The stories abound in Week 11 of football in North Bay, the final week of the regular season.

One of the best local rivalries takes center stage as Casa Grande looks to secure the Redwood Empire Conference Valley division title against rival Petaluma in the always exciting Egg Bowl on Saturday. That will be The Press Democrat’s game of the week; look for a full preview later this week.

Elsewhere, Rancho Cotate has one last chance to extend its long postseason streak, as it needs a win Friday at San Marin in its regular-season finale to clinch a playoff spot.

In other action, Sonoma Valley looks to finish an undefeated regular season in a road matchup at Healdsburg; Cardinal Newman looks to bounce back in a tough matchup at Vintage, coming off an upset win over San Marin last week; and St. Vincent can secure the REC-Bay title with a win Friday at Maria Carrillo.

Here’s a closer look at some of the best games to watch in Sonoma and Napa in Week 11.

Rancho Cotate (4-5, 0-4 REC-Adobe) at San Marín (6-3, 1-3), 7 p.m. Friday

It’s now or never for the Cougars. A win guarantees their season will continue, while a loss will send them home before the playoffs begin. Rancho has made the playoffs every season since 2003.

The Cougars may have a few things going for them this week. San Marin is banged up (everyone at REC-Adobe is this time of year) and is coming off two tough losses to Cardinal Newman (31-3) and Vintage (17-7). The 10 points scored are by far a season low in any two-game stretch this year. San Marin probably also knows that a loss would really help when it comes to playoff spots on Sunday. As of now, the Mustangs are the No. 7 seed for the Open/D1 playoffs and would face No. 2 seed Pittsburg in the first round. A loss could be enough to drop to Division 2, a much more manageable draw.

That’s not to say the Mustangs won’t try to win this game, but resting some starters to prepare for what could be a tough first-round playoff matchup isn’t out of the question.

CalPreps Computer Screening: San Marín 28, Rancho Cotate 17

Predictions from Democratic sportswriters:

Gus Morris: Saint Marin

Kienan O’Doherty: Cotate Ranch

Sonoma Valley (9-0, 5-0 REC-Mountain) at Healdsburg (3-6, 0-5), 7:30 p.m. Friday

The Dragons are on the cusp of history, chasing their first undefeated regular season since the early 1990s. All they need to do is take care of business against a Healdsburg team that has lost six straight to accomplish the feat.

After starting the year 3-0, one of the best early-season success stories, the Greyhounds have fallen on hard times. Their last win was on September 14, and while they have been competitive in most of their REC-Mountain games, they have yet to overcome their streak. Last week they lost to Archie Williams, 43-42 in overtime.

The Dragons, meanwhile, have overwhelmed everyone in their path. They have outscored teams 203-27 in league play and can clinch the REC-Mountain title with a win on Friday.

Healdsburg will play with nothing to lose (they are very far from the playoff picture) and a team without pressure can be dangerous.

CalPreps Computer Projection: Sonoma Valley 52, Healdsburg 7

Democratic press predictions:

Gus Morris: Sonoma Valley

Kienan O’Doherty: Sonoma Valley

Cardinal Newman (8-1, 3-1 REC-Adobe) at Vintage (6-3, 2-2), Friday at 7 p.m.

The Cardinals suffered their first loss of the season last week, 13-3, in a defensive battle with North Bay rival Marin Catholic. The victory put the Wildcats in the driver’s seat of the first REC-Adobe title.

Newman won’t get much of a break this week. The Crushers are one of the most underrated teams in the region and have been a tough out for league opponents. They have wins over Rancho Cotate (31-21) and San Marin (17-7) and played Windsor (14-7) and Marin Catholic (20-0) in losses.

Newman is in a similar situation to San Marin, where a loss this week could benefit them for the playoff spots. The Cardinals are projected as a No. 4 or No. 5 seed in Open/D1 and a loss to Vintage could drop them from the upper bracket to Division 4, providing a much easier path to a section title.

The Cardinals want another shot at Marin Catholic, and they’ll probably only get it if they stay in Open/D1, but to get there they’ll need to beat the Crushers first, which hasn’t been an easy task for either of them. Adobe team so far.

CalPreps Computer Screening: Cardinal Newman 31, Vintage 7

Democratic press predictions:

Gus Morris: Cardinal Newman

Kienan O’Doherty: Cardinal Newman

St. Vincent (8-1, 4-0 REC-Bay) at Maria Carrillo (7-2, 3-1), 7 p.m. Friday

The Mustangs have been untouchable since their loss to Truckee in early September, outscoring opponents 347-87 in their current seven-game winning streak.

They answered their toughest challenge of the REC-Bay game two weeks ago with a 35-24 win over Ukiah and then defeated Montgomery 49-13 last week to move within one win of clinching the league crown, their third in the last four seasons.

Standing in their way is María Carrillo’s talented team, which is in the midst of its best season in the program’s history. The Pumas started the year 7-1 before falling to Ukiah 40-14 in a muddy, rainy battle in Mendocino County.

Carrillo is capable of scoring points quickly, evident by the nearly 50 points per game he averaged in his victories this year.

St. Vincent appears primed for another deep playoff run after its state title last year, but anything less than its best this week could hinder its push heading into the postseason.

CalPreps Computer Screening: San Vicente 38, María Carrillo 27

Democratic press predictions:

Gus Morris: Saint Vincent

Kienan O’Doherty: Saint Vincent

ANDYou can contact staff writer Gus Morris at 707-304-9372 or [email protected]. On X (Twitter) @JustGusPD.