This Season It’s Time to Beware of the Surprise Teams

After three weeks of the prep football season, 12 teams have remained undefeated and untied while two others are unbeaten with a tie.

There have been several surprise teams so far, including Palomar League teams Orange Glen (3-0-0) and Fallbrook (3-0-0). Lincoln, a team that has just 22 players on its roster, has started the season with two victories.

On the other side of the coin, El Camino, the undefeated San Diego Section 2A champions last year, has lost two of its first three games. Clairemont and San Marcos, playoff teams last season, are winless in three tries.

In week four, there are several key matchups. In North County, for instance, the Avocado and Palomar Leagues begin league play. In other matchups, some teams that have been early surprises take on some that have been early-season disappointments.

Here’s a look at some of the key games:

Kearny (2-1-0) vs. Lincoln (2-0-0), at Mesa College--A week ago, this looked as if it was the most attractive matchup of the week, and it still may be. The Hornets, ranked No. 4 in the Times’ Top 10 this week, have 97 points in their first two games. Lincoln’s offense boasts as much speed as any team in the county but tonight it will play a Kearny defense that recorded shutouts in its first two games. The Komets, the highest ranked 2A team in preseason, are No. 10 this week after a 20-13 loss to Point Loma last Friday.

Orange Glen (3-0-0) vs. El Camino (1-2-0), at Oceanside High--This is a matchup between a surprise team and one that has disappointed. The No. 6 Patriots, led by quarterback Brett Salisbury, have been explosive on offense, scoring 106 points in their first three games. After routing San Marcos and Escondido, Orange Glen rallied in the fourth quarter to nip previously unbeaten San Pasqual, 30-29, last Friday. El Camino, meanwhile, has struggled on offense after a season-opening 36-0 rout of Point Loma. The Wildcats, who miss the services of departed running back James Norris, have scored 16 points in their last two games, losses to Vista and Fallbrook. This is the only North County game this week that is not a league game, but it may be the most exciting.

San Dieguito (1-0-1) at Fallbrook (3-0-0)--This Palomar League opener matches the wide-open passing game of Fallbrook’s Tom Pack versus the strong ground game of San Dieguito’s Ed Burke. The No.7 Warriors opened the season with wins over Mount Miguel and San Marcos, then proved they may be for real by defeating El Camino in the final moments, 10-9, last week. Burke, who came from Torrey Pines, has helped the Mustangs to a fast start. After tying Southwest in its season opener, San Dieguito knocked off previously unbeaten Mission Bay, 17-6. The Palomar League has four teams ranked in the top 10, but San Dieguito may prove tonight that the league has more depth than that.

Crawford (1-1-0) at Mira Mesa (2-1-0)--The Marauders, No. 9 this week, have been up and down. Led by quarterback DeWaye Odom and wide receiver Kevin Hancock, Mira Mesa has sandwiched wins over Monte Vista and Mount Carmel around a 33-16 loss at home to Poway. Crawford, No. 10 in the preseason, has had trouble getting its offense going, scoring 17 points in a win over University City and a loss to Madison.

Carlsbad (3-0-0) vs. San Pasqual (2-1-0), at Escondido High--The surprising Lancers, who won just four games last year, are playing well under head coach Mel Galli. Carlsbad is coming off its most impressive win of the year, a 41-0 win over San Diego last week. San Pasqual started with a pair of victories before losing to Orange Glen last week. Since El Camino appears to be down a bit this year, this game could go a long way in deciding the Avocado League championship. To be certain, the winner of this one, will gain the upper hand in the race for a playoff spot.

Southwest (2-0-1) vs. Hilltop (2-0-0), at Southwestern JC--In this week’s other battle of unbeaten teams (along with Fallbrook-San Dieguito), Southwest will be looking to pull a surprise similar to last week, when it beat highly regarded Chula Vista, 8-7. The Raiders, despite their record, have been outscored this season. An earlier 14-7 loss to Clairemont was reversed because the Chiefs used an ineligible player. Hilltop, meanwhile, has defeated a pair of Grossmont League teams, Valhalla and El Cajon, and will be looking to reverse last year’s loss to Southwest, which eliminated Hilltop from playoff contention in the Metro-South Bay League.

Grossmont (0-3-0) at Helix (3-0-0)--The top-ranked Highlanders have yet to be challenged this season and they don’t figure to receive much resistance this week from their cross-town rivals. The Foothillers have scored only 10 points this season and will be facing a Helix defense that has allowed only seven points in three games.

Granite Hills (3-0-0) at Patrick Henry (2-1-0)--The Eagles, No. 5 this week, have used a powerful running game to score 109 points in their first three outings. Their only competition came in week one, when they rallied to beat eighth-ranked Poway, 24-21. Patrick Henry, meanwhile, ran into Helix and Lincoln in its first two games before coming back to beat Clairemont impressively, 28-7, last week.

University (2-1-0) at Point Loma (2-1-0)--After losing their opener, 36-0, it appears that the Pointers are back on track. Wins over La Jolla, 29-0, and Kearny, 20-13, have put Point Loma close to a place in the Top 10. University also lost its first game but has rebounded with a pair of victories, including a 34-6 decision against St. Augustine last week.