By admin 
Football season is here, just as the summer’s first heat wave descends onto the Sacramento Valley with triple-digit temperatures the sudden norm.
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High school teams throughout the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section on Monday kicked off the first official day of fall practice with limitations. The second-largest section of the 10 that dot California stretches from Grass Valley in Nevada County in the north to Fairfield of Solano County, in the west to El Dorado County up the Highway 50 corridor in the east, and down south to Turlock.
Unlike decades past, when the need for water was considered weakness by cranky throwback coach who preferred the no face-mask era of the game, caution is of abundance. The era of two-a-day practices where only coaches hydrated are long over.
In the last decade, regular water breaks have become the norm, and it’s actually OK for a player to ask for hydration. Teams are mandated by the governing body CIF — and from just plain old common sense — to monitor heat and humidity in an effort to keep their athletes active, upright and healthy.
The first three days of practice were slated for Monday through Wednesday, with only helmets allowed equipment-wise. Helmets and shoulder pads enter play Thursday, and full contact follows soon after.
What’s on the calendar for HS football in 2026?
Teams can engage in game-like intra-squad scrimmages with full contact Aug. 14-15. Schools such as Del Oro in Placer County use these on-campus events to introduce Loomis to the team, with food and live music part of the fun. Scrimmages or jamborees with multiple teams and referees are Aug. 21-22, and season openers are Aug. 28-29.
The 30-day mandatory sit-out period for transfer students is Oct. 2. Schools play 10 regular-season games, including homecoming.
The section playoffs last three weeks, with section championship games again scheduled for famed Hughes Stadium at Sacramento City College on Thanksgiving weekend. The title bouts range from the smallest-school Division VIII 8-man team to the largest-enrollment Division I contest to cap the weekend.
Section winners advance to CIF Northern California championship rounds on Dec. 4-5 at home sites against teams from other sections — the Central Coast and North Coast in the greater Bay Area, the Northern Section that stretches to the Oregon border, and the Central Section with Fresno and Bakersfield teams.
The CIF State finals are Dec. 11-12 at various Southern California sites.
Is Folsom still the top dog?
In a word, yes.
The Folsom Bulldogs are top-ranked in this section and by The Sacramento Bee until someone locally knocks them off. They are deep in talent, from quarterback Brody Rudnicki to scores of defenders that roared through the playoffs.
The Bulldogs are superbly conditioned and coached, and they have momentum to match the scorn of rival programs who wonder just how the machine keeps on rolling, alleging recruiting tactics. The CIF needs proof, not rumor, to formally investigate.
Folsom is the five-time defending Division I champion, the highest classification in the section, winning those banners under coach Paul Doherty. The Bulldogs are also a defending CIF State champion, having won two in the previous three years and six since 2010. Folsom has 12 section banners since 2010, including under previous coaches Kris Richardson and Troy Taylor, in basking in the greatest football dynasty run in regional history.
Can anyone close the gap on Folsom? Yes, but it won’t be easy. Oak Ridge of El Dorado Hills and alumni coach Casey Taylor battled the Bulldogs in each of the past four D-I title games, and the Trojans return 18 starters for another run.
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Grant also has 18 starters back under alumni coaches Carl Reed and Syd Thompson. The storied Pacers of Del Paso Heights won three section and two CIF State titles at various divisions from 2022-2024 before moving back up to Division I last fall through the section’s sustained success model. Grant lost a tight game at Oak Ridge in the 2025 D-I semifinals.
Who are the other defending section champs?
The St. Mary’s Rams of Stockton and coach Tony Franks rallied to topple Granite Bay in the section D-II finals, and then went on to win a CIF state crown.
Woodcreek of Roseville won its first section crown in the 31-year history of the Placer County school, taking D-III honors under coach Kyle Stowers.
The Roseville Tigers, all about old-school pride, won the D-IV section championship under coach Adam Reinking, the school’s first such feat since 1987.
The Sutter Huskies and coach Ryan Reynolds took D-V honors, topping Casa Roble of Orangevale, which won D-V in 2023 under coach Chris Horner.
Sonora repeated as D-VI champions under coach Kirk Clifton and then went on to win another state championship.
Calaveras won D-VII under coach Manny Mosa, and the Mira Loma Matadors won the section’s first 8-man title, doing so under alumni coach Jesse Collins to cap a 12-0 season.
Northern Section small-school powerhouse Winters of Yolo County won its first CIF state crown, a crowning achievement for a region that appreciates its football under coach Daniel Ward.
A prevailing theme is that each of the defending champions are public schools, except St. Mary’s. The Bay Area and much of Southern California are dominated by private schools.
Who are the stars in 2026?
Folsom and Grant lead the pack on recruiting. Folsom stars who have given verbal commitments to NCAA Division I programs include defensive lineman Lua DeBerry to Sacramento State, quarterback Rudnicki to Cal and receiver Rob Larson to UCLA.
Grant stars who have committed include receivers Zo Edwards to Cal and Koby Shabazz to Sacramento State, as well as lineman Thurman Lyles to UCLA.
And proof that one does not have to attend a state-ranked powerhouse to receiver scholarship offers: Placer lineman Gage Esty is headed to UCLA, Liberty Ranch of Galt lineman DeShaun Jackson is off to Nevada and Sutter defensive lineman Troy Bowens will be a California Golden Bear.
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