The Monte Vista Christian offense was poised to be one of the more explosive units in the Monterey Bay this fall, but the Mustangs’ playmakers have been bottled up for the majority of their 0-3 start to the season.
They’ll look to hit the reset button tonight at Soledad High in a game that will serve as both teams’ Pacific Coast Athletic League Mission division opener.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
Soledad (0-4) will also enter tonight’s game winless and searching for offensive productivity. The Aztecs, led by first-year head coach Eric Rodriguez, are averaging just 7.75 points per game this fall, and have allowed 137 points overall.
Soledad has produced four straight winning seasons and three consecutive trips to the Central Coast Section playoffs, but it will need to make some drastic overall improvements if wants to continue that streak.
M.V.C., meanwhile, has also had its struggles through a challenging preseason. The last time the Mustangs were on the field, they were shut out 35-0 by Aptos High on Sept. 7.
Head coach Jubenal Rodriguez, in his first year at the helm, has had the past two weeks to design a game plan that will hopefully produce more than the 9.3 points per game the Mustangs have averaged through the first three contests.
Here’s a look at the other local high school football games happening this week:
• Aptos High vs San Benito High; today at 7:30 p.m.: The Mariners believed they would have the ability to compete for the inaugural PCAL Gabilan division title this fall.
They have done little to disprove that assertion.
Aptos (3-0) impressively outscored its three preseason opponents 145-27, and head coach Randy Blankenship has had the past two weeks to prep for what should be the Mariners’ biggest test of the season so far.
San Benito (1-2) got off to a rocky start with back-to-back blowout loses to Terra Nova High and Wilcox High, but rebounded with an impressive win over Los Gatos High on Sept. 7.
Head coach Bryan Smith has also had the past two weeks to prep for the Mariners’ run-heavy attack led by senior running back Marcos Reyes, who toasted the Haybalers for 154 yards and two scores in last year’s 35-12 win.
Reyes, the program’s leader in career rushing yards, has totaled 349 yards and seven touchdowns on just 29 carries this fall. Junior fullback Josh Powell has also impressed, amassing 205 yards and four scores on only 21 touches.
That duo will need to continue its strong start if the Mariners want to begin their league season on the right foot.
• North Monterey County High vs Monterey High; today, 7:30 p.m.: N.M.C. and Monterey have both thoroughly impressed through the early season, scoring wins over teams in divisions above their own, the PCAL Cypress division.
The Condors (2-2), coached by Sean Gomes, started the season off with a 19-14 stunner over North Salinas High, and Monterey (3-1), coached by Hendrick Lusk, shocked rival Seaside High, 29-26, in week 2.
This week’s game will mean a little more, however, as the winner will notch an all-important league victory.
Junior quarterback Brandon Ducusin has done it all for N.M.C., scoring five touchdowns on the ground while also throwing for a score.
Junior running back Janias Thomas, senior running back Darius Garrard, senior receiver Iris Hutchings and senior quarterback Evans Charles have all been playmakers for Monterey, making the Toreadores a tough defensive assignment.
The two teams have met in each of the last two seasons in the now-defunct Monterey Bay League Pacific division. Monterey won last year’s meeting to avenge a loss from the year before.
