The weekend starts early for a pair of Goleta Valley high school football teams. Both San Marcos and Dos Pueblos play on Thursday night.
The Royals, coming off two wins on the road, including last weekend’s stunning 31-30 comeback at Rio Mesa, play their home opener against Beverly Hills.
Dos Pueblos looks for its first win Thursday against winless Cabrillo.
On Friday, Carpinteria makes its home opener against Nipomo, Santa Barbara travels to Atascadero and Bishop Diego plays host to La Salle at La Playa Stadium in a battle of top-10 teams in the CIF Northwest Division.
THURSDAY
Beverly Hills (0-1) at San Marcos (2-0), 7 p.m. — Royals coach Anthony Linebaugh is making sure his team doesn’t get an inflated ego after last week’s huge comeback win. “We keep our approach the same,” he said. “The only change is the day of the week, which has presented its challenges. We have not done anything special. We prepare to win. We have not accomplished anything yet. We still have goals to reach.” The Royals should ride their momentum to a third straight win. The Pick: San Marcos.
Cabrillo (0-2) at Dos Pueblos (0-2), 7 p.m. —The Chargers are still working to find their offensive rhythm. They face a short week to make some progress. “This is adversity that our team welcomes,” DP coach Nate Mendoza said. “They understand they have no control over these circumstances and they are embracing the challenge. We look forward to getting back on the field to compete in a game.” Despite the 17-0 loss to San Luis Obispo, Mendoza said his defense played well. The Chargers put it all together in this one. The Pick: Dos Pueblos
