By Kevin Askeland
MaxPreps.com
De La Salle opens its season this week and it probably couldn't have found a tougher opponent in the Bay Area. The Spartans tangle with the Serra Padres of San Mateo, highlighting the Top 10 Games to Watch.
Serra (1-0) at DeLaSalle (0-0)
The Spartans are looking to set a new winning streak of one in a row when they take on the Padres tonight. De La Salle, which set the national record for consecutive wins with 151, lost its final game of the 2006 season to Canyon and has probably been itching to get back onto the field to get the taste of losing out of their mouths. It won't be easy against the Padres, who dusted the Buchanan Bears 41-7 last week in their season opener. Last year, De La Salle won 40-28.
Parlier (2-0) at Fowler (1-0)
A battle between two of the top small schools in the Central Section, Fowler is coming off a win over Liberty while Parlier has already defeated Roosevelt and Riverdale. Parlier figures to be one of the favorites, along with Corcoran, to win the East Sequoia League this year while Fowler will battle Caruthers for supremacy in the Southwest Sierra League.
Long Beach Poly (1-0) at Birmingham (0-1)
Birmingham is looking for its firs win after an upset loss to Crespi last week. It won't be an easy task against Long Beach Poly, which traveled to Ohio and knocked off Glenville 21-13. The Jackrabbits had little trouble with Birmingham last year, winning 46-8 en route to an 11-2 season. Birmingham started the year 1-3, but won the rest of its games to finish 11-3 and win the LA City Section championship.
Foothill (0-0) at Novato (0-0)
Last year, Novato's one blemish on an otherwise spotless record came in the season opener when the Hornets lost to Foothill 21-3. Novato went on to win 12 straight games and a North Coast Section title. Along the way, the Hornets posted nine shutouts. Perhaps the only thing that kept Novato out of the CIF Bowl Games was the loss to Foothill. The Falcons went the other route, winning their first 12 games before falling to De La Salle in the third round of the playoffs. Likewise, the loss may have been the one thing that kept Foothill out of the Bowl Games.
Palo Alto (0-0) at McClymonds (0-0)
In an intersectional battle between two of the top teams in the Bay Area, Palo Alto is coming off an appearance in the CIF Division 2 Bowl Game where it lost to Orange Lutheran, and McClymonds is looking to play its first game without longtime coach Alonzo Carter. Eric Culberson Jr. takes over for Carter, who took the head coaching job at Berkeley. Culberson inherits a team that was 9-2-1 last year and is blessed with some of the best college prosects in the Bay Area. Ear Hansen's Palo Alto squad was 12-2 last year, with the Orange Lutheran loss and an Oak Grove loss marring a perfect record.
St. Mary's (0-0) at Jesuit (0-0)
The Marauders and Rams hook up for a good one right out of the gate. Jesuit is one of the favorites in the Delta River League this year thanks to the return of RB Ian Holmes and DL Andrew Benjamin. The Rams are the favorite in the Tri-City League with WR Gerome Surrell leading the way. Last year, St. Mary's pulled out the 28-14 win.
Cardinal Newman (0-0) at Central Catholic (0-0)
The CIF Bowl Games aren't until December, but tonight's game against Cardinal Newman and Central Catholic could decide who plays for the North in the Division 3 game, just as it did last year. Cardinal Newman ended the Raiders' 61-game winning streak last year and parlayed that victory into a berth in the Division 3 Bowl Game against Oaks Christian. Central Catholic won the rest of its games and had to settle with a Sac-Joaquin Section championship. The Raiders have two of the top players in the state in RB Louis Bland and OL Dominic Galas while Cardinal Newman is led by QB Max Pond.
Canyon (0-0) at Notre Dame (0-0)
The Cowboys of Canyon open the defense of their CIF Division 1 Bowl championship with a tough one. They face Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks and its talented quarterback Dayne Crist. Canyon lost just two games last year, but one of them was to Notre Dame, 18-17. Crist threw for 121 yards in that game and Thaddeus Brown ran for 119. Both are back while Canyon lost its big name offensive players from last year, QB Ben Longshore and RB John Diluigi.
Moorpark (1-0) at Hart (0-0)
At the end of last year, this game figured to be a marquis matchup between two of the top running backs in California - Moorpark's Darrell Scott and Hart's Delano Howell. Scott has since transferred to St. Bonaventure, but Howell returns to lead Hart, which is favored to win the Foothill League this year. Moorpark knocked off Hart last season, 42-24, and limited Howell to just 13 yards rushing. However he did have 209 receiving yards. The Musketeers already have a win under their belt, defeating Mayfair last week 12-0.
Aquinas (1-0) at Big Bear (1-0)
This game features two teams who have each won a section championship in the past two years. Big Bear was undefeated at 14-0 last year while Aquinas was 13-1 in 2005. Incidentally, the lone loss was to Big Bear. Both teams are off to a 1-0 start. Aquinas got 225 rushing yards from Dwaine Radden in a 35-6 win over Estancia while Kris Proctor ran for 98 yards and passed for 143 in Big Bear's 41-9 win over Vasquez.