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Orange County’s summer football will heat up Saturday with the Battle at the Beach passing tournament at Edison High.
Here are five storylines to follow:
1. Which quarterbacks will emerge from the numerous competitions?
Several Orange County teams enter the tournament with quarterback competitions. There will be so many passers rotating, we’ve compiled a list of the contenders to watch:
Corona del Mar: Juniors Luca DiNapoli and JD Annett will rotate, Sea Kings coach Kevin Hettig said.
JSerra: The Lions will have senior Hayes Cloutier and sophomores Jonathan Urquhart and Jack Hilgenberg, first-year coach Hardy Nickerson said. Cloutier transferred from North Crowley in Texas while Urquhart arrived from Etiwanda.
Los Alamitos: The Griffins feature multiple candidates, first-year Griffins coach Rory Schoonmaker said. The group consists of Dorsey transfer Elijah McDaniel, Dana Hills transfer Luke Osborn, Servite transfer Seth Tetzlaff and returning sophomore Zach Correa. The three transfers are juniors.
Mission Viejo: The defending tournament champion Diablos will rotate senior Nash McElree and sophomore Brett Burnor, Diablos coach Chad Johnson said. McElree is a transfer from Aledo of Texas.
Orange Lutheran: The Lancers will rotate senior Reagan Toki and sophomore Ezrah Brown, first-year Lancers coach Ray Fenton said. Both QBs played a lot last season for Orange Lutheran. “They work well together and genuinely root for each other to play well,” Fenton said.
2. How will Mission Viejo’s new defensive back duo look?
The Diablos could feature a secondary with returning junior Jordan Hicks and recent Orange Lutheran transfer Kiingbaraka Kizzee.
Hicks ranks among the county’s top Class of 2028 defensive backs, according to Rivals/On3. Kizzee is UCLA’s first commit from the Class of 2029.
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3. Can Edison make a deep playoff run?
Host Edison is a contender after placing second at the St. John Bosco Brave 8 tournament in mid-May.
The Chargers lost to the host Braves 21-9 in the final after defeating defending champion San Clemente 28-21 in the semifinals and Centennial 30-25 in the quarterfinals.
Edison is led by four-year varsity quarterback Sam Thomson. The Chargers also feature several emerging players at wide receiver/defensive back. Seniors McKenn Pierce, Dawson Steward and Brennan Vares are wide receivers/defensive backs. Logan Hampton is a senior wide receiver to watch.
4. How will Santa Margarita’s defense look after two major departures?
The Eagles enter the tournament after two major defensive players transferred to other schools in the offseason. Linebacker Allen “Cinco” Kennett returned to Servite while safety Pole Moala, who is committed to UCLA, returned to Leuzinger.
Santa Margarita’s defense could receive a boost from freshmen Aydan Steen and Jayden Jack. Steen, a linebacker/wide receiver, and Jack, a defensive back/running back, are two of the top incoming freshmen in Orange County.
5. Can anyone cover Tustin wide receiver Hayden Koo?
The shifty junior wide receiver is one of Orange County’s hottest recruits entering the tournament.
Koo earned strong reviews after helping Team West win the 7-on-7 title at The Opening Finals and has since added offers from BYU and Michigan.
“He’s looking like one of the top wide receivers in the state going into (Edison),” Tustin coach Anthony Lopez said. “Kid is phenomenal.”
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Please send football news to Dan Albano at [email protected]