EAST COUNTY FEARLESS FORECASTER – Week 1

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

EAST COUNTY FEARLESS FORECASTER: Week 1

By RAMON SCOTT
EastCountySports.com

The waiting is over.

After an offseason of coaching changes, transfers, new quarterbacks, returning stars and plenty of speculation, the 2026 high school football season gets underway Friday night with East County teams scattered from Oceanside to Imperial Beach — and all the way across the Pacific to Hawaii.

The opening week offers an immediate measuring stick at the top. No. 2 Granite Hills travels to No. 9 Oceanside in the marquee game involving an East County team, while No. 13 Helix meets No. 14 Santa Fe Christian and No. 16 Steele Canyon hosts No. 17 San Diego in two more games matching teams in the East County Sports Top 25.

There are intriguing questions farther down the board, too. Is No. 20 Valhalla ready for an immediate breakthrough with a rebuilt roster? Can Grossmont’s offense win a shootout at Madison? What does Mount Miguel look like after one of the county’s most significant offseason roster turnovers? Can El Cajon Valley begin a turnaround under new coach Syd Reed?

And in Lakeside, El Capitan isn’t even in California.

The Vaqueros have gone to Hawaii.

Here are the Fearless Forecaster’s Week 1 selections:

No. 2 GRANITE HILLS (0-0) at No. 9 OCEANSIDE (0-0)

Friday, 7:15 p.m.

There might not be a better opening-night test for Granite Hills. Or a better game in the county on Friday night.

The Eagles lost a large senior class from last season’s 10-4 team Division I section championship team, but there is one rather substantial reason expectations remain enormous: Zac Benitez is still taking the snaps.

Benitez threw for 4,009 yards and 42 touchdowns last season and enters his senior year within reach of the major San Diego Section career passing records. His presence gives Granite Hills something few teams possess in August — certainty at the most important position on the field.

The receiving cast around him has changed, including a late-preseason departure, but Granite Hills didn’t enter the season empty-handed. In fact, just the 0pposite.

Courtney Miller-Thompson, who caught 60 passes for 921 yards at Lincoln last season, gives Benitez a proven senior target. Gage Spalding, Devin Williams, Jesse White, Jonah Hamilton and standout newcomer Nino Miller-Thompson give the Eagles additional options as coach Kellen Cobbs reloads an offense that lost significant production.

The more interesting early test could come up front.

Seth Haisch, a 6-foot-2, 285-pound senior, anchors the offensive line, while Landon Hart and Niko Poolar are among the names to watch in the trenches.

Cayden Phillips and Eurijah Schutza are part of a defense that will be asked to grow up quickly against a legitimate Top 10 opponent.

Oceanside isn’t a team Granite Hills can simply overwhelm with superior size.

The Pirates have plenty of it themselves, led by Michigan-bound offensive lineman Lincoln Mageo. Junior quarterback Anthony Barquinero threw for 2,048 yards and 21 touchdowns last season, and Neke Letuli gives Oceanside a dangerous running threat. Senior linebacker Levi Fesili is another player the Eagles will have to account for.

That makes this a particularly useful opener for Granite Hills. Benitez should give the Eagles an advantage whenever the game becomes a contest of quarterback execution, but Oceanside has enough size and talent to make Granite Hills earn its possessions.

Expect the Pirates to put up a reasonable battle. Eventually, expect Benitez to find the end zone more often.

FEARLESS FORECASTER: GRANITE HILLS 35, OCEANSIDE 23.

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No. 13 HELIX (0-0) at No. 14 SANTA FE CHRISTIAN (0-0)

Friday, 4 p.m.

Only one position separates Helix and Santa Fe Christian in the East County Sports Top 25, and the quarterback matchup adds another layer to an intriguing opener.

Senior Caden Thompson finally gets the Helix offense after seeing only limited action last season. Don’t mistake him for an inexperienced quarterback. As a sophomore at Escondido, Thompson completed 73.7 percent of his passes for 2,058 yards and 25 touchdowns with only four interceptions. Now a three-star prospect with an offer from Toledo, he gets his opportunity with an experienced group of receivers.

Jeremy Robinson led Helix with 29 catches for 461 yards last season, while Jacob Andrew-Johnson had 24 receptions for 300 yards and a team-high four touchdowns.

Dario Bartoletti, LaMarquis Sutton and Gerald Winley add to what should be a much more dangerous passing game.

Helix can also make Santa Fe Christian defend the run. Two-way standout Donte Wright averaged 7.7 yards per carry while rushing for 485 yards and seven touchdowns, Bryson Calloway added 472 yards and Eunique Johnson gives the Highlanders a third back.

They’ll operate behind a sizable front featuring Sean Fanua, Nate Misilao, Aydan Lopez, Kaleo Hughes and transfer Kiti Fuga.

Santa Fe Christian counters with one of the county’s established stars in Cornell-bound quarterback Dax Labrum, who threw for 3,106 yards and 36 touchdowns during a 13-1 season. Brady Berg, Cooper Hamric and Chase Woolley give him weapons capable of testing Helix’s secondary.

The Highlanders aren’t going to completely shut down that offense, but Jeremy Davis — 94 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and four sacks last season — leads a defense with enough size and athleticism to create the two or three disruptive plays that could decide this game.

The difference may ultimately be Helix’s offensive balance. If Wright and Calloway establish the run, Thompson should get opportunities to show that his big sophomore season at Escondido wasn’t a fluke.

Expect Labrum to keep SFC in it until the end, but Helix gets just enough offense and one late defensive stop.

FEARLESS FORECASTER: HELIX 27, SANTA FE CHRISTIAN 24

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No. 16 STEELE CANYON (0-0) vs. No. 17 SAN DIEGO (0-0)

Friday, 7 p.m.

There may not be a more evenly matched game involving an East County team Friday night. Steele Canyon and San Diego sit back-to-back in the East County Sports Top 25, and both have enough veteran talent to make this an early measuring-stick game.

The Cougars have the advantage of continuity, beginning with senior quarterback Gavin Caha. He threw for 2,426 yards and 25 touchdowns last season while helping Steele Canyon finish 9-4, and he gets three productive receivers back in Josiah Stocker, Malcolm Ballard and Trevor Zenno.

That experience should allow Steele Canyon to attack immediately rather than spend September figuring out its passing game. Marcus Hunt, who rushed for 321 yards last season, gives the Cougars another option on the ground and is also one of their important two-way players.

But the biggest reason to like Steele Canyon in the opener may be its defense.

The Cougars return nine defensive starters, including ends Sebastian Castellon and Isaac Craven, with Jackson Turner and Gunner Minich among the leaders in the front seven. The secondary is experienced, too, with Luke Rode, Jamison Sablan and Hunt providing veteran playmakers.

They’ll need all of it against a San Diego team with considerably more talent than its recent reputation might suggest. Senior two-way standout Kye Cooper, an SDSU commit, leads the Cavers, while Jayden Harris takes over at quarterback and Jayden Johnson gives them another proven athlete. Former Mount Miguel receiver Delontay Williams adds another weapon after transferring to San Diego.

The Cavers also begin a new era under former Chargers linebacker Stephen Cooper, and that makes them one of the more interesting teams in the county entering Week 1.

Still, Steele Canyon has fewer questions. Caha is a proven varsity quarterback surrounded by experienced receivers, and a nine-starter defense should be much closer to midseason form than most units taking the field for the first time.

San Diego has enough speed to make this uncomfortable, but look for the Cougars’ defensive front to create pressure and Caha to make a couple of decisive plays against the Cavers’ secondary.

FEARLESS FORECASTER: STEELE CANYON 28, SAN DIEGO 20

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No. 20 VALHALLA (0-0) vs. SAN JACINTO VALLEY ACADEMY (0-0)

Friday, 7 p.m.

There is not be a team in East County that looks more different this season compared to last than Valhalla.

New coach Jason Carter inherited a program coming off a difficult season and immediately began rebuilding it. The biggest addition is familiar to Grossmont Conference followers: former Mount Miguel quarterback Jeremiah Loper.

Loper threw for 2,423 yards and 26 touchdowns last season and gives the Norsemen an experienced senior quarterback around whom Carter can construct the offense. Jayden Hunter returns after rushing for 736 yards, while Tmarrion Williams provides another veteran athlete.

The newcomers are substantial, too. Gavin Dysart, Cameron Conley, Romeo Tepi, Desmond Demara and Amare Young are among the players who have helped reshape the roster.

There is enough talent here that the question Friday isn’t simply whether Valhalla wins. It’s whether the Norsemen immediately look like the Top 20 team we believe they can become.

Against San Jacinto Valley Academy, Loper should have opportunities to get comfortable early and distribute the football. If the rebuilt Valhalla defense controls the game as expected, this could get away quickly.

We’re buying the Norsemen early.

FEARLESS FORECASTER: VALHALLA 56, SAN JACINTO VALLEY ACADEMY 7.

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EL CAPITAN (0-0) at PEARL CITY (Hawaii) (1-0)

Friday, 9 p.m. PDT

For El Capitan, opening night is more than the beginning of a season. It is the Vaqueros’ first football trip to Hawaii since 2012 and third-ever visit for the program to the islands.

Coach Ron Burner brings a much more experienced team across the Pacific than last year’s 4-7 record might suggest. El Capitan returns 15 starters, including 10 on offense, after a season in which the Vaqueros were 4-2 before running into the Grossmont Hills League gauntlet.

The most important difference should be at quarterback. Junior Hayden Passanisi was thrown into the varsity job as a sophomore and passed for 1,014 yards and six touchdowns. Now he has a full season in Burner’s offense and a much deeper collection of weapons.

Junior Michael Castillo is the proven centerpiece of the running game after rushing for 558 yards and producing 847 all-purpose yards. At 6-foot-5, 228 pounds, senior tight end Braiden Linder gives Passanisi a matchup problem in the middle of the field, while Micah Clark, Michael Valencia II, Cota LaChappa, Shayne Whitmore, Zaine Burke and transfer Elijah Arzu provide options outside.

That group operates behind what could be one of El Capitan’s biggest advantages Friday. Ethan Duncan-Celeste, Gabriel Wolf and the returning Dylan Schmidt lead an experienced offensive front. Schmidt missed last season following knee surgery but has worked his way back, adding another physical presence to a unit the Vaqueros expect to build around.

Pearl City isn’t simply providing the scenery for El Capitan’s trip.

The Chargers already have a game behind them, beating Roosevelt 31-12 last Friday after shutting out the Rough Riders in the first half. Pearl City scored three touchdowns after halftime and appears capable of contending in Hawaii’s OIA Division II. The late addition of quarterback Jayden Delos Santos, a transfer from Campbell, gives the Chargers another dimension offensively.

That makes the opening stages important. El Capitan is traveling across an ocean, playing in unfamiliar conditions and facing an opponent that has already gone through the process of preparing for and winning a regular-season game. The Vaqueros can’t afford the kind of start they had in 2025, when they were shut out in each of their first two games.

But this El Capitan offense should be considerably better equipped to score.

The larger question is on defense, where the Vaqueros must replace their four leading tacklers. Senior safety Ryder Powers becomes one of the leaders of that group after recording 34 tackles, an interception and four passes defended. Dominic Megginson and Kash Ludlum provide additional experience, while Landon Bond returns after making 30 tackles as a sophomore.

Keep an eye on sophomore linebacker Robinson Silva, too. El Capitan’s veterans repeatedly identified Silva during the preseason as a potential breakout player, and his emergence would help a defense replacing considerable production.

Linder gives the Vaqueros size at defensive end, and Schmidt eventually figures into the defensive front as his workload increases following his return from injury.

Pearl City should provide a legitimate early challenge, particularly with Delos Santos and an offense that already put up 31 points. But El Capitan’s advantage should be its experience and physicality up front. If Duncan-Celeste and company establish Castillo and give Passanisi time, the Vaqueros have enough weapons to make Pearl City defend considerably more than the running game.

And after surviving a year in the Grossmont Hills League, this is exactly the kind of game El Capitan expects to win as it begins what could be a major bounce-back season.

The Vaqueros went to Hawaii in 2007 and came home with a 51-35 victory over King Kekaulike. They returned in 2012 and lost 17-6 to Kealakehe.

FEARLESS FORECASTER: EL CAPITAN 28, PEARL CITY 14

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MOUNT MIGUEL (0-0) at MONTGOMERY (0-0)

Friday, 7 p.m.

There may not be a more difficult East County team to evaluate entering opening night than Mount Miguel.

The Matadors went 8-4 last season, but this isn’t simply the next edition of the same team. Coach Verlain Betofe departed, a significant group of players followed the transfer trail elsewhere, and first-year head coach James Simon inherits the task of blending the remaining veterans with a new collection of players.

The good news is that Mount Miguel still has legitimate talent to build around.

Senior Dominic Lopez gives the Matadors an experienced two-way presence at running back and linebacker and should be one of the players Simon can lean on immediately.

Cayden Mobley brings athleticism and could be used in several roles, while Ivan Williams is another important returning piece. Williams played linebacker last season but is expected to move on to the defensive line, where Mount Miguel will need him to become a disruptive presence.

Some of the most intriguing pieces are considerably younger. Sophomores Brandon Reed and Kalani Tausaga are already expected to contribute in the trenches, with Reed working on both lines and Tausaga at defensive end. Their development becomes particularly important because Mount Miguel isn’t easing into its rebuilding process.

It starts with Montgomery.

The Aztecs beat El Capitan 14-0 last season, and this is exactly the type of opener that could expose a team still figuring out its identity. For Mount Miguel, the question isn’t whether there is talent. It’s how quickly Simon can turn the remaining veterans and newcomers into a cohesive team.

That makes Lopez, Williams and Mobley particularly important Friday. Mount Miguel doesn’t need its entire 2026 identity established in Week 1. It needs its experienced players to carry enough of the load while the new pieces settle in.

This one feels like it could stay uncomfortable for a while. Montgomery is good enough to make Mount Miguel earn it, and the uncertainty surrounding the Matadors makes a comfortable prediction difficult.

But Mount Miguel still has enough high-end returning talent to give the Matadors the benefit of the doubt in the opener.

FEARLESS FORECASTER: MOUNT MIGUEL 28, MONTGOMERY 21

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MOUNTAIN EMPIRE (0-0) vs. HAMILTON (0-0)

Friday, 7 p.m.

Mountain Empire returns to the site where its breakthrough 2025 season began. The RedHawks edged Hamilton 28-25 in coach Cameron Keller’s debut and went on to finish 9-3, win a playoff game and establish one of the better small-school offenses in the county.

This time, Hamilton knows exactly what is coming — but stopping it is another matter.

Senior quarterback Chance Ross completed 73 of 122 passes for 1,090 yards and 12 touchdowns with only two interceptions last season and added 360 rushing yards and 11 TDs. His ability to run makes Mountain Empire’s play-action game particularly effective because defenses already have to devote so much attention to junior running back Elisha Robinson.

Robinson was tremendous as a sophomore, rushing for 1,443 yards and 17 touchdowns while averaging 8.6 yards per carry.

Senior Amar Mahasin provides another big-play threat after producing 570 yards from scrimmage, while CJ Bynum, Nick Terlann, Jacob Arnold, Marcelo Gamez Cruz and Nick Santos are among the receivers stepping into larger roles.

The RedHawks also have legitimate size up front for a school their size. Seniors Spencer Alvarez and Logan Snyder are both around 280 pounds, with Ezekiel Lopez and David Oden among the other experienced linemen. That’s a good foundation for an offense built around Robinson’s running and Ross’ ability to punish defenses once they begin crowding the box.

Defensively, David Oney returns at middle linebacker after recording 43 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and five sacks. Oney, Robinson, Angel Avila and Arnold give Mountain Empire experience at linebacker, while Mahasin should again be an important two-way player.

Last year’s opener became much closer than Mountain Empire wanted after the RedHawks built an early 21-6 lead. With Ross, Robinson, Mahasin, Oney and an experienced line all returning from a nine-win team, there should be fewer first-game unknowns this time.

Hamilton made them work for it a year ago. Expect Mountain Empire’s veteran core to create some separation in the rematch.

FEARLESS FORECASTER: MOUNTAIN EMPIRE 31, HAMILTON 14

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SANTANA (0-0) at MORSE (0-0)

Friday, 7 p.m.

Santana doesn’t need anyone to explain what Morse can do.

The Tigers ended Santana’s 2025 season with a 38-0 playoff victory, giving Friday night’s opener an obvious measuring-stick quality for the Sultans.

Santana returns senior quarterback Ethan Miller, along with receivers Denton Goar and Josh Pehl, running back Julian Mayers, linebacker Brody Tena, athlete Kolten Thornton and kicker Brenden Varner. That’s enough experienced personnel for coach Tim Estes to enter the season with considerably more certainty than many teams at this level.

Morse, however, has senior linebacker Ivan Scarville anchoring its defense and the recent matchup certainly favors the Tigers until Santana proves otherwise.

The Sultans should be better equipped to compete this time, and Miller’s experience gives them a chance to sustain drives that disappeared in last year’s playoff meeting.

But making up 38 points in one offseason is asking a lot.

Santana closes the gap. Morse still wins.

FEARLESS FORECASTER: MORSE 28, SANTANA 14.

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WEST HILLS (0-0) vs. CHULA VISTA (0-0)

Friday, 7 p.m.

West Hills spent most of last season proving that its final record didn’t necessarily reflect the quality of the team.

The Wolf Pack started 0-5, then went 4-1 in Grossmont Valley League play, finishing second behind Grossmont and winning four of their final five regular-season games. That makes Friday’s opener against Chula Vista particularly important for a veteran team determined not to spend another September digging out of a hole.

Senior quarterback Evin Dill returns after accounting for 1,165 total yards last season — 758 passing and 407 rushing. His mobility should become even more useful behind an experienced offensive line led by Aidan Swiney, Phil Hoadley and Cole Cota.

West Hills wants that group to establish the running game and make life easier for Dill. E.J. Lee-Fields is expected to take on a much larger role at running back after making his biggest impact defensively last season, while Andrew Serrato provides another experienced ball carrier.

The Wolf Pack also needs more from its passing game after averaging only 14.1 points last season. Jacob Timmerman returns as the leading receiver after catching 16 passes for 145 yards, Marcus Leath is another experienced two-way target, and Zack Waters can give Dill a bigger option at tight end.

Defense remains the safer bet with West Hills. Lee-Fields had three interceptions last season, while Waters and Cota give the Wolf Pack experienced players near the line of scrimmage. Scotty Miller returns at linebacker, and Waters believes the defense will be considerably more aggressive under its new coordinator, emphasizing pressure rather than simply limiting yardage.

That’s probably the formula Friday: let Swiney, Hoadley and Cota establish the line of scrimmage, use Dill and Lee-Fields to control possession and trust the defense to keep Chula Vista from turning it into a high-scoring game.

West Hills won plenty of games this way down the stretch last season. The difference in 2026 needs to be doing it from opening night.

We don’t expect a runaway. We do expect the Wolf Pack to make enough plays — and score just enough — to avoid another 0-1 start. The Wolf Pack wins it in typical West Hills fashion.

FEARLESS FORECASTER: WEST HILLS 20, CHULA VISTA 17

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MONTE VISTA (0-0) at CRAWFORD (0-0)

Friday, 7 p.m.

Monte Vista opens 2026 with a game that should immediately tell us whether the Monarchs can impose the physical identity they spent the offseason building.

The Monarchs beat Crawford 36-13 in last year’s opener, but this version of Monte Vista enters with a much different offensive question after the graduation of veteran quarterback Derrick Taylor.

Junior Alec Carrera and senior Juan Duran competed for the job throughout the preseason, and neither needs to be asked to carry the offense immediately if Monte Vista can play the way it wants.

That means giving the football to senior Dion Hunter and junior Braden Silie and letting an experienced offensive front go to work.

Hunter provides the explosive element in the backfield, while Silie gives the Monarchs a more physical downhill runner. Behind senior lineman Joshua Hunt, Peter Alhanoush, Richard Navarro and Abdiel Moreno, Monte Vista should have a chance to establish the run early and keep its new quarterback out of obvious passing situations.

That’s particularly important in an opener. Rather than asking Carrera or Duran to win the game with 25 throws, Monte Vista can lean on Hunt and the line, control possession and gradually work a younger receiving corps into the offense. Naithen Smith, Edwin Smith and Jose Lozuna Marron are among the targets expected to take on larger roles.

The other reason to like Monte Vista in a close game is its defensive front.

Hunt is the centerpiece there as well, with Gabriel Lara, Leeland Sanchez and Patrick Johnson among the younger linemen who drew repeated praise during the preseason.

Silie anchors the linebacker group, where Fadhili Ibochwa, Gujuan Smith, Eric Lewis-Devereaux and Duran give the Monarchs additional experience and versatility.

The secondary is younger, with sophomores Diamond Rice and Lennox Williams among the players expected to take on larger roles. Crawford may try to find out quickly whether that group is ready, so controlling the line of scrimmage and preventing the Colts from creating easy opportunities on the perimeter becomes important.

This probably won’t look like last year’s 23-point Monte Vista victory. The Monarchs are breaking in a quarterback and several young perimeter players, and opening-night mistakes could keep Crawford in the game.

But Monte Vista has the more established formula for winning this type of matchup: Hunt and the line, Hunter and Silie running the football, and a front seven capable of making Crawford work for every possession.

If the Monarchs can avoid turnovers and keep the game in their preferred physical style, they should find enough offense to escape with a much closer victory than a year ago.

FEARLESS FORECASTER: MONTE VISTA 21, CRAWFORD 20.

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EL CAJON VALLEY (0-0) at MAR VISTA (0-0)

Friday, 6:30 p.m.

If El Cajon Valley is going to change the direction of its program under first-year coach Syd Reed, this is where it begins.

The Braves finished 2-8 last season and enter 2026 carrying a 14-game Grossmont Valley League losing streak. But their five-game nonleague schedule gives them something important: games against opponents much closer to their competitive level before league play begins.

And ECV actually returns more production than a quick glance at last year’s record might suggest.

Senior Janvier Kashindi is the centerpiece after rushing for 580 yards and four touchdowns at 6.2 yards per carry while also making 57 tackles, two sacks and an interception.

Gavino Kendall-Pinal provides another versatile senior option after contributing on offense and recording 37 tackles.

Division 1 tight end prospect Amir Miller caught three touchdown passes and gives the Braves an established red-zone target, while Rashaunn Barr intercepted four passes in only six games and also is a receiving target that was a secondteam All-Grossmont Valley League. selection last season.

Isaiah Hicks recorded 34 tackles and four tackles for loss, and sophomore quarterback Tariq “TJ” Ibrahimi received varsity snaps as a freshman without throwing an interception and is ready to step in as the Braves’ quarterback hopefully for years to come.

Up front, senior Ricardo Iniguez has been prominently featured throughout ECV’s preseason and figures to be an important piece of Reed’s first team.

Mar Vista counters with junior quarterback Holden Bell, one of the Mariners’ most important players entering the season.

This may be the night’s ultimate coin flip.

ECV has enough returning defensive playmakers to create the one extra possession it needs, and Kashindi is exactly the type of veteran runner you want when protecting a fourth-quarter lead.

FEARLESS FORECASTER: EL CAJON VALLEY 28, MAR VISTA 27.

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FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN (0-0) vs. ESCONDIDO CHARTER (0-0)

Friday, 7 p.m.

Foothills Christian enters its second season under coach Dustin Turley with an intriguing change at the position that could most dramatically alter the Knights’ offense.

Junior quarterback Hayden Oleson has transferred in from Canada along with his brother Jack Oleson, giving Foothills Christian a potential answer to a passing game that produced only 553 yards all of last season.

That’s significant because the Knights weren’t incapable of moving the football in 2025. They rushed for 1,660 yards, and much of the offensive foundation remains built around the ground game.

Tuchon Phoenix, David Stewart and Trevor Embleton give Foothills Christian multiple options at running back, while Jonah Nottoli is another important two-way player who can contribute from the backfield and secondary.

If Oleson can make defenses respect the pass, Jace Hilemon becomes another name to watch at receiver, and suddenly opponents can’t devote quite as much attention to stopping the run.

The concern is everything that must change after a 1-9 season.

Foothills Christian needs improvement on both sides of the ball, and Marshall Bailey will be an important piece in the middle of the defensive front. Nottoli and Embleton provide experience in the secondary, but the Knights have to prove they can consistently get stops before we’re ready to project a major jump.

Escondido Charter represents a difficult opening measuring stick.

FEARLESS FORECASTER: ESCONDIDO CHARTER 42, FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN 7.

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PATRICK HENRY (0-0) vs. LA JOLLA (0-0)

Friday, 7 p.m.

The Patrick Henry Patriots open against a La Jolla team sitting just outside the ECS Top 25.

Senior quarterback Madin Gardini is the player around whom Patrick Henry can build its upset attempt. Having an experienced senior quarterback gives the Patriots a chance, particularly if Gardini can keep them out of obvious passing situations and prevent La Jolla’s defensive front from dictating the game.

That front includes senior Nico Bardaro, one of La Jolla’s notable DE-TE two-way players.

Henry should remain competitive, but La Jolla has the better chance of controlling the game as it progresses.

FEARLESS FORECASTER: LA JOLLA 33, PATRICK HENRY 21.

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CANYON HILLS (0-0) vs. LA JOLLA COUNTRY DAY (0-0)

Friday, 7 p.m.

Canyon Hills junior Taylon Sheriff  is a WR-DB and one of the players Canyon Hills will need to produce if the Rattlers are going to outperform expectations.

The problem Friday is the opponent.

La Jolla Country Day has senior Marvin Jones III at running back and linebacker and senior Keenan Ward at running back and defensive end. That’s a pair of established two-way players who can affect the game regardless of which unit is on the field.

FEARLESS FORECASTER: LA JOLLA COUNTRY DAY 35, CANYON HILLS 14.

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