Winning their annual “Little Big Game” is a big deal for the Bishop Diego and Carpinteria football teams.
For the coaches, though, it’s more important to get the wrinkles in their respective games ironed out when they step on the field at Carpinteria Valley Memorial Stadium Friday night.
Carpinteria has things to work out on both sides of the ball. The offense has put up only 17 points in four games and the defense needs to shore up some holes after giving up 40 points last week against Oak Park. The Warriors have played a tough preseason, Santa Ynez is undefeated and Oak Park has one loss and both are ranked in the CIF polls. Their one win came against Nordhoff.
Bishop Diego is coming off its first shutout loss since 2008 and is on a two-game skid (21-17 against St. Joseph and 20-0 against Santa Fe Christian). The Cardinals are still working out the kinks at the quarterback position and are dealing with some injuries.
Bishop Diego has won the last five meetings in the rivalry. This year’s clash is a non-league game as Carpinteria is playing in the Frontier League. Bishop is the defending champion of the Tri-Valley League.
League play begins for our two 8-man teams. Cate opens Condor League Friday night at Villanova Prep, while Laguna Blanca hosts Thacher on Saturday at 3 p.m.
Here is a look at this weekend’s prep football games:
Bishop Diego (3-2) at Carpinteria (1-3), 7:30 p.m. Radio: 1290 AM — The host Warriors will need to be at their best to keep this game close. They’ll have their hands full trying to slow down Cardinals’ running back John Harris and stopping the hard rush of defensive end Mike Agnoli. The Pick: Bishop Diego.
Nordhoff (1-3) at San Marcos (0-5), 7 p.m. —The Royals celebrate homecoming against an opponent that has also struggled during the non-league season. Coach Jason Fowle is hoping his team takes a step forward after falling back in a 38-0 loss at Channel Islands last week. The Pick: San Marcos
Santa Barbara (2-3) at Pacifica (3-2), 7 p.m. — The big news at Santa Barbara is big-play wide receiver “Tick” Jellison has been cleared by the doctor. It’s not certain if coach JT Stone will play him right away. The Dons need to be solid on defense against an explosive Pacifica offense that’s led by dual-threat quarterback Raul Sandoval (923, 9 TDs passing; 489 yards rushing) and 6-foot-4 receiver Daniel Moraga (34 receptions, 614 yards, 9 TDs). If the Dons can get their passing game going, this could be a shootout. The Pick: Pacifica.
Dos Pueblos (4-1) at Hueneme (5-0), 7 p.m. — The Chargers will face a physical and confident opponent in Hueneme. This will be a good test for DP before the start of Channel League. Senior quarterback Kellen Roberts is utilizing all of his weapons; last week he relied on the running of Blake Erwin (257 yards rushing). The defense has been outstanding with athletic and speedy end Marcellous Gossett terrorizing quarterbacks. The Pick: Dos Pueblos.
— Noozhawk sports editor Barry Punzal can be reached at bpunzal@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk Sports on Twitter: @NoozhawkSports. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.