Week 3 of the high school football season in the Central Coast Section is upon us, and there are marquee matchups dotting the schedule from Thursday night through Saturday. From teams hoping to build on strong starts to teams looking to rebound from tough early losses, compelling storylines abound throughout the section as CCS teams continue their non-league seasons.
Here are five games worth checking out this weekend. Note: We only considered games between two CCS teams. That means several games involving teams outside the section — including St. Ignatius vs. Acalanes, Saint Francis vs. De La Salle and Riordan vs. Pittsburg — were not up for consideration.
Mitty at Menlo-Atherton (7 p.m. Thursday)
Both teams are carrying a lopsided loss to East Bay powerhouse Acalanes, but the Monarchs (1-1) rebounded last week with a 33-20 win over Wilcox, the defending Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division champions. Now, Mitty faces another PAL-Bay opponent in the Bears (0-2), who have put together a brutal non-league schedule as usual. Menlo-Atherton is opening the home portion of its schedule after blowout losses at Destiny Christian Academy in Sacramento and Acalanes.
Running back Lazaro Faraj-Washington paces the Monarchs’ offense with 276 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Joseph Engin is 18-of-37 through two games with four touchdowns and three interceptions, with two of the scores going to Kai Sniffen.
The Bears have managed just 10 points through two games and are averaging a mere 2.5 yards per rushing attempt, with Monty Turner getting the lion’s share of the carries. Quarterback Teddy Dacey is 21-of-36 for 190 yards with an interception.
Sacred Heart Prep at Half Moon Bay (7 p.m. Thursday)
The Gators (1-1) bounced back from a season-opening loss at home to Sacred Heart Cathedral by beating El Capitan 35-27 last week in Merced. SHP has a run-heavy offense, with Cooper Karros and Maxime Morrell as the featured backs, while Nathan Cox has the potential to be a big-play receiver and was an outstanding special teams player last year. Senior Nico Pollioni took over starting quarterback duties midway through the 2024 season and is back in that role.
The Cougars (2-0) backed up an overtime win at Burlingame in Week 1 with a 49-21 romp over Pacheco. Half Moon Bay’s scrum offense leads to confusion all over the defense when working effectively, and it has been so far this year, led by sophomore quarterback Paxton Holden, running back Ronin McCauley and all-around playmakers Levi Meighen, Brandon Melo and Will Wimsett.
SHP may be two divisions above Half Moon Bay in the PAL pecking order, but the Cougars have the pieces to pick up another big win Thursday night.
Hollister at Wilcox (7 p.m. Friday)
The spotlight shifts south Friday night for a battle of two public school powers, both of which are searching for their first win. The Haybalers (0-1) came up short in a 42-28 shootout against Branham in Week 1 before a bye last week, while the Chargers (0-2) have two road losses against West Catholic Athletic League members Valley Christian and Mitty.
Hollister ran the ball 35 times with just 15 pass attempts in its opener. Braiden Hernandez led the way with 19 carries for 91 yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Cruz Raquet was 7-of-15 for 111 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Elijah Vallejo has been electric on the ground for Wilcox, with 235 yards on 37 carries through two games with four touchdowns. The Chargers have struggled to get their passing game going against a very difficult schedule, but if they can take an early lead and continue to pick up yardage on the ground, they can get into the win column in their home opener.
Aptos at Monterey (7:30 p.m. Friday)
This is a key early-season battle between two of the strongest programs in the Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay region. The Mariners (1-1) lost their opener 35-0 at The King’s Academy before beating Watsonville by a touchdown last week. The Toreadors (2-0) have an impressive one-point road win over Christopher on their resume this year, then blew out Seaside at home in Week 2.
Aptos had four different players rush for a touchdown against Watsonville, with Scott Catesi, Moises Torres, Gavin McDonald and Caden Bogle all finding the end zone. Joshua Bermio completed a short touchdown pass to Torres in the fourth quarter to help the Mariners put the game away.
Monterey completed its comeback against Christopher in Gilroy with a touchdown in the final minute, coupled with a go-ahead two-point conversion. A week later, the Toreadors raced out to a 21-point lead at halftime and coasted from there.
Soquel at Carmel (2 p.m. Saturday)
The Knights (2-0) are off to a roaring start with a dramatic win at Los Gatos in Week 1, then another impressive victory last week over San Ramon Valley. The Padres (1-0) are coming off a bye that followed their 33-21 win over Soledad to open the season.
Soquel quarterback Sam Whelan has been wheeling and dealing through two games, completing 38 of 50 passes for 588 yards and three touchdowns. He has also rushed for 110 yards on 14 carries and three more scores, a nice complement to running back Kelton Forbus, who has three rushing touchdowns of his own already. Hudson Summerrill is Whelan’s top target, accounting for 14 catches, 257 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Carmel, which went 15-0 and won a state title last season, took a 19-0 lead at halftime in the Soledad game and cruised to victory. This will be another fun one on the Monterey Peninsula.
