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OCVarsity will be previewing every Orange County high school football league and every team before the season begins.
ALPHA LEAGUE PREVIEW
The Alpha League is a new four-team league that includes Edison, Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo and San Clemente.
Julius Gillick (18) of Edison breaks free for a touchdown in the third quarter in a Sunset League football game against Newport Harbor at Huntington Beach High School in Huntington Beach on Thursday, October 12, 2023. The win moved Edison to No. 10 in the Orange County rankings. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
EDISON
Top players: Julius Gillick, RB, Sr.; Jacob Martin, WR/DB, Sr.; Jake Minter, WR/DB, Sr.; Savelio Niumata, QB, Sr.; Jack Knudtson, LB, Sr.
What to expect: The Chargers, who finished 6-5 overall and 4-1 in the Sunset League last year, will be adept at running the football. Julius Gillick (5-11, 210) was Orange County’s third-leading rusher last season with 1,596 yards and ran for 15 touchdowns. Savelio Niumata passed for 1,308 yards and 11 touchdowns in eight games. When he missed some games because of injury Sam Thomson filled in fine as a freshman. Jake Minter was second on the team in tackles last season with 77. Minter and Martin were all-league first team last year. Jack Knudtson was all-league second team. Edison brings back two starters on the offensive line.
Los Alamitos quarterback Alonzo Esparza rolls out and gains yardage against Servite in a non-league football game at Cerritos College in Norwalk on Friday, September 8, 2023. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
LOS ALAMITOS
Top players: Tron Baker, WR, DB, Jr.; Alonzo Esparza, QB, Sr.; Beckham Hofland, TE, Jr.; Jackson, Raguse, LB, Sr.; Jerod Terry, RB, Jr.
What to expect: The Los Alamitos football program that attracted a few standout transfers in recent years has lost several players via transfer that helped last season’s team go 5-0 in the Sunset League and 9-3 overall. Still on the roster is quarterback Alonzo Esparza, who was All-Orange County first team last season. Esparza, a Cal commit, is very good at throwing on the move and is a hard-nosed runner when necessary. Jackson Raguse was all-league first team last season. Jerod Terry looked good in spot duty at running back last season and will get the bulk of the carries this season. Tron Baker, who missed all of last season while recovering from knee surgery, was cleared in June, has committed to USC and will be an integral part of the offense.
Mission Viejo High School football players Hinesward Lilomaiava, Winslow Garnier, Luke Fahey, Dijon Lee, Jr., Draiden Trudeau, Jaden Williams, and Cash Semonza, from left, at their home field in Mission Viejo, CA on Tuesday, July 9, 2024. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
MISSION VIEJO
Top players: Luke Fahey, QB, Jr.; Dijon Lee, WR/DB, Sr.; Vance Spafford, WR, Jr.; Draiden Trudeau, QB, Sr.; Jaden Williams, DL, Sr.
What to expect: The Diablos who won CIF Southern Section and CIF State championships last season. They again look like the best public-school team in Orange County and are among the best such teams in the state. They return a long list of their standouts from 2023 when Mission Viejo went 13-3 overall and 2-1 in the South Coast League. Like last season, Luke Fahey and Draiden Trudeau will split time at quarterback. Both looked sharp during summer passing tournament action. Vance Spafford was All-County first team last season when he had 83 receptions, 22 of them for touchdowns. Senior running back Hinesward Lilomaiava rushed for 1,152 yards and 16 touchdowns last year. Dijon Lee is one of the better two-way players in the county and is committed to Alabama. All-purpose junior Phil Bell will make significant contributions to the offense, running and catching the football. Jaden Williams, who leads an outstanding defensive line, also earned All-County first-team honors last season when he had 139 tackles and 18.5 sacks.
SAN CLEMENTE
Top players: Max Bollard, WR/DB, Sr.; Puka Fuimaono, LB, Sr.; Cole Herlean, WR, Sr.; Max Kotiranta, DB, Sr.; Matai Tagoa’i, LB, Sr.
What to expect: The Tritons beat Mission Viejo last season to go 3-0 in the South Coast and finished 9-2 overall. They should have a superb defense this season. They bring back all four of last year’s starting linebackers, including Puka Fuimaono and Matai Tagoa’i, who both were all-league first team in 2023. Fuimaono committed to Arizona State, Tagoa’i to USC. Another team strength will be the secondary where Max Bollard and Max Kotiranta earned all-league first-team status last year and senior Riley Kelley was all-league second team. Cole Herlean had a team-high 35 receptions last year. San Clemente will need solid play at quarterback to succeed in the Alpha League. Going into fall camp the Tritons had seniors Jack Ferguson and Dawson Martinez competing for the position. If San Clemente gets quality play at quarterback the 2024 season could be a rewarding one.
ALPHA LEAGUE SCHEDULES 2024
EDISON
Date
Opponent
Location
Time
Aug. 23
At Clovis West
Buchanan HS
7 p.m.
Aug. 30
At Yorba Linda
Yorba Linda HS
7 p.m.
Sept. 6
At Lakewood
Lakewood HS
7 p.m.
Sept. 13
Vs. Palos Verdes
Huntington Beach HS
7 p.m.
Sept. 20
Vs. Fountain Valley
Orange Coast College
7 p.m.
Sept. 27
Vs. La Serna
Huntington Beach HS
7 p.m.
Oct. 4
Vs. La Mesa Helix
Westminster HS
7 p.m.
Oct. 18*
Vs. Los Alamitos
Huntington Beach HS
7 p.m.
Oct. 25*
At Mission Viejo
Mission Viejo HS
7 p.m.
Nov. 1*
At San Clemente
San Clemente HS
7 p.m.
*League game
LOS ALAMITOS
Date
Opponent
Location
Time
Aug. 23
Vs. Western
Los Alamitos HS
7 p.m.
Aug. 30
Vs. Narbonne
Los Alamitos HS
7 p.m.
Sept. 6
Vs. Mililani
Los Alamitos HS
7 p.m.
Sept. 13
At Santa Fe Springs St. Paul
St. Paul HS
7 p.m.
Sept. 21
At Clovis North
Buchanan HS
1 p.m.
Sept. 27
Vs. Serra
Westminster HS
7 p.m.
Oct. 5
At San Diego Lincoln
Lincoln HS
1 p.m.
Oct. 18*
Vs. Edison
Huntington Beach HS
7 p.m.
Oct. 24*
Vs. San Clemente
Westminster HS
7 p.m.
Nov. 1*
At Mission Viejo
Mission Viejo HS
7 p.m.
*League game
MISSION VIEJO
Date
Opponent
Location
Time
Aug. 17
At Kamehameha Kapalama
Honolulu, HI
10 p.m.
Aug. 24
Vs. Santa Margarita
Mission Viejo HS
7 p.m.
Sept. 6
Vs. Henderson Liberty
Mission Viejo HS
7 p.m.
Sept. 13
At Palmdale Highland
Highland HS
7 p.m.
Sept. 20
Vs. Chandler Basha
Mission Viejo HS
7 p.m.
Sept. 27
Vs. Chaparral
Mission Viejo HS
7 p.m.
Oct. 4
Vs. Long Beach Poly
SoFi Stadium
7 p.m.
Oct. 18*
At San Clemente
San Clemente HS
7 p.m.
Oct. 25*
Vs. Edison
Mission Viejo HS
7 p.m.
Nov. 1*
Vs. Los Alamitos
Mission Viejo HS
7 p.m.
*League game
SAN CLEMENTE
Date
Opponent
Location
Time
Aug. 23
At Chaparral
Chaparral HS
7 p.m.
Aug. 30
Vs. Oak Ridge
San Clemente HS
7 p.m.
Sept. 6
At La Costa Canyon
La Costa Canyon HS
7 p.m.
Sept. 13
At Corona del Mar
Newport Harbor HS
7 p.m.
Sept. 20
Vs. Chino Hills
San Clemente HS
7 p.m.
Sept. 27
At Murrieta Valley
Murrieta Valley HS
7 p.m.
Oct. 11
Vs. Coronado
San Clemente HS
7 p.m.
Oct. 18*
Vs. Mission Viejo
San Clemente HS
7 p.m.
Oct. 24*
Vs. Los Alamitos
Veterans Stadium
7 p.m.
Nov. 1*
Vs. Edison
San Clemente HS
7 p.m.
*League game
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