Let the league race begin

Over the course of the next five weeks, the fate of six local football teams will be determined.

Starting Thursday and continuing Friday, five of those teams start competing for a league championship. In addition to the title chase, a handful of CIF Southern Section playoffs berths will be up for grabs during a five-game league season that comes to an end the first weekend in November.

Sheue Field at Huntington Beach High will be the site of two big Sunset League games this week. The venue first will host the Los Alamitos-Edison showdown Thursday, and then the rivalry game between Marina and Huntington Beach Friday. The other Sunset opener is a Thursday meeting between Fountain Valley and host Newport Harbor.

Two other local teams, both riding win streaks, also play Friday. The other league opener on tap finds Ocean View starting its Golden West League campaign at Westminster. Undefeated Brethren Christian wraps up its nonleague schedule hosting Rio Hondo Prep.

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Thursday

Los Alamitos (2-3) vs. Edison (2-3)

(7 p.m., Huntington Beach High)

Last year’s Los Alamitos-Edison game on the final night of the Sunset League season determined the Sunset League champion. This time around, the Griffins and Chargers, again considered favorites for the title, square off on opening night of the league race.

Edison is coming off a bye week. The Chargers dropped their final two games — to Servite and Mater Dei, before heading into their break.

Senior quarterback Grant Lowary has thrown for 1,150 yards and 12 touchdowns (three interceptions) through five games. Senior Garrett White is Edison’s leading receiver with 376 yards and six touchdowns. Lowary threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns, two going to White who had 12 receptions for 167 yards, against Mater Dei Sept. 25.

Two of Edison’s three losses have come at the hands of ranked opponents (Mater Dei, No. 3, CIF Southern Section PAC-5 Division; Tesoro, No. 2, West Valley Division).

“We feel good coming into the game, and our bye week came at a good time,” Edison Coach Dave White said. “In our last game, I thought our offense made some nice strides against Mater Dei (a 42-26 loss). The break gave us some extra time to work on some things and get ready for league.”

White said the Chargers get starting running back Jacob Marines back in the lineup for Thursday’s game. The senior, the team’s leading rusher (294 yards, four games), was injured during a Sept. 18 game against Servite.

The Chargers, however, still are without key all-league receiver Jacob Price (hamstring) and top defensive end Shane Fullbright (elbow). Both seniors are team captains and key returning players.

Defending league champion Los Alamitos comes into the game mired in a rare, three-game losing skid. Its most recent setback is a 35-28 loss last week to Harbor City Narbonne, the top-ranked team in the CIF Los Angeles City Section. Senior quarterback Jack Telenko leads the Griffins offense and last week threw for 270 yards and three touchdowns against Narbonne.

Through five games, Telenko has thrown for 1,397 yards and 11 touchdowns and has been intercepted five times.

All three losses for the Griffins have come against ranked opponents: Narbonne, La Habra (No. 1, Southwest Division), and San Juan Hills (No. 6, West Valley Division).

“They’ve played some really good teams,” White said of the Griffins. “I think Los Al is the best team, right now, but I think we have a great shot in this game. It should be another good one.”

Both teams had been ranked throughout the season in the CIF-SS West Valley Division. The Griffins currently are No. 10 in this week’s poll. The Chargers received votes in the polling but missed cracking the top 10.

In the previous 10 years in the series, each team has won five times and the Griffins have won the last two meetings.

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Fountain Valley (3-2) vs. Newport Harbor (2-3)

(7 p.m., Newport Harbor High)

Fountain Valley is riding momentum heading into its Sunset League opener, bringing a three-game winning streak into its matchup with the Sailors.

Fountain Valley’s third consecutive win came Friday when it led from start to finish in a 38-18 victory over San Diego Mira Mesa.

“This was a big win for us,” Barons Coach Ray Fenton said. “We need all the momentum we can get heading into Sunset League play.”

Fountain Valley senior quarterback Chad Olberding rushed for three touchdowns, senior Trae Davis scored on a 71-yard kickoff return, senior Ben Filipe kicked a 22-yard field goal, and junior running back Moe Falealii capped the scoring with a four-yard run late in the fourth quarter.

The Barons came up with a few key plays defensively, as well. Senior linebacker Blake Vasquez knocked down a two-point conversion pass attempt in the second quarter that prevented Mira Mesa from tying the score and protected a 14-12 Barons lead. With Mira Mesa at the Fountain Valley 30-yard line and threatening to score late in the third quarter, Davis tipped a pass attempt inside the 10 and Falealii came up with an interception off the deflection. Early in the fourth quarter, with the Marauders attempting a fourth-and-one conversion from the Fountain Valley 34, junior linebacker Daniel Serrano broke through and laid a hit on the quarterback, forcing a fumble that was recovered by junior defensive tackle Cruz Meines.

“I liked the will and mindset of our guys,” Fenton said. “Every time they came back at us, we didn’t panic. We came up with some big plays that helped us stay in control.”

Like Los Alamitos, Newport Harbor heads into league play on a three-game losing streak. Last week, the Sailors fell to Manhattan Beach Mira Costa (No. 2, CIF-SS Western Division), 35-14.

Newport Harbor’s three losses also have come against highly-ranked opponents: Mira Costa, arch-rival Corona del Mar (No. 3, Southwest Division), and San Clemente (No. 2, Southwest Division).

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Marina (1-4) vs. Huntington Beach (2-3)

(7 p.m., Huntington Beach High)

The Victory Trophy awaits the winner of Friday’s showdown between the Vikings and Oilers.

The Marina-Huntington rivalry dates to 1965, and the new installment of the series features teams coming off a bye week.

Huntington won its previous outing Sept. 24 by blanking Animo South Los Angeles, 41-0, in a game called in the first quarter. Senior running back Hunter Simmons rushed for three touchdowns and scored on an 85-yard return of the opening kickoff.

In five games, Simmons has gained 712 yards and scored seven times on 82 carries.

Marina, which has had several key players sidelined due to injury during nonleague play, last played Sept. 25 and lost to Long Beach St. Anthony, 55-28. The Vikings dropped their final three nonleague games, each to ranked teams: St. Anthony (No. 6, East Valley Division), Westminster (No. 5, Southern Division), and San Juan Hills (No. 6, West Valley Division).

“This is a big game for both teams, not only does it start league, but most of the kids know each other, so you have that neighborhood rivalry going, also,” Marina Coach Jeff Turley said. “I feel the kids have gotten better. We just need to go out and put it all together on Friday night.”

Huntington has held ownership of the Victory Trophy, which will reside on the sidelines of Friday’s game, the past five years.

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Ocean View (3-2) vs. Westminster (4-1)

(7 p.m., Westminster High)

Ocean View is on the road for the third consecutive week and takes on a wounded group of Lions in a Golden West League opener for both teams.

The Seahawks are on a roll entering league play. They’ve won three straight, including road wins at La Quinta and Estancia the past two weeks. They are coming off a 14-13 victory Oct. 1 at Estancia.

Senior quarterback Blake Meyer scored a pair or rushing touchdowns, and Ocean View held on for the win after the Eagles failed on two-point conversion pass with 43 seconds to play.

“The success is all from having great practices after losing to Valley Christian,” said Ocean View Coach Luis Nunez, referring to a Sept. 11 loss to the Crusaders. “I have to give credit to my coaches and the kids for not quitting after an 0-2 start. Our kids are competing at practice and truly coming to practice with a great mentality.

“I thought [all-league defensive end] Chandler Willis dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides, and our team just played tough all night.

“Estancia is a good program that has won their league (Orange Coast) the past few years, and has had our number. It was a great win for our program.”

Westminster started the season with a one-point win over Garden Grove, the preseason No. 1 team in the CIF-SS Southern Division and defending division champion, took over the division’s top spot and won its next three games. Last week, the Lions, then-ranked No. 2, were pummeled by then-unranked Pacifica, 67-21.

The Lions are now ranked fifth heading into the league opener.

“It’s no secret what we are going to get with Westminster,” Nunez said. “They have very tough and well-coached kids. We definitely have our hands full on Friday and it will take a big effort from our part to win.

“We’ve got to continue to improve this week at practice and our kids have to be wiling to roll up their sleeves Friday night. We have to be able to stand toe to toe with them up front as that’s where they have beat us the last few years. We will have to be physical to pull out a victory Friday night.

Ocean View last won in the league series in 2011.

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Rio Hondo Prep (2-2) vs. Brethren Christian (5-0)

(7 p.m., Ocean View High)

BC, idle last week, returns to the field for its homecoming game against Arcadia Rio Hondo Prep.

BC has won big in its first five games, storming to victory by an average margin of 34 points a game. The Warriors, ranked third in the CIF-SS East Valley Division, are averaging 52 points per outing.

The Rio Hondo Prep Kares last week defeated La Canada, 29-13. Senior quarterback Clark Bolinger threw for two scores, and running backs Domenico Chico ran for a season-high 114 yards and Stephen Santizo rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown.

“Rio Hondo Prep should be a very physical challenge for us,” BC Coach Pat McInally said. “It’s a big game.”

Friday’s game is BC’s final tuneup before the start of Academy League play next week. McInally said the game also will be the season debut for five transfer players: Ronald Jones (LB/TE), Dante Sanchez (LB/Slot), Joey Gutierrez (QB), and Brett Fahringer (DE/G).

“We’re very excited to get them on the field,” McInally said.

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CIF Weekly Rankings

(released Monday)

East Valley Division: Brethren Christian, No. 3.