Howdy, area sports fan, and welcome to the 2008-09 high school season.
The campaign kicks off, literally, with football, the granddaddy of all prep sports, and this year looks to be a very good one from preseason reports.
The football schedules have been posted for a couple of weeks, and I know that some of you have already perused them. I've taken a good look at them myself, and there are many, many good games and teams with tough challenges in front of them on the horizon.
At this point, I would like to make an editor's note: I don't want to write this thing for my own satisfaction, but to open up a line of communication and see what you all are thinking?
So with that, what area teams have the toughest schedules?
In no particular order:
Poly, ranked No. 2 in the state by maxpreps.com -- What a tough start to the season, with games at Florida power Miami Northwestern followed by Newport Harbor (No. 29), at Carson, (No. 60) at Lakewood (No. 25), the Moore League rivial with probably the best shot at upsetting the 'Rabbit's reign, and Ventura St. Bonaventure (No. 12). There's no time for Poly to get acclimated to the new season.
St. John Bosco (No. 68) -- Coming off a down season, the Braves have a decent nonleague schedule against the likes of Honolulu Kamehaheha, Loyola (No. 74) and St. Paul (No. 51). Where there schedule gets really rugged is when the Trinity League opens. There waits Orange Lutheran (No. 7), Mater Dei (No. 14) and the nation's top college prospect in QB Matt Barkley, and Servite (No. 16).
Carson -- The L.A. City Section's Marine League is always hard to win, and with the talent at Carson, Banning (No. 55), and Narbonne (No. 51) this season, expect more of the same. The Colts will be in the hunt if they can make it out of a nonlegue schedule that includes Mater Dei, Poly and Serra (No. 39).
Dominguez (No. 94) -- The Dons also have bitten off a big hunk of nonleague games that might be hard to swallow. At Utah power Pine View, at Fresno Edison (No. 33), Compton, Redlands East Valley (No. 11), then Gahr (No. 67) in a possible battle for the SGVL title.
Others with tougher schedules include Compton, Lakewood, Mayfair, Los Alamitos and St. Paul.
Take a look at the schedules and let me know what you think.
