Week 0 Football Kicks Off Across Orange County: Full Schedule

Key Takeaways

• Week 0 high school football games run Thursday through Saturday, Aug. 20-22, across Orange County.
• Most kickoffs are at 7 p.m., with some early starts on Thursday and Saturday.
• Marquee matchups include Mater Dei vs. American Fork (Utah) and Servite vs. Corona Centennial.
• An 8-man game features Trinity Classical at Sage Hill on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
• The Orange County Register published the schedule and is accepting corrections by email.

Introduction

Orange County high school football teams are set to open the season with Week 0 games from Aug. 20 to Aug. 22. The schedule, published by the Orange County Register, includes dozens of matchups at stadiums across the county.

Week 0 Matchups by Day

Thursday, Aug. 20

The first night features Katella vs. Loara at Glover Stadium at 6:30 p.m., followed by several 7 p.m. kickoffs. Corona Centennial plays Servite at Orange Coast College, and Cerritos meets Cypress at Western High School. Pacifica visits Beckman, St. Margaret's travels to Arlington, and Godinez plays at University. Huntington Beach goes to Millikan, Saddleback visits Santiago, Banning takes on Calvary Chapel, and Bellflower faces Santa Ana at Santa Ana Stadium.

Friday, Aug. 21

Friday is the biggest day of Week 0 with dozens of games. Notable matchups include Murrieta Mesa at Newport Harbor, San Marcos at Aliso Niguel, Tustin at San Clemente, and Yorba Linda at Laguna Beach. Mater Dei hosts American Fork (Utah) at Santa Ana Stadium, a rare out-of-state test for the defending powerhouse. Orange Lutheran faces Central (Fla.) at Orange Coast College, and Santa Margarita hosts Jones (Fla.) at Saddleback College.

Additional Friday games include Westminster at Sunny Hills, La Habra at Upland, Loyola at Crean Lutheran, El Toro at Tesoro, Sierra Canyon at JSerra, and Inglewood at Los Alamitos. The 8-man contest has Trinity Classical at Sage Hill at 7:30 p.m.

Other Friday games include Riverside Prep at Century, Cabrillo vs. Sonora at La Habra HS, Canyon vs. Kennedy at Western HS, Fullerton vs. Anaheim at Glover Stadium, West Valley vs. Capistrano Valley Christian at Laguna Hills HS, Western at Salesian, Notre Dame/Riverside at Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley vs. Ocean View, Portola vs. Woodbridge at University HS, St. Bernard vs. Los Amigos at Bolsa Grande HS, Bishop Montgomery at Segerstrom, North Torrance vs. Orange at El Modena HS, Laguna Hills vs. Foothill at Tustin HS, Bolsa Grande at Garden Grove, Trabuco Hills at Norte Vista, Esperanza at Shadow Hills, Chaparral at Mission Viejo, Brea Olinda vs. Marina at Westminster HS, Beverly Hills at Valencia, Corona del Mar at Lakewood, Irvine vs. Northwood at Portola HS, Buena Park at Don Lugo, and California Military Institute at Santa Ana Valley at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 22

Two Saturday games close the opening weekend: Compton Early College at Savanna at 1 p.m., and Whittier Christian vs. La Sierra at Whittier College.

Week 1 Schedule Overview

The action continues the following week with Week 1 games running from Aug. 27 to Aug. 29. Kickoffs across the county generally begin at 7 p.m. Thursday features a packed slate including Los Alamitos at Huntington Beach, Villa Park at El Modena High School, and Woodbridge versus Kennedy at Western High School. Other Thursday matchups include Marina at Westminster, Sunny Hills at California, Santa Ana at Santa Ana Stadium, and Santa Margarita at Centennial. The 8-man contest features Sherman Oaks CES at Sage Hill. Additional Thursday games span Long Beach Wilson at JSerra, Cypress at Brea Olinda, Downey at Capistrano Valley, Tesoro at Dana Hills, Orange at Laguna Beach, Paul at Mission Viejo, Crean Lutheran at Mira Costa, Long Beach Poly at Veterans Stadium, Pacifica at Bolsa Grande High School, Costa Mesa at Estancia, Aliso Niguel at Laguna Hills, El Dorado at Fullerton, Buena Park at Westminster, Bolsa Grande at University, Compton Early College at Magnolia, and Corona del Mar at Newport Harbor High School.

Local California Context

All Week 0 games involve Orange County teams, many playing home games at local venues such as Santa Ana Stadium, Orange Coast College, Saddleback College, and Glover Stadium. The schedule gives families and fans a chance to see top programs early, while coaches use nonleague games to evaluate rosters before league play begins.

Background

California high school football typically starts with nonleague games in late August. Week 0 is an unofficial opening window that allows teams to schedule extra games against opponents outside their league. Orange County has long been one of the state's most competitive regions for high school football, with programs like Mater Dei, Servite, and Santa Margarita frequently ranked nationally.

Conclusion

Week 0 marks the beginning of a new high school football season in Orange County. Fans should confirm game times and locations before heading out, and updates can be sent to [email protected].