Besides being undefeated, one of the other impressive things about this year’s San Marcos football team is how it’s spread around the offensive load.
In coach Anthony Linebaugh’s scheme, several players are making things happen. Last year, running back Esteban Alfaro carried the bulk of the offense. This season’s his rushing has been balanced out by the efficient passing of quarterback Wesley Ghan-Gibson and the running of Lucas Lamoutte. Alfaro leads the team with 286 yards on 43 carries, but Lamoutte is right behind him with 216 yards.
Ghan-Gibson is completing nearly 64 percent of his passes, 30-of-47 for 414 yards. The receiving is spread out between Austin “Coop” Pugh (42 catches), Lamoutte (40 catches) and Jo Jo Estrada (39 catches).
The Royals will be going up against a Channel Islands team that traditionally plays physical. It will be a good test before next week’s showdown with Nordhoff.
Bishop Diego (3-0) at Inglewood (1-2), 7 p.m. — The CIF-SS Northwest Division’s top-ranked team begins a two-game road trip south against a Western Division school (same division for Channel League). Inglewood, from the Ocean League, has given up 50 points in its last two outings. Its run defense has been porous. The Sentinels gave up 473 yards on the ground in a 55-12 loss t Stockdale two weeks ago. Bishop Diego is coming off a bye week. After Inglewood, the Cardinals travel to Solana Beach to play San Diego Section power Santa Fe Christian. The pick: Bishop Diego
Channel Islands (1-2) at San Marcos (4-0), 7 p.m. — The Royals play their first game as a CIF top-10 team. The Western Division’s No. 9-ranked squad hopes to continue riding the wave of success as it heads into a showdown with powerful Nordhoff next week. The pick: San Marcos
Dos Pueblos (1-3) at Rio Mesa (0-3), 7 p.m. — The Chargers look to keep up with their local rivals, both of whom rallied to beat Rio Mesa. DP played a solid first half against a powerful Lompoc team, so that has to be encouraging to coach Nate Mendoza. “We felt like we competed last week,” said Mendoza. Barrett Burnes continues to play steady at quarterback. “We found a little bit of a passing game,” said Mendoza. Angel Davison has emerged as a threat on offense and special teams. The pick: Dos Pueblos.
Santa Barbara (2-2) at Centennial-Bakersfield (1-2) — The Dons pack the momentum from last week’s huge comeback win over Rio Mesa and take it to Bakersfield, where they face a Centennial team that’s coming off a bye week. In their last game, the Golden Hawks suffered a frustrating 28-21 loss to Clovis, failing to score three times inside the red zone. Quarterback Andrew Hansen will be a challenge to defend. He threw for 231 yards and rushed for 102 against Clovis. The Dons need to be ready once they get off the bus. The pick: Centennial
Santa Clara (2-1) at Carpinteria (4-0), 7:30 p.m. — Carpinteria’s defense will be challenged against an improved Santa Clara squad. The Saints have a strong running game, led by Tyler Parker. This is the Warriors’ last home game until November. The pick: Carpinteria.
