A lot on the line for both Merced, Atwater in 49th annual Santa Fe Bowl.

Friday night will mark the 49th time the Merced High and Atwater football teams will square of in the Santa Fe Bowl.

It’s big matchup for both teams as the Bears (8-0, 4-0 Central California Conference) can clinch at least a share of the conference championship. It would be Merced’s first CCC championship since 2015.

The Falcons (5-3, 2-2 CCC) need a win to keep any chance of making the playoffs for the first time since 2012. Atwater likely needs to win out against Merced and Buhach Colony to make the playoffs.

The odds are stacked against Atwater. Not only have the Bears been rolling this season, averaging 50 points per game, but Merced has an eight-game winning streak against the Falcons.

Merced holds a 34-14 edge in the all-time series.

The problem for the Falcons defense against Merced, is where do you start? Who do you try to take away?

The Bears have two quarterbacks in Dhameer Warren and Junior Garcia, who have combined for 2,136 yards and 26 touchdowns to go with just four interceptions. Warren has also added 518 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

Running back Desmond Thompson has been on fire, rushing for 288 yards and five touchdowns in the last two games. Thompson has 777 yards and 15 touchdowns this season.

Receiver Xavier Stewart has caught at least one touchdown in all eight games and has hauled in 37 receptions for 751 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The Bears defense has also surrendered just 26 points in four CCC games.

The game in need of a name

We already have the Santa Fe Bowl for the Merced-Atwater rivalry. Both crosstown rivalries have names with the Bloss Bowl and Battle for the Mayor’s Cup.

Can we name the Buhach Colony-Golden Valley game the “Swarty Bowl?”

Golden Valley principal Kevin Swartwood has big-time ties to both schools. Swartwood spent 8 years as the head coach at Buhach Colony, building the Thunder into a CCC powerhouse. Swartwood helped open Golden Valley at the school’s first athletic director and spent over 20 years helping out as a coach in the Cougars program.

Swartwood took over as principal at Golden Valley in September of 2015.

Buhach Colony (6-2, 3-1 CCC) and Golden Valley (6-2, 3-1 CCC) meet in a key matchup on Friday night. Like Atwater, Golden Valley needs a resume-building win to make the playoffs. The Cougars currently sit at No. 12 in the CalPrep rankings in Division III with the top 12 teams making the playoffs.

The Thunder need to finish strong to secure a first-round home game in the playoffs.

Pacheco, Los Banos on collision course

The Los Banos High football team were big Pacheco fans last week. The Panthers’ 42-28 win over previously unbeaten Mountain House keeps the Tigers’ chances of earning a share of the Western Athletic Conference championship alive.

If the Tigers can defeat Lathrop on Friday night, Los Banos will get its shot next week at Pacheco in the Crosstown Clash.

The Tigers have scored 94 points in the last two weeks behind eight touchdown passes from quarterback Dasani Tate.

Pacheco can clinch a share of the WAC title on Friday against winless Beyer. It would be the Panthers first league title in school history.

You better believe the Panthers won’t be in a sharing mood in Week 11, which should create an electric atmosphere at Loftin Stadium.