Orange Coast Football Preview at Palomar

Orange Coast (2-3) at Palomar (2-3)

When/where: 6 p.m. Saturday at Escondido High

Key Pirates: So. RB A’Brae Booker-Curin; So. QB Kody Whitaker: Fr. WR Joey Cox; Fr. CB Sharky Reza.

Key Comets: Fr. QB Matt Romero; So. WR LaMont Chaney; So. TE Robert Ursua; So. DB Zach Gallina.

Breakdown: Both teams are looking for a fresh start heading into Southern Conference play after sub-.500 preseason campaigns…The Pirates are ranked No. 12 in the Southern California National Division, three spots ahead of the Comets…Booker-Curin is averaging 8.3 yards on his 25 rushing attempts, having shifted from receiver to running back…Cox has a team-best 21 receptions, seven of which have been touchdowns. His 42 points are more than the next three Pirates combined (36)…Reza has a team-best four interceptions, but OCC is minus-one in turnover ratio…Palomar is plus-five in turnover ratio…OCC beat Santa Monica, 46-14, while Palomar topped the Corsairs, 35-20…Romero is 86 for 164 passing for 1,055 yards and 10 touchdowns with six interceptions…The Comets have nearly twice as many yards passing as rushing (1,055-533), while OCC is more balanced (1,071 passing, 856 rushing)…Gallina is averaging nearly 11 tackles per game, which ranks No. 3 in the 37-school Southern California Football Assn...Palomar leads the series, 18-12, though OCC won last year, 34-24.

— Barry Faulkner