All three Murrieta high school football programs enter Big West Conference-North Division play Thursday and Friday carrying 2-3 records and facing ranked opponents.

Eric-Paul Johnson of the Press Enterprise published IE Varsity's Week 6 rankings Monday, Sept. 28. Murrieta Valley slid one spot to No. 6 after a 42-13 nonleague loss to unbeaten San Clemente on Friday, Sept. 25. Vista Murrieta held steady at No. 14 following a 24-21 overtime win over El Camino the same night. Murrieta Mesa stayed at No. 11 after a bye week.

A week earlier, the Nighthawks sat at No. 5 with a 2-2 record. San Clemente's ground game did the damage Sept. 25, piling up 258 rushing yards, according to MaxPreps. Running back Charlie Bunker carried 14 times for 126 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Preston Beck threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns.

San Clemente improved to 5-0.

Vista Murrieta's overtime win over El Camino kept the Broncos at No. 14 but improved their record from 1-3 to 2-3. The victory sets up a Thursday, Oct. 1 home game against No. 1 Centennial (2-3), which lost 35-32 to De La Salle in Week 5. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

The league opener matchups are loaded across the division. Murrieta Valley travels to No. 3 Chaparral (2-3) on Thursday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m. The IE Varsity rankings note the Pumas are expected to have quarterback Dane Weber back in the starting lineup. Weber, an All-State selection, had been absent from Chaparral's lineup, according to a Sports Illustrated midseason report that described his return as uncertain.

Murrieta Mesa opens at No. 2 Norco (4-1) on Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. The Cougars return from a bye week to start conference play.

Elsewhere in the Southwestern League footprint, No. 9 Great Oak (3-2) returns from a bye to open Big West Conference-South Division play Thursday, Oct. 1, at Roosevelt. No. 20 Temecula Valley (5-0) faces Santiago the same night in a matchup of unbeaten teams.

Every Murrieta team faces a top-three opponent in its division opener.