Those Major League Baseball playoff sweatshirts are right:
There is no time like October.
For high school football teams, whose league season arrives with October.
The previous six weeks of nonleague play have been mere prelude for teams from the Marmonte, Channel, Coastal 101, Tri-County and Citrus Coast leagues.
Yes, the bye weeks are in the rearview mirror. It’s time to take a refresher course on just which teams are in which leagues this fall.
And how are those preseason picks by The Star working out?
Pacifica, Westlake, Agoura, Fillmore and Grace could certainly deliver on the media’s August stamp of approval.
Although St. Bonaventure, Moorpark, Camarillo, Royal and Nordhoff (and other contenders) will have the opportunity to make their case soon.
Four of those five favorites — Pacifica, Westlake, Agoura and Fillmore — enter league play as the highest-rated team in their league, per the CIF-Southern Section’s rating system.
The fifth is Nordhoff, one of two county teams to reach league play 5-0.
Local teams went 81-61 in nonleague play.
With 18 wins in 30 games, the Channel League had the most successful nonleague campaign.
Although the newly minted Coastal 101 league — with 4-1 Agoura, Calabasas and Oak Park and 3-2 Camarillo — looks like potentially the most interesting league campaign to come.
On to the Week 6 picks. Let’s see how much Joe Knows.
Friday, Oct. 2
St. Bonaventure 24, Simi Valley 21: The Seraphs will hold a moment of silence to honor Todd Therrien, who died Wednesday, before kickoff. The former St. Bonaventure coach was 3-2 against Simi Valley coach Jim Benkert, who was then at Westlake, in five meetings from 2007-12.
Pacifica 31, Oaks Christian 13: The Tritons’ 17-game regular-season winning streak was snapped last week. The Lions’ six-game losing streak is the longest in program history.
Newbury Park 27, Bishop Diego 20: The Panthers have yet to beat Bishop Diego in five meetings, dating back to 1967.
Camarillo 30, Oxnard 17: The Scorpions have won the last 10 meetings between the two teams.
Westlake 35, Rio Mesa 17: The Warriors have won 21 of the last 22 meetings in the series since 1992.
Ventura 35, Thousand Oaks 14: The Lancers have won the last three meetings.
Moorpark 31, Santa Barbara 30: The teams have split two meetings the last two seasons. The home team won both games.
Agoura 42, Buena 21: The Chargers remain the Coastal 101 favorite.
Calabasas 28, Oak Park 17: The neighbors split their last two meetings in 2022 and 2023.
Fillmore 41, San Marcos 24: The teams have split two meetings the last two seasons. The home team won both games.
Carpinteria 14, Channel Islands 13: The Raiders have scored just 32 points through five games.
Grace 42, Santa Clara 21: Grace has won the last four meetings between the county’s two smallest private-school programs.
Nordhoff 31, Del Sol 20: As they wait for their stadium to be completed, the Jaguars will “host” this matchup in Ojai.
Royal 28, Santa Paula 27: The teams’ first meeting since 1993 is a pivotal Tri-County League opener.
Dos Pueblos 21. Hueneme 20: Hueneme has lost the last 15 games in the series, dating back to 1987.
Last week: 4-0 (1.000).
This season: 81-17 (.827).
Joe Curley — aka Jostradamus — writes The Star’s high school football picks column. He can be reached at joe.curley@vcstar.com. Follow him at @vcsjoecurley on Twitter/X, Instagram/Threads and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Jostradamus is ready for October football, league play
