It’s been a rough start to the season for the San Marcos football team. But the winless Royals remain positive.
San Marcos (0-3) plays host to a 0-2 Hueneme team on Friday night. After being routed by West Ranch, Rio Mesa and Pacifica, who have a combined record of 8-1, this is a game the Royals figure to be in till the final whistle.
“Morale is positive. This is a great group of young men,” said San Marcos coach Anthony Linebaugh about his squad’s attitude.
Hueneme comes into Warkentin Stadium after a 47-24 loss to Santa Paula. The Vikings fell 64-8 to Santa Barbara in their opener. San Marcos has suffered losses of 62-14, 69-7 and 63-0.
The Royals hope to get senior running back Ivan Reyes going this week. He’s been brought along slowly after suffering an injury in a scrimmage before the season opener. Reyes rushed for nearly 900 yards last year and earned all-league honors.
“Ivan is ripping a raring to go,” said an excited Linebaugh of the powerful back.
Quarterback D’shaun Vines is coming along at his new position, says the coach “We’re very pleased with his determination to learn his craft at a new position.”
Despite the lopsided losses, Linebaugh has seen improvement in each game, “but we need to be consistent in all three phases of the game,” he said.
San Marcos got its first win last season against Hueneme.
The pick: San Marcos
Rio Mesa (2-1) at Santa Barbara (3-0), 7 p.m. — This game has the makings of a shootout as both offenses are loaded with playmakers. “They have multiple Division 1 athletes in their program,” said Santa Barbara coach JT Stone. “It’s going to be a test. It’s a game that will go down to the wire.” Rio Mesa is coming off an impressive 21-10 win over defending Channel League champion Ventura. In that game, the Spartans forced six turnovers and used a balanced offense to wear down the Cougars. Josiah King is a solid running back and 6-3, 180-pound Stevie Houston is a big-play receiver. Rio Mesa is using two quarterbacks, senior Eddie Guerrero and sophomore Austin Maciel. They’ve combined to complete 46-79 passes for 495 yards and six TDs. Santa Barbara has outscored its opponents 158-15. Quarterback Brent Peus has done an excellent job spreading the ball around to his good-hands group of receivers. The senior has 11 TD passes in three games. The running of Sean Babcock, Ruben Velez and Isai Figueroa give the Dons better balance on offense. If they want to stay unbeaten, the defense needs to rise to the occasion. The pick: Santa Barbara.
Dos Pueblos (1-2) at Newbury Park (2-1), 7 p.m. — The Chargers better bring a good pass rush against the Panthers and their rifle-arm quarterback Cameron Rising. The sophomore threw for 401 yards and six touchdowns in a 58-34 win over Agoura last week. Dos Pueblos got off to a slow start in a 35-28 loss at Santa Ynez. The Chargers will need 48 minutes of good football to stay in this one.The pick: Newbury Park.
Bishop Diego (3-0) at Cabrillo (0-3), 7 p.m. — Cabrillo is a Northern Division opponent for the Cardinals, who are flying high after their third straight close win. Running behind an improving offensive line, the combination of Mike Soracco and John Harris wore down a bigger La Salle team last week. That formula, mixed in with some touches to speedster AV Bennett, makes it tough for any defense. The pick: Bishop Diego.
Carpinteria (0-2) at Oak Park (3-0), 7 p.m. — A matchup of former Tri-Valley League opponents. Carpinteria looks for its first win against a much-improved Oak Park team. The Eagles have turned things around after going 0-10 last season. A big reason is the play of quarterback David Schmucker and wide receiver Reece Smith. Schmucker threw for 267 yards and four touchdowns, with Smith catching strikes for 59 and 39 yards, in a 47-7 over Fillmore. Carpinteria played a better game in its 31-12 loss against Northwest Division top-ranked Nipomo. The Warriors are still working out the kinks on offense with quarterback Mike Garibay. He has a big passing target in 6-5 Brandon Jordan. It’s Carpinteria’s first road game. The pick: Oak Park.
