OC VARSITY PREDICTS
1. La Habra: The Highlanders are loaded with talent at the skill positions and will start a big, experienced offensive line. Expect a big season from junior quarterback Eric Barriere.
2. Troy: A fast, experienced defense, led by Chavo Hernandez and Dominic Vaccher, will be the Warriors’ strength.
3. Buena Park: Coyotes don’t have their usual depth, but they will feature one of the top players in the county, receiver/defensive back Jaylinn Hawkins.
4. Sonora: Raiders return 18 starters and will field a physical, tested offensive line, anchored by junior tackle Jorge Bernabe.
5. Fullerton: Indians lack experience, returning only seven starters, but they have one one of the best possession receivers in the league, Kaene Soto.
6. Sunny Hills: Coach Jon Caffrey said Lancers took a step in the right direction last season and could present a bigger challenge for their league opponents.
COACHES’ POLL
1. La Habra (5), 35
2. Buena Park, 24
3. Troy, 20
4. Sonora (1), 19
4. Fullerton, 19
6. Sunny Hills, 9
How the poll works: The league’s coaches do the voting. First-place votes (shown in parentheses) are worth 6 points, second are worth 5, etc.
IMPACT PLAYERS
Eric Barriere, La Habra, Jr.: He is one of the rising stars in the county. He threw for 29 TDs and completed nearly 60 percent of his passes. He has also shown great scrambling ability at times.
Jaylinn Hawkins, Buena Park, Sr.: The receiver/defensive back has received numerous offers, including ones from Oregon, Northwestern, Washington and Cal. He averaged 75.3 yards receiving per game in 2013.
Dominic Vaccher, Troy, Sr.: The receiver/free safety might be the Warriors’ best player on both sides of the ball. Led the team last season with seven interceptions 827 yards receiving.
Joshua Hill, Fullerton, Sr.: As a junior, he rushed for 471 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 5.0 yards per carry.
Jacob Fimbres, Sonora, Jr.: He earned first-team all-league status last season by finishing with 858 yards rushing and 254 yards receiving.
Joe Ha, Sunny Hills, Sr.: Ha could emerge as one of the top running backs in the league. He is one of the fastest and strongest players on the team.
MUST-SEE GAMES
La Habra at Mission Viejo, Sept. 12: The game pits one of last season’s breakout quarterbacks, La Habra’s Eric Barriere, against a QB trying to extend the Johnson family legacy, junior Brock Johnson.
La Habra at Buena Park, Oct. 10: This is the Freeway opener for both teams; the winner becomes the early favorite to win the league championship.
Troy at Fullerton, Oct. 10: This game features an interesting match-up between Fullerton’s talented receivers and Troy’s experienced secondary.
Troy vs. Sunny Hills at Fullerton High, Nov. 7: The Lancers could spoil Troy’s postseason plans. Last year, the Warriors beat the Lancers by four points.
Sonora at La Habra, Nov. 7: The most bitter rivalry in the league will be renewed as the teams battle for bragging rights in La Habra.
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: ddottore@ocregister.com
