A preview and prediction for each of the top football games in Orange County this week. The teams are listed by their ranking in the Orange County Top 25.
GAME OF THE WEEK
NO. 19 LAGUNA BEACH (8-0, 3-0) VS. NO. 17 DANA HILLS (8-0, 3-0)
Where, when: Dana Hills High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Six Orange County football teams are undefeated – Calvary Chapel, Corona del Mar, Crean Lutheran, Los Alamitos and these two. Laguna Beach and Dana Hills are tied for first place in the Foxtrot League, a good league that also includes county No. 23 Aliso Niguel. Both teams beat Aliso Niguel. Laguna Beach did so by 28 points, Dana Hills by 21 points. Both teams are high-scoring outfits. The Dolphins average 41 points a game. The Breakers average 44 points a game. Breakers junior quarterback Jack Hurst has completed 67 percent of his passes for an average of 259 yards a game with 35 touchdowns and only two interceptions. Laguna Beach receiver Brady Stringham’s 831 receiving yards are fourth-most in Orange County. Dana Hills sophomore quarterback Carter Anderson averages 225 passing yards a game and has thrown 23 touchdown passes. The Dolphins get good production from running back Radley Geiss who has rushed for 710 yards in seven games. It’s going to take a great defensive effort to tamp down either team’s offense. Laguna Beach’s defense has two fine linebackers, Xavier Brooks, who has 11 sacks, and Wyatt Bogdan, who averages 11 tackles a game. The Laguna Beach defense will make the timely stops to lead the Breakers in a close one.
Winner: Laguna Beach
NO. 15 CAPISTRANO VALLEY (7-1, 3-0) VS. NO. 20 EL MODENA (4-4, 2-1)
Where, when: El Modena High, Thursday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Both of these teams were in one-sided Delta League games last week. Capistrano Valley rolled to a 41-7 win over Trabuco Hills as Cougars junior quarterback Talon Spencer completed 10 of 13 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 96 yards and two touchdowns. El Modena was steamrolled by county No. 10 Tustin 51-7. El Modena’s four losses are to teams that are a combined 29-3. Capistrano Valley’s only loss was 23-6 to Crean Lutheran, whose 8-0 record includes a 34-0 win over El Modena. Capistrano Valley came up with big play after big play in the win over Trabuco Hills and will do the same in this game to get to 4-0 in league. That should set up what likely would be a league championship game next week against Tustin (6-2, 4-0).
Winner: Capistrano Valley
NO. 4 ORANGE LUTHERAN (2-6, 1-2) VS. NO. 2 SANTA MARGARITA (5-3, 2-1)
Where, when: Trabuco Hills High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Orange Lutheran announced Tuesday that it has forfeited its first two games of this season, both wins, because the Lancers used an ineligible player in those games. That is unlikely to damage their playoff chances, because their rating at HSratings.com is unaffected. Orange Lutheran looks like a sure-thing for a CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoff berth, regardless of the Lancers’ place in the final Trinity League standings. They have the Southern Section’s seventh-highest rating and probably will be right around there when the season ends next week. Winning this game would help the cause. Orange Lutheran got its offense going last week in a 63-23 league win over JSerra. Freshman quarterback Ezrah Brown was 17 for 17 for 386 yards and three touchdowns. Santa Margarita, after defense-led wins over Servite and Mater Dei, lost last week to national-No. 1 St. John Bosco 27-14. St. John Bosco put the double-team clamps on Santa Margarita receiver Trent Mosley who was held to one catch for 7 yards but did rush for 94 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries. Those 27 points scored by Bosco are the most given up by the Eagles this season. That says more about the quality of the Bosco offense than it does about the Santa Margarita defense. Look for Santa Margarita’s defense to lead the Eagles to a third league win that would give them a guaranteed playoff berth.
Winner: Santa Margarita
NO. 16 HUNTINGTON BEACH (7-1, 3-0) VS. NO. 7 CREAN LUTHERAN (8-0, 3-0)
Where, when: Crean Lutheran High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Barring any massive upsets next week, this game is for the Epsilon League championship. Huntington Beach’s only loss was by one point to Trabuco Hills. The Oilers have since won six in a row. Crean has cruised to its spotless record with an average margin of victory of 28 points. This game’s subplot is the quarterback matchup. Huntington Beach has Brady Edmunds (6-5, 220), an Ohio State-committed junior who has completed 73 percent of his passes for 258 yards a game with 26 touchdowns and two interceptions. His 2,063 passing yards are sixth-most in the county. Crean has junior Caden Jones (6-3, 185), who has completed 77 percent of his passes for 292 yards a game with 24 touchdowns and zero interceptions. His 2,335 passing yards are second in the county. Both teams have outstanding receiving corps. Troy Foster of Huntington Beach has 58 receptions for a county-high 1,114 yards with 15 touchdowns. Dylin Bruce and Steele Kurtz are also capable pass catchers and are stars in the Oilers defensive backfield. Jones’ top targets are Dillon Booth and Bryce Coleman. Crean Lutheran has the superior defense.
Winner: Crean Lutheran
SEGERSTROM (6-2, 3-0) VS. BREA OLINDA (6-2, 3-0)
Where, when: Brea Olinda High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: The Week 9 schedule gives us another game that has league-championship implications, this one for sole possession of first place in the Kappa League. Segerstrom continues to sport a run-heavy offense. This year’s Jaguars ground game features senior running back Ayden Morales who is seventh in Orange County rushing with 962 yards. In Brea Olinda’s 42-22 league win over Garden Grove last week, the Wildcats rushed for 229 yards led by Brandon Bartell’s 103 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries and Kolotolu Liti’s 87 yards and one touchdown on seven carries. Brea attempted only eight passes in that game. Examining common opponents: Brea beat St. Margaret’s 36-35; Segerstrom beat St. Margaret’s 27-14. This will be a run-run-run game that will take about 90 minutes. Segerstrom will grind out the win.
Winner: Segerstrom
Fryer last week: 4-1
Fryer for the season: 31-14
