High school football fans may have to toss a coin to decide which game to attend in town on Friday. There are three good ones:
Defending CIF champion Camarillo makes a rare visit to Goleta to take on a fired-up Dos Pueblos squad; unbeaten Bishop Diego plays host to St. Joseph at La Playa Stadium in the County Catholic Bowl, and Carpinteria makes its home debut against long-time rival Nordhoff.
In other action, Santa Barbara High, coming off its first win, visits powerhouse Lompoc, while San Marcos plays its fourth undefeated opponent, traveling to Hueneme.
In 8-man football, Cate hosts Trinity Christian of Monterey on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Here’s a look at Friday’s games:
Camarillo (1-2) at Dos Pueblos (2-1, No. 4 in Division 10), 7 p.m. — The Chargers are rolling on both sides of the ball. The defense has posted back-to-back shutouts, while the offense stepped it up running the ball in last week’s win over Righetti. Camarillo lost most of its star playmakers from last year’s championship team, but the Scorpions still have plenty of good players to go around. Junior quarterback Jake Moss started in last year’s semifinal win over Bishop Diego; running back Aaron Lamb is another returning starter from the championship team; the offensive line has some size and experience. Camarillo’s defense, which gave up 48 points last week against Pacifica, will be up against a DP attack is starting to put all the pieces together. The Pick: Dos Pueblos.
St. Joseph (1-2) at Bishop Diego (3-0, No. 2 in Division 5), SBCC, 7 p.m. (Radio: 1290AM) — Don’t let St. Joseph’s record fool you, as it has played a killer non-league schedule. The losses have come against Notre Dame-Sherman Oaks and St. Bonaventure, two big-time football programs in Southern California. The Knights have a slick quarterback in Dino Maldonado. He’ll be facing a physical and experienced Bishop defense. The Cardinals’ offense is rolling behind the running of junior John Harris. Isaiah Veal has become a big-play threat as a receiver. The Pick: Bishop Diego.
Nordhoff (1-1) at Carpinteria (0-2), 7:30 p.m. – Carpinteria coach Ben Hallock saw improvement in Week 2, and he is looking forward to playing an opponent he feels his team is evenly matched against. Traditionally, this would be a Tri-Valley League game, but Carpinteria was moved into the Frontier League this season. The Warriors’ offense has shown signs of making things happen. It should come together this week at the friendly confines of Carpinteria Valley Memorial Stadium. The Pick: Carpinteria.
Santa Barbara (1-2) at Lompoc (3-0, No. 3 in Division 4), 7 p.m. — Fresh off their first win of the season, the Dons face the challenge of slowing down the relentless rushing attack of Lompoc. The Braves have run all over their opponents, averaging 255 yards per game. Junior Toa Taua leads with team with 348 yards on only 44 carries. Dallas Canley has 221 on 26 rushes. After holding a physical Channel Islands team to 10 points last week, Santa Barbara coach JT Stone is feeling good about his team. He shuffled some players around and his team found a way to win. Sophomore quarterback Franky Gamberdella showed toughness in leading the team and senior Jeremiah Nicholson demonstrated that he is an all-around football player as he made plays as a receiver and a safety on defense. The Dons will need to control the ball and force turnovers to have a chance in this one. The Pick: Lompoc.
San Marcos (0-3) at Hueneme (3-0), 7 p.m. — The strength of schedule for the Royals has been crazy. Hueneme will be their fourth undefeated opponent – Santa Ynez, Morro Bay and Lompoc are all 3-0. San Marcos showed in the Morro Bay game two weeks ago that it can move the ball effectively and score points. Jose Romo was inserted at quarterback in the second half against Lompoc and played well. The Royals face a Hueneme team that’s off to its best start in years. The Vikings play physical and rely on punishing running back Alex Tili and the versatile Maneko Aupiu. The Pick: Hueneme
— Noozhawk sports editor Barry Punzal can be reached at bpunzal@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk Sports on Twitter: @NoozhawkSports. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.