Santa Barbara’s Jaime Melgoza and Dale Perizzolo of San Marcos speak from experience when talking about the Big Game.
Both have played in the crosstown battle, and on Friday they’ll be on opposite sidelines, coaching their alma maters in the 52nd annual city rivalry game at San Marcos’ Warkentin Stadium. Kickoff is 6 p.m.
Santa Barbara won last year’s game 6-0 and leads the series 28-23.
“You never know how the Big Game will turn out,” said Perizzolo. “My personal experience, my senior year (2001), we beat a very good Santa Barbara team 28-24 and our team went 3-7 overall. It was a very close game that we were expected to lose by a lot. It was the upset of the year.”
Melgoza played on two winning Dons teams in the early 1980s, and both games were close, 7-0 in 1980 and 9-3 in 1981.
“You try to take this game as a league game and not go in with all the hype,” Melgoza said. “That can lead you to trouble on the field. You cannot let the crosstown game change the way you play.”
The game is the Channel League opener for the Dons (3-3), who are coming off a bye week and riding a two-game winning streak. San Marcos (1-6) lost its league opener last week at Buena, 49-21.
Perizzolo said the key for his team is containing the Dons’ running game, namely sophomore running back Cheroke Cunningham. He’s rushed for 854 yards, averaging 142 yards per game, and has 11 touchdowns.
The Royals struggled to stop Buena’s ground game last Friday.
“We need to stop the run, inside and out,” Perizzolo said. “We have made some adjustments and feel they will work well Friday.”
Perizzolo said his players have been pumped up all week.
“Yes, the energy level is WAY up. The entire program is very excited for this year’s Santa Barbara game. You can feel the buzz at practice and each player is very focused.”
Melgoza is expecting San Marcos’ best game.
“San Marcos is always ready. I hope we are the more focused team,” he said. “We need to play a complete, balanced game with minimal mistakes and penalties.”
The Dons have hurt themselves with penalties this season.
“We have to play with pride and have discipline and focus on each job,” Melgoza said. “Don’t try to be a hero as a player and a coach.”
Regardless of the records, playing in the Big Game brings out the best in the athletes on both sides. They’re playing for pride and bragging rights in the city.
“Both teams are always ready to play,” Melgoza said. “It’s going to be a challenge.”
“Every year it is an intense game for players, and especially coaches,” Perizzolo said. “A lot rides on the Big Game. Santa Barbara is such a close-knit group, everybody knows everybody.
“And, it always feels good to say you beat Santa Barbara. In my four years playing, my class only won once. The 28-24 win my senior year was a great finish for our squad.”
Santa Barbara (3-3, 1-0 Channel League) at San Marcos (1-6, 0-1): The Royals will bring their “A” game, but will it be enough to contain a Santa Barbara offense that’s close to firing on all cylinders? The Dons showed good balance two weeks ago in their win over Pacifica, mixing it up with Cunningham runs and accurate passing from quarterback Shawn Ramos. “My confidence (in him) is getting higher each day,” said coach Jaime Melgoza of his junior QB. Emilio Gonzalez is Ramos’ favorite target with 18 catches for 278 yards, but Matt Gonzales, Fernando Arrellano, James Stevens and Rudy Corrales have been clutch. San Marcos sophomore quarterback Wesley Ghan-Gibson has played well. If he gets time, he has a game-breaking target in Andrew Thayer; Ricky Lopez also is a clutch receiver. The Royals need a big game from their offensive line to open holes for Marquis Glover and Tommy Nelson. The Pick: Santa Barbara.
Carpinteria (5-1, 1-0 TVL) at Santa Paula (0-6, 0-1): The Warriors are on a roll, scoring 40 or more in three straight games. They face a winless Santa Paula that coach Ben Hallock described as a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde team. “They do some great things offensively. They average 28 points a game; they’ve scored under 30 only twice. They just haven’t been able to get it together for a whole game, and we hope they don’t this week.” It’s homecoming for the Warriors. The Pick: Carpinteria.
Bishop Diego (5-1, 1-0 Frontier League) at Santa Clara (0-5-1, 0-1): The Cardinals’ offense sputtered a bit in its 22-0 win over Malibu last week. Expect a better performance on Friday night at Santa Clara. The key for Bishop Diego in this game is to avoid injuries before next week’s showdown with defending league champion Grace Brethren. The Pick: Bishop Diego.
