Friday’s top high school football games

TONIGHT’S TOP HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAMES

Santa Ana Mater Dei (6-4) vs. Long Beach Poly (8-2) at Long Beach Veterans Stadium, 7:30 p.m. — When these longtime rivals meet, there is usually more at stake than a trip to the second round of the Pac-5 Division playoffs; the Monarchs and Jackrabbits have met in the championship game three times and a semifinal twice since 1997. Poly will be favored after winning the Moore League. But Mater Dei, which finished third in the Trinity League, could benefit from having played one of the Southland’s toughest schedules. The Monarchs logged solid nonleague victories over Huntington Beach Edison and San Clemente. The pick: Mater Dei.

Huntington Beach Edison (7-3) vs. Santa Margarita (8-2) at Rancho Santa Margarita Tesoro High, 7 p.m. — Santa Margarita is making its first playoff appearance since 2007, but the host Eagles won’t get to play at their usual home site because of poor field conditions at Saddleback College. Santa Margarita quarterback Adam Young has completed 63.9% of his passes, slightly better than Carson Palmer’s school-record 63.0% in 1997. Edison, seeking to return to the Pac-5 championship game for a second consecutive year, finished second in the Sunset League behind Los Alamitos. The pick: Santa Margarita.

Temecula Chaparral (4-6) at Upland (7-3), 7:30 p.m. — How often do defending division champions meet in the first round of the playoffs? It’s happening in this one. Defending Inland Division champion Chaparral needed to win three of its last four games just to make the playoffs, getting a big assist from Antoine Arnold last week when the receiver had several big catches during a 27-20 victory over Murrieta Valley. Upland, which won the Central Division last year, features quarterback Justin Nunes, who has passed for 1,503 yards and 14 touchdowns with only five interceptions. But the Highlanders’ most potent weapon might be kicker Jake Van Ginkel, who has made nine field goals and is in range any time his team passes midfield. The pick: Upland.

Granada Hills Kennedy (5-5) at Los Angeles Garfield (6-4), 7 p.m. — This first-round game between eighth-seeded Garfield and ninth-seeded Kennedy would be expected to be the most even matchup in the Los Angeles City Section’s Division I playoffs. But a closer look reveals that Kennedy might be facing an uphill battle. The Cougars finished in a three-way tie for third place in the Valley Mission League, whose champion and runner-up are competing in the Division II playoffs. Garfield went unbeaten in the Eastern League and has won six consecutive games since opening the season with four losses against Southern Section opponents. Bulldogs defensive end Moses Saucedo has 17 sacks and has caused five fumbles. The pick: Garfield.

— Ben Bolch