It’s a jam-packed slate of action around the San Fernando Valley this weekend, with several top-25 matchups in the City Section and one intriguing Southern Section matchup between two Del Rey League teams looking to keep pace in a highly competitive league title race. The game of the week is a heavyweight clash in the East Valley League that will shape the season’s final stretch. Here are the intriguing matchups happening around the Valley that you won’t want to miss on Friday night:

Sylmar Spartans (3-3) at #4 Kennedy Cougars (6-0) – 7 pm kickoff, Kennedy High School

The first seven weeks of the season have been a bit of a rollercoaster for Sylmar. Much of that is because they’ve had to figure things out with their star signal-caller, Tim Tanner Jr., sidelined. Since he has returned to the lineup, the Spartans have looked like a threat to the top teams in the Valley Mission. The challenge won’t get bigger than what they face tonight against the #4-ranked Cougars, who are firmly set on remaining Valley Mission champions and earning a spot in the Open Division playoffs. Tim Tanner will have to keep playing at his best to give the Spartans a chance, but it is a matchup between league rivals, and anything can happen. It should be a fun one in Granada Hills.

Panorama Pythons (5-2) at #24 San Fernando Tigers (4-2) – 7 pm kickoff, San Fernando High School

The Pythons continue to bludgeon their way through the regular-season slate, and despite falling short at home against Kennedy last week, they proved they are not a team to take lightly. They will look to display their signature smashmouth mentality on the road this week at San Fernando. The Tigers have looked impressive since their 0-2 start, seemingly putting their early-season turmoil firmly in the rearview mirror. This team is a defending City Section champion, so the Pythons will have their work cut out for them as they try to take down a team riding a four-game win streak and with extra juice in the tank after a bye last week.

#11 Birmingham Patriots (1-5) at #18 Taft Toreadors (4-2) – 7 pm kickoff, Taft High School

All good things come to an end, and the Patriots finally dropped a home game to a West Valley opponent, Cleveland. They will get right back on the horse this week on the road at Taft, hungry to bounce back big time. Make no mistake: this team is far superior to their record, and Taft should expect the Patriots’ best effort tonight. Taft has two things going for them: they are an extremely talented bunch with several quality wins under their belt, and they will have the confidence of knowing this Birmingham team isn’t the unbeatable opponent they used to be. Show up, play your best game, and you will have more than a puncher’s chance.

#12 Granada Hills Highlanders (4-2) at #17 Chatsworth Chancellors (4-2) – 7:15 pm kickoff, Taft High School

Taft and Birmingham aren’t the only top-20 matchup in the West Valley League this week. The Highlanders hit the road to take on Chatsworth in a game that will be one of the more physical battles in the City Section this weekend. Both teams play similarly: line up in front of your opponent and impose your will. Control the pace of play, control the outcome. With Granada Hills, what you see is what you get; they will never try to fool you. The ground attack is their bread and butter, and they have used it to the tune of 354 yards per game this year. If you can’t fill gaps and shut down their double wing, they will run you out of the building. Chatsworth leans heavily on the ground game as well, but be careful; this isn’t the same as previous iterations of the Chancellors. If you load the box to stop the run, they can take advantage of light coverage on the back end and make opponents pay. This game just might come down to who has the ball last.

Crespi Celts (5-1) at Harvard Westlake Wolverines (5-1) – Saturday 10/10, 7:30 pm kickoff, Harvard Westlake High School

The Valleys Southern Section offering is strong this week, featuring two teams that believe they are in position to win one of the CIFSS’s more competitive leagues. Five of the six teams in the Del Rey are .500 or better, and this league might come down to the wire. That is why games like this between the Wolverines and Celts feel like a must-win, because there is the possibility that we could see a three-way tie at the top when all is said and done. Harvard-Westlake lost a tough one to Salesian last week, so they cannot afford to drop this game. Crespi knows it has huge matchups with red-hot Alemany and Salesian on the horizon, so staying unblemished here keeps them in control of their destiny to repeat as Del Rey League champions.

VST Game of the Week

#20 Poly Parrots (5-1) at #23 North Hollywood Huskies (3-3) – 7 pm kickoff, North Hollywood High School

It’s still anybody’s game in the East Valley League, with Poly, Arleta, North Hollywood, and Verdugo Hills all in contention as we head into the final four regular-season games. Two of those aforementioned teams lock horns in North Hollywood tonight as the Poly Parrots look to continue their mission to win the EVL in Coach Boo Williams’ first season. Tonight, the Huskies know they must win this matchup to have any shot at a third straight EVL championship after dropping their last game to Arleta. The loss snapped a 16-game win streak against league opponents, dating back to October of 2023. While the race is still wide open, a win here for Poly keeps the Parrots in position to control their own destiny with matchups against Verdugo Hills and Arleta in the final two games of the regular season.