Sunset football race begins

The Sunset League football race begins in earnest tonight with a key

clash involving Edison High and Los Alamitos.

On Friday, Marina travels to Esperanza and Huntington Beach hosts

Fountain Valley in the Oilers’ homecoming game.

TONIGHT’S GAME

Los Alamitos (5-0) vs. Edison (3-2)

(at Huntington Beach High, 7 p.m.)

Edison faces the task of taking on a stacked Los Alamitos squad in

the first week of league play.

The Griffins are ranked No. 1 in CIF Division I and third in the

state. They have only been challenged once in five games this year,

and that came in the second week of the season at Hart High of

Newhall.

That 20-17 win also was the only road trip in the first five games

for Los Al which has outscored its opponents by a 32-8 average.

Key performers for the defending league and Division I champion

Griffins are returning all-league and All-CIF players Randy Estes and

defensive players Chris Cheri and Jeff Minter.

Throw into the mix two outstanding receivers, Jeremy Childs and

Bryan Gordon, and quarterback Jimmy Barnes, son of coach John Barnes,

and you see that the Griffins are loaded.

Edison is coming off a pair of tough losses and didn’t score in

either game, falling 6-0 to Mater Dei and last Friday, 7-0, to

Servite.

Last year’s score: Los Alamitos 45, Edison 26

FRIDAY’S GAMES

Fountain Valley (3-2) vs. Huntington Beach (0-5)

(at Huntington Beach High, 7 p.m.)

Huntington Beach will be looking to gain its first victory of the

season in its homecoming celebrations at Sheue Field.

The Oilers struggled during their nonleague schedule. They didn’t

score more than two touchdowns in any of their first five games, have

been held to a touchdown in two of those games and have a game-best

16 points in a Sept. 18 loss to Costa Mesa.

Defensively, they are yielding 24 points per game.

Fountain Valley got ready for the Sunset wars with a 35-14

whipping last Friday of Santa Ana Valley. Though the Barons have two

losses in five outings, both were near victories: they came close to

ending Mission Viejo’s 30-game win streak in a 14-13 loss, and fell,

28-20, to a 5-0 Santa Margarita team.

Last year’s score: Fountain Valley 29, Huntington 22

Marina (2-3) vs. Esperanza (3-2)

(at Valencia High, 7 p.m.)

Marina got back on the winning track last week with a 33-10 rout

of host El Toro.

The Vikings shouldn’t flinch during league play, having survived a

three-game stretch during nonleague play that saw them go up against

Newport Harbor, Mission Viejo and Orange Lutheran -- teams that are a

combined 15-0.

Esperanza rolls into Sunset play with three consecutive victories

following tough losses to Dominguez and Fallbrook. During those three

wins, the Aztecs have outscored their opponents, 140-6 with two

shutouts.

The pass-catch combination of quarterback Grant Farrell to Wes

Williams keys the Aztec offense and on defense, Eric Howell is a good

one at cornerback.

Last year’s score: Esperanza 45, Marina 7

Orange (4-1, 2-0) vs. Ocean View (1-4, 0-2)

(at Ocean View High, 7 p.m.)

Ocean View is seeking its first Golden West League victory against

an Orange team looking to remain atop the league standings.