Oscar Garcia will have a whole week of reps under his belt when he takes the field to play quarterback for Carpinteria High’s football team at Nipomo on Friday night. The non-league game kicks off at 7 p.m.
Garcia was thrust into emergency duty at the position last week when Rayshaun Moore and Jimmy Graves went down with injuries in the first half against Santa Ynez and were unable to return in the Warriors’ 35-27 win. Garcia managed the game and didn’t turn the ball over.
“Oscar has been getting the reps all week and doing a good job,” said Carpinteria coach Ben Hallock. “Hopefully, we get production out of the other guys in the backfield. Oscar will be carrying the ball, also.”
Hallock noted that before Graves suffered a big hit and was knocked out of the game, he had nearly 100 yards rushing.
Carpinteria (1-0) faces a Nipomo team that took powerful Lompoc into overtime before falling, 35-34, on a two-point conversion by the Braves. The Titans won their Week Zero game against Pioneer Valley, 38-31. They’re ranked No. 2 in the CIF Northwest Division.
“They have their entire offense back and most of their defense,” Hallock said. “Obviously, they have good chemistry and are familiar with all the stuff they can do. They put up a lot points against everybody. They’ve also give up some points.”
Senior quarterback Matt Albright has thrown for 602 yards and five touchdowns for Nipomo. Chris Owens rushed for 101 yards on 14 carries against Lompoc.
“We hope to keep the ball away from their offense. Their offense is potent,” Hallock said.
Bishop Diego (2-0) at LaSalle (2-0): Both teams are coming off emotional wins. Bishop Diego needed a goal-line stand in the final seconds to hold off Santa Fe Christian of Solana Beach, 20-16. LaSalle got a touchdown from running back Nico Cantos in overtime to beat Pasadena, 28-21. Cantos rushed for 145 yards in the game. Bishop Diego coach Tom Crawford said LaSalle is athletic and experienced, especially at the skill positions. The Lancers have a pair of talented wide receivers in San Diego State commit Evan Rambo and 6-5 Isaiah Spencer. Quarterback, Will Pyburn also stands 6-5 and his getting looks for Division 1 schools.. “We will have to play with poise like we did last year and be consistent in putting together some offensive drives to keep their offense off the field,” said Crawford. “Defensively, and on special teams we cannot give up the ‘home run’ plays which they have taken advantage of in their first two wins. It will be a good challenge for us at this point in the season.” Bishop quarterback Spencer Stovesand showed good composure in last week’s tight game. “We’ll need him to have a solid game on Friday but it will be a great learning experience for him given the type of pressure defense La Salle likes to play,” said Crawford.
Santa Barbara (0-2) at Channel Islands (0-2) — JT Stone takes the Dons on the road for the first time this season. Santa Barbara showed improvement on offense in last week’s 28-21 loss against St. Joseph. It generated a running attack with Isai Figueroa and Junior Garcia carrying the ball. Stone is looking for the team to clean up its mistakes. A penalty wiped out a potential tying touchdown last Friday. Channel Islands struggled offensively against Fillmore last week, losing 21-3.
San Marcos (0-2) at Pacifica (2-0) — The Royals need to put pressure on quarterback Adan Salas to keep him from connecting with standout wide receiver Deondre Vines, who caught 4 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns against Dos Pueblos two weeks ago. Offensively, San Marcos moved the ball in the overtime loss against Rio Mesa. Sage Reid did a nice job running the offense and Ivan Reyes provided a spark at running back.
Santa Ynez (1-1) at Dos Pueblos (0-2) — DP can use a big game from its defense. The Chargers gave up too many big plays and couldn’t contain Cabrillo quarterback Brett Gregory in a 34-15 loss. Sophomore Kellen Roberts is expected to start at quarterback for the second game as senior Barrett Burnes recovers from a concussion suffered in the first game.
