Inderkum To Host Manteca In First-round Playoff Game

BY TREVOR HORN
THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz

The Inderkum High School football team is in solid position for the school’s first Sac–Joaquin Section Division III title. 

Pairings for the 2012 playoffs were announced for Divisions I-VI today. 

The Tigers, seeded No. 6, will host No. 11 seed Manteca in the first round 7 p.m. this coming Friday, Nov. 9.

“We figured we would be right around there,” Inderkum head coach Terry Stark said. “We had a feeling we thought we would open differently, but I am OK with it.”

The winner of the Inderkum/Manteca game will play the winner of the Sierra of Manteca/Rosemont game (seeded No. 3 and No. 14, respectively). 

Inderkum (8-2 overall, 4-1 TCC) didn’t win the Tri-County title for the first time since 2006. Manteca finished the regular season 6-4 overall and finished third in the Valley Oak League with a 4-2 record. Sierra finished second in Live Oak behind DIII No. 1 seed Oakdale (9-1, 7-0).

The other two first round matchups on the Tigers side of the Division III bracket have No. 7 Sacramento hosting No. 10 El Camino and No. 2 Vista del Lago hosting No. 15 Lincoln.

The Tigers lost a tough non-league road game to Rocklin on Sept. 21, 31-22. Then two weeks later the Tigers fell to eventual TCC champs Yuba City 49-42. That loss snapped a 27-game conference win streak for the Tigers.

Inderkum will need a win over Manteca and Rosemont will need to beat Sierra in the first round for the Tigers to host the second round
game.

Inderkum comes into the playoffs with a four-game winning streak where the Tigers gave up just 13 points in the four games. A lot of that has to do with depth and health for the defense.

In 2011, the Tigers finished the regular season with a 9-1 record and a perfect 5-0 in the TCC. Seeded No. 3 in Division II, the Tigers cruised past McNair 69-14 before falling to Folsom 45-14 in the second round. Folsom eventually lost the section championship to Vacaville.

“…it doesn’t matter where you are seeded if you are at home,” said Stark. “We are excited to be in the playoffs and our chances.”