Upcoming Fights Under Friday Night Lights

From now until December, Friday nights will be filled with exciting gridiron action up and down the Central Coast. The Santa Barbara area is loaded with high school talent as regional teams compete for league and CIF Southern Section championships. Here are the schools and players to watch.

Bishop Diego 

The Cardinals are loaded with talent and experience led by three-year starting quarterback Tua Rojas and star running back Oscar Mauia, who finished last season with 1,231 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.

Bishop Diego is bolstered by a standout senior class that is battle-hardened by numerous close contests in the ultra-competitive Marmonte League over the past two years.

“We do have a fairly experienced skill group. A lot of these guys are in their third year playing varsity, and a significant number got a lot of playing time on varsity as sophomores,” said head coach Tom Crawford, who is the winningest coach in Santa Barbara County history. “They’ve grown, both physically and in their understanding of the schemes.”

Under Crawford, Bishop Diego is known for its power running game, but will have to replace four starters on the offensive line. The lone returning starter is center Suitulaga Faiaulama, who boasts excellent size for his position at 6′0″ and 280 pounds. 

The return of wide receivers Ian Bartley, John Michael Flint, and Samuel Crawford gives the Cardinals a trio of reliable pass catchers. (Crawford was a first-team all-league safety last season.) Junior transfer Remi Boykin brings an explosive element to the position and will likely contribute on both sides of the ball. 

On defense, sophomore Sam Boeddeker has bulked up to more than 200 pounds and will play middle linebacker. Senior Gabe Villa will play outside corner and the hybrid nickel position in addition to his duties as a ball carrier. 

The schedule will once again be extremely difficult for Bishop Diego with matchups against solid programs such as West Ranch and Etiwanda in non-league play. In addition, the Marmonte League offers one of the toughest gauntlets in Southern California. 

Carpinteria 

After going 3-6 last season, the Warriors are looking to build on a solid foundation that is being constructed by Van Latham, Henry Gonzalez, and a veteran cast of assistant coaches. 

Carpinteria has impressive size and athletic ability on the offensive line, led by Eli Peters, Caleb Kelly, and Erasmo Fausto, which should result in running lanes for lead back Drew Filippini. 

Junior Isaac Neri will take the reins at quarterback after playing the position in spot duty last season. “He is inexperienced game-wise, but he is a really good athlete,” said Latham. “He has good feet, and we’ll be running a little bit of option football with him.”

With the additions of Santa Clara and first-year program Del Sol to the Citrus Coast League, there are now three automatic playoff bids available from the six-team league. For Carpinteria, earning a playoff spot is a realistic goal and would be a big boost for a program that is trending in the right direction.

“I think probably the defending league champion Grace Brethren is going to be the team to beat,” said Latham. “They are always good in the skill positions. I know they lost their quarterback, who was excellent, but they still have some strong players coming back.”

Dos Pueblos

Coming off its first playoff appearance since 2018, Dos Pueblos is working to generate more consistency and compete for a Tri-County League Championship.

Last season, quarterback Simon Alexander transferred from Carlsbad and transformed the Dos Pueblos passing attack over the final five games of the regular season and into the playoffs. The Chargers will now look to the duo of senior Drew Schultz and sophomore Grady Felix to move the ball down the field.

“He’s a pitcher and just a really good athlete but was kind of positionless,” said Dos Pueblos head coach AJ Pateras of Felix. “There was one spot we needed, so we thought, ‘Let’s get him three years of development.’”

Whoever emerges at the quarterback position will be supported by an explosive receiving corps with seniors Ivan Velez, Brady Walbridge, and Micah Barnhart returning. However, Velez and Walbridge both suffered major injuries in the playoffs last season and will miss a yet to be determined portion of non-league play.

“Missing Ivan and Brady, that’s a huge part of our team right there,” said Barnhart, who will contribute at all three wide receiver positions this season. “I’m really sad that they are not out here with me, but for me and Iyad [Ahmad-Reda], we are stepping into much bigger roles.”

Ahmad-Reda is a standout athlete who will be a force on the defensive line and be featured as a pass catcher on offense. 

Dos Pueblos should be solid in the trenches overall as captain Kaarlo Malik Anderson has the quickness to be a nightmare matchup on the interior defensive line. Eder Soriano figures to be the best center in the Tri-County League and will open up running lanes for senior running back Andrew Cook.

The Chargers will open the season with an intriguing matchup against Santa Ynez on Friday, August 22.

San Marcos

A 20-year playoff drought is now in the rearview mirror after San Marcos put together its best season in recent memory in 2024, but fell just short of even greater success after losing four games by a combined 10 points.

Junior Hayden Feleay will take over at quarterback after a solid season leading the San Marcos junior varsity squad last season.

The Royals will once again rely on the run game to set up the pass with Cole Dominguez returning at running back. He rushed for 573 yards last season despite splitting carries with more experienced backs.

The offensive line is young but strong, led by returners Arian Botello and Chris Martinez.

Senior Brody Green will play tackle for the first time this fall after starring in basketball and track and field for the Royals. He has excellent speed and an imposing frame, and will contribute heavily on both sides of the ball. 

“I always wanted to play and realized this was my last opportunity,” said Green. “I didn’t want to live with the regret of not playing. I’m more built like a football player than a basketball player, and I love hitting and being physical. I’m really excited.”

From left: Cole Dominguez and Brody Green | Credit: Gary Kim 

Max Silva returns at defensive end after a strong junior season and Steven Herrera will play the other end, in addition to playing tight end on offense. 

The defensive line will be bolstered by senior Yuren Vasquez Cruz, who returns to the team after starting as a sophomore. 

Isaac Murillo will start at one corner, and track and field star Logan Patterson will play the other. Patterson is perhaps the fastest player in the program and will likely contribute on offense as well.

The Royals have a tough non-league schedule highlighted by matchups against Paraclete and rival Santa Barbara.

Santa Barbara

The Dons once again reached the CIF-SS Division 4 playoffs last season but will be replacing key playmakers in wide receiver Kai Mault, who graduated, and quarterback Laird Finkel, who transferred to powerhouse Sierra Canyon.

The two candidates to replace Finkel are sophomore Griffin Arnold and freshman Jackson Trembly. Arnold has more experience at the high school level, but Trembly boasts a powerful arm that could grant him immediate playing time.

“It’s a young group mixed in with a very motivated senior class,” said head coach Nate Mendoza. “They’ve been working hard since late January, so we’re getting excited and getting ready.”

There is no question that the identity of the 2025 team begins up front. The offensive line, led by four-year starter Malachi Johnston, will be featured in a run-heavy attack. Johnston recently committed to Cal Poly over scholarship offers from Nevada, Cornell, and Portland State, among others. 

In addition to Johnston, Angel Ramirez returns for his third year on varsity and will play offensive guard and nose tackle. After a breakout sophomore year at defensive end, Lucas Blessing will now play both ways and take over at right tackle. Santiago Garcia will also start on the offensive and defensive lines.

“We have a bunch of big linemen who are run blockers. That’s what we do,” Johnston said. “I think we are going to be able to rely on that, and that’s going to be a pretty big staple of how our team plays football this year.”

Monty Lopez is back for his senior year. He started the past two seasons at cornerback but will move to safety in order to be in position to make more plays. Lopez will also contribute heavily on offense at wide receiver and running back.

At 6′0″ and 230 pounds, senior Aaron Baizan is set to carry the load at running back. He has the size and disposition to wear down defenses. Zane Webb will also build on a strong junior season.

The Dons will host Corona Del Mar in a premier non-league matchup on August 29. The Sea Kings knocked Santa Barbara out of the playoffs in the quarterfinals two years ago. The Conejo Coast League is once again formidable as Newbury Park is ranked as one of the top teams in Southern California.