Who do experts pick to win Hilmar vs. Sutter Sac-Joaquin Section semifinal?
The Hilmar High football team is the higher seed and playing at home, but Northern California high school football experts don’t think the Yellowjackets will win Friday night.
Second-seeded Hilmar (7-4) hosts third-seeded Sutter (10-1) in a Sac-Joaquin Section Division V semifinal on Friday night at McSweeney Field.
Hilmar, a traditional Trans-Valley League powerhouse, comes off an impressive 41-13 win over Rio Linda. Sutter, a traditional Northern Section powerhouse that is yet to win a Sac-Joaquin Section title, romped 64-14 over Rosemont last Friday.
The Sacramento Bee published predictions for the game on Thursday.
The picks are made by: Joe Davidson of The Sacramento Bee, Nick Pecoraro of MaxPreps, and Matthew Bessette and Scott Tedmon of the NFHS streaming network by way of ABC JAM Productions.
Here’s what they wrote:
No. 3 Sutter (10-1) at No. 2 Hilmar (7-4)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
JoeD: Sutter coaches and players were understandably irked at their seeding in this bracket, but the Huskies can now do something about it against the storied Yellowjackets of Merced County. Hilmar’s record is misleading with several close losses, including 22-21 to 11-0 Sonora. Sutter’s offensive balance and defense prevails, 21-17.
MatthewB: Sutter’s 143-mile trip down to Hilmar will be the farthest travel of any team in this year’s playoffs. This is a true coin-flip game. Sutter prevails, 20-14.
NickP: All Sutter has done since joining this section is advance deep in the playoffs, inching closer and closer each year to the coveted blue banner. This could finally be the year. Huskies head back to the finals, 21-20.
CoachT: Hilmar’s sensational sophomore RB, Adam Branco, is a scoring machine with 18 touchdowns. Sutter brings a championship swagger and can back it up with DE Troy Bowens and company. The Huskies have scored 50 points or more a whopping eight times. The first team to 40 wins, and Sutter wins, 48-38.
