OCVARSITY PREDICTS: TRINITY LEAGUE
1. St. John Bosco: Last year’s league and Pac-5 champions might not be as great as last year, as graduation took some stars. But with quarterback Josh Rosen and all sorts of talent on hand, the Braves still are the best of the league.
2. Servite: With Travis Waller at quarterback and plenty of other playmakers on offense, and so many returnees on defense, the Friars look like the best team in the county. Their schedule is crazy-tough and could take a toll by the time league play comes around.
3. Mater Dei: The Monarchs have a new quarterback. That is an especially important position in a high-quality league like this one. The offensive and defensive lines look great, and those are good foundations in football.
4. Orange Lutheran: This is the best Lancers team in Coach Chuck Petersen’s three-year tenure. But there are young and inexperienced players at key positions, especially at offensive line and in the secondary.
5. Santa Margarita: The Eagles look fine at the skill positions and at the all-important offensive line. There is a new system under new Coach Rick Curtis, which could mean a period of transition, and a young secondary which is not a good thing in a league with so many fine quarterbacks.
6. JSerra: The Lions’ steady improvement continues. They are good enough to win the championship of most county leagues; perhaps every league outside of the Trinity League. The skill positions look good, but JSerra lacks the size along the offensive and defensive lines that the other league teams enjoy.
COACHES’ POLL
1. St. John Bosco, 35 points (5)
2. Servite, 28 points
3. Mater Dei, 26 points (1)
4. Orange Lutheran, 17 points
5. Santa Margarita, 12
6. JSerra, 7
How the poll works: The league coaches do the voting. First-place votes (shown in parentheses) are worth 6 points, second are worth 5, etc.
IMPACT PLAYERS
Keisean Lucier-South, Orange Lutheran, LB: The senior might be the best defensive player in the county. Every college that thinks it has a shot at Lucier-South (6-5, 235) is recruiting him. He might line up at linebacker or as a stand-up defensive end. Wherever he is, all opponents have to game-plan for Lucier-South.
Malik McMorris, Mater Dei, DL/RB: The senior, an All-County first-team selection last year, is a wrecking-ball force on offense and defense. Nobody wants to get in his path. He will make big plays in big moments for the Monarchs.
Nick Robinson, JSerra, QB: Robinson was All-Trinity League first team his sophomore and junior years. He averaged 214 passing yards a game last year when he threw for 22 touchdowns with only six interceptions. The Lions will need another big year from the senior if they are to contend for a playoff berth.
Josh Rosen, St. John Bosco, QB: The senior was Pac-5 Division offensive co-player of the year last year when the Braves won the division championship. Rosen, who committed to UCLA, is widely regarded as the best quarterback prospect in the nation. If his play in the summer is an indication, Rosen should lead Bosco to great results again this season.
Rick Wade, Santa Margarita, DL: With so many excellent quarterbacks in this league, teams need to get some pressure from their linebackers and defensive ends in opposing backfields. That’s where the 6-5, 240-pound senior defensive end will be a valuable weapon for the Eagles. He committed to UCLA.
Travis Waller, Servite, QB: In a league replete with playmakers, Waller might be the best of the bunch. The Oregon commit has a great arm, and can run for first downs and touchdowns, too. Waller, a senior, must be consistent and make smart decisions if Servite is to have a championship season.
MUST-SEE GAMES
Mater Dei at St. John Bosco, Oct. 10: What a league opener. Bosco is No. 1 in the state preseason rankings by CalHiSports.com, which has Mater Dei at No. 4.
JSerra vs. Santa Margarita at Saddleback College, Oct. 10: No team can afford to lose a league opener in this Trinity competition. This is a must-win game if JSerra or Santa Margarita is going to contend for the playoffs.
Orange Lutheran vs. Santa Margarita at Saddleback College, Oct. 17: The top three finishers in the six-team Trinity League receive guaranteed berths in the Pac-5 playoffs. The other three will try to grab one of the division’s two at-large berths. That makes all league games gargantuan, especially the ones involving teams that look like they might be a notch below the Trinity’s top two or three teams.
Servite vs. Mater Dei at Angel Stadium, Oct. 17: Servite is No. 3 and Mater Dei is No. 4 in the state preseason rankings. It’s Servite-Mater Dei, kids. Rankings are a bonus.
St. John Bosco vs. Servite at Cerritos College, Oct. 31: Both teams have some challenging league games before this one rolls around. But it could be the one that determines the championship. A dandy subplot is the battle of quarterbacks Josh Rosen of Bosco vs. Travis Waller of Servite.
MORE FOOTBALL– OCVARSITY KICKOFF’14: O.C.’S BEST FAN GUIDE
Everything you need to know about the high school football scene for 2014.
Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com
