Prep football: Area teams square off to open league schedules

League play is here. Here’s a look at this week’s high school football games involving San Luis Obispo County teams:

Tribune Sports Game of the Week: Arroyo Grande at Paso Robles, 7 p.m.

If ever there could be a playoff-like game in October, this PAC 8 opener is it. Arroyo Grande (5-1) and Paso Robles (5-1) come in as the top two teams in San Luis Obispo County with plenty of offensive star power. Arroyo Grande quarterback Sawyer May and Paso Robles running back Christian Erickson are the early front runners for County Player of the Year and have led their teams on offense. Paso Robles, however, will be without Erickson, who didn’t practice Thursday and told The Tribune that he would miss Friday’s game because of a nose infection. He said his status for next week is uncertain.

But with both teams boasting powerful offensive attacks, this game will probably come down to defense. The Arroyo Grande defense, led by linebacker Sam Ness, has allowed 78 fewer points than Paso Robles, though the Bearcats have played a tougher schedule. All things considered, these two teams are pretty much even. We expect this game to come down to the fourth quarter.

Santa Maria at Mission Prep, 7 p.m.

Santa Maria (3-3) has been the surprise team of the Northern League so far after going 2-8 last season. The Saints are led by quarterback Blake Truhitte, who leads the league in passing (869) and rushing (523) yards. But Santa Maria will face a Mission Prep (2-3) team with some offensive punch. The Royals have the top two scorers in the league on offense — wide-receiver Angel Sanchez and Brayden Corona. The two have combined for 11 touchdowns in just four games.

San Luis Obispo at Righetti, 7 p.m

Both teams enter this game on long losing streaks. The San Luis Obispo (0-6) offense hasn’t been good, averaging nine points per game. But Righetti’s (0-5) has been worse, averaging around five points per game. Something has to give in this one.

Templeton at Nipomo, 7 p.m.

Nipomo head coach Tony Dodge was encouraged by his team’s second-half performance in last week’s 35-14 loss to Arroyo Grande. The Titans (2-4) allowed seven points in the final two quarters and feel good heading into their Northern Leauge opener. Nipomo will play host to a Templeton (1-4) team that is averaging just more than 10 points a game this season, but it will be without leading rusher Michael Jordan, who suffered a serious concussion last Friday.

Morro Bay at Santa Ynez, 7 p.m.

Morro Bay (4-1) lost its first game of the season last Friday against Cabrillo (34-14), but the Pirates still enter league play with the best record in the Northern League. This week, Morro Bay will face a balanced Santa Ynez (5-0) team led by quarterback Michael McCoy, who has racked up nearly 1,800 yards of offense on the ground and through the air to go along with four interceptions. Morro Bay will welcome back top rusher Brandon McGinley after he missed last week’s game due to a suspension.

This story was originally published October 6, 2016 at 2:33 PM with the headline "Prep football: Area teams square off to open league schedules."