SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, the home of the Rams and Chargers, will once again be the site of high school football games this season. (FILE PHOTO: Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone).
City rivals Garden Grove and Pacifica are the latest high school football teams to reach an agreement to play a regular season game at SoFi Stadium, the home of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers, it was confirmed this week by coaches of the teams.
The non-league game will be played on Friday, Aug. 29 at 8:30 p.m. and will be the second game for both squads. Parking and ticket information will be announced later, according to officials with Garden Grove Unified School District.
“I think it is a great opportunity that our AD Coach (Ricardo) Cepeda put together for us to ensure kids get a really cool experience that they will remember for the rest of their lives,” said Garden Grove’s second-year coach Matthew T. LemMon.
“All our coaches and kids are excited to play Pacifica there and look forward to a great game, and couldn’t thank Mr. Cepeda, Mrs. Hibbard (our principal) and the school district staff for helping to make it happen for these kids. It will be an exciting game and I enjoy coaching against Coach (Kyle) Murphy and Pacifica, they are a class act.”
Garden Grove opens the season with a week zero game against Los Amigos on Friday, Aug. 22 at Bolsa Grande.
Garden Grove is expected to be led by running back/linebacker Quentin Pacelli, tight end Jayden Nunez, defensive end/fullback/offensive guard Victor Baires and safety/wide receiver Nathan Garcia.
Murphy, the Pacifica coach, said school officials from Pacifica and Garden Grove were contacted about having a game at SoFi.
“From there, Grove needed to approve playing at SoFi since they are the home team,” he said. “Grove and us talked throughout the week and once Grove made the decision to play at SoFi we confirmed we would love to as well.
“I’m excited for our school, the athletes, the coaches and the parents. It is a rare opportunity and one everyone is excited for. It’s a chance to experience something very few people ever get to experience. That’s part of what sports is about, experiencing something new and exciting.”
Pacifica opens the season with a week zero game vs. Kennedy on Friday, Aug. 22.
Pacifica is expected to be led by quarterback James Anema, wide receiver David Carlsson, running back Ma’Kai Brown, linebackers Kole Chapman and Tyler Alvarado, defensive back/wide receiver Eli Sandoval, and offensive/defensive lineman Caleb Kelly and Jared Verdure.
Among the other teams in Southern California playing at SoFi are the Yorba Linda Mustangs, who will face Mayfair on Thursday, Aug. 21 at 5 p.m. during week zero.
—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
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