THIS WEEK’S TOP FOOTBALL GAMES
SOUTHERN SECTION
Thousand Oaks (1-0) vs. Ventura Buena (1-0) at Ventura High, 7:30, tonight
Buena tailback Alex Garfio will get the ball a lot after rushing for 252 yards and four touchdowns and catching six passes for 56 yards in a 40-13 victory over Agoura. Thousand Oaks defeated Crescenta Valley, 27-16, as junior quarterback Chris Owens threw for 229 yards and a touchdown. Owens, a transfer from Simi Valley Grace Brethren, was starting in place of Brad Sievert, who suffered a fractured collarbone in a scrimmage against Ventura on Sept. 6.
John Ortega
No. 4 Mission Viejo (1-0) vs. No. 14 Santa Ana Mater Dei (1-0) at Santa Ana Stadium, 7 p.m., Friday, Fox Sports Net 2
Mission Viejo is looking to make it two victories in a row over Mater Dei after the Monarchs dominated the series in the 1990s. If the teams’ openers are any indication, this game could be a rout. Mission Viejo pounded Fountain Valley, 48-0, while Mater Dei held on to beat Orange Lutheran, 21-20, when the Lancers’ late two-point conversion failed. Diablo quarterback Matt Uritis will continue to fill in for the injured Josh Rodarmel, who fractured a collarbone last week. Look for quarterback Jesse Mier to start over Jason Forcier after leading Mater Dei last week to touchdowns on all three drives in which he played.
Ben Bolch
No. 11 Ventura St. Bonaventure (1-0) vs. No. 6 Newhall Hart (0-0-1) at College of the Canyons, 7:30 p.m., Friday
St. Bonaventure, the three-time defending Division XI champion, risks its 43-game win streak against Hart, the four-time defending Division III champion. St. Bonaventure’s heavily recruited receiver, Whitney Lewis, finally gets to show what he can do against quality competition. Hart is coming off a 21-21 tie with Los Alamitos, during which sophomore quarterback Sean Norton passed for 245 yards. St. Bonaventure junior quarterback Brian Stevens passed for 330 yards and six touchdowns in a 52-0 victory over Dos Palos.
Eric Sondheimer
No. 10 Redlands (1-0) vs. No. 7 Santa Margarita (1-0) at Saddleback College, 7:30 p.m., Friday
Credit Redlands for taking a step up in competition by scheduling Santa Margarita. The Terriers last season breezed through a comparatively weak nonleague schedule, swept their Citrus Belt League opponents and then got rolled, 42-28, by Mater Dei in the playoffs. Both teams feature ground-oriented attacks. Running back Mark Jurado averaged 16.6 yards a carry last week in amassing 216 yards for Redlands in its 28-6 victory over Yucaipa. Ashton White had 90 yards in 27 carries for Santa Margarita in its 17-10 victory against Orange El Modena.
Ben Bolch
Fontana Kaiser (0-0-1) vs. No. 9 Riverside North (1-0) at Riverside College, 7 p.m., Friday
It’s the first meeting between these Inland Empire powers. North, the defending Division V champion, was penalized 13 times in its 29-13 victory over Rancho Verde. Running back Joshua Barnett and quarterback Dion Morton lead a balanced attack. Kaiser, the Division VIII runner-up last year, fumbled four times, allowed a safety and needed a last-minute touchdown and two-point conversion for a 29-29 tie with Rancho Cucamonga. Running back Allen Wade rushed for 150 yards.
Peter Yoon
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (1-0) at Westlake Village Westlake (1-0), 7 p.m., Friday
The traditional powers figure to have a close, competitive game. Notre Dame, despite having a team dominated by underclassmen, defeated Lake Balboa Birmingham, 24-20, last week. Collin Morgan scored on a 10-yard run with 44 seconds left to give the Knights the victory. Westlake had no trouble in a 45-0 victory against overmatched Santa Paula. The Warriors had nine sacks and held Santa Paula to less than 75 yards of offense.
Mike Bresnahan
CITY SECTION
No. 13 Carson (1-0) at No. 8 Woodland Hills Taft (1-0), 7 p.m., Friday
With great matchups on both sides, this game could be a preview of the City Section championship game. Can Carson’s secondary keep Steve Smith, Noah Smith and Paul Pratt from making big plays? Is Taft’s defense, which had trouble stopping Crenshaw on the ground last week, tough enough to contain the Colts’ stable of running backs? Can Carson’s defense get to quarterback Cary Dove? Will this be the breakout game for Carson’s talented quarterback, Beau Davis?
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