Another Foray Into the Fabric and Culture of High School Football

Friday, October 10, 2025

This season I have been making an effort to attend high school football games in more offbeat situations than normal.

Thus, in recent weeks I've journeyed to an 8-man game in Ojai, a small town affair in Boron and even a contest featuring an outstanding team with a roster of all deaf players in Riverside.

Each one of those games was unique in its own way and tonight I decided to attend another matchup that was of interest to me based on the core values and psyche that the game of American football should impart to the young men who play the sport.

Tonight's contest featured one new, winless team, Del Sol H.S., that was playing its first Varsity season but without yet having a Senior class.

In Del Sol's first season of 2023 with only Freshmen, the Jaguars went but 2-7 playing a Frosh schedule. In 2024, Del Sol fielded only one team whose record was 4-4 playing solely other J.V. squads.

It's been some rough growing pains for the Jaguars.

The other club involved in the game was the home team and long ago powerhouse, Channel Islands. During the 1970s and 1980s, C.I.H.S. was consistently one of Ventura County's best high school football programs.

Unfortunately, due in equal parts demographics changes and to the "High School Transfer Portal," the Raiders' football fortunes turned drastically for the worse.

Since the 2004 season, Channel Islands has struggled to a record of 53-141. During this 22 season stretch, they have only reached the C.I.F.-Southern Section playoffs three times in 2004, 2011 and 2014. The Raiders have had two winning campaigns in this stretch 7-4 in 2004 and 8-4 in 2011.

It gets worse. Since 2018, C.I.H.S. is only 4-66 in eight seasons.

Currently, the Raiders were in the midst of a 15 game losing streak.

Yet despite all of these negative stats for both programs, these two schools and their two hardy bands of athletes still play on nobly.

I find this so much more inspirational to see this tough character check met week after week, season after season than a few weeks ago reading about two national powerhouse high school teams playing each other with 76 athletes on the field having already received NCAA DI scholarship offers, see California's St. John Bosco vs. Maryland's St. Frances Academy.

Coaching is easy when you are winning, not so much when you continually must wring every ounce of effort from every athlete in your charge just to have the chance to compete week after week, season after season, decade after decade. I firmly believe that situations like these two programs are facing can truly bring out the best in the human spirit.

I simply wanted to be at this game that would see one of these clubs take home their first win on 2025.

But first, son Michael and I . . .

. . . needed a pre-game meal

The fine Oxnard establishment served us fantastic shrimp and beef tacos, perfect for our nutritional needs on this crisp, cool Fall night.

Del Sol H.S. Jaguars

Established 2023

Season Record

Overall: 0 Wins - 6 Losses Overall

Citrus Coast League: 0 Wins - 1 Loss

at San Marcos (1-5) - Lost 35-0

at Viewpoint (6-0) - Lost 42-15

vs. Santa Paula (4-2) - Lost 42-0

at Dos Pueblos (3-3) - Lost 56-0

vs. Royal (3-3) - Lost 37-0

vs. Grace (3-3) - Lost 53-6 *

* Citrus Coast League Game

Channel Islands H.S. Raiders

Established 1966

Season Record

Overall: 0 Wins - 6 Losses Overall

Citrus Coast League: 0 Wins - 1 Loss

vs. Viewpoint (6-0) - Lost 27-0

at Hueneme (1-5) - Lost 25-0

at Westlake (6-0) - Lost 45-7

at Webb (4-2) - Lost 66-7

at Bolsa Grande (4-3) - Lost 28-13

at Nordhoff (5-1) - Lost 55-14 *

* Citrus Coast League Game

We arrived at Channel Islands H.S. in time to soak in the pageantry that is high school football.

The first ever meeting between these

two schools located next to Oxnard's

Rose Avenue even had a title

 

Good words for both of these clubs

Channel Islands H.S.'s

"Tsunami of Sound" Band on the

march during a lovely sunset

C.I.'s Homecoming is next week

For a mere $10, this school fundraiser will take your photo as you ask that special someone tonight to the Homecoming Dance.

Any takers?

Alien crop circles behind

the Del Sol stands

Or perhaps an ecology friendly new Target logo.

What can I say, it was a BEAUTIFUL

Fall night for American football!

Del Sol in white Kicking Off the game

before a less than packed stadium

The Raiders returned it to midfield

As it turned out, these two teams

were evenly matched

They thus provided us with a competitive, entertaining and high scoring game.

The Del Sol Cheerleaders were into it

Especially after the Jaguars first Offensive play of the game was a 62 yard Hook and Lateral pass for an exciting TD!

So were both teams, knowing that

they both had a good chance to win

The ball was careening up and down the field much to the delight of the spectators.

I must add that the stadium's game announcer added to the night's ambience to be sure.

When a Channel Island's receiver got wide open behind all of the Jaguars defenders for what should have been an easy 40 yard TD play, he flat out dropped the ball.

The announcer's calm comment? "That would have been so cool."

He was correct in his assessment, I thought.

End of the First Quarter

Del Sol - 16

Channel Islands - 14

More scoring, more Kickoffs

Del Sol going for two on

a Tush Push . . .

. . . they made it but only after a

much too long referees' conference

 

The battle continued down after down

in the Second Quarter

Halftime Score

Del Sol - 23

Channel Islands - 21

The young Del Sol squad was going toe-to-toe with the Raiders. 

The two huge Cheerleader squads met

at midfield during the intermission

The fireworks continued in the

Third Period

The Jaguars went for it often on

Fourth Down with the Tush Push

with great success

And why not when you're 0-6?

More witticisms from our announcer

During a Channel Islands Kickoff Return, he mentioned that "The Raiders return man's run to midfield looked like a Turkish bowling ball rampaging through Constantinople."

I, for one, loved it.

End of the Third Quarter

Del Sol - 30

Channel Islands - 21

At the end of the Third Quarter, the winner of the traditional fund raising 50-50 raffle was announced.

The winner took home a whopping $62 USD.

It was worth the risk.

Yet another Del Sol Fourth Down

Tush Push

This one was not successful in part due to a questionable spot after another long conference by the referees.

It would be a turning point that allowed C.I. back in the game.

The Raiders Defense came up big

in the Fourth Quarter shutting out

the Jaguars

The Raiders' Offense scored twice in the final stanza to take the lead.

As the horn sounded to end the game,

the Raiders' players, coaches and fans

went absolutely WILD!

Final Score

Channel Islands (1-6, 1-1 CCL) - 35

Del Sol (0-7, 0-2 CCL) - 16

Rightfully so, for the first time in a long time, the Raiders were now on a one game winning streak!

For Del Sol, the trek to the new school's first ever Varsity win would have to await another night, but still, great effort Jaguars!

Both teams handled the outcome

with class and dignity

As for me, I saw everything that I wanted to see. Two teams competing for 48 minutes with pride and courage despite their records.

It was all that I believe to be the potential good about high school football.

The scores from all of tonight's local

high school action

While we were at this game, our Washington Huskies were playing a rare Friday night BIG-10 game in Seattle.

Washington is now 5-1, 2-1 BIG-10

while Rutgers drops to 3-3, 0-3 BIG-10

Not good for my West Coast Pride

to see Oregon State at #5 or

UCLA at #21 on this dubious list

We now look forward to grandson Jacob's Pop Warner, Camarillo Stingers game on Saturday night at Camarillo H.S.

It will be the 47th football game that I have attended in calendar year 2025 both in Spain and in California.

The Travels of a Football Junkie continue . . .