The Friday Night Lights will be bright in the Santa Barbara area this week, as all five local teams will be at home for their third league games of the season.
Santa Barbara High will roll out the welcome mats for Rio Mesa at Peabody Stadium, while Dos Pueblos will host Santa Paula for its homecoming game at Scott O’Leary Stadium. Both teams are looking to move to 2-1 in league play.
San Marcos and Carpinteria High are also playing for a 2-1 league mark this week, with the Royals taking on Hueneme at Warkentin Stadium and the Warriors set to face off with Grace.
Bishop Diego rounds out the local teams in action, as it will search for its first Marmonte League win over powerhouse Pacifica. Every game is set to kick off on Friday at 7 p.m.
Here is a quick preview and prediction for each of this weekend’s games. Through eight weeks of action, my picks are 27-6.
Hueneme (1-6, 0-2 TCL) @ San Marcos (3-4, 1-1 TCL)
The Royals went on the road last week and picked up their first Tri-County League win of the year over Santa Paula, snapping a short two-game skid.
Senior running back Tommy Diaz has been the centerpiece of the San Marcos offensive attack, taking 137 carries for 646 yards and six touchdowns through seven games. The San Marcos defense has also forced nine turnovers this season, including three interceptions by senior Kevan Vatan.
Meanwhile, Hueneme has gone through some bumps in the road this season and has been outscored 90-13 through its first two league matchups.
The Royals will have to key on senior running back Kelechi Ofoego, who has taken 125 carries for 960 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Ofoego has more rushing yards than the team has passing yards.
San Marcos should be able to pull this one out convincingly, as long as it prevents a blow-up game from Ofoego and the Hueneme rushing attack.
The Pick: San Marcos
Santa Paula (3-4, 0-2 TCL) @ Dos Pueblos (4-3, 1-1 TCL)
The Chargers battled with undefeated Royal High last week and fell in the final minutes to drop to .500 on the Tri-County League season.
Dos Pueblos junior quarterback Grady Felix was injured mid-game two weeks ago and has not returned to the field, with Seth Orozco filling in at quarterback. If Felix were to miss this week as well, the Chargers will once again lean on running back Chase Johnson, who has 133 carries for 855 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
Santa Paula has sputtered to begin Tri-County League action and much of it is due to defensive struggles, allowing 72 points across the first two games.
Junior quarterback Rene Vega is the centerpiece of the offense with 1,254 passing yards, 293 rushing yards and 12 total touchdowns. Meanwhile, senior Gael Flores could cause some issues for the Spartans, as he has totaled 7.5 sacks in seven games.
This could be a closer game if Felix were to miss once again, but I still think the Chargers are talented enough to pull out the win regardless of who is under center.
The Pick: Dos Pueblos
Rio Mesa (2-5, 0-2 CL) @ Santa Barbara High (4-3, 1-1 CL)
The Dons are coming off a tough road loss to Ventura High last week and will now return home looking to get back over .500 in Channel League play.
Quarterback Griffin Arnold continues to stuff the stat sheet in his junior campaign, throwing for 315 yards per game with 20 touchdowns and just three interceptions. The Santa Barbara offensive line has held strong throughout the year, providing clean pockets and leading the way for junior Everett Rabb-Preston in the run game.
The Spartans have struggled as of late, dropping their first two league games and falling in five of their last six matchups.
Sophomore dual-threat quarterback Landon Edge will be a handful for the Dons, as he has 1,272 passing yards and 320 rushing yards this season. The Rio Mesa secondary has also had a knack for the ball, collecting eight interceptions in seven games played.
I’ll take the Dons to defend their home field in this one and head into the final two weeks of play in a strong spot to earn a playoff bid.
The Pick: Santa Barbara High
Pacifica (5-2, 1-1 ML) @ Bishop Diego (2-5, 0-2 ML)
The Cardinals continued their struggles last week, suffering a 42-0 loss to St. Bonaventure for their fifth straight defeat and second in a row to begin Marmonte League play.
Bishop Diego has been outmatched on both sides of the ball in its first two games of league play, being outscored 77-0 in the two games against strong competition.
On the other sideline, Pacifica is one of, if not the most, star-studded teams in the 805 and will come in hungry after a loss to Newbury Park last week.
Senior quarterback Taylor Lee, a Portland State commit, has thrown for 1,747 yards and 18 touchdowns, while San Diego State commit and senior running back Isaiah Phelps leads the rushing attack and a strong defensive unit that has forced 13 turnovers.
The Tritons are just too talented for the Cardinals to overcome their injuries and recent struggles, so give me Pacifica to earn the road win.
The Pick: Pacifica
Grace (5-2, 2-0 CCL) @ Carpinteria High (1-6, 1-1 CCL)
The Warriors picked up their first win of the season last week with a convincing 35-7 road victory over Santa Clara, snapping a six-game losing streak.
Carpinteria has dealt with injuries to its light varsity roster all season long, but it received a nice boost last week with the return of quarterback Isaac Neri, who is both the team’s leading passer and rusher this season.
Grace is the defending Citrus Coast League champion and has gotten off to a strong start in their title defense, scoring 97 points across its first two league wins.
The Grace senior duo of quarterback Riley Williams and wideout Charlie Martinez has been an unstoppable force this season. Williams has totaled 1,719 pass yards and 22 touchdowns with just three interceptions, while Martinez has hauled in 42 receptions for 877 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The Warriors have some momentum from last week’s win, but I don’t think they have the firepower to keep up with the Grace offensive attack.
The Pick: Grace
North County Matchups to Watch
- Cabrillo @ Santa Ynez, 7 p.m.
- Nipomo @ Lompoc, 7 p.m.
- Santa Maria @ Morro Bay, 7 p.m.
- Mission College Prep @ St. Joseph, 7 p.m.
- Righetti @ Arroyo Grande, 7 p.m.
