Santa Barbara and Dos Pueblos will be looking to break into the win column in rare daytime games on Saturday. The Dons host Beverly Hills at 3:30 p.m., while Dos Pueblos entertains San Luis Obispo at 4 p.m.
On Friday night, San Marcos is seeking to win two straight games for the first time since 2006. The Royals play at Rio Mesa.
Carpinteria travels to South Torrance, which, in the big picture, is a key game in the Northwest Division. Last year, the Warriors suffered a 28-20 loss at home against the Spartans, which could have been a factor in them missing the playoffs.
Bishop Diego heads up the San Marcos Pass to face a much-improved Santa Ynez team. The Pirates got a No. 10 ranking in the Western Division after beating Dos Pueblos, 11-7, last week. Bishop is No. 1 in the Northwest Division.
San Marcos (1-0) at Rio Mesa (0-0), 7 p.m. — San Marcos coach Anthony Linebaugh is stressing to his team the importance of not being satisfied after its season-opening victory at Cabrillo. “Too often, teams settle for a mediocre effort following a positive win. Thus, we are focusing on mastering the little things that pave the way for success…” he said. “We have put the first week behind us and are focused on Rio.” The Spartans are an experienced team, led by junior QB Cameron Wrout. The pick: San Marcos
Bishop Diego (1-0) at Santa Ynez (1-0), 7 p.m. — The top-ranked Cardinals worked with Santa Ynez during the summer, so they have a good idea of what they’ll be facing. “Despite the low score in the DP contest, they moved the ball well against DP but could not finish a couple drives,” Bishop coach Tom Crawford said. “Defensively, they were solid throughout that game, really pressuring the QB and tackling very well. Their style is to try to create pressure and confuse offenses as to blocking schemes etc. So, particularly early in a season, that approach creates difficulties for an offense as not many teams constantly pack the box like they do. Obviously, we have to protect and win some one on one battles.” The pick: Bishop Diego
Carpinteria (1-0) at South Torrance (0-0), 7 p.m. — The Warriors are coming off an impressive performance at Templeton. “We jumped on them from the start and did not pause,” said coach Ben Hallock. Carpinteria was solid on special teams in the 45-0: kicking a 40-yard field goal, blocking a punt, returning a punt for a TD and getting a long return to set up another score. In South Torrance, the Warriors will be facing a run-oriented attack with lots of deception. Hallock hopes his team plays with the same zeal as the Templeton game. “We are determined to get better every week,” he said. “We hope to continue playing with that type of energy and focus.” The pick: CarpinteriaSan Luis Obispo (1-0) at Dos Pueblos (0-1), Saturday, 4 p.m. — The Chargers’ defense faces a daunting challenge against a high-powered SLO triple-option attack. Tigers rolled up 600 yards in offense in knocking off CIF-Central Section power and defending division champion Garces, 34-21. DP outgained Santa Ynez in its 11-7 loss, but it struggled throwing the ball, completing only 6 of 25 passes with two interceptions. The Chargers also hurt themselves with a couple of turnovers. Coach Nate Mendoza says it’s all about execution. “That’s the main thing. We get down there and have an opportunity to score, we have to do so,” he said. “It’s just execution, and we got to play catch.” The pick: SLO
Beverly Hills (0-0) at Santa Barbara (0-1), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. — The Dons paid their dues in the trenches during their 47-7 loss at St. Joseph. The running game gained a mere 48 yards and QB Brent Peus was sacked seven times. St. Joseph gained 270 yards on the ground. They look to iron out the kinks against a Beverly Hills team that will be playing its first game for new coach Charles Stansbury. The pick: Santa Barbara.
