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LAMBDA LEAGUE PREVIEW
The Lambda League is a six-team league that includes Calvary Chapel, Fountain Valley, Sonora, Valencia, Westminster and Woodbridge.
CALVARY CHAPEL
What to expect: The Eagles feature several young players after going 10-0 in the regular season in 2025 and falling in the first round of the Division 8 playoffs. For its two-league jump to the Lambda League from the Sigma League, Calvary Chapel returns four starters on each side of the ball. The passing attack appears to be the team’s strength, coach Jack McInally said. Junior quarterback Colin Wiles returns after passing for 1,734 yards and 20 TDs last season. “We expect big things from him,” McInally said of Wiles, who was the Sigma League’s offensive player of the year last fall. One of Wiles’ top targets will be senior Jorge Brito. The wide receiver had 20 catches for 306 yards and four TDs in 2025. Brito also plays defensive back. On defense, senior linebacker Jett Rauch returns as the team’s leading tackler. The first-team all-league senior collected 51 total tackles last season. Rauch, who is receiving interest from Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, also plays running back and kicks. Defensive end Eliah Flores is another top returner. He had 46 tackles last season and a team-high three sacks. The first-team all-league senior also plays tight end. Senior Ben Perea is a key two-way lineman.
FOUNTAIN VALLEY
What to expect: The Barons drop two leagues in the Orange County Football Conference after finishing 1-9 last season as part of the Foxtrot League. Fountain Valley went a combined 0-10 in the league the past two years. The squad returns six starters on offense and four on defense. Second-year coach Mitch Olson believes the offense could be a strength. The Barons return senior wide receivers Raymond Dillon (6-2, 190) and Drake Robinson (6-3, 180), a pair of first-team all-league selections in 2025. Dillon and Robinson also play linebacker and safety, respectively, on defense. Junior Isaac Combs (6-0, 175) will play quarterback and safety. His receiving targets also could include Aiden Anderson (6-1, 170) and Nathan Gordon (5-9, 165). Tanner Barlow (6-1, 265) and Check Reynolds (6-4, 225) are two-way linemen to watch. Barlow earned second-team all-league honors. Fountain Valley opted out of its traditional rivalry game against Edison, halting the “Battle for the Bell” game after 57 years. The Barons’ nonleague schedule still looks challenging with consecutive games against Esperanza, Marina and St. Margaret’s, all of whom reside in higher-rated leagues. Fountain Valley is seeking its first league win since 2018.
SONORA
What to expect: The Raiders drop two leagues in the Orange County Football Conference from the Iota League after finishing 1-9 last season. They went 1-4 in the Iota League and missed the playoffs after posting a 7-5 record in 2024. Sonora returns eight starters to its gun, wing-T offense and five on defense. Second-year coach Andrew Cedergren views experience as the team’s strength. “We return 13 starters overall and that strength has been a pillar of our offseason and helped guide us throughout summer camp,” he said. Sonora’s list of returners include second-team all-league selections Rylie Penman, Ethan Cronin and Jeremiah Dempsey-Frost. Penman, a senior, is a two-way lineman who is 6-foot-1 and 300 pounds. Cronin is a senior cornerback who had a team-high three interceptions last season. And Dempsey-Frost is running back/linebacker. The junior finished third in tackles for Sonora last season with 62, including 10 for loss. Junior Levi Santos returns at quarterback. He passed for 1,154 yards and eight TDs last fall. His top target remains Matthew Shaw, a junior who had a team-high 44 catches for 347 yards and two TDs in 2025. Cedergren also is high on junior two-way lineman Cody Ackerman and junior receiver/linebacker Cash Spurgeon. Sonora has added several transfers, the coach said. The group includes six players from La Habra and Fullerton tight end/defensive end Daniel Kassel. Last season, Kassel had 44 tackles and four sacks for Fullerton. None of the La Habra players earned all-league honors last season.
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VALENCIA
What to expect: The Tigers finished 1-9, including 0-5 in the Lambda League, last season. They defeated Santa Ana 35-7 in their season-opener before dropping their next nine games to miss the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year. Coach Jason Gray said his squad will be “very young” with four returning starters on offense and defense. “Many sophomores and juniors seeing quite a bit of playing time,” he said. Senior Aaron Lazcano is the team’s lone returning all-league player. The running back/outside linebacker finished fifth on the team last season in tackles with 38 and made second-team all-league. Other seniors to watch are quarterback/insider linebacker Ivan Torres and two-way lineman Nicholas Jones. Jones (6-3, 240) has received college interest from local Division III programs, Gray said. The junior class features running back/outside linebacker Jake Allen, wide receiver/cornerback Vincent Geroche and wide receiver/defensive back Lukas De La Torrre (5-9, 170). Valencia opens the season Aug. 21 by playing host to Beverly Hills and new coach Jeff Bailey, the former Yorba Linda and El Dorado coach.
WESTMINSTER
What to expect: The Lions drop one league in the Orange County Football Conference after finishing 3-7 as part of the Kappa League last season. They went 1-4 in the league and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Westminster returns five starters on each side of the ball. Third-year coach Alex De Giacomo views offensive line as the team’s strength. Senior, two-way lineman Angel Ramirez is one of the team’s top players. Other offensive players to watch are quarterback/linebacker Nathan Bernal, running back/outside linebacker Alim Hopwood and tight end/linebacker Xxavier Ramirez. Bernal and Ramirez, who are a junior and senior, respectively, are the team’s lone returning all-league players. Both made second-team all-league last season. Bernal will play quarterback with sophomore Tyler Sahachaisere after the transfer of Beckham Sharp to Mission Viejo. Aaron Bernal and Dominic Tran are breakout candidates at defensive tackle.
WOODBRIDGE
What to expect: The reigning CIF-SS Division 13 champion Warriors climb one league in the Orange County Football Conference. They finished 2-3 in the Omicron League last season before making their postseason run, which included a runner-up finish in the CIF State Division 7AA final. Woodbridge returns five starters on offense and defense. One of the key returners is sophomore All-CIF quarterback Waylon Stone (5-11, 175). “(He) has had a stellar offseason,” second-year Woodbridge coach Connor McBride said. “He has grown into our leader on and off the field.” Stone passed for 1,893 yards and rushed for 570 yards last season. McBride expects Woodbridge to be more of a “pass-first” offense this season. The team will feature new targets after its top-six receivers graduated. Other offensive players to watch are junior center Sebastian Guevara (5-10, 245), senior fullback/defensive tackle Alex Harris (5-10, 210) and senior running back/safety Lavel Atkins (5-8, 160). On defense, returning junior linebacker Timothy Sullivan (6-0, 190) is the leader, McBride said. Woodbridge plays a tough nonleague schedule with four games against teams in higher leagues.
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