Teams are listed by their ranking in the Orange County Top 25.
THIS WEEK’S TOP PLAYOFF GAMES
NO. 4 JSERRA (6-4) VS. NO. 3 ORANGE LUTHERAN (7-3)
Where, when: Orange Coast College, Friday, 7 p.m.
Division 1 quarterfinals
Analysis: Five of the Trinity League’s six teams are playing in the Division 1 quarterfinals, including these two. Orange Lutheran defeated JSerra 23-17 in a league game at Orange Coast College as Orange Lutheran senior running back Steve Chavez rushed for 100 of his 105 yards in the second half. Orange Lutheran would go on to finish 3-2 in the league, with the losses to Mater Dei and St. John Bosco, for third place. JSerra was 1-4 in league and ended in a three-way tie for fourth place with Santa Margarita and Servite. JSerra and Orange Lutheran both had byes last week in the Division 1 playoffs, a 10-team bracket this year. The winner plays the winner of the Santa Margarita-St. John Bosco quarterfinal next week in the semifinals. In the Orange Lutheran win over JSerra last month, the Lancers recorded six sacks, three by lineman Auma Jennings. That defensive front seven for the Lancers will be great again in this one.
Winner: Orange Lutheran
CENTENNIAL (8-2) VS. NO. 2 MISSION VIEJO (10-0)
Where, when: Mission Viejo High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Division 1 quarterfinals
Analysis: Centennial of Corona lost to Mater Dei 42-25 and to Santa Margarita 31-15 to start the season 0-2. The Huskies have since won eight in a row, including going 5-0 in the Big West Upper League. They have an excellent quarterback in Texas A&M commit Husan Longstreet, who has thrown 18 touchdown passes in eight games. Centennial averages 240 rushing yards a game. Mission Viejo continues to get steady production from its equal-time quarterback tandem of Luke Fahey and Drai Trudeau. Junior receiver Vance Spafford recently committed to Georgia. San Diego State-committed defensive end Jaden Williams has 23 sacks. Mission Viejo senior cornerback Dijon Lee (Alabama commit) might be Orange County’s best football player. Centennial and Mission did not play last week. Centennial coach Matt Logan is among the best in the business. He will have the Huskies ready to play, and Mission Viejo coach Chad Johnson will have his charges prepared. Mission Viejo’s talent across so many positions is second only to Mater Dei’s.
Winner: Mission Viejo
NO. 7 SAN JUAN HILLS (10-1) VS. OAKS CHRISTIAN (8-3)
Where, when: Oaks Christian High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Division 2 quarterfinals
Analysis: Oaks Christian of Westlake Village tied with Simi Valley for the Marmonte League championship. The Lions last week beat previously-undefeated Oak Hills 30-26 in the first round as Oaks Christian freshman quarterback Trey Towns (6-3, 200) threw for 264 yards and four touchdowns. San Juan Hills has won eight in a row since a 25-20 loss to Arizona’s Higley on Sept. 6. That winning streak includes a 5-0 record in the Bravo League and a 34-0 win last week over Beaumont in the first round. Stallions junior quarterback Timmy Herr has thrown 22 touchdown passes with only three interceptions. Five receivers for the Stallions have more than 20 receptions, led by Luke Frith’s 44. San Juan Hills’ chief strength is its defense led by UCLA-bound linebacker Weston Port and safety Grant Kitteredge. Oaks Christian might be the best team San Juan Hills will have played this season, and it’s a long road trip, too, for the Stallions. But San Juan Hills does have everything it takes to win.
Winner: San Juan Hills
NEWBURY PARK (11-0) VS. NO. 9 SAN CLEMENTE (6-5)
Where, when: San Clemente High, Friday 7 p.m.
Division 2 quarterfinals
Analysis: Newbury Park won the championship of the Conejo Coast League, a league that sent five of its six teams to the playoffs and three of those are in the quarterfinals. Last week in the first round the Panthers shut out San Jacinto 27-0. San Jacinto beat O.C. No. 10 Yorba Linda, a win that became a forfeit loss for San Jacinto that self-reported it had used an ineligible player in the game. Newbury Park has held opponents to single-digit scoring in seven of its 11 games and the Panthers’ average margin of victory is 35 points. Newbury Park junior quarterback Brady Smigiel (6-4, 200) averages 237 passing yards a game and has 39 touchdown passes with only two interceptions. San Clemente might have played its best game of the season last week, a 42-7 win over Damien in the Division 2 first round. Tritons senior quarterback Jack Ferguson completed 11 of 13 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns. Their other senior quarterback, Dawson Martinez, rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries. San Clemente has had trouble with teams that throw the ball as effectively as Newbury Park does.
Winner: Newbury Park
NO. 12 LA HABRA (10-1) VS. SIMI VALLEY (10-1)
Where, when: Simi Valley High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Division 3 quarterfinals
Analysis: This is a battle of league champions. After so many times going 5-0 in the Freeway League, La Habra went 5-0 in the new Epsilon League this season. The Highlanders have won 10 in a row including a 27-24 win over Mira Costa in the Division 3 first round last week. La Habra converted a few fourth-down plays against Mira Costa, including a fourth-and-goal from the 24 for a touchdown pass from DJ Mitchell to Blake Rodgers. Mitchell shares quarterback time with Kenneth Saucedo who is an equal to Mitchell when it comes to commanding the offense. Simi Valley, Marmonte League co-champion with Oaks Christian, beat Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks 49-47 last week in the first round. The Pioneers average 40 points a game. This game has two of the all-time coaching greats in Southern California, Simi Valley’s Jim Benkert, who has 312 career wins, and La Habra’s Frank Mazzotta, who has 240 career wins. Simi Valley’s offensive machine could be too much for La Habra.
Winner: Simi Valley
Fryer on Football last week: 4-1
Season to date: 45-17