Prep football: Nipomo looks to get right, Paso Robles goes for four in a row

Nipomo’s defensive back J.J. Ramirez will be tested by Santa Ynez quarterback Michael McCoy. Joe Johnston/jjohnston@thetribunenews.com

A look at this week’s high school football games involving San Luis Obispo County teams:

Tribune Sports Game of the Week: Santa Ynez at Nipomo, 7 p.m.

Santa Ynez (2-0) is off to a fast start, but the Pirates haven’t yet played a team with the talent of Nipomo (1-2). Nipomo dropped its first two games of the season to strong opponents (Lompoc and Pioneer Valley) but got its first win last week against a struggling Carpinteria team. This game could come down to the matchup of the Santa Ynez quarterback Michael McCoy and the Nipomo seconday. Can McCoy continue his stellar play, or will the likes of J.J. Ramierz and Isaac Bausley keep him in check? The Tribune will be there to find out.

St. Francis (Mountain View) at Atascadero, 7 p.m.

Atascadero (1-2) will face its third really good team in a row when it plays host to St. Francis. After losing to Ventura (22-19) and Stockdale (28-14) the past two weeks, the Greyhounds will take on a St. Francis team ranked in the Top 30 in the state, according to MaxPreps.com. Atascadero quarterback Carson Rinkenberger has been playing well, throwing for seven touchdowns and just one interception while completing 63 percent of his passes, but he will need help from the running game if the Greyhounds want to avoid a three-game losing streak.

Morro Bay at San Luis Obispo, 7 p.m.

Morro Bay (3-0) is a big favorite to win its fourth in a row, but who knows what could happen in this game between district rivals. If SLO (0-3) is to pull off the upset, it will have to contain Morro Bay running back Brandon McGinley, something every other team the Pirates have faced this season has had a tough time doing.

Cabrillo at Templeton, 7 p.m.

This game features two teams that are pretty evenly matched. Cabrillo (1-2) is coming of its first win of the season and so is Templeton (1-1). Templeton will need to get its offense back on track against the Conqs, and it starts with better quarterback play from Morgan Scovell and Jack Trimble. Both should see the field against Cabrillo.

Pioneer Valley at Arroyo Grande, 7 p.m.

Arroyo Grande (2-1) seems to be rolling now after losing to Lompoc to open the season, but the Eagles will face a Pioneer Valley (2-0) offense this week that can really put up points. The Panthers have a pair of good running backs, and quarterback Matthew Garcia likes to take deeps shots down the field. It will be a good test for the inexperienced secondary of Arroyo Grande.

Mission Prep at St. Anthony (Long Beach), 7 p.m.

It’s been a season of extremes so far for Mission Prep, with a 40-point loss followed by a 45-24 win over Viewpoint last week. The Royals (1-1) will look for more consistency out of their defense when it makes the trip to Long Beach.

Paso Robles at Cajon (San Bernardino), 7 p.m.

The Paso Robles (3-0) offense has looked unstoppable early in the season led by a strong rushing attack that’s averaging more than 250 yards per game. Cajon (2-0) poses another difficult test to start the season and has a strong run game of its own.

This story was originally published September 15, 2016 at 4:22 PM with the headline "Prep football: Nipomo looks to get right, Paso Robles goes for four in a row."