2013, Week 5: Decks Cleared for Oceanside-Mission Hills

North County’s game of the year is  Friday night, when  Oceanside and Mission Hills, ranked 1-2 in the UT-San Diego football voting, will roll in the dirt for more than just neighborhood bragging rights.

Mission Hills (4-0), which  became a San Diego Section force under former Vista coach Chris Hauser, seeks its first-ever win over John Carroll’s Pirates (3-1). Oceanside holds a 5-0-1 advantage in a series that has been played regularly since 2009.

The teams tied 10-10 in 2011 and Oceanside has  beaten the Grizzlies in Section finals in 2007 and 2010 and in the semifinals in 2009.  The Pirates have had an average scoring advantage of 31-12 and outscored their Highway 78 rivals 185-76.

Another big game will match Cathedral and Southern Section power Murietta Vista Murietta.

The Broncos, Riverside County’s premier team and a Southern Section power, have victories of 66-28 over Downey, 52-13 over Yucaipa, and 69-21 over Redlands East Valley.

Cathedral is 2-1 and figures to be Murietta’s biggest test in the regular season.

The Top 10 still is the same at the top, but San Pasqual (4-0), and Eastlake (3-1) have been coming on.