With two weeks of the high school football season in the books, local squads are beginning to find their identities as they prepare for their respective league schedules.
Santa Barbara High and Dos Pueblos will clash in Goleta in the first crosstown game of the season to headline the local games this Friday.
Meanwhile, San Marcos will head into the valley to take on Santa Ynez, Bishop Diego is on its way to Las Vegas to battle with Mater Academy East, and Carpinteria High will open its season on the road against Santa Clara.
Here is a quick look and prediction for each of this weekend’s four games. Through two weeks, my picks are 7-1.
Santa Barbara (1-1) @ Dos Pueblos (1-1)
The Dons have split their first two games of the season with a win over Camarillo and a tight loss to a strong Corona Del Mar program last week, proving that they have what it takes to compete at a high level this season.
Quarterback Griffin Arnold has shown flashes of his potential early in his sophomore season, and he still has plenty of room to grow. Meanwhile, Aaron Baizan and Zane Webb are headlining a solid rushing attack behind a seasoned offensive line.
The Chargers picked up their first win of the year last week against Royal High following a loss to Santa Ynez in their season opener.
Dos Pueblos is inexperienced in some key positions and has shown that early in the year as it awaits the return of senior wide receivers and defensive backs Brady Walbridge and Ivan Velez.
While I believe anything can happen in a rivalry game, the Dons should have no problem going into the Goodland and coming away with the non-league victory.
The Pick: Santa Barbara
San Marcos (1-1) @ Santa Ynez (1-1)
The Royals are coming off a blowout loss to a strong Paraclete team last week in a game where their inexperience reared its head, according to head coach Ralph Molina.
San Marcos will look for a bounce-back performance on the defensive side of the ball and more production in the run game behind seniors Cole Dominguez and Brody Green.
However, the Royals will have to deal with an experienced Santa Ynez offensive unit led by quarterback Jude Pritchard, running back Ayden Finley and wideout Mason Skidmore, all seniors.
Santa Ynez is also 1-1 to start the young season, rolling to a win over Dos Pueblos and falling just one point short against Lompoc last week.
I see this being a very competitive game, but I think the Pirates pull this one out behind a strong offense and their home crowd.
The Pick: Santa Ynez
Bishop Diego (2-0) @ Mater Academy East Las Vegas (1-1)
The Cardinals are off to an electric start to the season, pouring on 42 points in each of their first two games to begin undefeated. Now, they will head out of state and take on Mater Academy East of Las Vegas.
Senior quarterback Tua Rojas is blistering to begin the year with 481 passing yards and eight total touchdowns through two games. Meanwhile, Oscar Mauia has 150 yards under his belt and the receiving duo of John Michael Flint and Sam Crawford has totaled 298 receiving yards.
The Mater Academy East offense has had a strong opening two weeks as well, scoring over 30 points in each game en route to a 1-1 record.
The Bishop Diego defense will have its hands full with quarterback James Monaghan IV, who has thrown for 547 yards in two games, and running back William Craig Jr., who has 180 rushing yards and three scores.
This is a tough game to predict given the comparison of Nevada and California competition, but I expect this one to be another high-scoring affair in Sin City. Give me the Cardinals in an exciting matchup.
The Pick: Bishop Diego
Carpinteria (0-0) @ Santa Clara (0-2)
The Warriors will finally open up their 2025 campaign this Friday after taking the first two weeks of the high school season to prepare for their upcoming schedule.
Carpinteria will lean on an experienced offensive line unit this season as it continues to utilize a traditional offense built on a strong rushing attack and play-action passes.
With an increased roster size compared to a season ago, the Warriors are hoping that fewer players will have to go both ways and play virtually every snap of the game.
Santa Clara has really stumbled out of the gates, dropping its first two games of the season while being outscored by a margin of 74-7.
While the Warriors are still in rebuilding mode as they eye a return to the CIF-SS playoffs, I think they have enough talent to take down Santa Clara on the road on Friday.
The Pick: Carpinteria
