A preview and prediction for some of the Orange County’s top CIF Southern Section football playoff games this week. Teams are listed by their ranking in the Orange County Top 25.
THIS WEEK’S TOP GAMES
DIVISION 5, FIRST ROUND
NO. 24 WESTERN (5-5) VS. NO. 20 HUNTINGTON BEACH (6-4)
Where, when: Huntington Beach High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Western successfully went for two points in the final minute of last week’s game against Trabuco Hills to get the Pioneers a 36-35 win and put themselves into the CIF-SS Division 5 playoffs. Western, which finished fourth in the six-team Delta League, has a dynamic playmaker in senior JJ Amezcua, who had eight receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown against Trabuco Hills. Senior running back Malachi Alatorre has rushed for 914 yards and 12 touchdowns. Alatorre also plays linebacker and is Western’s leading tackler. Huntington Beach finished third in the Epsilon League with a 3-2 league record. Sophomore QB Brady Edmunds continues to impress. Edmunds (6-5, 215) has passed for 2,869 yards and 30 touchdowns with only seven interceptions in 10 games. Troy Foster and Steel Kurtz are reliable receivers. If Huntington Beach can keep that passing game going, Western will have a difficult time keeping up.
Winner: Huntington Beach
DIVISION 1, FIRST ROUND
INGLEWOOD (10-0) VS. NO. 5 SANTA MARGARITA (4-6)
Where, when: Trabuco Hills High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Yes, Inglewood is undefeated. It still doesn’t feel right that the Sentinels were placed in CIF Southern Section Division 1, the top playoff division in high school football in the United States. Inglewood certainly has plenty going for it, including an offense that averages 40 points a game. The Sentinels won the championship of the Bay League. Inglewood senior defensive end Lucien Holland (6-4, 215) committed to Boise State. Senior quarterback Kingston Tisdell committed to Weber State. Santa Margarita finished in a three-way tie for fourth place in the Trinity League with JSerra and Servite. The Eagles were great last week in their 44-8 win over Servite. They have junior receiver Trent Mosley back after he missed a few weeks because of injury. Mosley had five catches for 79 yards against Servite. Another Eagles receiver who is back in the lineup is junior Jonah Smith, who last week had five receptions for 51 yards. Senior quarterback John Gazzaniga completed 16 of his 21 attempts last week. Playing in the Trinity League, and with all hands finally on deck, Santa Margarita is ready for the playoffs.
Winner: Santa Margarita
NO. 6 SERVITE (6-4) VS. SIERRA CANYON (7-3)
Where, when: Sierra Canyon High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Servite has hit hard times since a big win, 20-7, over JSerra to start Trinity League play. The losses to Mater Dei, 28-6, and St. John Bosco, 27-17, had to be expected. But the margins of the next losses to Orange Lutheran and Santa Margarita, 38-0 and 44-8, respectively, were not. The Friars stagger into this first-round game. The return of senior quarterback Leo Hannan from a knee injury has not moved the offense in the past two games. Running back Quaid Carr’s production has slowed and the defense has struggled, too. Servite has to view the playoffs as a new season. Servite beat JSerra, and JSerra beat Sierra Canyon 35-7 back in August. Sierra Canyon probably is a better team than it was in August. The Trailblazers went 5-0 in the excellent Mission League. They have college-bound players at many positions, including senior cornerback Jae’on Young (Cal), senior quarterback Wyatt Becker (Utah) and senior offensive tackle Ashdon Wnetrzak (San Diego State). Sierra Canyon has momentum, Servite does not, and Sierra Canyon has superior athleticism, too.
Winner: Sierra Canyon
DIVISION 2, FIRST ROUND
LEUZINGER (8-2) VS. NO. 9 LOS ALAMITOS (5-5)
Where, when: Los Alamitos High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Leuzinger of Lawndale is one of five Bay League teams in the playoffs. The Olympians went 3-2 in the league before going into this Division 2 first-round game. They beat Santa Margarita 14-13 in a nonleague game in September. (Santa Margarita was without Trent Mosley that night.) Leuzinger junior running back Journee Tonga has rushed for 2,016 yards and 26 touchdowns over 10 games. Junior defensive end Samu Moala (6-4, 225) committed to Texas A&M. Los Alamitos had lost three in a row before beating San Clemente 28-27 two weeks ago. The Griffins last week lost to Mission Viejo 40-14, which says more about the supremacy of Mission Viejo than anything about Los Alamitos. Los Alamitos has the advantage of playing on its on-campus home field, and the Griffins have a terrific 1-2 punch at running back with Lenny Ibarra and Jerod Terry. But they might not match up athletically with what Leuzinger will bring.
Winner: Leuzinger
DIVISION 3, FIRST ROUND
MIRA COSTA (5-5) VS. NO. 13 LA HABRA (9-1)
Where, when: La Habra High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Is this Orange County vs. the Bay League week? Because Mira Costa is another Bay League team playing an O.C. team in the playoffs. Mira Costa went 2-3 in league. The Mustangs are 0-2 against O.C. teams, with a 28-7 loss to San Juan Hills and an 18-0 loss to Villa Park. They go into the playoffs on a three-game losing streak. Mira Costa’s offense is heavy on its running attack. Junior quarterback Liam Meeker last week threw 16 passes and ran the ball 12 times. La Habra has won nine in a row since a 26-23 loss at Upland to begin the season. The Highlanders used to go 5-0 almost every season in the old Freeway League, and they went 5-0 this year in the new Epsilon League. They employ equally two very athletic quarterbacks, sophomore DJ Mitchell and senior Kenneth Saucedo. La Habra averages 269 rushing yards a game, led by junior running back Kevika Martine, who has rushed for 906 yards and 13 touchdowns. The defense is outstanding, led by junior linebacker Noah Barajas and senior lineman Ulavai Fetuli. The Highlanders have one of their better teams in a few years.
Winner: La Habra
Fryer on Football last week: 3-2
Season to date: 41-16
Leave a Reply