Empire football preview: Maria Carrillo takes on Montgomery

Last year at this time, Maria Carrillo versus Montgomery would have been an important North Bay League game. After the new league configurations this year, it’s the last nonleague tuneup before next week’s new NBL divisional play begins.

Both teams are looking to notch a fourth win on the year.

Carrillo, 3-1, has been on an upward swing in each successive game, coach Jay Higgins said.

In the Pumas’ first game, he said, they put in a good first half. The second game, a good second half. Games three and four, they’ve put together a strong four quarters.

Despite the one loss (42-35 at Benicia), Carrillo has increased its point totals in each successive game this year: 33, 35, 41 and 48.

“You could say that’s indicative of the way we’ve been improving our game,” Higgins said. “I don’t look at the points, but qualitatively how we’ve been playing.

“My focus is our performance. If we can perform close to our potential or keep getting closer with each successive week, we’ll be pretty good. If you do that, the scoreboard tends to reflect that.”

Pumas quarterback K.C. Kelly leads Carrillo with his 651 passing yards in 4 games. He’s thrown for eight touchdowns.

The receiving corps comprises Logan Kraut (11 catches for 329 yards for a 30-yard average and five TDs) and Mason Adams (13-152, 12 avg., 3 TDs).

Tyler Van Arden leads the run game with 523 yards in three games.

Montgomery (3-2) is looking to bounce back after last week’s 14-0 defeat at Windsor.

The Vikings bring a balanced attack, averaging 148 yards rushing per game and 161 passing.

The scoring has been spread around evenly, too, with seven different players scoring touchdowns. Sophomore kicker Reese Martin is perfect (10 of 10) in point-after attempts and 1-for-1 in field goals.

Junior quarterback Cole Hallin averages 17 yards per completion, throwing for seven touchdowns and running for another two.

Coach Vertis Patton has used three primary running backs, Gavin Lemos (6.4 yards per carry), Khameron Perkins (8.4) and Jevon Heard (6.6).

Hallin also has several options in his receiving corps: B.J. Johnson (16.2 yards average reception, two TDs), Devin Ramirez (18.9, 2), Kaih Johnson (22.3, 2) and Lemos (18.2, 1)

The Vikings defense is pretty stout, with four interceptions and seven sacks in five games.

Senior Matt Carr leads the defense with 47 solo tackles and 36 assists.

Carrillo travels to Montgomery for the 7:30 p.m. game.

In other games tonight:

BALBOA Buccaneers (2-0) vs.?SANTA ROSA Panthers (3-2)?Time: 7 p.m.

Place: Santa Rosa High School

The Panthers play host to the Buccaneers and hope to send them home to San Francisco with their first loss of the season.

Santa Rosa is coming off a 48-22 loss to Maria Carrillo.

Senior running back Jayvee Long, who carries the ball on average 26 times a game, may be the Panthers’ most potent weapon. He has rushed for 915 yards total for an average of 183 per game and accounts for 10 Panthers touchdowns.

Emilio Campos (5.6 per carry), Chandler Andrew (4.5), Jaime Lemus (5) and Randy Clay (8.6) round out the running game for Santa Rosa.

Fifteen of Santa Rosa’s scores have been on the ground.

Balboa hasn’t allowed a point all season, shutting out Lynbrook of San Jose, 47-0, and Harbor of Santa Cruz, 45-0.

Other NBL teams have byes this week, including Windsor, Piner, Ukiah, Analy and El Molino.

While the NBL is still in nonleague play, the Vine Valley Athletic League is already into its second week.

GALENA Grizzlies (0-4) vs.?CARDINAL NEWMAN Cardinals (3-1)?Time: 7 p.m.?Place: Cardinal Newman High School

The Cardinals are solidifying their strength-of-schedule resume with another strong opponent this week, Galena High School from Nevada.

Galena, from Reno, is Newman’s second out-of-state competition this preseason, the other being Summit Academy from Utah two weeks ago.

It’s also the second game against a highly ranked competitor. Liberty of Brentwood, which is ranked 19th in the state this week, downed the Cardinals 31-14 last week.

Galena is ranked 28th in Nevada to Newman’s 64th in California.

The Grizzlies’ 0-4 record is deceiving: they have lost to the sixth-, ninth-, 12th- and 18th-ranked teams in Nevada.

After this pre-league game, the Cardinals start off the new configuration of the North Bay League next week against new Oak Division rival and local powerhouse Rancho Cotate.

CASA GRANDE Gauchos (1-4, 1-0) vs. VINTAGE Crushers (2-2, 0-0)?Time: 7 p.m.?Place: Vintage High School, Napa

The Gauchos won a hard-fought battle against Justin-Siena last week, 36-35. Casa was able to put 15 points on the board in the fourth quarter to win the VVAL opener.

Running back Julian Gaona scored on a 1-yard run to give his Gauchos a shot, 35-34, with under a minute left. Matt Herrera scored the two-point conversion for the win.

This will be the first VVAL contest for Vintage.

PETALUMA Trojans (3-2, 0-1) vs. ?JUSTIN-SIENA Braves (3-2, 0-1)?Time: 7 p.m.?Place: Petaluma High School

Petaluma (3-2, 0-1) hopes to win its first VVAL game after its opening loss to American Canyon, 43-16, last week.

Primarily a running team, the Trojans lead with backs Garrett Freitas (377 yards on 36 carries in four games), Colton Prieto (40-247) and Derrick Pomi (42-213).

Quarterback Cole Powers is also effective on the ground, scoring five of the Trojans’ 15 rushing touchdowns.

AMERICAN CANYON Wolves (1-4, 1-0)?vs. SONOMA VALLEY Dragons (2-3, 1-0)?Time: 7 p.m.?Place: Sonoma Valley High School

The Dragons and Wolves both won their first VVAL games last week.

After losing its first three games, putting only seven points on the board, Sonoma Valley has won its past two games, 24-8 over El Camino and 28-16 over Napa.

American Canyon lost its first four games, including a 69-0 loss to Inderkum of Sacramento, before its first victory over Petaluma last week.

Week 6 schedule

Tonight’s games

Vine Valley Athletic League

Casa Grande at Vintage, 7 p.m.

Petaluma at Justin-Siena, 7 p.m.

American Canyon at Sonoma Valley, ?7 p.m.

NCL I

Cloverdale at Willits, 7:30 p.m.

Clear Lake at St. Helena, 7:30 p.m.

Lower Lake at Fort Bragg, 7:30 p.m.

Kelseyville at Middletown, 7:30 p.m.

Nonleague

Galena at Cardinal Newman, 7 p.m.

Elsie Allen at Vacaville Christian, 7 p.m.

Balboa at Santa Rosa, 7 p.m.

Maria Carrillo at Montgomery, 7:30 p.m.

Calistoga at Anderson Valley, 7:30 p.m.

Round Valley at Tomales, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday’s games

Nonleague

Upper Lake at Rincon Valley Christian, 1 p.m.

Williams at St. Vincent, 2 p.m.

Point Arena at Branson, 3 p.m.