HIGH SCHOOL NOTEBOOK

Carpinteria (6-2, 2-0) is the next Tri-Valley League opponent to try to put a dent in St. Bonaventure’s defense at 7 p.m. Thursday at Ventura High.

St. Bonaventure (8-0, 3-0), which is allowing a region-low average of 138 yards per game, has not surrendered a point in Tri-Valley League play.

“We know we could accomplish that every game and that’s what we’d like to do,” said senior defensive end Tucker Bennett of St. Bonaventure, who leads the Seraphs with 11 sacks. “But as long as we get the W, that’s the most important thing.

“We’ve worked hard, and this is just payoff time. That’s what we say: ‘It’s time to go get paid.”’

The Seraphs, ranked No. 2 in the Southern Section Division XI, have made opponents pay a stiff price.

St. Bonaventure has outscored three Tri-Valley opponents, 146-0, and is trying to wrap up its third consecutive undefeated league season. The Seraphs have a 15-game league unbeaten streak, last losing, 16-8, to Bishop Diego in 1995.

The Seraphs were 4-0 in league play the last two seasons and went 3-0-1 in 1996, when they went 12-1-1 and defeated Nordhoff, 18-14, for the Southern Division X championship.

“I said at the beginning of this season that this might be the best team we’ve ever had,” Coach Jon Mack of St. Bonaventure said. “I knew we were going to have a real good defense and a very good team.”