Top high school football games on Friday
A look at the top high school football games on Friday night:
Southern Section
Corona Centennial (12-0) vs. Santa Ana Mater Dei (10-2) at Santa Ana Stadium, 7 p.m.
Second-seeded Centennial, averaging 54.6 points, needs to establish its rushing attack, led by Thomas Kinslow, in this Division 1 semifinal. Third-seeded Mater Dei has the talent in the secondary to cover man-to-man, making it imperative for the Huskies to create rushing opportunities. The Monarchs will try to get the ball to receiver Bru McCoy, leaving it up to quarterback Bryce Young to outmaneuver the Huskies’ front seven that has recorded 53 sacks. The pick: Centennial.
Bellflower St. John Bosco (12-0) vs. Westlake Village Oaks Christian (12-0) at Royal, 7 p.m.
No. 1-seeded St. John Bosco has superior depth on the offensive and defensive lines, but fourth-seeded Oaks Christian has Michigan-bound running back Zach Charbonnet. The Lions will try to control the clock to keep the Braves’ explosive offense off the field. The pick: St. John Bosco.
Simi Valley Grace Brethren (10-2) at Villa Park (12-0), 7 p.m.
Grace Brethren relies on the power running of Lontrelle Diggs, who has rushed for 2,024 yards and 30 touchdowns going into this Division 4 semifinal. Villa Park counters with a balanced attack led by Purdue-bound quarterback Paul Piferi, who has passed for 2,607 yards and 22 touchdowns. The pick: Villa Park.
City Section
Garfield (11-0) at Eagle Rock (10-0), 7 p.m.
The winner of this Open Division semifinal earns a state playoff bowl berth. Eagle Rock has relied on discipline and the play of quarterback Nathan Corrales, who has passed for 1,975 yards and 23 touchdowns. Garfield’s defense is led by Nicholas Delgadillo, who has 129 tackles. Running back Peter Garcia has rushed for 1,541 yards and 19 touchdowns. The pick: Eagle Rock.
Lake Balboa Birmingham (9-2) at Harbor City Narbonne (8-3), 7 p.m.
It’s difficult to come up with any scenario for a City team to beat the Gauchos. Birmingham coach Jim Rose says his team will do its best. The Patriots will need strong play from the offensive and defensive lines to stay competitive. Narbonne has multiple weapons, including two quarterbacks with more than 1,000 yards passing and three running backs with more than 500 yards rushing. The pick: Narbonne.
Twitter: @latsondheimer
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