Friday Night Lights are back, with local 11-man high school football teams buckling up their chin straps for Week Zero this Friday.
The majority of local squads will have different looks to them this season, as they will field new faces in key positions after graduating strong seniors last spring.
Dos Pueblos and San Marcos will begin their 2025 seasons in town on Friday, while Santa Barbara High and Bishop Diego will hit the road as they look to start the year on a high note. Carpinteria High will not open its season until Friday, Sept. 5.
Here is a quick look and prediction for each of the four games on Friday. Last year, my game picks went 32-12-2 in the regular season.
Santa Ynez @ Dos Pueblos
The Pirates and Chargers will clash in Goleta in a battle of Santa Barbara County schools, a rematch of last year’s season opener, where Santa Ynez dominated its way to a 48-0 victory.
Dos Pueblos is a much different team this year after graduating its starting quarterback and running back, now leaning on senior Drew Schultz under center and seniors Andrew Cook and Callen Lee in the run game.
The Chargers will also be a bit shorthanded to begin the season as the senior wide receiver duo of Ivan Velez and Brady Walbridge will miss the first few weeks with ACL injuries suffered at the end of last season.
Meanwhile, Santa Ynez is returning quarterback Jude Pritchard (1,661 pass yards, 12 pass TD in 2024) for his senior season alongside returning wide receivers Mason Skidmore and Max Andrade, the team’s second and third options a year ago.
While I see Dos Pueblos improving as the season goes on, the season opener may be a tough one given the inexperience under center and injuries at the wide receiver positions. I’ll take Santa Ynez in a low-scoring battle this time around.
The Pick: Santa Ynez
Del Sol @ San Marcos
The Royals will roll out the welcome mat for Del Sol in what will be the school’s first football game in history after the Oxnard school was opened in 2023.
San Marcos will also have a different look for the 2025 season after fielding a team with 27 seniors last year. Junior Hayden Feleay will quarterback an offense that features plenty of athletes, including senior running back Cole Dominguez (573 rushing yards in 2024).
The senior duo of Brody Green and Logan Patterson, standouts on the basketball and track teams, will look to make an impact on both sides of the ball in their first football action after an impressive summer, according to head coach Ralph Molina.
On the other sideline, Del Sol is a bit of a wildcard as there is no history for the program or the players who will buckle up their chin straps for the first time on Friday. The team’s MaxPreps roster features a junior-heavy squad without a single senior.
With the uncertainty and inexperience surrounding Del Sol in its inaugural season, I feel comfortable going with the Royals opening up their season with a win in front of their home crowd.
The Pick: San Marcos
Santa Barbara High @ Camarillo
The Dons open their season against Camarillo for the second season in a row, with Santa Barbara High taking a 42-17 victory last year at Peabody Stadium.
Similar to the other local public schools, Santa Barbara High will have to embrace a new identity with a new corps of players for the 2025 season. Sophomore Griffin Arnold will step into the quarterback role behind an experienced offensive line led by senior Malachi Johnston.
The Dons will likely rely heavily on their rushing attack that features a two-headed backfield of seniors Aaron Baizan and Zane Webb. Meanwhile, the defensive unit will field an experienced group of linebackers and defensive linemen.
Camarillo experienced quite a bit of turnover as well, losing its quarterback and top receiver from a year ago. However, the Scorpions return starting running back Shane Feller (1,025 rush yards, 9 TD in 2024) for his senior season.
Despite a new face under center, I believe the Dons will be able to exert their will in the run game against a Camarillo defense that allowed 40 points per game last season. Give me Santa Barbara High in its season opener.
The Pick: Santa Barbara High
Bishop Diego @ Lancaster
The Cardinals begin their stretch of three road games to begin the 2025 season on Friday in Lancaster against the Eagles, who went 10-3 and reached the CIF-SS Div. 8 semifinals last year.
Bishop Diego returns a strong corps of seniors on the offensive side of the ball as quarterback Tua Rojas (1,320 pass yards, 13 TD in ‘24), running backs Oscar Mauia (1,231 rush yards, 10 TD in ‘24) and Gabe Villa (531 total yards, 3 TD in ‘24), and wide receivers John Michael Flint (329 receiving yards in ‘24) and Sam Crawford 132 receiving yards in ‘24) will make life difficult for opposing offenses.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals will be on the younger side in the secondary and on the offensive and defensive lines, despite the team still boasting its signature strength and size in the trenches.
Lancaster is bringing back the quarterback-running back duo of Jayson Wilson and Jacob Walker, who combined for 1,793 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in a run-heavy attack. The Eagle defense allowed less than 10 points a game last year, but they graduated all nine of their leading tacklers.
This game has all the makings of a shootout, as both teams feature experienced offenses and inexperienced defenses. I’ll take the Cardinals, as head coach Tom Crawford should have the team motivated coming off a season where they fell short of the playoffs.
The Pick: Bishop Diego