THE BIG GAME / VISTA-ORANGE GLEN : In First Week at No. 1, Panthers Face No. 2 : High school football: Victory last week over Morse makes Vista a favorite to beat second-ranked Orange Glen in Palomar League opener.

It’s pretty simple, really. No. 1-ranked Vista is playing No. 2 Orange Glen. Both teams are 3-0 as they enter their Palomar League opener tonight at Orange Glen High School.

Vista has legendary Coach Dick Haines, who is 162-64 at the school. On the other sideline is third-year Coach Rob Gilster, 18-11 lifetime. Vista reached the section finals four times in the 1980s, Orange Glen has reached the finals twice in the past three years.

Vista’s offense has averaged 30.3 points per game, Orange Glen’s 25.

Vista’s defense has allowed only two touchdowns in three games. Orange Glen has averaged 137 yards per game more than its opponents.

Vista upset the county’s No. 1 team, Morse, a week ago and defeated Chula Vista--then ranked fifth--a week earlier, 35-0.

Orange Glen did just enough to beat three untested teams--San Marcos has since moved into the top 10--by rolling up big leads in two of those games and coasting to the finish.

So who do you like?

Torrey Pines Coach Ed Burke: “Anyone who can beat Morse has to get my tab. I don’t care if (Morse quarterback) Cary Taylor played or not.”

Both offenses are capable of scoring big points. Really big points. Vista’s closest game was 21-7 over Morse, a team that had a 17-game winning streak and was ranked 20th in the nation by USA Today . It has a running attack that features Chato Jackson, who has 300 yards and has averaged 6.4 yards per carry, Kenny Edwards (5.9 yards per carry) and Dante White (9.0 per carry).

The Panthers will benefit from the return of all-county receiver Aaron Rounsifer, who caught a 34-yard pass on the second play of the season, sprained his ankle and hasn’t played since. Quarterback Eric Jencks (16 of 37, 266 yards, two touchdowns) will be looking for him, as well as San Dieguito transfer Morgan Knox and Jose Perez. Knox has five catches for 105 yards and four of those catches “would have made any NFL highlight film,” said Haines.

Vista’s offensive line is young--two sophomores, two juniors (one who didn’t play last year) and a senior--but improving weekly.

Fallbrook Coach Tom Pack: “Vista. They’ve played offensively and defensively very well. They’ve got the skill guys now. And they’re passing the ball. It’s going to be a heck of a ballgame to see, a great ballgame.”

The burden of stopping Orange Glen falls on the Vista secondary, Perez, Knox, Nestor Mangohig and Jerry Butkiewicz. They will have to cover Kris Plash (23 catches, 386 yards), Adam Pincock (11 for 132) and Earl Callander (10 for 183). The Orange Glen receivers are the targets of Omar Navarro, who has 3,418 career passing yards. He has passed for 257, 237 and 279 yards in his first three games. Plash has 123 career receptions and needs only seven to break Scott Carlovsky’s school record.

The Patriots can also run with Joaquin Randall, who has averaged 5.0 yards per carry and more than 104 yards per game.

Gilster says his offensive line, which features juniors Bob Williams (6-feet-3, 305 pounds) and Donald Fluegge (6-2, 235), must do the job for his team to be successful.

“If we can protect (Navarro), we can do some things,” he said. “It will probably be a close game, probably in the teens, unless one of us explodes, which both offenses are capable of doing. (But) they have the best defense in the county, from what I’ve seen.”

Rancho Buena Vista Coach Craig Bell: “Vista. When two good offenses meet, the team with the best defense usually prevails. Vista has a great defense, but the defense they need to stop Orange Glen has not been tested. (Vista has) played one-dimensional teams. Orange Glen is multi-dimensional--but I still like Vista’s defense.”

Gilster: “I like being the underdog. We played better going through the playoffs last year. Nobody expected us to win.”

Nobody, of course, except themselves.