SANTIAGO HIGH SCHOOL flag football team (GGUSD photo).

They’re calling it Week Zero for high school football. It might as well be called Year Zero, considering how many changes are taking place in the local prep world.

2024 is the season that brings us the ultimate expression of the “competitive equity” approach, in which community leagues that are geographically cohesive will give way to radio call sign (Alpha, Bravo, etc.) names which will put a lot of extra miles on the ol’ school buses.

On Thursday, Los Amigos and Santiago – late of the old Garden Grove League – will play in a non-league contest. Let’s hope that the pre-league schedules will preserve at least some of the old rivalries.

Additionally, this is the year that a lot of schools field their first flag football teams. Technically not “girls” only, perhaps we can look forward to boys someday trying out  for teams because, after all, it’s an entirely different sport than tackle football, right?

Here’s what the Week Zero lineup looks like for our West Orange County teams. As always, schedules, locations, times, opponents subject to change without notice, so check with the school. Unless otherwise noted, most games are scheduled for a 7 p.m. start. We’ll have results online and in Saturday’s e-newspaper.

Thursday, Aug. 22

Godinez vs. Loara at Glover Stadium (La Palma Park), 6:30 p.m. Los Amigos at Santiago at Monsoor Stadium. Costa Mesa at Magnolia. 

Friday, Aug. 23

Marina at Westminster, Western at Los Alamitos, Orange at Huntington Beach, Kennedy at Pacifica (Bolsa Stadium), Fountain Valley at Ocean View. Edison at Clovis West. Bellflower at Garden Grove (Monsoor). Bolsa Grande at Savanna.