This week’s top high school football games

Friday’s top prep football games

Gardena Serra (3-1) at Los Angeles Loyola (4-0), 7:30 p.m.

Mission League play opens with Loyola trying to prove it’s ready to become a Pac-5 playoff contender. The Cubs are in the same spot they were last season — unbeaten in nonleague games — when they finished 0-6 in league play. A new quarterback, junior Sean O’Malley, has given the Cubs a boost, along with junior running back Drake Beasley. For Loyola to win, someone needs to tackle Serra quarterback Khalil Tate, which is easier said than done. He ran for 295 yards and six touchdowns last week against Harbor City Narbonne.

The pick: Serra.

Westlake Village Westlake (3-1) at Compton Dominguez (3-1), 7 p.m.

First-year coaches Tony Henney of Westlake and Jason Miller of Dominguez have their programs headed in the right direction. Westlake is balanced on offense with quarterback Grant Bunker, receiver Theo Howard and running back Chase Jasmin. Dominguez uses a double-wing attack and tries to control the clock.

The pick: Westlake.