Prep football: Breaking down Friday night’s matchups to open the 2016 season
Tribune Sports Game of the Week: Foothill (Santa Ana) at Atascadero, 7 p.m.
It should be interesting to watch the new offense of Atascadero when the season kicks off Friday night. With the departure of their two top rushers from last season and a handful of big offensive linemen, the Greyhounds will use more of spread attack to open the season against the Southern California squad. Senior Tysen Delkener will debut as the Greyhounds featured running back, and classmates Carson Rinkenberger (QB) and Elijah Cooks (TE/QB) will round out an offense with high expectations in 2016.
Nipomo at Pioneer Valley, 7 p.m.
Nipomo and Pioneer Valley have played against each other to open the season since 2011. Even though the Titans won the past three, it hasn’t been by much. The average margin of victory for Nipomo was just more than five points, so expect a close game. Last year, a fourth-quarter touchdown gave the Titans a 21-13 win. The main storyline Friday for Nipomo is at quarterback. Will it be senior Spencer Pool (likely starter) or junior Nicolas Robledo getting the bulk of the snaps?
San Luis Obispo at Santa Maria, 7 p.m.
This is a game against two teams that really struggled last season, both going 2-8. San Luis Obispo might have to go with senior tight end Tegan Rawlins at quarterback with starter Will Meinhold nursing an injury that kept him out of practice this week.
Arroyo Grande at Lompoc, 7 p.m.
These two area heavyweights love to play each other to start the season — and it is usually a great game. Last year, Arroyo Grande ended a four-game losing streak to Lompoc with a 34-28 win. This will be a game with some serious star power — Sawyer May (QB) and Sam Ness (LB) for Arroyo Grande and Toa Taua (DB/RB) for Lompoc.
Paso Robles at Lemoore, 7:30 p.m.
Paso Robles has a tough test on the road in the valley to open the season. Lemoore is coming of a 10-3 season and a trip to the CIF Central Section Division 2 Championship game. Paso Robles will debut a new quarterback in senior Steven Schouten, and star senior running back Christian Erickson will play defense for the first time since his freshman year.
This story was originally published August 25, 2016 at 4:55 PM with the headline "Prep football: Breaking down Friday night’s matchups to open the 2016 season."