Sizing Them Up: Weekly Prep Football Preview

A rundown of a full slate of San Mateo County football action this week:

FRIDAY

Game of the Day

St. Ignatius (1-1) at Menlo-Atherton (1-1), 7 p.m. A week after falling 27-14 to potent Los Gatos, M-A gets its second straight tough test. The Bears can’t afford to fall behind 20-0 again. M-A has shown a nice ability to move the ball through the air, including five TDs. But can the Bears run on a WCAL defense?

Also in Action

San Mateo (0-1) at Woodside (2-0), 7 p.m. There were few signs of optimisim last year when the teams met in a PAL Ocean game (Woodside won, 24-6). San Mateo finished 2-8; Woodside 1-9. This year, the resurgent Wildcats have the look of an Ocean title contender. Now in the lower-tier PAL Lake, San Mateo will win some games but this one appears a big stretch.

Serra (2-0) at Encinal (1-0), 7 p.m. The high-octane Padres hit the road for the first time in their final tune-up before the WCAL season begins. Encinal of Alameda has played in the North Coast Section Division III title game the last three years, going 37-4 overall in that span. But two of those losses were to Serra the last two years, by a combined score of 70-26.

Sequoia (1-0) at Pinole Valley (1-1), 7 p.m. Coach Rob Poulos leads Sequoia into another game against his alma mater. In 2010, the teams tied 28-28, the only regular-season blemish for either as they went 9-0-1. Pinole Valley was a NCS Division II semifinalist. After its bye, Sequoia hands the QB reins to Mike Taylor following James Beekley’s season-ending knee injury.

Jefferson (0-2) vs. Sacred Heart Cathedral (2-0) at Kezar Stadium, 7 p.m. Coming off a two-week layoff thanks to a suspension-induced forfeit, Jeff will have its hands full. SHC raced to a 19-0 lead before hanging on to beat Terra Nova 32-31 in its opener. Fightin’ Irish QB Jack Harrington will help Jeff prepare for the dual-threat signal-callers of the PAL Bay.

Lincoln-San Jose (0-1) at Aragon (1-0), 7 p.m. On the heels of an impressive 50-22 win at San Mateo in which six Dons scored a TD, Aragon is eager to capitalize on the good vibes by beating Lincoln for the third straight year. Lincoln is coming off a 20-10 loss to a solid Santa Teresa team. Look for a competitive game and another Aragon win.

Mountain View (1-0) at South San Francisco (2-0), 7 p.m. In looking to build on its encouraging start, South City should get a solid challenge for the first time. A year ago, the Warriors fell in a 14-0 halftime hole at Mountain View and lost 20-12. The Spartans beat Hillsdale 49-35 last week.

Half Moon Bay (0-2) at Leigh (1-0), 7 p.m. The Cougars take aim at their first win against a Leigh team that should contend for the BVAL Santa Teresa Division title. A common thread in HMB’s two losses? Falling behind early. The Cougars have been outscored by a combined 45-11 in the first half this year. HMB throttled Leigh 57-21 in 2010, but that probably means little.

Burlingame (1-1) at Gunn (0-1), 7:30 p.m. The Panthers’ defense looks to get back on track after surrendering 39 points in losing at Woodside. With two more games before the PAL Bay season begins, Burlingame also needs to establish a consistent running game. An inability to move the ball against mid-tier SCVAL teams Gunn and Mountain View would signal a long year.

Pioneer (1-1) at Terra Nova (1-1), 8 p.m. It speaks to the state of Terra Nova’s program that this has become an annual game. Pioneer, a perennial CCS playoff team, used to schedule erstwhile PAL Bay power Aragon in the late 2000’s. After losing in 2008 (42-14) and ’09 (29-28), Terra Nova walloped Pioneer 49-7 last year. It’s doubtful Pioneer can match scores in the Tigers’ home opener.

SATURDAY

Game of the Day

San Lorenzo Valley (0-2) at Hillsdale (0-2), 2 p.m. The good news? Hillsdale is averaging 34 points. The bad news? The Knights are surrendering 50.5 points per game. Unearthing some defensive stops should be easier this week, and Hillsdale’s first win of the year may well follow. Regardless, points should again light up the scoreboard, making this the most exciting matchup on a light day.

Also in Action

Sacred Heart Prep (2-0) at Los Altos (0-1), 1:30 p.m. Don’t be surprised if the Gators score more points in this game than any other on their 2011 slate. SHP should be able to do whatever it pleases against a Los Altos team that suffered heavy losses from last year’s SCVAL El Camino champion. Exceeding their 39-point margin of victory against San Lorenzo Valley is in range for the Gators.

Mills (0-2) at Harbor (1-1), 2 p.m. The Vikings’ first win since 2009 would be a nice reward for trekking down to Santa Cruz, and that elusive victory may be in the offing. Harbor’s struggles in recent years exceed those of Mills; it has managed more than two wins just once since 2004. The Vikings’ schedule gets noticeably tougher from here, so the program hopes this is a happy road trip.

Harker (2-0) at Capuchino (0-2), 2 p.m. Despite losing their first two games, the Mustangs have shown a decent passing offense for the first time in recent memory. And Cap’s improved defense hasn’t let opponents run away. Eventually, those building blocks should lead to some wins. But Harker, a new member of the CCS which beat Cap 27-6 last year, figures to be too tough this week.

El Camino (1-1) at Lincoln-San Francisco (0-2), 2 p.m. The Colts head to The City as a healthy favorite. Lincoln has lost its last 14 games, including a 45-14 blowout to El Camino last year. Look for a similar score this time. One focus for the Colts will be to eliminate the big play. They were burned for three TDs of at least 60 yards in their first two games.