Football: What to look for on a big night for big games
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With seven games involving top 25 teams, here’s what to look for on Friday night:
No. 1 Servite got a close call last week against La Habra when it didn’t put away its opponent early in the second half. If the Friars learned their lesson, they’ll put away No. 12 Edison much sooner.
No. 2 Santa Margarita did not play well against Trabuco Hills. No. 20 Carson has the hottest receiver in Darreus Rogers and lots of athleticism. This is a chance for the Eagles to prove they can beat a team with speed.
No. 3 Mission Viejo has a chance to regain its confidence against No. 8 Long Beach Poly in being able to beat a top team. Poly was routed by Mission Viejo last season, so this is an opportunity to show the Jackrabbits are back as a Pac-5 power.
No. 4 St. Bonaventure might be the best team in the Southland, and a convincing win over No. 6 Oaks Christian would cause people to pay attention and mean that the Seraphs have beaten the two strongest opponents of any of the top five teams in their first three games (they own a win over Corona Centennial).
No. 13 Alemany is still angry about losing to Riverside North last week, and beating No. 16 Chaminade on its new blue field would be a boost in confidence and return the Warriors to the favorite role in the upcoming Serra League competition.
No. 14 St. John Bosco gets to show it can win the big one in its game against No. 21 Loyola in a battle of unbeaten teams. It’s the Trinity League vs. the Serra League, so there’s also bragging rights at stake.
No. 22 Mater Dei is trying to avoid an 0-3 start that might send its fans into panic mode if the Monarchs can’t beat No. 23 San Clemente.
What a night for football in Southern California. I’ll be blogging from St. John Bosco-Loyola.
-- Eric Sondheimer