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  • Tesoro standouts Zach Hickman, left, Jake Smeltzer, center, and Devon...

    Tesoro standouts Zach Hickman, left, Jake Smeltzer, center, and Devon Modster.

  • Senior wide receiver Jake Smeltzer, left, senior tackle Zach Hickman,...

    Senior wide receiver Jake Smeltzer, left, senior tackle Zach Hickman, center, and junior quarterback Devon Modster will lead the Tesoro offense. Smeltzer was first-team all-league last season.

  • Tesoro High School standout Jake Smeltzer.

    Tesoro High School standout Jake Smeltzer.

  • Tesoro High School standout Devon Modster.

    Tesoro High School standout Devon Modster.

  • Tesoro High School standout Devon Modster.

    Tesoro High School standout Devon Modster.

  • Tesoro High School standout Zach Hickman.

    Tesoro High School standout Zach Hickman.

  • Tesoro High School standout Zach Hickman.

    Tesoro High School standout Zach Hickman.

  • Tesoro High School standout Jake Smeltzer.

    Tesoro High School standout Jake Smeltzer.

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OCVARSITY PREDICTS

1. Mission Viejo: There are a lot of new faces in the lineup. Still, expect excellence along the offensive and defensive lines and a bevy of playmakers to again make the defending league champions the team to beat in this league. The Diablos expect to win. That confidence continues to be an advantage.

2. Tesoro: There is a lot to like about this team. The Titans have a stellar athlete at quarterback, Devon Modster, and a fine group of receivers. Tesoro will be Mission Viejo’s chief competition. Beating the Diablos would be an upset.

3. El Toro: This team is good enough to win the championships of several county leagues. The Chargers look like the third-best in this tough group. If the offensive line has it together, El Toro will have an exciting offense again.

4. Dana Hills: The Dolphins make the uphill jump from the Sea View to the South Coast. Dana Hills has a good corps of returnees, but there is a gap between the league’s top three teams and the bottom two.

5. San Juan Hills: The Stallions were Sea View League champions last season, but they don’t appear to be a step behind the league’s top teams.

COACHES’ POLL

1. Mission Viejo, 24 (4)

2. Tesoro, 21 (1)

3. El Toro 15

4. Dana Hills, 10

5. San Juan Hills, 5

How the poll works: The coaches do the voting. First-place votes (shown in parentheses) are worth 5 points, second are worth 4, etc.

IMPACT PLAYERS

Brian Scott, Dana Hills, RB: The senior was All-Sea View League first team last year. He rushed for a league-leading 895 yards, averaged 7 yards a carry and ran for eight touchdowns. The Dolphins need another productive year from Scott if they are to contend for the playoffs.

Trey Tinsley, El Toro, QB: The senior (6-3, 190) averaged 306 passing yards a game last season when he was named All-South Coast League first team. He threw 32 touchdown passes with 16 interceptions.

Cole Smith, Mission Viejo, OL: It starts with the linemen for every offense, and Smith is quite the ignition for the Diablos’ offensive front. The son of Rams all-time great Doug Smith committed to USC.

Jake Smeltzer, Tesoro, WR: Smeltzer was All-South Coast League first team as a junior last season. Smeltzer and quarterback Devon Modster will be among the county’s better passer-receiver duos, and they help make the Titans the top competition for Mission Viejo.

Jacob Venegas, San Juan Hills, LB: He is not the league’s largest at his position, but Venegas is a factor. At 5-9 and 175 pounts, the senior was All-Sea View League second team last year when he recorded 73 tackles and two sacks. The Stallions need another busy season from Venegas if they are to contend for a playoff berth.

MUST-SEE GAMES

Mission Viejo at Oceanside, Sept. 5: Mission Viejo is No. 20 in CalHiSports.com’s state preseason rankings and Oceanside is No. 21. Oceanside is a challenging place for any visiting team.

Tesoro at El Toro, Oct. 10: The top two finishers in a five-team league like the South Coast League receive guaranteed playoff berths. The South Coast’s No. 3 team will hope for one of the West Valley Division’s two at-large berths. This league opener might decide the No. 2 team in the South Coast League.

Mission Viejo at Tesoro, Oct. 17: These are the two best teams in the league. Mission Viejo has won 25 league games in a row since losing to Tesoro in the league opener in 2008.

San Juan Hills at Dana Hills, Oct. 30: If one of these teams is to wedge itself into the top half of the league standings, a win in this game will be essential.

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