Sports
Samohi Football Primed for New Season
The Vikings open their season with three straight home games.
The season is one month away, and 's varsity football coach Travis Clark is hoping to get his team back into the postseason.
Despite posting a 6-4 record and finishing in a three-way tie for second place in the Ocean League with Culver City and Beverly Hills, the Vikings were the odd men out in 2010. Both Culver City and Beverly Hills made the playoffs, but Samohi did not.
In order to return to the playoffs, the Vikings will need to taking advantage of three home games to start the season. Samohi qualified in Clark's first year in 2009 but lost to Palmdale in the first round.
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Santa Monica kicks off its 2011 campaign Sept. 9 at against Lawndale Leuzinger, a team the Vikings routed 42-6 last year.
Next up is the annual "Battle by the Beach" against Palisades of the Los Angeles City Section. The Vikings won last year's game 42-20 in Pacific Palisades to improve to 17-6-2 in the intersectional rivalry that began in 1979.
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After hosting Anaheim Canyon the following week, Santa Monica takes to the road for the first time Sept. 30 against Valencia High in the Santa Clarita Valley. The teams met last season at SMC and Valencia won 63-28.
In Week 5, the Vikings travel to Compton for a rematch with a Centennial squad Samo crushed 56-13 last fall.
Samohi returns home to SMC on Oct. 14 to open Ocean League play against defending champion Inglewood, which won last year's game 28-7. After that, the Vikings will travel east to try to avenge a 19-12 home loss to Beverly Hills.
The Vikings close out the regular season with back-to-back road games against Culver City and Hawthorne, teams Samohi defeated decisively in November.
Should Santa Monica qualify for the playoffs, it will compete in the CIF Southern Section's Western Division bracket.
2011 SANTA MONICA HIGH VARSITY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Sept. 9: vs. Leuzinger at Santa Monica College, 7 p.m.
Sept. 16: vs. Palisades at Santa Monica College, 7 p.m.
Sept. 23: vs. Anaheim Canyon at Santa Monica College, 7 p.m.
Sept. 30: at Valencia, 7 p.m.
Oct. 7: at Compton Centennial, 7 p.m.
Oct. 14: vs. Inglewood at Santa Monica College, 7 p.m.*
Oct. 21: at Beverly Hills, 7 p.m.*
Oct. 28: vs. Morningside at Santa Monica College, 7 p.m.*
Nov. 4: at Culver City, 7 p.m.*
Nov. 11: at Hawthorne, 7 p.m.*
* Ocean League game
