This is the first week when local high school football teams can play an official game. It is called Week 00, which precedes Week 0 when the majority of area teams will begin.
There are three teams from the LA Daily News area playing their season openers in three different states, starting Friday night.
Who will emerge victorious?
Here’s a look at those games with analysis and predictions for each contest.
No. 2 Chaminade (0-0) at Leilehua (HI) (0-0), Thursday, 6 p.m.
Chaminade heads to the island of Oahu to face Leilehua. Chaminate is led by 6-foot-5 offensive lineman and Notre Dame commit Jackson Hill, UNLV commit Kingston Williams and rising sophomore quarterback Jeremy Mellalieu.
Leilehua is headed up front by 6-foot-4 three-star Kahikapu Young. Young holds offers from Hawaii, Memphis, Washington State, UNLV and San Diego State.
The trip to Hawaii becomes a good test for Chaminade. Williams has elevated his speed from a year ago, while Mellalieu is more composed from the pocket. Chaminade is senior-laden and disciplined. The prediction here is that Mellalieu throws for over 250 yards, and the Eagles’ physicality in the trenches becomes too much for Leilehua to overcome at home.
Prediction: Chaminade wins 28-14
Viewpoint (0-0) at Lake Mead Christian Academy (0-0), Saturday, 7 p.m.
Viewpoint returns one of the top cornerbacks in the state in Shane Anderson. Anderson intercepted eight passes last year and, now in his senior year, looks to launch Viewpoint into the win column alongside senior quarterback Magnus Merriman, running back and cornerback Ben Burkin, and 6-foot-3 senior offensive and defensive lineman Ryder Kabakoff.
Lake Mead Christian Academy returns starting quarterback Colton Downing (1,115 yards, 12 touchdowns, 10 interceptions) and sophomore receiver Benjamin Hiscock.
On Saturday, Viewpoint will play disciplined football, with Kabakoff setting the tone in the run game.
Prediction: Viewpoint wins 35-21
Glendale (0-0) vs. Santa Fe (0-0) at Pioneer High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Glendale carries plenty of potential headed by junior running back Arman Papazyan. Papazyan became a revelation for Glendale after several upperclassmen went down with injuries. Papazyan took a majority of handoffs and was Glendale’s leading rusher with 1,063 yards and 13 touchdowns last season.
The Dynamiters head to Whittier to face Santa Fe, led by junior running back Jeremiah Norman (345 rushing yards, four touchdowns). Expect a matchup that’s determined by the push generated at the line of scrimmage, with Glendale and Santa Fe each running a single wing variation.
Prediction: Santa Fe wins 20-7