Previews and predictions for the top football games in Orange County this week. The teams are listed by their ranking in the Orange County Top 25.
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GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 12 Capistrano Valley (6-0, 1-0) vs. No. 9 Crean Lutheran (4-2, 1-0)
Where, when: Crean Lutheran High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: The Bravo League might be the most balanced league in Orange County football. All six teams are in the Orange County Top 25 and are a combined 24-6. Capistrano Valley won its league opener last week against La Habra, 42-20. Cougars senior quarterback Talon Spencer passed for 245 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 68 yards and two touchdowns. He is one of the county’s better dual-threat quarterbacks. Capistrano Valley linebacker Cash Perry averages 10 tackles a game. Crean Lutheran’s defense was solid last week in a 21-7 win over Tustin. Saints defensive end Luke Smith had two of the team’s six sacks. Crean Lutheran quarterback Caden Jones completed 8 of 17 passes for a season-low 81 yards. Running back Caleb Bey was the Saints’ offensive star, rushing for 141 yards and three touchdowns. Crean Lutheran receiver Braylen Ross has a county-leading 52 receptions. Look for another productive game from Bey and for Jones to have a bigger game than he did last week.
Winner: Crean Lutheran
No. 4 Mission Viejo (5-1, 1-0) vs. No. 14 Yorba Linda (0-6, 0-1)
Where, when: Yorba Linda High, Thursday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Mission Viejo is the favorite to win the Alpha League championship. The Diablos played like it last week in a 42-14 win over Edison. Two Diablos rushed for more than 100 yards, Carson Vandermade (147 yards) and Jack Junker (123). Mission Viejo’s loss was to undefeated Folsom. Mission Viejo defensive end Maddoz Mataele has 11 sacks this season. Yorba Linda had to forfeit its four wins last week because CIF Southern Section violations including undue influence (CIF parlance for “recruiting”). The Mustangs’ offense is led by brothers Noah Trujillo at quarterback and Isaiah Trujillo at running back. Excellence on the offensive and defensive lines has long been a Yorba Linda strength. Mission Viejo is great there, too, and has advantages at the skill positions.
Winner: Mission Viejo
Canyon (5-1, 1-0) vs. Fullerton (4-2, 1-0)
Where, when: Fullerton High, Thursday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Canyon got off to a great start in the Kappa League with a 20-10 win over St. Margaret’s last week. Cobras quarterback Kayden Phillips had minus-2 yards rushing in the first half. He rushed for 153 yards in the second half including three touchdowns. Linebacker James Munro’s return from injury has toughened up the Canyon defense. Fullerton won its Kappa League opener last week, 28-20 over Esperanza. Cyrus Aviles rushed for 274 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries. Aviles also had five solo tackles including a sack from his linebacker position. Fun fact: Canyon head coach Vinnie Lopez is the head coach of the Yorba Linda Pop Warner 11U Colts football team, and Fullerton head coach Pete Karavedes is the Colts’ defensive coordinator. The Colts’ head coach is going to beat the Colts’ defensive coordinator in this high school game, and Phillips will have plenty to do with that.
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Winner: Canyon
No. 10 Huntington Beach (6-0, 1-0) vs. No. 17 Dana Hills (6-0, 1-0)
Where, when: Dana Hills High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: The winner of this game will have the inside track to the Delta League championship. Huntington Beach beat El Modena, 24-21, in a league opener last week. Huntington Beach quarterback Brady Edmunds (Ohio State commit) threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns. With 15 seconds remaining in the game and the Oilers trailing, Edmunds threw the ball to Dylin Bruce in the end zone. Some who saw video of the play say the ball hit the turf before Bruce caught it. It was ruled a touchdown, so Huntington Beach got the points and the win. Bruce finished with seven catches. Dana Hills is averaging 56 points a game with an average margin of victory of 44 points. The Dolphins beat Western, 46-29, in their league opener last week. Dana Hills junior quarterback Carter Anderson has passed for 1,270 yards and 18 touchdowns. Running back Enzo Gallo has rushed for 550 yards and 14 touchdowns. Jack Norman has 23 receptions for 492 yards and eight touchdowns. Dana Hills has not beaten a team that is .500 or better this season. Huntington Beach has the offense and defense to beat Dana Hills and take a 10-0 record into the playoffs.
Winner: Huntington Beach
No. 11 Tustin (4-2, 0-1) vs. No. 8 Corona del Mar (6-0, 1-0)
Where, when: Newport Harbor High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Other than Jeremiah Salvant’s long touchdown run, Tustin could not get its offense going last week in a loss to Crean Lutheran in a Bravo League opener. The Tillers also could not bottle up Crean’s running game that compiled 190 rushing yards. Tustin has offensive weapons, including quarterback Ayden Edwards and receiver Hayden Koo. If the Tillers could not employ those weapons against Crean Lutheran, they might have similar difficulty against Corona del Mar. The Sea Kings have given up only 10 points a game while playing a challenging schedule. They beat Villa Park, 24-10, in a Bravo opener last week. Villa Park had not scored less than 50 points in any of its previous games. Corona del Mar sophomore defensive back Nate Rothman has five interceptions and 12 solo tackles. Senior linebacker Max Brengel has a team-high 15 solo tackles. Look for the Sea Kings’ defense to have another superb night.
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Winner: Corona del Mar
Fryer on Football last week: 3-2
Season to date: 21-14