ORANGE COUNTY FOOTBALL TOP 25 POLL
Notable this week: Santa Margarita solidified its No. 1 position in the rankings with its 21-7 win over St. John Bosco. … Capistrano Valley’s 21-17 win over Corona del Mar created movement in the Top 10. Crean Lutheran moved up to No. 6, Capistrano Valley rose to No. 9 and Corona del Mar dropped to No. 10. … Last week’s scheduled game between Mission Viejo and San Clemente could have changed the rankings, too, but the game was canceled because of the Norte fire. … Villa Park moved up to No. 14 after its win over Tustin.
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1. Santa Margarita 8-0 (75 points)
The Eagles took sole possession of first place in the Trinity League with their 21-7 win over St. John Bosco. The Eagles’ defense held St. John Bosco to 59 rushing yards. Santa Margarita’s Jake Martin blocked a field-goal attempt, his third kick block of the season, and Ca’ron Williams had an interception. Santa Margarita plays JSerra on Friday at Saddleback College.
Previous ranking: 1
2. Mater Dei 6-2 (72)
The Monarchs beat longtime rival Servite, 38-15. Freshman quarterback Paytyn Guess threw two touchdown passes to fellow freshman Tristan Brown. Mater Dei rushed for 211 yards, led by Asir Nembhard’s 84 yards. Mater Dei plays Orange Lutheran on Friday at Santa Ana Stadium.
Previous ranking: 2
3. Orange Lutheran 5-3 (69)
Regan Toki completed 15 of his 17 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns in a 48-13 win over JSerra in a Trinity League game. King Rich Johnson returned an interception for a touchdown. Chris Flores Jr. had six catches for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Orange Lutheran might be the third-best team in the Trinity League. The Lancers get a chance to prove they are that team Friday when they play Mater Dei.
Previous ranking: 3
4. San Clemente 7-0 (66)
The Mission Viejo-San Clemente game was canceled because of the Norte fire. The Tritons are 2-0 in league with shutout wins over Los Alamitos and Yorba Linda. San Clemente has a big challenge this week, an away game Friday against San Juan Hills, which is 3-0 in the Alphas League.
Previous ranking: 4
5. Mission Viejo 6-1 (63)
The Mission Viejo-San Clemente game was canceled because of the Norte fire. Efforts to have the game rescheduled were unsuccessful. The Diablos’ loss this season was an away game against Folsom, 35-21, on Sept. 4. Their remaining regular-season games are against Los Alamitos (0-8) this week and San Juan Hills (7-1) next week.
Previous ranking: 5
6T. Crean Lutheran 6-2 (57)
The Saints moved to 3-0 in the Bravo League with a 35-28 win over La Habra at SoFi Stadium. Running back Caleb Bey Jr. returned to action in a big way, rushing for 170 yards and four touchdowns on 28 carries. Senior quarterback Caden Jones completed all of his 18 passes for 190 yards. Braylen Ross had seven receptions for 101 yards.
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Previous ranking: 7
6T. JSerra 4-4 (57)
The Lions lost to Orange Lutheran, 48-13. They lost four turnovers. After going 4-1 in nonleague games, including a 37-28 win over Bishop Amat, JSerra is 0-3 in the Trinity League. The Lions play state No. 1 Santa Margarita on Friday at Saddleback College.
Previous ranking: 5
8. Servite 3-5 (54)
The Friars lost to Mater Dei, 38-15. Servite had difficulty creating big plays offensively and was unable to slow down the Monarchs’ offense. Servite plays St. John Bosco on Friday at Orange Coast College. The Friars conclude the regular season against JSerra.
Previous ranking: 9
9. Capistrano Valley 7-1 (49)
The Cougars got another great game from quarterback Talon Spencer in their 21-17 win over Corona del Mar in the Bravo League. Spencer rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns and threw a touchdown pass to Jolan Gonzalez. Capistrano Valley’s loss was to Crean Lutheran in a league game. The Cougars play Villa Park (7-1) this week.
Previous ranking: 11
10T. Corona del Mar 7-1 (46)
The Sea Kings lost to Capistrano Valley, 21-17, in a Bravo League game Saturday for their first loss. Tucker Murray led Corona del Mar’s defense with 10 total tackles. The Sea Kings have an opportunity to return to first place this week. They play league-leading Crean Lutheran on Friday at Newport Harbor High.
Previous ranking: 7
10T. Huntington Beach 8-0 (46)
The Oilers rolled to a 34-14 victory over winless Western in the Delta League. Quarterback Brady Edmunds threw three touchdown passes. Dylin Bruce returned an interception 66 yards for a touchdown. Huntington Beach is one of five undefeated Orange County teams. (The others are Orange, Rancho Alamitos, San Clemente and Santa Margarita.) The Oilers have a league game at home against Troy on Thursday.
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Previous ranking: 10
12. San Juan Hills 7-1 (45)
Previous ranking: 11
13T. Yorba Linda 0-8 (42)
Previous ranking: 13
13T. Villa Park 7-1 (42)
Previous ranking: 15
15T. Dana Hills 7-1 (29)
Previous ranking: 16
15T. Tustin 4-4 (29)
Previous ranking: 14
17. Edison 3-5 (27)
Previous ranking: 16
18. El Modena 7-1 (24)
Previous ranking: 18
19T. La Habra 5-3 (22)
Previous ranking: 19
19T. Orange 8-0 (22)
Previous ranking: 19
21. Newport Harbor 6-2 (15)
Previous ranking: 22
22. Trabuco Hills 6-2 (12)
Previous ranking: 23
23. Laguna Beach 4-4 (9)
Previous ranking: 21
24T. El Dorado 6-2 (4)
Previous ranking: 24
24T. Los Alamitos 0-8 (4)
Previous ranking: 24
Also receiving votes: Cypress 7-1 (1)
About the poll: Three members of the media vote each week in the poll.