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. 5 SERVITE (5-0) VS. NO. 3 JSERRA (5-0)
Where, when: JSerra High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: It’s the first game for both teams in the mighty Trinity League. Servite has played its past couple of games without Michigan State-committed senior quarterback Leo Hannan who has been injured. He did not suit up for the Friars last week in a 33-14 win over St. Paul. Colin O’Connor played the position and completed 6 of 13 passes for 102 yards and touchdown. It was senior running back Quaid Carr who made the Friars offense go, rushing for 79 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. He returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, too. Gavin Gutierrez rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown on six carries. JSerra junior quarterback Ryan Hopkins has been outstanding, passing for 136 yards a game with eight touchdowns and only one interception and is the team’s leading rusher at 391 yards and six rushing touchdowns. The Lions’ strength is their defense, led by senior linebacker Madden Faraimo who has offers from Notre Dame, USC and many others. Servite has a better chance to win if Hannan plays. Even if Hannan does play, JSerra sure has the goods to win it.
Winner: JSerra
NO. 12 VILLA PARK (4-1) VS. NO. 8 YORBA LINDA (5-0)
Where, when: Yorba Linda High, Thursday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: This is an opener in the new six-team Bravo League. Villa Park lost its season opener 35-14 to Inglewood, which is now 5-0. The Spartans then won four in a row, including two games in which they scored more than 50 points. Senior quarterback Nate Lewis has been great. In a 34-33 win over Upland he completed 16 of 22 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns, made nine tackles and intercepted a pass, kicked all of the team’s extra points and was 2 for 2 on field-goal attempts. Yorba Linda is actually 4-1 on the field. The Mustangs’ 19-16 loss to San Jacinto became a forfeit win because San Jacinto used an ineligible player in that game. Yorba Linda has no superstar players, but the Mustangs do everything well. And they can play comeback football as shown in their fourth-quarter rallies for wins over Edison, Tustin and Charter Oak. Yorba Linda has the steady senior quarterback, Holden Nagin, that makes every team better and a fine inside-outside running back combo with Vaughn Sharp and Cole Nerio. Yorba Linda plays mistake-free football, and it’s difficult to beat a team like that.
Winner: Yorba Linda
LONG BEACH POLY (2-3) VS. NO. 2 MISSION VIEJO (6-0)
Where, when: SoFi Stadium, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: It’s the final nonleague game in a long stretch of them for Mission Viejo. And what a place for it, the home of the Chargers and Rams. This might not be Mission Viejo’s only 2024 football game at SoFi Stadium. Maybe the CIF Southern Section Division 1 game will be played at SoFi. The Diablos are averaging 45 points a game playing a challenging schedule. With Luke Fahey and Draiden Trudeau sharing time equally at quarterback Mission Viejo is averaging 291 passing yards a game. Receiver Vance Spafford, who has offers from many colleges including Georgia, Oregon and Tennessee, is having a great junior year with 33 catches for 660 yards and 12 touchdowns. Senior defensive end Jaden Williams, who committed to San Diego State, already has 19.5 sacks. Long Beach went 0-3 against three strong teams, Folsom, Lincoln of San Diego and Serra, before Moore League wins over Long Beach Jordan and Lakewood. Mission Viejo is playing flawlessly and that continues in this one.
Winner: Mission Viejo
NO. 4 ORANGE LUTHERAN (4-1) VS. ST. JOHN BOSCO (5-0)
Where, when: St. John Bosco High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Both teams enter this Trinity League opener coming off of a bye week. Orange Lutheran put together a wild comeback two weeks ago at Sierra Canyon for a 33-26 win. The Lancers trailed the Trailblazers 26-7. St. John Bosco beat Sierra Canyon 38-28 on Sept, 7. Orange Lutheran senior quarterback TJ Lateef, who committed to Nebraska, has completed 70 percent of his passes for an average of 221 yards a game with 13 touchdowns. Sophomore receiver CJ Flores has 29 receptions for 393 yards and four touchdowns. St. John Bosco was supposed to be “down” this season from its Mt. Whitneyesque high standards of recent years. Nope, there will be no such thing as long as Jason Negro is coaching the Braves. They are winning by an average margin of 27 points a game. Junior quarterback Matai Fuiava has completed 62 percent of his passes for 231 yards a game with 13 touchdowns. St. John Bosco has won 15 games in a row at its on-campus Panish Family Stadium, and is 37-3 there since the stadium opened in 2018. The losses there are two to Mater Dei and one to Servite which is the most recent one, in the 2021 playoffs. When two teams are as equal as these two seem to be, a home-field advantage has value.
Winner: St. John Bosco
NO. 23 LAGUNA BEACH (5-0) VS. NORTHWOOD (5-0)
Where, when: Irvine High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Laguna Beach is averaging 41 points a game while allowing only four points a game going into this Foxtrot League opener. The hands on the Breakers offensive steering wheel belong to Minnesota-committed senior quarterback Jackson Kollock. He has thrown for 974 yards 10 touchdowns and rushed for a team-high 254 yards and six touchdowns. Those figures would be higher if Kollock was not removed early from one-sided wins. The Breakers won their past three games by shutout thanks to their defense’s ability to create turnovers. Nine different Laguna Beach players have interceptions, led by Jack Hooper’s two picks. Northwood has a solid defense, too. The Timberwolves are allowing only six points a game. Their run-emphasis offense led by running backs Jack Brucker and Joseph Harper and the usual stout offensive line is doing enough to keep the team undefeated. Laguna Beach brings a pass-oriented offensive style that Northwood has not seen much this season, and the Breakers’ passing game provides comeback potential.
Winner: Laguna Beach
Fryer on Football last week: 3-2
Season to date: 23-8