Merced football will open section playoffs against Tokay

There weren’t many surprises for Merced High School football coach Rob Scheidt when the Sac-Joaquin Section released the playoff brackets Saturday.

Scheidt figured his Bears (8-2) would get a top-four seed, and they did. Merced is No. 4 in Division I and will be host to No. 13 Tokay (7-3) of Lodi at 7 p.m. Friday in the first round at Veterans Stadium.

“I’m happy that we’re number four and that we get the home games,” Scheidt said.

A win would earn Merced a second-round home game against the winner between No. 12 Monterey Trail and No. 5 Cosumnes Oaks, both of Elk Grove.

However, that doesn’t mean Scheidt is a fan of the new playoff system that allows a committee complete control over where it wants to seed teams.

“I think (the section) is trying to set up the matches they want,” Scheidt said. “They should just seed it out and let it play out. There is way too much political maneuvering. Conference championships should matter.

“I don’t think Downey should be a No. 8 (in Division II). I understand why, but they’re 9-1 and they are a conference champ.”

Folsom (10-0), Jesuit (8-2) and Granite Bay (7-3) earned the top three seeds in Division I. Folsom is ranked third in the state by CalHiSports.

The Bears received a break when Grant (10-0) was bumped down to Division II after larger schools Turlock and Stagg won Friday night and were placed in the Division I field.

Much of Merced’s focus will be on Tokay receiver L.J. Reed, a transfer from Cosumnes Oaks who has 17 catches for 228 yards and two touchdowns in five games.

After clinching the Western Athletic Conference championship with a 36-18 win over Pacheco in the Crosstown Clash on Friday, Los Banos earned a No. 3 seed in Division IV and will be host to No. 6 Dixon (6-4) in the first round.

Coach Dustin Caropreso was happy where the Tigers landed. He wasn’t sure if his team would fall to Division III or IV.

The Tigers had to dig deep to win the WAC, defeating Patterson and Livingston in overtime.

“Our kids just believe they have a chance to win any game they play in, and as a coach, that’s what you want,” Caropreso said.

If Los Banos defeats Dixon, it likely would travel to No. 2 seed Sonora (9-1) in the semifinals.

After losing to Los Banos, Pacheco (7-3) dropped all the way to No. 14 in Division III and will open at No. 3 Oakdale (9-1).

Mariposa (7-3) and Le Grand (7-3) will compete in Division V. The Grizzlies earned the No. 3 seed after defeating the Bulldogs 23-14 on Friday. Mariposa will host No. 6 Amador (6-4). Le Grand earned the No. 5 seed and will travel to No. 4 Hughson (7-3).

In Division VI, No. 6 Gustine (7-3) will open at No. 3 Bradshaw Christian (7-3) in Sacramento.

Stone Ridge Christian (8-2) will host its first playoff game at Castle Field on Friday against Foresthill (3-7) in Division VII.

In the Central Section, Dos Palos (4-7) is the No. 11 seed in Division V and will open at No. 6 Caruthers (7-3). Chowchilla (6-4) is No. 5 in Division IV and has a first-round bye. The Redskins will play No. 4 Golden West (6-4) of Visalia on Nov. 21.

This story was originally published November 9, 2014 at 6:28 PM with the headline "Merced football will open section playoffs against Tokay."