On the run

Mike Sciacca

Huntington Beach High’s impressive start to the 2004 prep football

season hasn’t gone unnoticed.

This week, the previously unranked Oilers have vaulted into the

CIF-Southern Section Division I rankings, coming in at No. 9.

While pleased with the lofty rating and recognition his program

has received, Coach Mike Groscost said he’s not quite sure to believe

it at this stage of the season, hoping, though, that his Oilers can

claim a Top 10 spot at season’s end.

And despite having run rough shod in the last 3 1/2 games this

year, he calls Friday night’s 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Trabuco Hills his

team’s most important assignment yet.

The Mustangs come into the game -- the final nonleague game for

each school -- with a 2-2 record.

“We’re selling this game to our players as a ‘must win’ game,”

Groscost said.’ “Trabuco’s a very fine football team. They easily can

be 4-1, even 5-0, if they didn’t make some mistakes and have some key

turnovers in their losses.”

Huntington has been on a roll ever since it trailed Los Amigos,

21-0, early in the second half in its season opening game on Sept.

10.

The Oilers scored 21 unanswered points and went on to tie the

Lobos, 21-21. Since that game, they’ve racked up point totals of 42,

24 and 52 in wins over Costa Mesa, Laguna Hills and Century.

That’s a lot of points for the Oilers, considering they didn’t

score more than 14 points in a single game last year, and scored a

mere 100 points, overall, in 10 games.

They’ve already topped that total with 139 points in 2004.

The Oilers may look a little undersized on the field, but more

than make up for it in the strength and speed departments.

“This is my first group of players I’ve had in the program since I

took over the job three years ago,” Groscost said. “We have about 25

seniors who have worked with a lot of heart, to get where they are

now.

“We were a one-dimensional team in the past, but not anymore. We

have a strong rushing game with four backs, our offensive line moves

pretty well and Curtis Crandall, can throw the ball, and our defense

has been playing well. This team can beat you in different ways.”

Last year’s score: teams did not meet

Other games Friday:

Saddleback (2-2, 0-1) vs. Ocean View (1-3)

(at Ocean View High, 7 p.m.)

Ocean View opens Golden West League play in a game pitting two

teams coming off losses.

The Seahawks were shutout last week by Calvary Chapel, which

posted a 15-0 victory.

Ocean View couldn’t muster any type of offense in the game in

being limited to less than 100 yards. The Seahawks gave up six sacks

and lost two interceptions.

Saddleback, meanwhile, dropped its Golden West League opener last

week to Santa Ana, 35-28, in double overtime. Josh Flores rushed for

a pair of touchdowns for the Roadrunners.

Last year’s score: Saddleback 48, Ocean View 14

Paramount (2-2) vs. Marina (0-4)

(at Westminster High, 7 p.m.)

Marina has one last chance for a nonleague victory before heading

into the Sunset League wars next week.

The Vikings have played one of the toughest schedules in the

Southern Section and in the past three weeks have been outscored,

136-7, in consecutive losses to Newport Harbor, Mission Viejo and

Orange Lutheran.

Newport Harbor is No. 1 and Orange Lutheran No. 2 in Division VI

and Mission Viejo is the No. 1 team in Division II.

The Vikings, who have scored just 13 points in their first four

games, will be meeting a Paramount team that evened its record at 2-2

last week with a 34-13 win over Bell.

Last year’s score: Marina 12, Paramount 0

Bye week: Edison