Carpinteria should be angry after it was hit with a loss in last Friday’s weather-suspended game against Santa Ynez.
The Warriors (2-1) play host to Santa Clara (1-1-1) on Friday night at Memorial Stadium.
They’ll be hoping for better weather and a better performance than last week.
Carpinteria fell behind 21-0 at halftime. The game was called after a thunderstorm forced a lengthy delay to the start of the second half. The final outcome of the game was in doubt until Wednesday when the CIF, resorting to the rules for a shortened playoff game, declared the contest an official game.
Despite all of that, Carpinteria coach Ben Hallock said his biggest concern with his team is playing better football from start to finish.
“Yes, we need to play better, especially tackling at the point of attack,” he said. “We cannot turn over the ball. We need to make catches — both on offense and defense. We need to redevelop our chemistry on our reshuffled offensive line to play with more confidence and improve our execution.”
Santa Clara (1-1-1) at Carpinteria (2-1): The Warriors hope to recapture that performance from the season-opening win at Morro Bay. “Our challenge is to play a lot better than we did last week — limit their offense, score consistently when we have the ball and outplay them on special teams,” Hallock said. The Saints have put up points (94 in three games), but they’ve also given up a lot (79). Running back Ben Chavez leads the Santa Clara attack with 174 yards rushing on 43 carries. Quarterback Matt Ramirez is completing better than 50 percent of his passes (44-83) for 505 yards and four TDs. The Saints are coached by alum Tim Gutierrez, who previously worked as the offensive coordinator at St. Bonaventure. The Pick: Carpinteria
Dos Pueblos (0-4) at Rio Mesa (2-2): The winless Chargers have played a demanding preseason schedule — the combined record of their four opponents is 13-3. There is no let up in their last two games before Channel League play begins. Rio Mesa is considered the favorite to win the Pacific View League, and next week’s opponent, Canyon of Canyon Country, is currently ranked No. 2 in the CIF Northern Division. Despite the 0-4 record, Jeff Uyesaka says the team is improving. He was pleased the Chargers held a potent Lompoc squad to 23 points last week. If the offense can find its rhythm and take care of the ball, the Chargers have a good shot at breaking into the win column. The Pick: Dos Pueblos
Santa Barbara (1-3) at Nordhoff (1-3): The Rangers whipped the Dons last year en route to a 12-1 season. This year’s team is off to a 1-3 start, but has scored 138 points, including 56 in a loss to Pacifica (60-56). Despite losing 16-13 to Rio Mesa last week, Santa Barbara played its best game of the season. If the Dons build on that performance, they should come away with the victory. “We need to continue climbing the ladder,” says coach Jaime Melgoza. The Pick: Santa Barbara
Capistrano Valley (0-4) at San Marcos (1-3): It’s rare that a Santa Barbara-area team plays an Orange County school during the preseason, but the Royals needed a game to fill out a 10-game schedule and Capo Valley agreed to play. “They are 0-4 but are a good, strong team with a tough schedule,” San Marcos coach Dale Perizzolo said. Capo Valley is a big school with a big football squad (its MaxPreps roster includes 96 players) and some big players — several of their linemen weigh over 220 pounds. This will be a challenge for the Royals. Two-way starter Marquis Glover is questionable. “We are monitoring Glover daily and will continue to do so until he is 100 percent better,” Perizzolo said. “He wants to play and feels he can, but we want to make sure he is truly ready to play a full game of O and D. Tommy Nelson rushed for 118 yards in his place in the win over Hueneme. The Pick: Capo Valley
Fillmore (3-1) vs. Bishop Diego (2-1), Saturday at SBCC (990 AM): The Cardinals are looking snap a three-game losing streak against the Flashes, who are ranked 10th in the CIF Northwest Division. Bishop’s defense will face its most difficult assignment of the season, as Fillmore thrives on fooling defenses with misdirection plays. Leading rusher Collin Farrar had Frazier Mountain chasing him last week. He rushed for 233 yards on 26 carries in a 59-30 romp. Bishop, ranked sixth in the East Valley Division, is coming off an impressive 45-14 win over Santa Paula. The Cardinals turned Brandon Gonzalez loose for 162 yards and two TDs. This has the makings of one of those games where the last team with the ball wins. The Pick: Bishop Diego
