Central, Southwest, Holtville, Calexico to host rivals in Week Three

As the CIF-San Diego Section Southeastern Conference’s Imperial Valley prep football teams head into the 2024 season’s Week Three of action, a large slate of Friday night games and a rare ‘Saturday Night Lights’ contest are on tap.

Although it is early in the 2024 season, staying unbeaten could easily be on the minds of six of eight schools this weekend.

Vying to remain undefeated for 2024 are the Imperial Valley League’s Brawley Wildcats (1-0), Calexico Bulldogs (2-0), Central Spartans (2-0), and Imperial Tigers (2-0), along with the Desert League’s Holtville Vikings (2-0) and Calipatria Hornets (2-0).

Friday night, after coming off being the first Southeastern Conference to take their 2024 bye, Brawley will travel to San Diego to face the Canyon Hills Rattlers (1-1), formerly known as Junipero Serra High School, at 7:00 p.m.

While the Wildcats were idle last Friday night, Canyon Hills defeated San Diego’s Rock Academy (0-2) by a score of 48-7.

“We are definitely ready to play, went back to basic stuff to sharpen ourselves on both sides of the ball,” Brawley coach Lawrence Landy said. “We’ll be playing on turf as well, which is good because we'll probably be on turf in the playoffs and it’s definitely different.”

Also in action on Friday night, the Central Spartans will make their 2024 home debut at Cal Jones Field against San Diego’s North County Ramona High Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m.

Both teams are coming off victories last Friday night as Central downed the Palm Desert Aztecs by a score of 20-14 while Ramona (1-1) easily handled the Vista High Panthers (1-1) by a score of 41-9.

Familiar playoff foes, Ramona came into the 2024 season as the top team in the CIF-SDS Division II power rankings with Central ranked third.

“We’ve lost twice to them in the playoffs since I became head coach and we are looking forward to playing them,” Central coach David Pena said.

Meanwhile, Imperial will play their first road game of the 2024 season on Friday night when they face the Cibola High Raiders (0-1) at 7:00 p.m. in Yuma.

Last Friday, Imperial dominated the visiting Desert League’s Vincent Memorial Catholic High Scots by a score of 32-7 while Cibola lost their home opener 24-7 to the Dobson High Mustangs from Mesa (AZ).

In other IVL action on Friday night, Southwest (0-2) will be looking to break into the win column at home as they host the Coastal Academy Stingrays of Oceanside (2-0).

Last Friday night Riverside County’s Banning High Broncos’ (2-0) defeated the hosting Eagles by a score of 62-0 while the Stingrays beat Temecula’s St. Jeanne de Lestonnac by a score of 36-8.

In Desert League non-league games on Friday, Calipatria, after making trips the past two weeks to Riverside County, will play an afternoon game in San Diego at O'Farrell Academy at 4:15 p.m.

“They do have a field but they do not have lights so we are starting our game at 4:15 p.m.,” Calipatria High coach Tony Leon said.

After beating the Desert Mirage Lions by a score of 65-12 in Thermal last week, the Hornets will face O'Farrell (0-2) who lost last week to Chula Vista’s Victory Christian (1-1) 36-6.

Defending Desert League champion Holtville will be in action on Friday night meeting an old rival when Pine Valley’s Mountain Empire Redhawks (1-1) come to Birger Field at 7:00 p.m.

Last week the Vikings defeated the Mission Bay Bucs (1-1) by a score of 46-7 in San Diego while Mountain Empire lost to San Diego’s Southwest Raiders (1-1) 32-0.

Vincent Memorial will attempt to rebound from their loss to Imperial when they travel to play a 7:00 p.m. game against the El Cajon Valley Braves (0-2), who lost by a score of 50-0 to Escondido’s Classical Academy last week.

On Saturday night, Calexico, who defeated the Castle Park Spartans by a score of 35-7 in Chula Vista last Friday, will host the CETYS Zorros of Mexicali at Ward Field at 7:30 p.m.

“We added this game before the summer as we were originally going to play Cibola but they overbooked their schedule,” Calexico coach Fernando Solano said. “We played them two years ago and they were big and physical and they always have skill people and they can pound it or they can throw it.”

This Friday night will mark the 2024 debut of the Imperial Valley’s only eight-man football team when the Wildcats of West Shores High in Salton City (0-0) travel to Lancaster to play Desert Christian (0-1) at 7:00 p.m.