A LOOK AT TODAY’S KEY MATCHUPS

SOUTHERN SECTION

* CRESPI (3-0) vs. NOTRE DAME (3-0)

At Notre Dame High, 7:30 p.m.

Something’s got to give when Notre Dame’s offense, which leads Southern Section teams in the area with 474 yards per game, meets the Crespi defense, ranked No. 8 among the section’s area schools and allowing just 194 yards per game. Logic favors Notre Dame, with area scoring and rushing leader Justin Fargas (798 yards, 11 touchdowns) and Dave DeMartinis, who has passed for 516 yards and six touchdowns and completed 73% of his passes. Crespi built its record against teams that are a combined 3-6 and has scored 30 points to Notre Dame’s 128. Blake Tibbetts of Crespi has 291 yards rushing and a touchdown.

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* HART (3-0) vs. PALMDALE (3-0)

At Palmdale High, 7:30 p.m.

Hart, with its reputation as an offensive machine, has been winning with defense. The Indians have allowed 154.3 yards per game, third in the area, and have given up only 21 points--14 last week against Westlake. Defensive end John Harrison has seven sacks and linebacker Scott Hunt has been a force. David Neill has passed for 653 yards and four touchdowns, but has had six passes intercepted for an offense that ranks eighth in the area. No. 5 Palmdale, which plays in the grind-it-out Golden League, has taken to the air, with Grant Livermont passing for 503 yards. The Falcons have 518 yards passing and 438 rushing--the only Golden League team with more yards passing than rushing. Jason Anderson has rushed for 213 yards.

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* DOMINGUEZ (3-0) vs. ANTELOPE VALLEY (2-1)

At Antelope Valley High, 7:30 p.m.

Dominguez beat the Antelopes twice last season, including a 34-7 victory in the Southern Section Division II semifinals. Dominguez quarterback Jason Thomas is among the nation’s best and has helped the top-rated Dons outscore opponents, 101-14. Antelope Valley has lost only to Las Vegas Western, the Nevada state champion, 12-9. Last week, the seventh-ranked Antelopes exploded for 20 fourth-quarter points in a 27-7 victory over City power Sylmar. Joe Manning caught a scoring pass and returned an interception 75 yards for another touchdown.

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* ROYAL (3-0) vs. WESTLAKE (1-2)

At Westlake High, 7:30 p.m.

Royal took another step in its rise from pretender to contender with a 35-7 victory over Ventura last week. Steve Sheehan has rushed for 471 yards in 61 carries and Bryant Phipps has 409 yards in 28 carries for the Highlanders, who average 413 yards rushing per game. In this Marmonte League opener, Royal faces a Westlake defense that surrenders only 190 yards per game. The Warriors, who have lost two close games, rely on Zac Wasserman, who has completed 57 of 92 passes for 785 yards and six touchdowns.

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* CRESCENTA VALLEY (3-0) vs. SOUTH PASADENA (3-0)

At South Pasadena High, 7:30 p.m.

Crescenta Valley has won all seven games in the series this decade. Both teams are ranked in their respective Southern Section divisions. Kenny Pritchett has 445 yards and five touchdowns in 67 carries for Crescenta Valley, No. 6 in The Times’ regional poll. Nate Barber has caught nine passes for 201 yards, an average of 22.3 yards per catch, and three touchdowns. South Pasadena’s Paul Wilkins has seven catches for 261 yards. Free safety Arturo Sandoval has five interceptions for the Tigers.

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* ARROYO GRANDE (2-1) vs. CANYON (2-1)

At Canyon High, 7:30 p.m.

Canyon’s ability to stop the run will be tested by the Eagles’ wing-T offense, which has utilized 14 ball-carriers in three games. Mike McCreery has 214 yards and six touchdowns in 29 carries and Corey Lawrence has 181 yards in 22 carries. Garrett Linder, the Eagles’ rushing leader a year ago, had 74 yards in six carries last week. Matt Gregory of Canyon has 404 yards in 84 carries and Drew Welch has 152 yards in 33 carries. But the Cowboys proved they can pass last week, when Luke Petticord threw for 215 yards against Crescenta Valley. Josh Borgese caught nine passes for 145 yards.

CITY SECTION

* BIRMINGHAM (3-0) vs. SAN FERNANDO (2-1)

At San Fernando High, 7 p.m.

Both teams have improved since last season, when the Braves made the 3-A playoffs and the Tigers didn’t earn a postseason berth. San Fernando had a chance to be 3-0 but committed six turnovers in a 46-29 loss to Grant. Major Caldwell, the Tigers’ second-leading rusher, injured his shoulder against the Lancers and didn’t practice early this week. The Braves, already missing linebacker Bobby Davis because of an elbow injury, will be without wide receiver Demetrus Patterson, who was ejected last week and must sit out one game. Emmanuel Evans of Birmingham has 541 yards rushing.

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* EL CAMINO REAL (3-0) vs. CHATSWORTH (2-1)

At Chatsworth High, 7 p.m.

The Conquistadores have given up only seven points and 333 yards. Quincy Wright is averaging more than nine yards a carry despite a foot injury and has seven touchdowns for El Camino Real. The Chancellors lost two-way starter Kevin Doty for the season because of a shoulder injury and defensive back Nick Lott is out because he was ejected last week. Chatsworth Coach Myron Gibford considers Ryan Martinez--who has passed for 341 yards--the team’s best athlete.

Other games:

City Section--Northern Conference: At 3 p.m., Eagle Rock at Verdugo Hills. Northwest Valley Conference: At 7 p.m., Cleveland at Kennedy, Taft at Granada Hills. Valley Pac-8 Conference: At 7:30 p.m., Reseda at Poly, Van Nuys at Sylmar, Monroe at North Hollywood.

Southern Section--Channel League: At 7:30 p.m., Buena at Hueneme, Rio Mesa at San Marcos, Dos Pueblos at Ventura, Santa Barbara at Oxnard. Marmonte League: At 7 p.m., Agoura at Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks at Camarillo, Newbury Park at Channel Islands. Santa Fe League: At 7:30 p.m., St. Genevieve vs. La Salle at Monrovia High. Nonleague: At 7 p.m., Quartz Hill vs. Saugus at College of the Canyons. At 7:30 p.m., Oak Park at Nordhoff, Fillmore vs. L.A. Baptist at Alemany High, Silverado vs. Lancaster at Quartz Hill High, Santa Paula vs. Burbank at Burroughs High, Burroughs at Glendale, Valencia at Chaminade, Pasadena at St. Francis, Highland at Bakersfield Stockdale, Paraclete at Bakersfield Garces, Alemany at Righetti, Hoover at Temple City, La Canada at Alhambra, Littlerock at Paramount, Kilpatrick at Ontario Christian, Village Christian at Rosamond, Moorpark at St. Bernard.

8-man--At 3 p.m., Pilgrim at Campbell Hall. At 6:30 p.m., Maricopa at Antelope Valley. At 7:30 p.m., Lancaster Bethel Christian at Bermuda Dunes Desert Christian.