BENICIA’S OFFENSE needs to get into a rhythm when the Panthers play at Pinole Valley on Friday night.

After a humbling 48-20 loss at Granada in last week’s season opener, Benicia High’s varsity football team looks to regroup at Pinole Valley on Friday night.

It’s the second straight match-up against a 2015 North Coast Section playoff team for the Panthers (0-1), who are trying to avoid an 0-2 start for a third straight season. Benicia hopes to get its offense going after rushing for only 18 yards and getting only seven first downs against Granada.

“We missed some holes here and there and missed some blocks here and there,” Benicia head coach Craig Holden said. “We did not play well and it showed on the field and on the scoreboard. We all think we can do better.”

Matthew Larks got Benicia’s season off to a bang when he returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, but the Panthers managed only 55 total yards in the first half against the Matadors (1-0), who reached last year’s NCS Division II semifinals.

“You can’t get a rhythm going when you run only three plays in the first quarter,” Holden noted. “But Granada is a really good team that had a lot of guys coming back and they had some weapons. We lost to a really good team and now we’re going to fix some things and hopefully get things straightened out.”

The Panthers will have to get things straightened out without senior receiver Mario Ferreira, who suffered an injured shoulder and could be out for several weeks. Ferreira led the Panthers with three receptions against Granada.

“We have a lot of guys who can step up and play ball,” Holden said.

Senior quarterback Devin Holden had a rough debut as a season-opening starter last week, completing 8-of-22 passes for 155 yards and one TD with two interceptions. Kyle Nelson’s 10 yards on one carry led the Panthers in rushing, and senior receiver Kyani McFall had a quiet night with only two catches for 31 yards.

Benicia’s defense had its moments against the Matadors. Trae Crummie had a sack and teammates Koe Alava and Mark Shafer each made some nice tackles. But the Panthers allowed 360 rushing yards and 503 total yards and now must find a way to contain Pinole Valley senior running back Sam Nuss, who rushed for 262 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-24 win over College Park last week.

“He’s a big, tall, strong, fast kid,” coach Holden said of Nuss. “When he sees daylight and finds a hole, he’s gone. We have to stop him early and keep him from getting outside or hitting the hole hard because he’s trouble in open field.”

Pinole Valley (1-0) graduated a pair of 1,300-plus yard rushers last season, so the Panthers can expect a big dose of Nuss behind a massive offensive line. Senior quarterback Julian Pedley attempted only eight passes last week, completing three for 57 yards.

“Their line is big and physical and fast and strong,” Holden said of the Spartans. “It’s another big test for us.”

Benicia’s offense did show signs of life in the second half against Granada, highlighted by a 71-yard touchdown catch and run by Cavon Etter. The Panthers hope to find an early rhythm offensively Friday while containing Nuss defensively.

“Our preseason is tough,” Holden said. “These teams went deep into the playoffs and we did this on purpose because we wanted to get better and take on good competition. We just need to score more and give up less.”

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