Top 10 Southern California high school football games to watch Week 6 (9/25/2023)
It's once again time to take a moment to just appreciate of how much great high school football is packed into SoCal. The sheer breadth of games worth tuning into between the CIF Southern, City, and San Diego Sections is astounding almost every week.
Like the previous two weeks, this week doesn't feature a litany of blockbusters that has the whole football world on edge. (And that will change in coming weeks.)
Instead, Week Six has a remarkably deep slate of notable games across every corner of the Southland. Dozens of games drew consideration for the countdown, but we could only choose ten.
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So, here are the top ten games to watch this week (Sept. 28-30) throughout Southern California. Numbers preceding teams refer to their placements in SBLive's weekly California Power 25.
TOP 10 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMES TO WATCH WEEK 6:
(Games are 7 p.m. Friday unless noted)
10. Roosevelt (Eastvale) at Murrieta Valley
Photo by Lance Smith
When the Big West League (Upper Division) debuted last year, one of the main points was to create a league where almost every single game was competitive and challenging. Well, mission successful, and it looks like 2023 will be similar. Winning this game could secure the victor a spot in a potential league title matchup, or it could prove to be their only win in league play. So when it's between two offensive heavyweights playing with a lot of momentum, it's bound to be a great game.
If high-powered Murrieta Valley wasn't already on everyone's radar heading into last week, it certainly is now after handing San Clemente its first loss. And it's the clear favorite in this one.
MORE: WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS | INTERVIEW WITH 4-STAR SAN CLEMENTE LB MATAI TAGOA'I
But Roosevelt is once again a very good under-the-radar squad set to be competitive in league play. Like Murrieta Valley, Roosevelt is 4-1 and has a potent offense, averaging 38 points per game.
Among the best reasons to tune in is the prospective quarterback battle. 4-star Murrieta Valley junior Bear Bachmeier has thrown for 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns, and 3-star Roosevelt senior Bryan Wilson has thrown for 1,295 yards and 12 TDs – and both are major running threats as well.
9. Yucaipa at Beaumont
This year, it's not Cajon and Citrus Valley that are unbeaten heading into Citrus Belt League play, but Yucaipa and Beaumont. No matter who wins this game, both teams are still heavy underdogs to break Cajon's streak of six straight sweeps of the conference. But this will likely be a massive win for whichever team wins, and one that could help springboard them towards continued ascension. While the computer rankings have Beaumont more than just a little bit ahead of Yucaipa, we're expecting a great game that comes down to the final minutes.
8. San Pedro at Gardena – 7:30 p.m.
For the second straight week, San Pedro cracks the countdown as it prepares to test a fast-rising, unbeaten LACS opponent. Last week was successful, as the Pirates held off Dymally 34-28 in a potential Open Division playoff preview. This week, they're once again the favorites, but they're tasked with winning on the road, and a Marine League title might be on the line as they visit 6-0 Gardena.
7. Kamehameha Kapalama at Mission Viejo
Photo by Heston Quan
For the second straight week, Mission Viejo takes on one of the top teams in another region. Last week didn't go so well, as the Diablos visited the East Coast and got beaten fairly badly by one of the best teams in the D.C. area, St. John's. But this week should be better for them, as unlike last week, they'll be back home in SoCal and their foe isn't quite a top-50 team in the country.
6. Santa Margarita vs. St. John Bosco at Saddleback College
Photo by Joe Bergman
For those who thought Santa Margarita was about to fall off in 2023, you thought wrong. The Eagles have been up and down during pre-league play, but their 4-1 record helps illustrate that they're still clearly among the top teams in California. But can they push St. John Bosco, like they did in 2020-21? That's of course an uphill climb as always, but the Braves might be unusually vulnerable right now after losing a stunner against Hawaii powerhouse Kahuku in their last game. So, this Trinity League opener should reveal a lot about one or both teams.
5. Corona del Mar at Edison (Huntington Beach)
Photo by Lance Smith
2022 might've been the strongest year in Sunset League history. So, it's only natural that 2023 is a reloading year for the league's incumbent top three teams – Los Alamitos, Edison, and Corona del Mar.
But the Sunset League is still one of SoCal's stronger conferences, and the dynamic entering league play seems to be the same as the three prior years. Los Al remains the favorite, and Edison and CdM jockey for both second place and an underdog shot at a title. Edison has edged out Corona del Mar for three years in a row, with two of them coming in close games. That includes one of the top Southern Section battles in recent history, a quintuple-overtime thriller in the 2020-21 spring season that Edison won 44-41.
4. Orange Lutheran at JSerra
Photo by Bobby Medellin
Last year, the Trinity League finished in a three-way tie between Orange Lutheran, Santa Margarita, and JSerra. OLu had the opportunity to clinch sole possession of the bronze, but fell 21-7 to JSerra in Week Ten while missing its first and second-strong quarterbacks.
This year, this conference has a similar outlook, and this game will once again have significant league implications. For both teams, there are many scenarios in which this could prove to be their biggest game of the regular season. Additionally, JSerra might be fired up to prove that last year's result was no fluke, whereas Orange Lutheran's 4-star quarterback TJ Lateef is getting his first crack at the Lions.
3. Upland at Damien
Is this the best Baseline League we've ever seen? It just might be. Understandably, reigning league champion Rancho Cucamonga and reigning CIFSS Division 5 champion Etiwanda have gotten the most attention. But that's starting to change. Damien is ranked atop the San Gabriel Valley and in the statewide top 25 after starting 6-0 for the first time since 1999. Upland made the the D3 title game last year after going 2-2 in league play, and is now 5-1 with a host of signature wins including Apple Valley, Millikan, and Norco.
Damien won 27-18 last year and is a light favorite once again, but this game may well come down to the wire. These teams are evenly-matched, physical, and hungry for every Baseline League win they can muster.
2. Newbury Park at Moorpark
Another week, another unofficial league title game for Newbury Park. After outdueling rival Thousand Oaks last week, it now faces the other top-ranked team in the Canyon League, unbeaten Moorpark. Whereas Newbury Park is 2-0 in conference play, Moorpark has only played one league game, but it was a convincing blowout of Oak Park. Whichever team wins will have a stranglehold on the league race, but the victor will still have to bring it every single week to go all the way early – the Canyon League is deep with contenders.
1. Carlsbad at Mission Hills
Photo by Justin Fine
One of the more underrated active feats in SoCal right now: Carlsbad hasn't lost an Avocado League game since 2018, when it went 3-2 with losses to Mission Hills and Torrey Pines. The team that's played Carlsbad very closely during all of those seasons? Mission Hills, not including 2020-21 when they didn't face each other due to COVID-19. In each meeting, Mission Hills was able to contain the Lancers' offense and hold them below 20 points, but Carlsbad dominated defensively as well to pull out the win.
As usual, Carlsbad is the favorite, and there are other major factors in the conference besides Mission Hills, but whomever wins this game very likely wins the league. Look for Carlsbad to put up one of its marquee wins of the Julian Sayin era – and for Mission Hills to spoil the part if the Lancers don't bring their A-game.
MORE GAMES TO WATCH:
In any given week of Southern California high school football, there are dozens of great games to watch between top programs. Here are some other exciting matchups happening this week.
(Numerals are state rankings by SBLive. Games are 7 p.m. unless noted.)
Thursday:
Narbonne at Carson – 7:30 p.m.
Ayala at Glendora
Norco at Vista Murrieta
Palisades at Hamilton – 3:30 p.m.
Oak Hills at Hesperia
Helix at West Hills
Chaparral at Corona Centennial – 7:30 p.m.
Villa Park at El Dorado (Placentia)
Brea Olinda at El Modena
Friday:
Warren at Mayfair
Village Christian at Aquinas
Millikan at Long Beach Poly
Birmingham at Granada Hills Charter
Santa Barbara at Rio Mesa
Loyola at St. Francis (La Cañada)
Rancho Bernardo at Del Norte (San Diego)
Palos Verdes at Santa Monica
Poway at La Costa Canyon
Northview at Bonita
Arleta at Sun Valley Poly – 3:30 p.m.
Lincoln (San Diego) at Madison
Cathedral at Paraclete
Roosevelt (Los Angeles) at Legacy
Torrey Pines at El Camino (Oceanside)
Tustin at Kennedy (La Palma)
Diego Rivera at Dr. Maya Angelou Community – 7:30 p.m.
Ramona (Ramona) at Mt. Carmel
St. Anthony at St. Pius X-St. Matthias
Ventura at Pacifica (Oxnard)
Mira Mesa at La Jolla
Chaminade at Serra (Gardena)
Chino Hills at Etiwanda
Oceanside at San Pasqual
Tesoro at San Juan Hills
Lakewood at Jordan (Long Beach)
San Marcos (San Marcos) at Fallbrook
Diamond Bar at Trabuco Hills
Hart at West Ranch
St. Bonaventure at Bishop Diego
Cleveland at Taft
Mira Costa at Culver City
Servite at Mater Dei
Brawley at Scripps Ranch
Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) at Sierra Canyon
Huntington Beach at Newport Harbor
Bishop Amat at Alemany
Diamond Ranch at Colony
Orange Vista at J.W. North
Torrance at Lawndale
Foothill (Santa Ana) at Esperanza
Westlake at Simi Valley
Buena Park at La Habra
Saturday:
La Jolla Country Day at Bishop's
Great Oak at M.L. King
