Moorpark hosts Rio Mesa on Friday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. with both teams looking to avoid an 0-2 start in Channel League play.
The Musketeers (4-2, 0-1) had their four-game winning streak snapped Friday, Oct. 2 in a 38-24 loss at Santa Barbara. Quarterback Dawson Armstrong threw for 179 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Brody Tweedy rushed for 137 yards at 8.6 yards per carry. Santa Barbara quarterback Griffin Arnold threw for 466 yards and four touchdowns against the Moorpark secondary, according to MaxPreps.
Rio Mesa (2-4, 0-1) enters on a rougher stretch. The Spartans fell 34-7 to Westlake in their own league opener Oct. 2 and have lost nine of their last 11 games dating back to last season, MaxPreps reported. Head coach Jim Bittner's squad has dropped four of six this fall, with wins over Oxnard (29-7 on Sept. 25) and one other opponent.
Still, Rio Mesa's defense showed life against Westlake. The Spartans' defensive line recorded four sacks, with Jodey Conyers and Jordan Estrada combining for three of them. Junior cornerback Neo Lewis leads the team with three interceptions this season.
On offense, sophomore running back Adrian Delatorre paces Rio Mesa with 73.0 rushing yards per game and six touchdowns. Junior receiver Nathaniel Marin averages 48.7 receiving yards per game and doubles as a return threat, averaging 27.70 yards per kickoff return.
Senior receiver Davis Benson leads Moorpark's offense at 152.0 receiving yards per game. The Los Angeles Times profiled Benson on Sept. 6, noting the 6-foot, 165-pound senior is also a CIF Southern Section Division 3 hurdles champion. Moorpark coach Christian Dearborn told the Times in a Sept. 6 profile that Benson "has the talent and the work ethic to go with it. He has it all."
Dearborn, a 2012 Moorpark High graduate, is in his first full season leading the program after being named head coach in February 2025. He previously served as defensive coordinator during a stretch that produced a 17-5 record, a Canyon League title in 2024 and back-to-back CIF playoff appearances, according to a Moorpark Unified School District announcement.
The two area programs share a common opponent in Camarillo. Moorpark edged the Scorpions 40-36 on Aug. 28, while Camarillo topped Rio Mesa 35-28 on Sept. 18.
Kickoff is 7 p.m. Friday at Moorpark High.
The Musketeers then travel to Thousand Oaks on Oct. 16 before hosting Ventura on Oct. 23 and closing league play at Westlake on Oct. 30.
