<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3xekcq_0wCEpKoq00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3xekcq_0wCEpKoq00" width="1640" height="924" ></figure>Divisional play wrapped up in the TRAC last week and Newman (Rock Division) and Monmouth-Roseville (Mississippi Division) clinched outright division titles with wins last week. With the conference champions decided, the final two weeks of crossover games in the conference are all about playoff pushes and positioning.All five-win teams in the state will almost certainly qualify for the postseason. A handful of four-win teams will round out the playoff field again this year, but none of the teams in the TRAC are projected to have enough playoff points to get into the postseason with a 4-5 record.Entering Week 8, Monmouth-Roseville, Princeton, Newman and Rockridge have already clinched playoff berths. Kewanee, Erie-Prophetstown, Riverdale and Mercer County are all mathematically alive for postseason spots.WRMJ’s Ty Taylor and Jim Taylor are joined by Greg Armstrong and Mitch Stoermer from View from the West Podcast to preview and predict this week’s action.Standings after Week 7PlacePickerRecord1Ty36-6T2Jim33-9T2Greg33-9T2Mitch33-9Game of the Week: Rockridge (5-2, 4-1 TRAC Rock) @ Monmouth-Roseville (7-0, 5-0 TRAC Mississippi) – Friday 7 p.m.PreviewRockridge won the inaugural County Line Clash rivalry over Mercer County 34-6 last week. After a scoreless first quarter in which the Rockets fumbled twice, Tanner McKeag blocked a punt that Landon Bull returned for a touchdown midway through the second. Rockridge added two more TDs in the final minute of the first half to take a commanding 20-0 lead at halftime. Quarterback Cullen Schwigen completed 11-21 passes for 117 yards and one TD. He also rushed for 132 yards and two TDs on 19 carries. Thomas Sowards added a rushing score and 124 yards on the ground in the win. Liam Steele intercepted two passes and Rockridge forced four turnovers in the game. The Rockets became playoff eligible with the victory over the Golden Eagles.Monmouth-Roseville downed Hall 35-14 in Week 7 to win the school’s first-ever outright football conference championship. The Titans led just 7-0 at halftime but then pulled away in the second half. Payton Thompson rushed for 191 yards and two TDs on 13 carries, which put him over 1,000 rushing yards for the year. As a team, Monmouth-Roseville rushed for 412 yards in the win. The Titans are 7-0 for the first time ever and matched the most regular season wins in program history with seven.This game will be a measuring stick for both playoff-bound squads just a couple of weeks ahead of postseason games kicking off. Rockridge will look for a signature win to bolster its resume before finishing the regular season at Hall next week. Monmouth-Roseville has another test in Week 9, on the road at Newman, after what should be a knock-down, drag-out battle between two premier teams tonight at Coach Dobry Field.PicksTy: RockridgeJim: RockridgeGreg: RockridgeMitch: Monmouth-RosevilleMercer County (3-4, 2-3 TRAC Rock) @ Princeton (6-1, 4-1 TRAC Mississippi) – Friday 7 p.m.PreviewIn a season marred by off-the-field controversy and turmoil, the Mercer County High School football program has faced a difficult week following last Friday’s 34-6 loss to Rockridge. Head coach Tanner Matlick was suspended indefinitely by the school district on Monday for “A culmination of a series of events resulting in a climate and culture below the expectations of the school district and community.” Longtime assistant coach Jason Kenney will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.Princeton made quick work of Mendota in a 57-14 rout in Week 7. The Tigers led 21-0 at the end of the first quarter, 35-0 at halftime, and 50-0 through the third. Casey Etheridge rushed for 171 yards and three TDs on 12 carries. Ace Christiansen scored two rushing TDs and accounted for 86 yards and Noah LaPorte added 88 receiving yards and two scores on three catches. Princeton’s defense forced three turnovers in the win, while its special teams unit blocked a punt and returned a kick for a TD.Coming into the week, the story for Mercer County was its playoff lives being on the line in this game. It’s rightfully shifted to supporting the kids in the program who are dealing with unfortunate circumstances out of their control. Most things are infinitely more important than high school football and playoff appearance streaks. Interscholastic athletics should be about giving students a positive and safe experience above all else. In Week 8 of the 2024 season, hopefully, that’s what happens with Mercer County’s trip to Princeton.PicksTy: Mercer CountyJim: Mercer CountyGreg: PrincetonMitch: PrincetonOrion (1-6, 0-5 TRAC Rock) @ Sherrard (2-5, 2-3 TRAC Mississippi) – Friday 7 p.m.PreviewOrion’s fourth-quarter comeback fell just short in a 32-28 loss to Erie-Prophetstown last week. The Chargers trailed 26-7 in the third quarter. Midway through the fourth, Orion cut the deficit to 26-22 on a touchdown run by Kale Filler. Erie-Prophetstown answered to push the lead to 32-22 but the Chargers responded with a 15-yard TD pass from Filler to Owen Voorhees with 3:12 remaining to make it 32-28. Orion got the ball back at midfield and drove the ball inside the 5-yard line before being stopped on fourth-and-goal with 11 seconds left.Sherrard suffered a 48-6 loss to Kewanee in Week 7. The Tigers trailed 33-0 at halftime and allowed the first six touchdowns of the game to face a 41-0 deficit early in the third quarter. Sherrard’s lone score of the game came when Carter Brown connected with Harrison Curry on a 7-yard TD pass with 5:17 left in the third quarter. The Tigers were officially eliminated from playoff contention with the loss.Even with postseason hopes dashed for both teams, there’s always meaning when Sherrard and Orion play. It’s the home finale for the Tigers in this rivalry game before closing the book on 2024 next week at Riverdale. Orion is looking for revenge from last year’s final-minute loss to Sherrard. The Chargers close the season at home against Kewanee next week.PicksTy: SherrardJim: SherrardGreg: OrionMitch: SherrardNewman (6-1, 5-0 TRAC Rock) @ Kewanee (4-3, 3-2 TRAC Mississippi) – Friday 7 p.m.PreviewNewman beat Riverdale 35-7 last week to win the TRAC Rock Division championship outright. Briar Ivey rushed for 115 yards in the win for the Comets. Brady Williamson, Cody McBride, Daniel Kelly and Ryan Partington each scored rushing TDs on the ground. Evan Bushman and John Rowzee connected on a 5-yard TD pass in the win, as well. Newman clinched the TRAC Rock Division championship outright with the victory last week. The Comets have won six in a row since losing to Princeton in Week 1.Kewanee crushed Sherrard 48-6 in Week 7. The Boilermakers made quick work of the Tigers by getting to the continuous clock 40+ point advantage early in the third quarter. Kewanee’s Alex Duarte rushed for 50 yards and two TDs on nine carries. His first rushing TD broke Kewanee’s school record for career touchdowns. Duarte added a 75-yard interception return for a score in the second half. Kewanee rushed for 261 rushing yards as a team, 104 of them coming from freshman Ace LaFollette. The Boilermakers have won three in a row after a 1-3 start.This matchup has big playoff implications for both teams. Newman is looking to bolster its playoff seeding in the 1A north bracket ahead of a battle with Monmouth-Roseville in Week 9. Kewanee is trying to reach the five-win mark after dropping three of its first four games. The Boilermakers travel to Orion in Week 9.PicksTy: NewmanJim: NewmanGreg: NewmanMitch: NewmanRiverdale (3-4, 2-3 TRAC Rock) @ Hall (1-6, 1-4 TRAC Mississippi) – Friday 7 p.m.PreviewRiverdale was handed a 35-7 loss by Newman last week. After allowing a touchdown to open the game, the Rams responded with a 71-yard scoring drive that was capped off by a 10-yard TD run by Gaege Heinsen. The game was tied 7-7 at the end of the first quarter and Riverdale trailed just 13-7 at halftime. Heinsen finished with 47 yards on 16 carries. Caen Beckett led the Rams’ rushing attack with 78 yards on nine carries in the loss.Hall took a 35-14 loss to Monmouth-Roseville in Week 7. The Red Devils battled in the first half, only trailing the undefeated Titans 7-0 at haftime. Hall gave up the first three touchdowns of the second half, which ballooned the deficit to 28-0. Both of Hall’s scoring plays were long passes. Aiden Redcliff hit Jack Jablonski for a 77-yard TD on a halfback pass. The Red Devils also found the end zone on an 87-yard TD pass from Dylan Glynn to Braden Curran.Riverdale enters Week 8 with control of its playoff destiny. The Rams need wins over Hall this week and Sherrard next week to qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2011. For Hall, last week was a step forward by hanging around with Monmouth-Roseville. The Red Devils and first-year head coach Logan Larson wrap up the season at Rockridge in Week 9.PicksTy: RiverdaleJim: RiverdaleGreg: RiverdaleMitch: RiverdaleErie-Prophetstown (4-3, 2-3 TRAC Rock) @ Mendota (0-7, 0-5 TRAC Mississippi) – Friday 7 p.m.PreviewErie-Prophetstown survived a scare from Orion in a 32-28 win last week. The Panthers forced an incomplete pass on fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard line with 11 seconds left in the fourth quarter to preserve the four-point lead. All five of Erie-Prophetstown’s touchdowns were running plays. Demetree Larsen rushed for three TDs, while Keegan Winckler and Max Milem each found the end zone once.Dating back to last season, Mendota lost its 10th straight game in a 57-14 setback to Princeton in Week 7. The Trojans didn’t get on the board until it was 50-0 in the fourth quarter. Mendota scored on a 13-yard TD pass from Aden Tillman to Joe Steward and a 36-yard touchdown run by Braiden Freeman.Erie-Prophetstown has Princeton waiting on its schedule in Week 9, so this matchup with winless Mendota is vital for the Panthers to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2021. Mendota wraps up the season with a long trip to Aledo next week to play Mercer County.PicksTy: Erie-ProphetstownJim: Erie-ProphetstownGreg: Erie-ProphetstownMitch: Erie-ProphetstownWRMJ’s coverage of the TRAC is presented by:Visit our TRAC webpage to stay updated with the conference throughout the season.</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

WRMJ Week 8 TRAC Football Preview & Picks With View From The West

Divisional play wrapped up in the TRAC last week and Newman (Rock Division) and Monmouth-Roseville (Mississippi Division) clinched outright division titles with wins last week. With the conference champions decided, the final two weeks of crossover games in the conference are all about playoff pushes and positioning. All five-win teams...