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1. How concerned should Orange County’s top CIF-SS Division 1 contenders be about Sierra Canyon?
Very concerned. The Trailblazers displayed their physicality on both sides of the line of scrimmage in defeating Orange Lutheran 28-10 to move to 2-0 against Trinity League opponents this season.
With the win, Sierra Canyon climbed to No. 2 in the state behind Santa Margarita, according to hsratings. The Trailblazers are only 2.5 points behind the Eagles.
Ohio State committed defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou (6-7, 285) of Sierra Canyon is certainly a problematic matchup. The transfer from Orange Lutheran had four tackles for loss against his former team.
Sierra Canyon’s defensive line also features Texas commit Kasi Currie (6-6, 305) and sophomore Stephan Harrison (6-5, 265). Currie collected two sacks while Harrison had two sacks and 13 total tackles. Harrison has been offered by Alabama among others.
On offense, the trio rotated as tight end to block for Jaxsen Stokes, arguably the top senior running backs in the state. The Cal commit rushed for 157 yards on 20 carries and had two TDs.
The Trailblazers’ challenge for contenders such as reigning Division 1 champion Santa Margarita, Mater Dei, Orange Lutheran and Mission Viejo is clear. They need to be working on their pass protection, quick passing attack and run defense to prepare for a possible playoff game against Sierra Canyon.
Orange Lutheran’s second-half surge may holds some of the answers but the penalties by the Trailblazers played a role.
2. What score was the most surprising?
There were a few but Foothill defeating Cypress 21-7 was the most surprising.
Yes, the unranked Knights (2-3) played the tougher schedule leading into this one but their defense stood out.
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Foothill blanked No. 22 Cypress for the final three quarters.
A big part of that effort were four interceptions. Junior Ford Wooton had two of the interceptions for Foothill while Aaron Strapp and Peter Thatcher added one apiece.
3. What undefeated team is the most unexpected?
Again, they are multiple candidates but Huntington Beach (5-0) edges Sonora (5-0) and El Modena (4-0) as the most unexpected.
I didn’t pick Huntington Beach to beat Yorba Linda last week but the Oilers rallied for a 29-25 triumph. Huntington Beach is 2-0 against the Alpha League this fall.
The Oilers have emerged as the favorite in the Delta League but can’t overlook El Modena (4-0), Dana Hills (5-0) and Laguna Beach (2-2).
4. What player delivered the most eye-popping performance in Week 4?
There were many top performances but El Modena dual-threat quarterback Ethan Sorenson continued to impress me as one of the most improved players in the county. The senior played a strong second half to lead the Vanguards past El Dorado 29-9.
Sorenson completed 11 of 17 passes for 173 yards and two TDs and rushed 14 times for 82 yards and one score.
For the season, he has completed 63 percent of his passes for 685 yards and eight TDs. He leads the Vanguards in rushing with 256 yards and four scores.
Sorenson has improved his completion percentage from last season (53 percent) and surpassed his total for touchdown passes (five).
His rise is one of the reasons why El Modena-Trabuco Hills (3-1) looks like top game of the week in Orange County.
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