Time for football predictions
We’re two weeks into the high school football season so it’s time to make some educated guesses as to which teams are going to be on top of the standings at season’s end.
Of course last year’s “educated” guesses didn’t turn out so well, as I gave the Imperial Valley League nod to Central Union High, which finished 4-7 overall and 2-3 in IVL, and the Manzanita League edge to Holtville, which ended the season 2-8 overall and 2-2 in league action.
Truth is, I’ve never been much of a prognosticator but I don’t mind giving my opinions.
Let’s kick things off in the IVL, where I’m not going out on any limbs here. I’m picking defending IVL champion Imperial to repeat.
Kerry Legarra’s Tigers played a treacherous nonleague schedule last season and going into league they were 0-5, but proceeded to run the table in IVL, finishing 5-0.
Imperial is playing that same tough nonleague schedule this year and look for a similar outcome when the season ends.
The word to describe this year’s Tigers is “balance.” Imperial is balanced on both sides of the ball and on offense they can run it or throw it.
Brawley and Southwest come in just a notch below the Tigers and you can expect to see both schools motivated for their opportunity to knock off the defending champs.
The Wildcats are always a force in the IVL. They’ll play strong defense and pound the ball on the ground on offense.
Southwest is an interesting team. The Eagles have opened the season with two close victories and they have a trio of juniors leading the offensive surge.
The question is whether or not Southwest’s defense is going to be able to stop teams from scoring.
The Eagles will be fun to watch as John Mitosinka’s club might be in store for some offensive shootouts week after week.
Central, Calexico and Palo Verde of Blythe will likely be at the bottom half of the IVL standings once again this season.
While they’ve played decent defense, the Spartans have struggled to move the ball the first two weeks of the season.
Calexico got its first win in two years last week when the Bulldogs went to Yuma High and scored a victory.
Under the tutelage of the ageless John Tyree, Calexico is going to show improvement but it’s too soon to expect a serious contender in the border city just yet.
In the Manzanita League, things could be wide open this year with no clear-cut favorite to win the league crown.
Vincent Memorial played in the CIF San Diego Section Div. V championship game in 2014 and went 10-2 last season, but lost some key players due to graduation.
The Scots have a few weeks to sort things out before opening league play in a month against Calipatria.
The Hornets have got venerable Mike Swearingen at the helm this season, so expect to see a much more disciplined squad in Calipatria.
The Hornets won’t be shooting themselves in the foot with penalties and missed assignments this year, which have plagued them in the past.
In Holtville, Keith Smith Jr. is only three years removed from winning a CIF SDS Div. V title, but it probably seems like a lifetime ago after last year’s 2-8 campaign.
While the Vikings have experience at the skill positions, questions remain regarding their offensive and defensive lines.
Other teams in the Manzanita League include Mountain Empire of Pine Valley and Lutheran of Chula Vista.
Mountain Empire could be a factor in the league race with 33 players on the roster, including senior quarterback Victor Parra.
Lutheran is new to the league, replacing Crawford of San Diego, and might struggle in its inaugural season.
So those are the predictions for 2016, we’re going with Imperial in the IVL and a wide-open Manzanita League that could likely end in a twoor three-way tie.