Friday's game
Carmel (0-0) at Salinas (0-0), 7:30 p.m.
The defending Central Coast Section Division I champion Cowboys stand little to gain by beating Carmel. They're suppose to.
But what if they don't? The next two opponents are state quality programs. So to some degree, there is pressure on Salinas Friday against an opponent that has beaten them in the past at 'The Pit'.
While Carmel missed the postseason for the first time in a decade last year, it closed the season as one of the hottest teams in the county, scoring 213 points.
All the skilled players are back, including quarterback Kai Lee, who threw for nearly 1,700 yards as a sophomore last year. Receiver Rashaan Ward might be the fastest player on the field.
Salinas junior quarterback Carl Richardson has created expectations after earning MVP honors over the summer at the University of Washington football camp.
Richardson threw just 29 passes last year, in part because he was playing behind the leagues MVP in Brett Reade.
He does have a pair of explosive targets in Ivan Curiel and Seaside transfer Roderick Gaskins. And Salinas can still pound it with Mike Cortez running behind a mountain of an offensive line.
If Carmel can withstand the physicality that Salinas presents in the trenches, and limit the turnovers, it could turn this game into a shootout.
The last meeting between the two teams occurred in 2014 with Salinas posting a 61-29 win. In 2011, the Padres went on the road and beat them 32-14.
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