Irvine-Woodbridge and Northwood-Portola football league openers Friday cancelled

Quarterback Beck Moss (left) and Kade Zimmerman have led Irvine’s offense this season. (File photo Jim Tomlin, For OC Sports Zone)

Woodbridge High’s football team has had to cancel its varsity game with Irvine scheduled for Friday night at Irvine Stadium because of injuries, according to Woodbridge Athletic Director Rick Gibson.

It was scheduled to be the first of three Pacific Valley League games in the abbreviated season. Three of the four games in the Pacific Coast Conference have now been cancelled including both games in the Pacific Valley League. The Dana Hills at Laguna Hills game Friday night is still scheduled.

“Injuries to our squad; could not field a team safely,” Gibson, the Woodbridge athletic director, said.

In addition, Portola Coach Peter Abe said he was informed by Northwood Coach Michael Stewart that the TImberwolves are unable to field a varsity team because of injuries. So Friday’s game between Northwood and Portola has been cancelled.

Portola and Beckman have filled the holes in their schedule with a round two game between the two teams Friday at Portola. It will be the second consecutive game between the two schools. Beckman defeated Portola 27-7 in a nonleague game last week at Tustin.

Beckman had planned to play Leuzinger Thursday night as a replacement, but the game will not be played, according to Beckman Coach Marcello Giuliano.

Irvine, off to a 2-0 start in the spring season, filled the spot with a nonleague game vs. Inglewood Friday at 7 at Irvine Stadium, according to Irvine Coach Tom Ricci.

“We are pretty crushed,” Ricci said after the initial announcement. “It was senior night, homecoming and our biggest rivalry.”

Homecoming and senior night will go on as planned Friday, he said.

Coach Aaron Craver’s Woodbridge team is off to an 0-2 start and lost to Dana Hills 34-7 Friday night.

Irvine, Woodbridge, University and Beckman are the Pacific Valley League, one of two four-team leagues in the Pacific Coast Conference.

Also this week, Costa Mesa had to cancel its game with Orange because of injuries. Orange will instead play Long Beach Millikan Thursday night.

—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com

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