The 2024 City Section season kicks into high gear with several intriguing matchups to chew on this week. Here is the best of the best that the Valley has to offer in Week one of the football slate:

West Ranch Wildcats (0-1) at #9 Cleveland Cavaliers( 1-0)  – Cleveland High School, 7 pm kickoff

The Cavaliers posted an impressive victory over Harvard Westlake in Week Zero. They will look to make it two wins in a row over Southern Section opponents when the Wildcats travel in on Thursday night. Mario Guzman has the Cavs playing well early in the season with a good shot at moving to 2-0 this week.

#23 San Fernando Tigers (0-1) at Chavez Eagles  – CCLA, 7:30 pm kickoff

The Chavez Eagles had to wait until Week One to get rolling and they will have a stiff test right out of the gate as the San Fernando Tigers roll into town. The Tigers took their lumps in Week Zero against Village Christian and will be highly motivated to avoid a 0-2 start to the season. This game is a revenge matchup for Chavez who will have their 14-0 loss to San Fernando last season in the back of their minds.

Verdugo Hills Dons (0-1) at Reseda Regents  (0-1) – Reseda High School, 7 pm kickoff

This matchup will feature two teams eager to notch their first win of the season and gain a bit of positive momentum in the early goings of the campaign. Last week both the Dons and the Regents came away with close defeats and a bitter feeling that they let winnable games get away from them. The question will be health for Reseda, who suffered a key injury to the quarterback position and must turn around and play again in a short week.

#1 Birmingham Patriots (0-0) at St Bonaventure Seraphs (1-0) – Ventura College, Friday night, 7 pm kickoff

The Patriots are the undisputed kings of the City Section. A major part of what makes them so unstoppable in the city and West Valley League is not just the abundance of talent, but the fact that they are battle-tested. The Pats schedule difficult opponents in their non-league and this opening contest will be no different. The Seraphs aren’t just any opponent, they are the #31 ranked team in the entire state, and they will be riding a wave of momentum coming off a 38-7 victory over St. Francis(La Canada) last week. Word on the street is Birmingham will be starting a Freshman at quarterback in this game, so we shall see how well the Pats can hang with a tough opponent on the road in a hostile environment.

Los Angeles Romans at Grant Lancers,  Grant High School, 7 pm kickoff

The Lancers looked good in Week Zero and now get the chance to play at home for the first time this season. They’ll have a tough test with the Romans, who took down a tough Panorama squad in Week Zero. Expect Matthew Gonzalez to get a heavy load again this week after putting up over 250 yards rushing last week on the road at Wilson.

Valley Sports Telegram Game of the Week

Chatsworth Chancellors at Arleta Mustangs – Arleta High School, 3:30 pm kickoff

There isn’t much more that needs to be said other than this game will be a dogfight from the opening kickoff. Chatsworth will be looking to return the favor after losing to Arleta last year on their home turf. Arleta had a less-than-stellar performance against Westchester at home last week, and Bill Coan’s teams usually don’t play undisciplined in back-to-back weeks. The Chancellors have a chance to notch a quality win against a Division I –caliber opponent, which could pay dividends for Chatsworth when it comes to seeding for the postseason. This contest promises to be a good one so get the popcorn ready.