Sports Shorts: Tesoro Football Opener to be Broadcast on Internet

Want to watch Tesoro High open its 2011 football season but don't have the time to make the 85-mile drive to the Santa Clarita Valley on a Friday night? Perhaps you're worried about rabid bats? Or you have to get ready for the holiday weekend?

Never fear, the internet is here—and there.

Tesoro's season-opening game Friday against Newhall Hart will be played at College of the Canyons. The game will be broadcast on FoxSportsWest.com as part of its new PrepZone feature. A pregame show begins at 6:30 p.m. with the game beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Tesoro's second game will also be broadcast, on Sept. 9, against Santa Margarita Catholic. That's convenient for anyone who can't get into the second annual "Rumble on the Ranch" at Saddleback College. (Suggestion: You should have no trouble getting in, and it will be a lot more fun being there in person than watching at home.)

Tesoro finished the 2010 season with an 8-4 record and beat La Puente Bishop Amat in the Pac-5 playoffs before losing to Mater Dei in the second round. The Titans return six starters on offense and seven on defense -- among them is quarterback Matt Adam, running back Nate Tago and wide receiver Kyle Woolbright. On top of that, the strength of the team might be its line play. Although Tesoro is experienced, it is young; more than a dozen of the starters are juniors or lower who were thrown into the fire last year.

Hart went 5-5 in 2010 and missed the playoffs for the first time in Coach Mike Herrington's long and distinguished career. His starting quarterback will be on the sidelines, though, with mononucleosis, and will be be replaced by sophomore Connor Wingenroth.

Other games that can be viewed on the website are: Bakersfield Centennial at Mission Viejo (will also be televised on FSN Prime Ticket); Manhattan Beach Mira Costa vs. L.A. Loyola at L.A. Valley College; Venice at North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake; and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at Gardena Serra.

Diablos Dissed by ESPNLA.com

If you have a few minutes to read something other than Patch, here's ESPNLA.com's preseason ranking of the Southland's top 25 high school football teams.

Servite being in the top spot should be no suprise, considering they are the defending CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division champions, but Mission Viejo finds itself trailing the Friars and No. 2 Centennial of Corona.

OK, yes, their reporters did write, "Any of the top three teams in these preseason rankings could have been No. 1. On the surface, Mission Viejo might be the best of the lot...," so we'll excuse the slight slight.

Other Orange County Patch teams ranked are Santa Margarita at No. 6 and San Clemente at No. 22.

-- Bob Rohwer

Have some sports news or results you'd like to share? Send it to Bob.Rohwer@patch.com.