Long Beach Poly-St. Bonaventure leads list of Friday’s top high school football matchups

FRIDAY’S TOP GAMES

No. 7 Ventura St. Bonaventure (0-0) vs. No. 5 Long Beach Poly (1-0) at Long Beach Veterans Stadium, 7 p.m. — Poly possesses something even longtime Jackrabbits fans may not recognize: a prolific passing game. Junior Chaiyse Hales completed 15 of 24 passes for five touchdowns with no interceptions in a season-opening 42-28 victory over Bakersfield. St. Bonaventure defeated the Jackrabbits, 27-7, last season, but it was one of 11 victories the Seraphs later forfeited for using an ineligible player. St. Bonaventure has a new quarterback, junior Marc Evans, and running backs Shaun Wick and Diamond Schouder will split the rushing duties. The pick: Poly.

No. 10 Los Angeles Crenshaw (0-1) at No. 12 Norco (0-0), 8:30 p.m., Fox Sports Net — Norco is taking a new approach on offense. “We’re getting tired of everybody putting what feels like 10 guys in the box,” said Cougars Coach Todd Gerhart, whose teams are known for a grind-it-out running game. Norco has switched to a shotgun formation, with junior Shane Truelove and freshman Coltin Gerhart, the coach’s son, splitting time at quarterback. Stanford-bound running back Kelsey Young will still receive plenty of carries, however. Crenshaw is trying to bounce back from a season-opening 17-12 loss to Suwanee (Ga.) North Gwinnett in which it committed three second-half turnovers. The pick: Norco.

No. 1 Mission Viejo (1-0) vs. No. 17 L.A. Loyola (1-0) at L.A. Valley College, 7 p.m. — Mission Viejo scored 42 unanswered points in a 49-13 victory over Pacific Northwest power Bothell (Wash.) in its opener. Running back Jahleel Pinner had a pair of early touchdowns, and Tre Madden and Dallas Kessman also scored on short runs as Mission Viejo took control by halftime. Loyola’s only touchdown in its 10-7 victory over Manhattan Beach Mira Costa came on an eight-yard run by Jared Baker after a blocked punt gave the Cubs possession at the Mustangs’ 17-yard line. The pick: Mission Viejo.

No. 15 La Puente Bishop Amat (1-0) at No. 23 Compton Dominguez (1-0), 7 p.m. — Don’t expect Dominguez to be intimidated by an opponent from the powerful Pac-5 Division. “They’re as good as anyone in our Serra League,” Bishop Amat Coach Steve Hagerty said of the Dons, who knocked off Encino Crespi, 14-11, last week. “They’re more athletic and faster than we are.” The Lancers are still breaking in new quarterback Rio Ruiz, who completed 10 of 17 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-0 victory over L.A. Garfield. “Offensively, we have timing issues, lineman issues, but we think the pieces are there,” Hagerty said. “We just have to get them right.” The pick: Dominguez.