Bear River probably lost its shot at its first Pioneer Valley League championship since 2005 and a top seed in the Division V playoffs last Friday when it was overpowered by Colfax, 41-14.
The Bruins will be assured a high seed and a good shot at getting redemption against Colfax in the division final after they end league play tonight against a weak Marysville squad. Bear River lost its league game to the Falcons last year and then beat them for the division title.
But at least Bear River is in the playoffs. Nevada Union will have to beat Rio Linda this week to be considered for an at-large berth after getting manhandled by Lincoln last Friday, 44-24. My numbers say the Miners will finish the season 3-7.
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Colfax moved into the top spot among the Foothill 4 with its win over Bear River, but the Bruins managed to beat out Placer for the second spot because it lost to a strong team while the Hillmen beat a weak one.
Here are the rankings:
- Colfax (9-0) 136.9
- Bear River (8-1) 135.8
- Placer (9-0) 135.0
- Nevada Union (3-6) 95.8
This week’s picks:
Bear River over Marysville by 41.5 points
Rio Linda over Nevada Union by 29.5 points
Placer over Lincoln by 26.5 points
Colfax over Center by 13 points
I missed on Bear River last week to go 2-1, bringing my season record to 11-3 (78 percent). Who said high school kids are unpredictable?