Games to watch in Tri-County area

Wondering what to do with your Friday nights this fall?

Never fear. The football season is here and there is a wealth of intriguing matchups this year, all of them worth checking out.

Following is a weekly guide of the most interesting games in the Tri-County area.

Games to watch

Aug. 30 – Los Molinos at Mercy

The annual Little Tehama County Shootout starts of the season this year on Saturday afternoon, August 30. The two teams used to play later in the season during league play, but the two teams no longer play in the same league. Mercy has moved to the North Valley League while Los Molinos has joined the Shasta Cascade League. The winner of this game can claim small school bragging rights for the next year.

Sept. 5 – Menlo at Hamilton

We wouldn’t normally recommend a game with an opponent from outside of the Northern Section, but this one is different. Hamilton, the defending Northern Section Division 3 champions, open the season against Menlo School of Atherton. The Knights feature a senior wide receiver who is considered one of the top players in the San Francisco Bay Area this year. Oh yeah, and his dad is considered by some as the greatest player in NFL history.

Jerry Rice Jr. makes his appearance at Hamilton High School in the Braves’ season opener. His dad, the former 49er great, is also expected to be in attendance.

Sept. 12 – Orland at Corning

The Trojans and Cardinals have played each other for close to 80 years. Although they no longer play in the same league, Orland and Corning always have a fierce rivalry. The Cardinals have had the upper hand for the better part of the last two decades, including a 40-7 win last year.

Sept. 19 – Orland at Willows

The Battle for the Axe is always the biggest game in Glenn County each year. Willows jumped out to a 42-0 lead in the first half last year and coasted to a 42-14 win. The Honkers hold the overall edge in the series by the slimmest of margins, 42-41-1. This year’s contest is the 85th game in the series and continues one of the oldest rivalries in the Northern Section.

Sept. 26 – Willows at Corning

This game features two of the top teams in the Tri-County area this year. Last year these two squads fought an incredible battle with Corning pulling out the 45-42 victory. The Cardinals had 314 yards of total offense while the Honkers had 377.

Oct. 3 – Portola at Williams

Many Tri-County area teams have the week off on Oct. 3, but Williams hosts Portola in a game that could be a preview of the Northern Section Division 4 championship game. The Tigers feature a speedy backfield and rank as the current favorite in Division 4. Meanwhile the Yellowjackets have some talented players returning from last year’s team that made the playoffs in Division 3. Williams moves down to Division 4 this year after a slight drop in enrollment.

Oct. 10 – Trinity at Willows

There may not have been a more exciting game in the Tri-County area last year than the playoff matchup between Trinity and Willows. The Honkers led 21-0 at halftime, only to see Trinity take the lead 22-21 with just a few minutes left to play. Willows drove the length of the field and scored on a fourth-down pass to beat the Wolves and advance to the semifinals.

Oct. 17 Herlong at Princeton

Last year’s Herlong-Princeton matchup was one of the craziest games in Northern Section history. The Eagles won the eight-man contest 82-40, but was actually in danger of losing the game early in the second half. Princeton had 541 yards of total offense, including 319 yards rushing by Guillermo Rodriguez with eight touchdowns. Meanwhile Herlong receiver Mike Evans caught 11 passes for 356 yards and six touchdowns. Many of the marks set in the game rank among the all-time great performances in National 8-man history. Both Rodriguez and Evans are back this year.

Oct. 24 – Williams at Colusa

After playing in preseason for the past four years, Williams and Colusa now meet in a league contest. The Redskins defeated Williams the last time they played on Colusa’s home field back in 2006, but Williams returned the favor with a 34-13 victory last year where it racked up 491 yards of total offense.

Oct. 31 – Williams at Hamilton

What better way to spend Halloween than to attend a matchup between two Mid-Valley League rivals. Williams defeated the Braves back in 2005, but Hamilton has won the last three matchups, including last year’s Division 3 playoff opener 49-0. The two teams rank among the favorites in the revamped eight-team Mid-Valley League, so this game could decide the champion.

Nov. 7 – Pierce at Willows

The last time these two teams met at Honker Stadium, they produced one of the most memorable games in Northern Section playoff history. Down 8-0 with under a minute to play, Willows drove the length of the field in three plays to tie the game and then won it in overtime to defeat Pierce 15-14 for the Division 3 championship in 2003. The win was the second section title for the Honkers under coach Curtis Parks and it cost the Bears a chance at a 13-0 season.