Week in Sports

A South Coast community college football rivalry and an international soccer show are coming to town.

Santa Barbara City College (1-1) hosts the Ventura College Pirates (2-0) at 6 p.m. Saturday (Sept. 19) at La Playa Stadium. The Vaqueros will be trying to pull their second consecutive upset. Last week, they surprised Canyons, the state’s No. 5-ranked team, by a 17-14 score. Freshman quarterback John Uribe spearheaded two fourth-quarter touchdown drives to erase a 14-3 Canyons lead. The Cougars had beaten SBCC 10 straight times.

Ventura opened the season with wins over L.A. Valley and Antelope Valley. The Cougars slammed SBCC, 49-0, last year, the Vaqueros’ second worst loss the other being by 50 points (56-6) to Canyons.

In high school football tonight, Dos Pueblos is home against Cabrillo, Bishop Diego faces Fillmore at La Playa Stadium, and Carpinteria hosts Nipomo. On Thursday night, Santa Barbara High missed connecting on a two-point conversion pass by inches and lost to Beverly Hills, 17-15.

Soccer fans are in for a rare treat indeed, unprecedented on Tuesday night (Sept. 22) when the Mexican U-17 National Teamplays the UCSB Gauchos in an exhibition match at 7 p.m. Mexico is gearing up for the FIFA U-17 World Championship next month in Nigeria. Three players on the visiting team already have made their debuts in Mexican First Division professional soccer the striker duo of Martin Galvan and Victor Manon and defender Cesar Ibanez.

UCSB coach Tim Vom Steeg predicts the game will be “competitive and entertaining . . . we’ll be going up and down the field.” He expects to tap into the youth on the Gauchos’ roster 22 of their players are freshmen and sophomores. The Gauchos will be coming off a Sunday game at Wisconsin, and they have two more intercollegiate matches on the following weekend.

There is likely to be a large turnout in support of Mexico. Tickets for the match, which is part of UCSB’s recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, are priced at $15 for and $8 for youth 12 and under. They can be purchased online (ucsbgauchos.com), by phone (893-UCSB), at the UCSB Athletics Ticket Office and at several soccer retailers in the community.

TOP SPORTING EVENTS: SEPTEMBER 18-29

Friday, September 18

Golf Senior Championship, Santa Barbara Golf Club, final round, 6:45 a.m.

High school football Cabrillo at Dos Pueblos, 7 p.m.; San Marcos at Lompoc, 7 p.m.; Fillmore at Bishop Diego, La Playa Stadium, 7:30 p.m.; Nipomo at Carpinteria, 7:30 p.m.

High school girls volleyball Villanova Prep at Laguna Blanca, 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 19

Biking/running Santa Ynez Valley Gourmet Challenge ride, walk, run. Benefits Livestrong Foundation. Information.

College cross country Westmont Invitational, Lovik Field, 9:30 a.m.

College women’s volleyball Fullerton at SBCC, 11 a.m.; Golden West at SBCC, 3 p.m.

High school girls volleyball Littlerock at Carpinteria, 4 p.m.

College football Ventura at SBCC, La Playa Stadium, 6 p.m.

Sunday, September 20

Running Goleta Education Foundation 4-Miler, 401 No. Fairview Road, 8:30 a.m.

College men’s soccer UCSB at Wisconsin, 10 a.m.

Monday, September 21

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

Tuesday, September 22

High school girls volleyball Laguna Blanca at Bishop Diego, 6 p.m.; Oaks Christian at Carpinteria, 6 p.m.

Men’s soccer Mexico U-17 national team at UCSB, Harder Stadium, 7 p.m.

College women’s volleyball Loyola Marymount at UCSB, Thunderdome, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, September 23

High school cross country Channel League meet at Dos Pueblos, 4 p.m.

Thursday, September 24

High school boys water polo Camarillo at San Marcos, 3:15 p.m.

High school girls volleyball Oak Park at Bishop Diego, 6 p.m.; La Reina at Carpinteria, 6 p.m.; Oxnard at San Marcos, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, September 25

High school football Righetti at Santa Barbara, 7 p.m.; Hueneme at San Marcos, 7 p.m.; Dos Pueblos at Lompoc, 7 p.m.; Bishop Diego at Santa Paula, 7:30 p.m.; Carpinteria at Grace Brethren, Moorpark College, 7:30 p.m.

College men’s soccer UCSB at San Diego State, 4 p.m.; Taft at SBCC, 7 p.m.

College women’s soccer Taft at SBCC, 1 p.m.; Arizona at UCSB, Harder Stadium, 7 p.m.

College women’s volleyball UC Riverside at UCSB, Thunderdome, 7 p.m.; San Diego Christian at Westmont, 7 p.m.

Saturday, September 26

High school football (eight man) High Desert at Cate, 3 p.m.

College women’s soccer Westmont vs. California Baptist, SBCC La Playa Stadium, 4:30 p.m.

College men’s soccer Westmont vs. California Baptist, SBCC La Playa Stadium, 7 p.m.

College women’s volleyball Point Loma Nazarene at Westmont, 2 p.m.; UC Irvine at UCSB, Thunderdome, 7 p.m.

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

Sunday, September 27

Triathlon Carpinteria Triathlon, Linden Field, 7:30 a.m.

College women’s soccer UCLA at UCSB, Harder Stadium, 4 p.m.

College men’s soccer UC Irvine at UCSB, Harder Stadium, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, September 28

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

Tuesday, September 29

High school boys water polo Santa Barbara at San Marcos, 3:15 p.m.

High school girls volleyball Santa Barbara at Dos Pueblos, 6:30 p.m.

College women’s soccer Hancock at SBCC, 7:30 p.m.

UPCOMING EVENTS

October 1-4:Running DRTE 100-mile ultra marathon, Rancho Oso. Sign-up information.

October 4:Running Carpinteria Kiwanis Big Avocado 5K Run, Carpinteria Bluffs, 8 a.m. Sign-up information.

October 11:Running/biking Action Pro Duathlon, East Beach, 8 a.m. Sign-up information.