Storylines to watch as Week 3 of HS football begins

Week three of the high school football season is here and there are several things to watch, and here is a look at five items to watch for.

District 1-6A starts ... already

District 1-6A team has an early start due to the nine-team district and already there are big games on the docket. On Thursday in the Sun Bowl, Coronado and Franklin meet in the Westside Bowl, Americas takes on Montwood and the city’s top two teams, Pebble Hills and

Eastwood square off.

Every week is a big week, but a positive start is a must for all of these teams especially where there is not much room for error in many of the matchups that will take place.

District 1-6A is the most competitive of the districts in town and expect several close games throughout the season.

Parkland very impressive

Through two weeks, Parkland has been impressive in defeating El Dorado, 26-22, and Austin, 42-10. The Matadors have been solid on defense and have made big plays on offense and special teams. Coach Leigh McWhorter and his staff have done a nice job preparing the team for this season and the team’s defense has stepped up big in two games.

The Matadors have found plenty of success in recent years and they’ll be a challenger for the District 1-5A Division I title this season.

Riverside offense looking good

The Rangers lost several key skill players from last year’s District 1-4A Division I championship squad. But new names have stepped up this year and are doing big things for the Rangers, which scored 33 points against Ysleta and 52 against Burges.

Quarterback Derek Vasquez is a dual threat as a passer and runner, and had 167 yards passing and 157 yards rushing against Burges, freshman Carlos Rojas recorded 137 yards receiving against Burges and running back Noah Ramirez went for more than 200 yards on the ground in the win against Burges.

Chapin QB Rivera returns

Last year, Chapin quarterback Evan Rivera was injured early in the season and did not return from a knee injury. Last week against El Dorado, he saw significant time against El Dorado and had three touchdown passes in the 34-17

win. His return gives the talented Huskies another offensive weapon and if Rivera keeps playing well, his confidence

will likely grow as the season matures.

Mountain View fun to watch

Second-year coach DJ Check and his staff have done a nice job in making the Lobos offense a fun team to watch the past two years and the team is off to a fast start in 2023.

Quarterback Matthew Slosar has thrown for 730 yards and eight TD's in wins against Alpine and Cathedral and wide receiver Diego Gonzalez is as exciting a receiver as any in the city and with his 6-foot-4 frame, college coaches have taken notice.

The Lobos will be fun to watch all season and should challenge for a playoff berth in District 1-4A Division II.