Football Friday Night Week 4: Schedule, Scores and 5 Storylines

Don't blink now! We're already in week four of the high school football season in El Paso, as district play continues for 1-6A while other divisions wrap up non-district play.

Follow 600 ESPN El Paso all evening for live scoring updates of all the scheduled games. Paul MacKinnon is back with Beau Bagley as our hosts for the season and they will get things started at 5:30 p.m. tonight with a special pregame show ahead of Chihuahuas baseball. After the Chihuahuas game, we will have the recap edition of Football Friday Night.

600 ESPN El Paso Reporter Schedule
El Dorado (0-3) at Pebble Hills (2-1) 4 PM Ryan Vidales
Del Valle (2-1) at Canutillo (2-1) GOTW Steve Escajeda
Americas (1-2) at Franklin (3-0) Adrian Broaddus
Parkland (3-0) at Chapin (1-1) Joe Rodriguez
Alamogordo (3-1) at Riverside (2-1) JD Sursley
Horizon (1-2) at Andress (0-3) Russ Bannister
Coronado (1-2) at Eastlake (3-0) 7:30 Ryan Vidales

Yesterday: Curtis Crane out at Cathedral

In a rare in-season coaching change, Cathedral is moving on from coach Curtis Crane, confirmed sources with knowledge of the program to 600 ESPN El Paso.

Crane held the head coach job for the Fighting Irish for six seasons and they are off to a 1-2 record in the 2023 season. They will face Anthony at Burges on Friday as defensive coordinator Hristo Gonzalez will take over as the interim head coach.

Cathedral was coming off a win against Fabens last week while dropping their first two games to Mountain View and Lake Country Christian. Now coach Gonzalez will try to steer the ship in a positive direction for the remainder of the season for Cathedral.

Game of the night: Del Valle vs. Canutillo

The battle of 2-1 overall records will be played in west El Paso in a now non-district matchup upon district realignment, as Canutillo hosts Del Valle on Friday night. Both teams are coming off dominant performances—Del Valle beat Austin 53-0, while Canutillo topped Austin, 35-7. Both programs also share a loss to Pebble Hills.

Canutillo is going to give you exactly what you'd expect from a Scott Brooks-coached team—hard nose defense, running the football on offense and winning in the trenches. They are led by quarterback Jeremiah Knox and tailback Rene Huerta on offense, but they pride themselves on their stout defense. Defensive backs David Alvarado, Christopher Brock and Nathan Orduno have been the standout secondary members for the Eagles so far.

Could this be the game that Del Valle sophomore quarterback Jake Fette emerges in and puts the city on notice? Fette has 313 passing yards and six touchdowns on the season so far in just two starts. He has weapons like Shelton Fuller and Juan Archuleta on offense. Del Valle is going to have to play their best game against Canutillo in order to win this one, but they might have some road magic in them this week.

Prediction: Del Valle 28 - Canutillo 27

1-6A showdowns: Americas at Franklin; El Dorado at Pebble Hills; Coronado at Eastlake

There is a trio of 1-6A matchups tonight that could help bolster these respective teams' playoff possibilities.

El Dorado and Pebble Hills kick things off in the early matchup at the SAC tonight, with the Aztecs vying for their first win of the season. They've been dealing with an injury to their star tailback Ray Estrada. Pebble Hills (2-1) dropped their district opener last week to Eastwood in a competitive battle.

Americas (1-2) lost in an overtime thriller to Montwood last week, 37-35. The Trailblazers are probably the toughest 1-2 team in the region with their stout run game led by quarterback Mark Moore and running back Cam'ron Johnson. Meanwhile, Franklin (3-0) remains perfect on the season despite dealing with injuries to running back Jordan Morales, wide receiver Patrick Powers and backup tailback Ernie Powers. They rely heavily on quarterback Shay Smith to generate offense for them.

Coronado (1-2) is another team whose record doesn't reflect the squad they have. Coronado has been a part of three one-score games and lost their two games to Canutillo and Franklin by a combined three points. They are still without quarterback Owen Levesque and will trot out sophomore Ben Wilson to assume the gunslinger role on Friday. Eastlake (3-0), on the other hand, has been finding their stride early into the season. They want to contend for a district title this season in a loaded district 1-6A. Quarterback Luke Lomeli (507 passing yards & 7 touchdowns) has been the leader of their offense three games into the season.

Predictions: Pebble Hills 42 - El Dorado 21; Franklin 42 - Americas 41; Eastlake 28 - Coronado 21

Dark horse game of the night: Parkland at Chapin

Look out! Parkland is 3-0 on the season and the Matadors have impressed early into the year. They are averaging 34 points per game and just dominated Burges 35-7. Their run game has been the strong point, led by running back Anthony Carrillo (487 rushing yards, two touchdowns). Defensively, they have seen production from defensive back Kaleb Martinez and linebacker Juan Gomez.

On the flip side, Chapin (1-1) liked what it got from quarterback Ethan Rivera in their 34-17 win against El Dorado two weeks ago. If they can get star ATH Daveon Singelton back this week and do a dual-quarterback system, I think Chapin can find more momentum offensively. Skill position players like Carey Wade, Savion Jordan and Brent Hallman Jr. are players to watch in this game.

Prediction: Chapin 35 - Parkland 31

Saturday at the Sun Bowl: Jefferson vs. Bowie

This southside rivalry between Jefferson and Bowie means a bit more for both communities this year. Both schools will honor and recognize Bowie band member Daniel Esparza, who tragically died Sunday after suffering a medical emergency during the Bears game against Ysleta.

On the field, Jefferson (0-3) is hoping for their first win of the season. They were shut out against Riverside (28-0) last week. Running back Miguel Rubio leads them on offense and they will need him to be sharp against the Bears in this one.

Bowie (2-1) has improved from last season and hopes to continue its momentum against their rivals on Saturday. Quarterback Abraham Carrasco and running back Joe Rodriguez lead them offensively.

Prediction: Bowie 27 - Jefferson 13