Sports Highlights: October 4-15

The stakes will rise in high school football Friday (Oct. 5), the opening night of league games. It is also a night of rivalries at opposite ends of town –Bishop Diego (5-0) and Carpinteria (4-2) will meet in a Tri-Valley League game at Carpinteria, and Dos Pueblos (4-2) will visit upset-minded San Marcos (1-5) in the Channel League. Santa Barbara (5-1) will travel to Buena (3-3) in another Channel League contest.

UCSB will play host to a three-ring circus of sports this weekend. The Gaucho men’s soccer team, still unbeaten (7-0-3) and ranked No. 3 in the nation, needs to take care of UC Irvine on Friday and Cal State Northridge on Sunday to stay on top of the Big West standings. In women’s volleyball, UCSB (8-10) will play Friday night against Northridge and Saturday against No. 8-ranked Hawaii.

The Gaucho water polo team (12-3) has achieved its highest ranking in three decades – No. 2 on the Collegiate Water Polo Association’s poll – after knocking off Stanford and UCLA last weekend at the Southern California Tournament. Only USC’s top-ranked juggernaut, seeking its fifth consecutive NCAA title, was too much for the Gauchos. They will play their alumni game Saturday and will take on Iona and Harvard in a Sunday doubleheader.

SCHEDULE OF GAMES

Thursday, October 4

High school boys water polo – San Marcos at Santa Barbara, 3:15 p.m.; Ventura at Dos Pueblos, 3:15 p.m.

High school girls volleyball – Dos Pueblos at Santa Barbara, 6 p.m.; Buena at San Marcos, 6 p.m.

Friday, October 5

High school boys water polo – Servite at Santa Barbara, 3 p.m.

High school football – Dos Pueblos at San Marcos, 7 p.m.; Santa Barbara at Buena, 7 p.m.; Bishop Diego at Carpinteria, 7:30 p.m.

College men’s soccer – UC Irvine at UCSB, 7 p.m.; Moorpark at SBCC, 7 p.m.

College women’s volleyball – Cal State Northridge at UCSB, 7 p.m.

Saturday, October 6

High school boys water polo – Servite at Dos Pueblos, 12 p.m.

College men’s soccer – Biola at Westmont, 12 p.m.

High school football (8 man) – Orcutt Academy at Cate, 2 p.m.

College women’s soccer – Biola at Westmont, 2:30 p.m.

College women’s volleyball – Hawaii at UCSB, 7 p.m.; Hope International at Westmont, 7 p.m.

Sunday, October 7

College men’s water polo – Iona at UCSB, 9 a.m.; Harvard at UCSB, 12 p.m.

College men’s soccer – Cal State Northridge at UCSB, 5 p.m.

Monday, October 8

Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon, Harry’s Plaza Café, 12 p.m.

Tuesday, October 9

College women’s soccer – Moorpark at SBCC, 2 p.m.

High school boys water polo – Dos Pueblos at Santa Barbara, 3:15 p.m.; Buena at San Marcos, 3:15 p.m.

Wednesday, October 10

College women’s volleyball – Citrus at SBCC, 7 p.m.

Thursday, October 11

High school boys water polo – Ventura at Santa Barbara, 3:15 p.m.

High school girls volleyball – San Marcos at Dos Pueblos, 6 p.m.

College women’s soccer – Ventura at SBCC, 7 p.m.

Friday, October 12

College cross country – SBCC Invitational, Leadbetter Beach-Shoreline Park, 3 p.m.

High school football – Buena at San Marcos, 7 p.m.; Dos Pueblos at Ventura, 7 p.m.

High school boys water polo – Esperanza at Dos Pueblos, 7 p.m.

College football – Antelope Valley at SBCC, 7 p.m.

College women’s volleyball – Hancock at SBCC, 7 p.m.

College women’s soccer – Hawaii at UCSB, 7 p.m.

Saturday, October 13

High school cross country – Lagoon Meet at UCSB, 9 a.m.

College men’s water polo – Stanford at UCSB, 12 p.m.

High school football (8 man) – Coast Union at Laguna Blanca, 2 p.m.

College men’s soccer – UCSB at UC Davis, 3 p.m.

High school football – Santa Paula at Bishop Diego, La Playa Stadium, 7 p.m.

Sunday, October 14

College women’s soccer – Cal State Northridge at UCSB, 1 p.m.

Monday, October 15

Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon, Harry’s Plaza Café, 12 p.m.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Monday, October 8 – Links and a Legend: Basketball Hall of Fame Coach C. Vivian Stringer at a luncheon, golf tournament and dinner to benefit UCSB women’s basketball, Montecito Country Club, 10 a.m. ucsbgauchos.com.

RUNNING, WALKING, CYCLING

Saturday, October 6 – Solvang Mile, Copenhagen Drive, 7 a.m. active.com.

Saturday, October 6 – Pacific Pride Foundation 10K AIDS Walk, Leadbetter Beach, 9 a.m. pacificpridefoundation.org.

Sunday, October 7 – Carpinteria Kiwanis Big Avocado 5K Run, Carpinteria Bluffs, 8 a.m. active.com.

Saturday, October 13 – Fall 5-Mile Cross Country Classic and Kids’ Mile, Lake Los Carneros, 8 a.m. foxfallxc.com.

Sunday, October 14 – Cancer Center 10K Run and 5K Walk/Run, Montecito Union School, 8 a.m. ccsb.org.

Saturday, October 20 – Santa Barbara Century bicycle ride, Leadbetter Beach, 7 a.m. For experienced riders: 100 miles, 100K, and 34-mile Foothill Course. santabarbaracentury.org.

Saturday, November 10 – Select Staffing Santa Barbara International Marathon, Dos Pueblos High School to SBCC, 7:15 a.m. Half Marathon, Page Youth Center to SBCC, 7:45 a.m. sbimarathon.com.

Saturday, November 17 – American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure bicycle rides (8, 37 and 67 miles), Leadbetter Beach, 8 a.m. diabetes.org.

Sunday, November 25 – Red Rock Marathon and 50-Mile Trail Run, Rancho Oso Guest Ranch, 6 a.m. allwedoisrun.com.