The final week of the high school football regular season has arrived, and local teams are battling for playoff seeding.
Bishop Diego is set for a Marmonte League showdown against Simi Valley on Thursday in which the winner earns an automatic spot in the CIF playoffs.
Meanwhile, Santa Barbara High will be competing in the postseason, but a win over Buena on Friday could have an impact on the division that the Dons find themselves in.
Also in Channel League play, the playoff-bound Rio Mesa will travel to Goleta to take on Dos Pueblos and San Marcos will make the trip down to winless Channel Islands.
To wrap up the action, Carpinteria will play host to Nordhoff in a Citrus Coast League matchup.
Here is a capsule look and prediction for each of this weekend’s games. Through 10 weeks of play, my record on picks is 29-13.
Simi Valley @ Bishop Diego (3-6, 2-2), Thursday at 7 p.m.
The Cardinals have been revitalized with a late-season push over the last two weeks, winning back-to-back games to set up this win-and-in matchup. Bishop Diego took down Calabasas handedly and followed that up with a thrilling win over Westlake in the final seconds.
Those two wins snapped a four-game losing streak, and some of that could be due to the return of quarterback Tua Rojas and the emergence of Oscar Mauia as the team’s lead running back. With those two at full strength and riding a winning streak, the Cardinals have reason for optimism.
Simi Valley, meanwhile, is coming off a pair of losses to St. Bonaventure and Oaks Christian after starting league play 2-0. Quarterback Jesse Sereno and running back Brice Hawkins have been forces to be reckoned with this season for the Pioneers.
Sereno has thrown for 194 yards per game and 19 touchdowns compared to eight interceptions while Hawkins has racked up 989 yards on eight yards per carry and 13 touchdowns.
These two teams have won and lost to the same teams in league play, setting up a great matchup between two teams vying for a playoff spot. However, Simi Valley’s offensive firepower may be too much for Bishop Diego’s young secondary.
The Pick: Simi Valley
Buena @ Santa Barbara (7-2, 6-1), Friday at 7 p.m.
The Dons got the job done in dominating fashion once again last week, registering their second straight 52-0 victory over Dos Pueblos. Winners of six in a row, Santa Barbara seems to be in great shape ahead of a potential playoff push.
Much of that success can be attributed to their defense, which has allowed 10 or fewer points in all six of those consecutive wins. Backing up the defensive efforts has been the electrifying offense led by Abel Renteria, Kai Mault, Winston Bartley and Koa Herrera.
Coming off back-to-back losses, Buena will come into this one motivated and needing a victory to have a chance at a playoff spot. Both sides of the ball have struggled as of late after a 4-1 start to league play.
In the last two games, the Bulldogs have been outscored by Rio Mesa and Ventura 69-20, and it won’t get any easier against the talent on both sides of the ball for the Dons.
Both teams will come into this one highly motivated, but look for Santa Barbara to round out the regular season with its seventh straight win.
The Pick: Santa Barbara
Rio Mesa @ Dos Pueblos, Friday at 7 p.m.
The Chargers have followed up their blowout win over Channel Islands with three straight losses by a combined score of 114-22 as the offense continues to struggle to move the ball.
Despite the tough losses, Dos Pueblos has shown the ability to find success in the run game behind running back Kaleb Williams. The problem has been the lack of a passing game, which allows opposing defenses to key in on the run and prevent big plays.
Rio Mesa, on the other hand, has lost to each of the top three teams in the Channel League (Pacifica, Santa Barbara, Ventura) and has taken care of business against the bottom half of the standings.
The Spartans lean heavily on their quarterback JJ Bittner, who averages 223 passing yards per game, 51 rushing yards per contest and has scored 27 total touchdowns in nine games.
Although the Chargers could make it competitive if they control the clock with their running game, they will likely be unable to keep up with the Rio Mesa offense.
The Pick: Rio Mesa
San Marcos (3-6, 1-6) @ Channel Islands (0-9, 0-7), Friday at 7 p.m.
The Royals are coming off a heartbreaking loss to Oxnard in triple overtime to continue their disappointing Channel League season, likely ending their hopes of a playoff spot.
San Marcos’ defense hasn’t been the issue, as that unit has proven that it can keep the team close throughout games. However, instability at the quarterback position and the lack of consistency on the offensive end have led to some troubles.
That being said, Channel Islands has been on the receiving end of a blowout loss in every single game this season, being outscored by opponents 454-12.
The Royals should be able to head into Channel Islands and end the season on a high note with a blowout win of their own.
The Pick: San Marcos
Nordhoff (4-5, 1-2) @ Carpinteria, Friday at 7 p.m.
The Warriors’ struggles continued last week, losing their seventh straight to Fillmore by a score of 31-14. The defense in particular has had troubles, allowing more than 30 points in four straight games.
The stresses of a long year for a roster that has the majority of players playing both ways is likely the cause of some late-season struggles, especially on the defensive end for Carpinteria.
Nordhoff has had its fair share of bumps as well, coming off two straight losses by at least three scores, bringing their season-long record under .500.
The Rangers’ offensive game plan is heavily centered around running back Sol Mcgarey, who has racked up a whopping 1,617 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground.
The Carpinteria defense may have a tough time slowing down Mcgarey and the Nordhoff offensive line in this one.
The Pick: Nordhoff
