MICHAEL NADEAU will lead La Quinta in a key Garden Grove League game Friday against Santiago (OC Tribune photo).
A lot of good matchups this weekend for football fans, on the local, college and pro level. And, alas, a few that shape up as miss-matches. Here’s a look at games of interest this week to Garden Grove-Huntington Beach-Westminster fans of the gridiron sport.
After a disappointing loss last when then the offense was shutout after the first quarter, the Los Angeles Rams (3-2) really want a win this Sunday when they travel to Florida to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2). Last year the Rams started out 3-1 and lost all but one of the remaining games. Don’t want that to happen again. The Los Angeles Chargers (1-4) are almost in the same spot when they travel to Oakland (2-2) to take on the Raiders Sunday. One more early loss and you can almost kiss their playoff hopes goodbye.
Colleges: Can Trojans boot the Utes?
- UCLA (3-2) at Arizona (3-2) on Saturday. Bruins don’t play well in the desert.
- Utah (4-1) at USC (3-1), also Saturday. Trojans bounce back just enough.
- Redlands (3-1) at Chapman (2-2). Saturday. Close SCIAC game.
- Golden West College (2-2) at Saddleback (4-1). Gauchos too good for Rustlers.
High Schools: Some nail-biters, some blow-outs
We’ve got some really interesting contests and some which look a little ugly. The top three include:
- La Quinta (5-1) at Santiago (4-2): The Cavaliers now look like one of the principal challengers to Garden Grove for the Garden Grove League crown. The Aztecs need a win to keep hope alive; Santiago the same. Our guess: La Quinta by a nose.
- Orange (6-0) at Westminster (4-2): In the well-balanced Golden West League, five of six teams have a shot at the crown. The Lions lost a close one last and will want a win to get back in the race. The Panthers are ranked number one in D-13. Our guess: Orange takes it and stays undefeated.
- Santa Ana (5-1) at Ocean View (4-2): Another GWL crucial in a league with real parity. Our guess: Scrappy Seahawks pull off a mild upset.
Other games include…
- Thursday: Rancho Alamitos (4-2) at Bolsa Grande (1-5); Los Amigos (1-5) at Garden Grove (2-3); Marina (3-3) at Los Alamitos (3-4) at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach.
- Friday: Cypress (4-2) at Pacifica (6-0) at Bolsa Grande Stadium; Edison (4-2) at Newport Harbor (0-6); Huntington Beach (1-5) at Fountain Valley (5-1) at HBHS.