By Will James
Hometown Sports 
 
Aside from the ridiculously perilous Sierra Foothill League, the Delta League has long been regarded as the next toughest football conference in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section.  That has not changed.
 
Delta League competition began last week; a fact deeply realized by the Franklin Wildcats (2-3, 0-1) who suffered a 41-14 shellacking at the hands of #7 Pleasant Grove.  However, perennial play off contender Jesuit (1-3, 0-0) was not in Delta League action last week, handily defeating Rio Americano 45-15 in a non-league skirmish.
 
Franklin and Jesuit face of Friday evening in a Delta League match-up at Cosumnes Oaks High School; an important confrontation that will continue to shape the Delta League race early in league play.
 
Access Sacramento’s live telecast of the game on the Hometown Sports Game of the Week begins at 7:00 pm.  The game may be seen in Sacramento County on Comcast or Consolidated Communications Cable channel 17, and AT&T U-Verse channel 14.  The game will also be streamed live from AccessSacramento.org and on the NFHS Network.
 
Remarkably, Jesuit approaches its first league game with an uncharacteristic 1-3 record, finally notching its first win last week.  Marauders’ Head Coach, Marlon Blanton, is looking for a repeat performance from his entire squad, particularly from Quarterback Daniel Susac.  The senior leader fired three TD passes to three different receivers to spark the rout.
 
Meanwhile, second-year Franklin Head Coach, Evan Boylan, looks for his Wolfpack to rebound from back-to-back road losses with more offensive production this week, and he has the weapons to do so.
 
Senior Quarterback Brandon Bautista-Rundgren has connected on eight TD passes including five scoring strikes to Mulik Johnson and three to Michael Hardey.  Running Backs Reagan Fonbuena and Ian Charles have combined for more than 1,000 yards.
 
More unpredictable than in most previous seasons, supremacy in the Delta League is in question this year, and will be determined only after a wild week-to-week ride.  To be sure, Friday is D-Day in this match-up of two struggling teams, each determined to find their groove at the other’s expense.