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Three under-the-radar storylines to watch in football Friday:
1. Can Esperanza beat Fountain Valley to improve to 2-0 under new coach Tommy Leach?
Esperanza (1-0) rides some intriguing momentum under new coach Tommy Leach into a clash against Fountain Valley (1-0) at Yorba Linda High.
Defensive back Logan Aguilar (6-2, 170) is coming off a three interception-performance in Esperanza’s 24-0 win against Shadow Hills. The junior made a one-handed grab for one of the takeaways.
First game in the books. Week 0 Stats: 3 interceptions, 3 Tackles, 1 TFL, 5 Receptions for 45 yards. Looking forward to next week ! pic.twitter.com/7zwV0YwNWq
— Logan Aguilar (@loganaguilarr) August 23, 2026
Aguilar is the step-son of Esperanza defensive coordinator Nick Heinle, who served as the Aztecs’ interim coach before Leach’s hire.
Heinle and Esperanza offensive coordinator Willy Puga are Fountain Valley graduates.
Considering the uncertainty around Esperanza’s program with its coaching change in June, a 2-0 start would be impressive.
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Fountain Valley opened with a 27-21 victory at Ocean View.
2. Will Estancia extend its streak against Costa Mesa in the Battle of the Bell?
Estancia has won four consecutive games and 11 of the past 12 in the “Battle of the Bell” series against rival Costa Mesa. The teams play at Estancia High to renew a rivalry that traces back to 1966.
This season, the game is being spotlighted as part of the Great American Rivalry Series, which promotes rivalry games across the nation.
Estancia leads the all-time series 38-20-1, according to Orange County football historian and author Dennis Bateman.
3. Can Tustin defeat rival Foothill to tighten one of Orange County’s best rivalries?
Tustin (0-1), ranked No. 11 Orange County, has won three consecutive games against unranked Foothill (0-1) entering the teams’ rivalry game at Tustin High.
Last season, Tustin won 44-0 in the most lopsided result in the series’ history.
Foothill might be the underdog Friday but leads the all-time series 33-28-2, Bateman states. The rivalry started in 1966, same year as Costa Mesa-Estancia.
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Fryer on Football: Previews and predictions for the top games Week 1
Video: Week 1 football predictions from OCVarsity’s Steve Fryer and Dan Albano