SCHEDULING taught opponents has some benefits (Shutterstock).

Scheduling tough teams in the pre-season is a good way to prepare your team for league and playoff action, most coaches believe, but it can sure make a dent in your win-loss record.

Our High Five for Week Three reflects that. Two of our top teams have losing records, and one of them is winless so far. Our rankings are based on MaxPrep’s point system and they take into account the quality of the opposition.

The best local matchup is on Thursday, when the Pacifica Mariners (1-2) visit the Marina Vikings (3-0) at Bill Boswell Field on the Westminster High School campus. The Vikes are 3-0 and rated fourth in our High 5, while the M’s are “on the bubble.” If we had a High 10, they’d be sixth.

Another interesting contest will be on Friday, when our top-ranked team – the Edison Chargers (1-2) – hosts Palos Verdes High (2-1) at Huntington Beach’s Cap Sheue Field.

Here’s the lineup of games involving team from schools serving our coverage area of Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Stanton and Westminster.

As always, days, dates, times, locations and even opponents can be subject to change without notice. All games, unless otherwise noted, are scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

THURSDAY

Magnolia (0-3) vs. Katella (0-2) at Glover Stadium; Pacifica (1-2) at Marina (3-0) at Westminster High.

FRIDAY

Anaheim (1-1) at Westminster (2-1); Century (3-0) at Bolsa Grande (0-2); Garden Grove (1-2) at Gahr (1-2); Huntington Beach (2-1) at Redondo Union (1-1); Mountain View (1-2)  at La Quinta (2-0) at Monsoor Stadium; Ocean View (0-3) at Artesia (3-0); Orange (0-3) at La Habra (2-1) ; Palos Verdes (2-1) at Edison (1-2) at HBHS; Rancho Alamitos (2-0) at Saddleback (1-2) ; Banning/Wilmington (3-0) at Western (2-1).

Let’s not overlook …

Some local football players who may have been overlooked in last week’s action. They include:

• Tank Britton of Bolsa Grande, who passed for two touchdowns in the Matadors’ 28-16 loss to Artesia;
• Ozzy Granados of Santiago, who rushed for 191 yards and two scores as the Cavaliers defeated Savanna 38-33.
• Calvin Keophan of Garden Grove passed for three touchdowns as the Argonauts fell 20-19 to Santa Ana.

Put things into perspective 

  Does Orange County have some of the strongest football programs in the nation? Three of them – Mater Dei, Mission Viejo and Lutheran/Orange – are ranked in the top 12 in the U.S. Five of the top 10 in California are from the OC.