Breaking down this week’s top high school football matchups

Top high school football games Friday

Huntington Beach Edison vs. Anaheim Servite at Santa Ana Stadium, 7 p.m. This opener ended up being scheduled at the last minute after both schools lost opponents because of COVID-19 protocols. Servite has high expectations with the return of quarterback Noah Fifita and receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who announced this week he has committed to Oregon. Edison is young but talented in key positions and wants to challenge Los Alamitos in the Sunset League. The pick: Servite.

Inglewood at Loyola, 7 p.m. These two teams went unbeaten in spring games and a win in the opener could ignite a championship season. Inglewood has veteran skill-position players with Cal-bound quarterback Justyn Martin and UCLA-bound running back Tomarion Harden. Loyola is breaking in a new quarterback in Xavier Rice but has a talented running back in Tahj Owens and top receivers. The question is, can the Cubs’ offensive and defensive lines deal with Inglewood’s speed? The pick: Inglewood.

Dorsey at Fairfax, 7 p.m. Dorsey hasn’t played a football game in two years. First-year coach Stafon Johnson, a former USC running back, finally makes his coaching debut. He has an experienced quarterback in Joshua Coleman. Fairfax has a group of players who won the Rams’ academic challenge for most improved grade-point average, giving coach Juan Solorio a smart team that executes in practices. The pick: Fairfax.

High School Sports

Football: Week Zero schedule

The high school football season starts on Thursday. Here are the games scheduled for Week Zero.