Three neighborhood rivals with long histories resume their versions of trench warfare this week.
Chula Vista and Sweetwater, 2.9 miles apart and the oldest schools south of the San Diego city limits, play for the 74th consecutive year in a chain that began when Chula Vista opened in 1947.
The Spartans lead the Red Devils, 39-33-3, in the longest continuous series in the County.
Chula Vista (4-2) is on a 2021 four-game win streak and Sweetwater (2-3), delayed by two cancelations because of Covid implications, is looking for a third straight victory.
HISTORY FAVORS OCEANSIDE
Carlsbad is ranked No. 1 in John Maffei’s Union-Tribune weekly poll below, but Oceanside is 38-18-6 against the Lancers.
The series began in 1958 when the schools, 3.9 miles apart, were coached by the legendary Herb Meyer (Oceanside) and Sveto (Swede) Krcmar, who had been an assistant at Oceanside when Meyer was a player there.
Meyer was 10-4-1 against Carlsbad when he moved to the new El Camino in 1976, but Krcmar’s Lancers won two small school CIF championships in head-to-head battles, 13-6, in 1962 and 12-3 in 1965.
SO CLOSE
Crawford is 1.5 miles east of Hoover, having opened and taken a chunk of Cardinals enrollment in 1957. The two played every year from 1958-75 and then went their separate ways, only to return.
Over the decades Hoover and Crawford have been partnered in the Eastern, Western, Central, and Harbor leagues and are back together in the Central. The off-and-on relationship favors the Colts, 29-17.
HOLY BOWL
Not as close geographically as when Cathedral was University, with a Linda Vista address instead of Carmel Valley, St. Augustine and Cathedral bring the heat, no matter the venue.
University began playing in 1957 and became Cathedral in 2004. The schools didn’t meet until 1966. Cathedral will take a 38-22 lead into their game at home this week.
RATINGS GAME
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | PREVIOUS | |||
| 1. | Carlsbad | 7-0 (15) | 230 | 1 | |||
| 2. | Cathedral | 5-2 (9) | 223 | 2 | |||
| 3. | Lincoln | 6-1 | 189 | 3 | |||
| 4. | Mater Dei | 6-0 | 1177 | 4 | |||
| 5. | Mission Hills | 5-2 | 141 | 6 | |||
| 6. | Torrey Pines | 4-2 | 139 | 5 | |||
| 7 | Scripps Ranch | 6-0 | 87 | 7 | |||
| 8. | Mt. Carmel | 7-0 | 71 | 9 | |||
| 9. | Helix | 3-3 | 32 | 10 | |||
| 10. | Santa Fe Christian | 7-0 | 25 | NR | |||
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES
Madison (5-2, 12 points), Poway 5-2, 8), Eastlake (5-2, 7), Ramona (5-2, 3), El Capitan (6-1, 1), San Diego (7-1, 1).Â
VOTING PANEL
Twenty-four sportswriters and sportscasters throughout San Diego County.
- John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune.
- Steve Brand, Thomas Gutierrez, Rick Hoff, Jim Lindgren, Terry Monahan, Eric Williams, Thomas Gutierrez, freelance contributors.
- John Carroll, Nick Pollino, KUSI Ch. 51.
- John Kentera, Braden Suprenant, 97.3-FM The Fan).
- Adam Paul, ECPreps.com.
- Bodie DeSilva, scorebooklive.com.
- Rick Smith, Partletonsports.com.
- Christian Pedersen, San Diego Sports Association.
- Troy Hirsch, Fox 5 San Diego.
- Raymond Brown, sdfootball.net.
- Joe Heinz, Todd Cassen, Ron Marquez, Mike Dolan, CIF San Diego Section.
- Ramon Scott, Eastcountysports.com.
- Steve (Biff) Dolan, Mountain Country, 107.9-FM.
How others see San Diego’s Top 10:
*The second entry in each rating is from the previous week.
| Team | Record | Cal-Hi Sports | MaxPreps | CalPreps |
| Cathedral | 5-2 | 20/20* | 16/16 | 56.8/53.7 |
| Carlsbsd | 7-0 | 14/13 | 24/20 | 51.2/51.7 |
| Mission Hills | 5-2 | 25/25 | 35/32 | 46.0/43.8 |
| Lincoln | 6-1 | 15/15 | 25/27 | 50.4/47.7 |
| Mater Dei | 6-0 | 36/41 | 31/35 | 47.1/42.9 |
| Helix | 3-3 | NR/NR | 64/70 | 37.1/33.1 |
| Torrey Pines | 4-2 | 34/35 | 40/42 | 43.7/40.9 |
| Scripps Ranch | 6-0 | NR/NR | 54/62 | 39.8/35.6 |
| Mt. Carmel | 7-0 | NR-NR | 104/119 | 27.923.3 |
| Santa Fe Christian | 7-0 | NR-NR | 176/171 | 20/18.2 |
