David Delgado will be looking this season for the interesting matchups that aren’t getting attention like the high-profile games. He will preview the great battles, fun rivalries and intriguing storylines that happen outside of the top 25 rankings.
DELGADO’S PICKS FOR WEEK 1
Western (1-0) at St. Margaret’s (0-1), Friday, 7 p.m.
What’s the attraction: This North vs South matchup caught my eye when I first looked at the schedule for Week 1 in Orange County. Both teams were CIF-SS Division 9 playoff teams last season with a common postseason opponent, Colony of Ontario. Western lost to the Titans in the quarterfinals 52-27 while St. Margaret’s went all the way to the Division 9 final before falling to Colony 49-41.
Western coach Dan Davidson looks forward to a tough road challenge Friday.
“They spread you out,” Davidson said, “they have a quarterback (Max Ruff) who can get the ball out, they have a playmaker at wide receiver (Derek Smith), who is a legit No. 1 and they’re well coached up front.”
The Pioneers have some playmakers on their side of the ball as well with QB Anthony Luna and receivers Drew and Josh Faulkner. Josh, a junior, scored three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) in a 42-0 win over Chino.
The Tartans will need to apply pressure to Luna to get the win, if not, look for Western to roll.
Los Amigos (0-0) at Ocean View (0-1), Friday, 7 p.m.
What’s the attraction: Second-year coach Romel Guess earned his first victory with Los Amigos against Ocean View last season and is hoping for more of the same to start this year.
The Lobos are usually a physical ground team but could gain most of their yards through the air this season. Three-year starter at QB Maysen Navarro has two standout targets in sophomores Adrian Ramirez and Erubey Bermudez.
“We’re coming in hungry,” Guess said. “We’re going to play hard, we’re going to play fast and we’re going to play physical, that’s what we make our money on.”
The Seahawks are looking to bounce back from their loss in the opener against Santa Ana Valley and will need players like Frankie Armenta and Keiki Leuta to make an impact on both sides of the ball to avenge last year’s loss.
Savanna (1-0) at Buena Park (1-0), Friday, 7 p.m.
What’s the attraction: The Coyotes will be looking to improve to 2-0 for the first time since 2016 as they host nearby rival Savanna.
Buena Park coach David Prieto admits local bragging rights will be on the line.
“It’s a big game,” Prieto said. “A lot of these guys end up running into each other in junior high and they all kind of split up in high school. and locally, they’re right here. Lots of these guys will end up hanging out at the mall and will see each other, so there’s lots of bragging rights in this game.”
Seniors Jayden Costa, Jadin Saxton and Azim Muhammad will look to continue their explosive play for the Coyotes.
The Rebels feature QB Noah Ramirez and running backs Brian Uriosegui and Bryce Machado.
Prieto hopes to continue collecting wins in preparation for league play.
“Another win would set us up perfect (for success),” Prieto said, “especially early on in the season because we do play in the Freeway League, which is a tough league and we definitely want that playoff berth this season.”
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