higher in the eighth annual Crosstown Clash. Los Banos (6-3, 5-1 Western Athletic Conference) can clinch a share of the WAC championship and secure a playoff spot with a win over Pacheco (8-1, 6-0 WAC) tonight at Loftin Stadium.

Tigers running back Justin Incaprera has been on fire in the past three games, rushing for 727 yards, including 307 yards and four touchdowns last week in a 42-7 win over Lathrop.

The Tigers own a 5-2 edge in the all-time series.

The Panthers clinched at least a share of their first WAC championship with last week’s 56-23 win over Beyer.

The Battle for the Chief

The rivalry between Orestimba (6-3, 4-2 Southern League) and Gustine (5-4, 3-3 SL) couldn’t be any closer after 72 meetings. The all-time series is tied 35-35-2.

The Warriors have won the last three meetings.

The Reds are coming off a 24-14 upset of Waterford last week with the help of Brandon Garbez’s 216 rushing yards. The Gustine senior has rushed for 1,210 yards and six touchdowns this season.

This story was originally published October 25, 2018 at 2:44 PM.