ORANGE COUNTY FOOTBALL TOP 25 POLL
Notable this week: Mater Dei carries the No. 1 ranking into its Trinity League opener this week against Orange Lutheran. … Edison’s loss to La Serna 23-21 dropped the Chargers to No. 14 this week. … San Clemente moved up to No. 12 despite a 26-14 loss to Murrieta Valley. … Aliso Niguel returns to the county rankings after its 48-35 win over El Toro.
1. Mater Dei 3-1 (75 points)
The Monarchs, who did not play last week, take some momentum into the Trinity League with its 27-24 win over Bishop Gorman two weeks ago. Mater Dei’s Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Chris Henry Jr. have established themselves as two fearsome big-play receivers. The Monarchs play Orange Lutheran on Friday at Orange Coast College in a league opener for both.
Previous ranking: 1
2. Mission Viejo 5-1 (72)
The Diablos went to Temecula last week for a 36-21 win over Chapparal. Luke Fahey completed 15 passes (to six different receivers) on 23 attempts for 223 yards and three touchdowns. Davonte Curtis rushed for 97 yards. Mission Viejo has a home game against Long Beach Poly on Friday.
Previous ranking: 2
3. Santa Margarita 3-2 (69)
The Eagles lost to Bishop Gorman 14-0 at Tesoro High. Their offense has struggled before, including a 7-3 loss to Mission Viejo. Santa Margarita played again without star receiver Trent Mosley. The Eagles rushed for only 50 yards against Bishop Gorman. They play their league opener Friday against Servite at Santa Ana Stadium.
Previous ranking: 3
4. Orange Lutheran 3-2 (66)
The Lancers did not play last week. Their final nonleague game was a 41-9 loss to Sierra Canyon. Orange Lutheran has played a rugged nonleague schedule. Their Trinity League opener is Friday against Mater Dei at Orange Coast College, followed by next week’s game against St. John Bosco.
Previous ranking: 4
5. Servite 4-1 (63)
The Friars rolled to a 49-8 victory over St. Paul. Kale Murphy threw for 209 yards and three touchdowns. Speedster Jorden Wells rushed for 95 yards and two touchdowns on only four carries. Benjamin Harris had six receptions for 127 yards and three touchdowns. The Friars open Trinity League action on Friday against Santa Margarita at Santa Ana Stadium.
Previous ranking: 5
6. Los Alamitos 7-0 (60)
Colin Creason completed 17 of 19 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns in a 48-21 nonleague win over Calabasas. Beckham Hofland had seven receptions for 140 yards and Lenny Ibarra had three touchdown catches, ran for a touchdown and recorded seven tackles. Los Alamitos does not play again until Oct. 16 when it faces Edison in an Alpha League opener.
Previous ranking: 6
7. JSerra 3-2 (54)
The Lions did not play last week. JSerra takes a three-game winning streak into its Trinity League opener at its on-campus stadium on Friday against St. John Bosco. Lions sophomore quarterback Gino Wang threw for 319 yards and four touchdowns in the team’s last game, a 39-35 nonleague home win over Leuzinger.
Previous ranking: 7
8. San Juan Hills 4-1 (53)
The Stallions did not play last week. Their loss was in Texas to Rockwall-Heath, the No. 10 team in Texas according to HSratings.com. San Juan Hills quarterback Timmy Herr is averaging 267 passing yards a game and the team averages 162 rushing yards a game. The Stallions play their Bravo League opener Friday against undefeated Corona del Mar at Newport Harbor High.
Previous ranking: 8
9. Tustin 3-2 (51)
The Tillers did not play last week. They finished their nonleague schedule on a high note, a 21-7 win over Yorba Linda. Their losses were to Long Beach Poly, which is 3-2, and to Damien (5-0). Sophomore receiver Hayden Koo has 32 receptions for 363 yards and four touchdowns. Tustin plays its Delta League opener Thursday against Cypress at Western High.
Previous ranking: 9
10. Crean Lutheran 5-0 (50)
The Saints did not play last week. They concluded nonleague play with a 38-14 win over La Serna, which last week defeated Edison 23-21. Crean Lutheran junior quarterback Caden Jones has thrown for 1,432 yards and 10 touchdowns without an interception. The Saints play their Epsilon League opener Saturday against Foothill (1-4) at Tustin High.
Previous ranking: 10
11. Yorba Linda 4-1 (47)
Previous ranking: 11
12. San Clemente 3-3 (41)
Previous ranking: 13
13. La Habra 4-1 (39)
Previous ranking: 14
14. Edison 4-2 (37)
Previous ranking: 12
15. Corona del Mar 5-0 (33)
Previous ranking: 15
16. Capistrano Valley 4-1 (30)
Previous ranking: 16
17. Dana Hills 5-0 (26)
Previous ranking: 17
18. Huntington Beach 4-1 (25)
Previous ranking: 18
19. Western 4-1 (20)
Previous ranking: 19
20T. Laguna Beach 5-0 (17)
Previous ranking: 19
20T. Villa Park 3-2 (17)
Previous ranking: 21
22. Aliso Niguel 4-1 (11)
Previous ranking: Not ranked
23. Tesoro 2-3 (8)
Previous ranking: 24
24. Trabuco Hills 3-2 (6)
Previous ranking: 23
25. El Toro 2-3 (4)
Previous ranking: 21
Also receiving votes: Troy 4-1 (1)
