OCVarsity’s preview and prediction for the CIF State Regional Championship game on Friday:
DIVISION II-AA
La Habra (13-1) vs. Camarillo (14-0)
Where, when: Camarillo High, Friday, 7:30 p.m.
TV: Time Warner Cable SportsChannel (taped, Saturday, 4 p.m.)
Fan info: tickets, $12 for adults, $8 for students (with valid student ID) and for children 13 and under. … the game will be streamed live at twccommunity.com.
La Habra scouting report: The Highlanders are coming off a dramatic, 39-36 victory against San Clemente in the CIF-SS Southwest Division final. La Habra won on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Eric Barriere to Prince Ross on the final play. The Highlanders also edged Los Alamitos, 37-32, on a Hail Mary earlier in the season. La Habra captured the CIF crown despite playing without arguably its best defensive player, Arizona commit Jacob Colacion (knee), who has been out for several weeks. The defense has received strong play from linebacker Camron Rivas and safety Madison Wheeler. The left side of the offensive line is strong with tackle Richard Arias and guard Adam Tourville. “They have a consistent offense with an underrated line,” San Clemente coach Jaime Ortiz said of La Habra. “They have an attacking defense that is well-coached and swarms to the ball.”
Camarillo scouting report: The Scorpions captured the CIF-SS Northern Division title with a 55-27 victory against league rival Thousand Oaks for their first section title since 1996. Camarillo led, 34-27, at halftime before pulling away. Camarillo strives for balance in its no-huddle attack, but the ground game stood out in the final with 320 yards, including 216 from Isaiah Otis. Quarterback Jake Constantine passed for 219 yards and three touchdowns. He has passed for 3,325 yards and 42 TDs. Receiver Frankie Tostado has a team-high 18 touchdowns and five interceptions. The Scorpions defense has 50 sacks, including 16 by under-sized Wyatt Zambri (5-11, 185). Camarillo coach Jack Willard said his team doesn’t feature a player receiving major recruiting interest, but right guard Jay Hembree and left tackle Sean Chisholm are players to watch. Camarillo has instead relied on the experience of 18 senior starters. The Scorpions finished 6-5 in 2014.
Player to watch: La Habra’s Barriere. The dual-threat senior is enjoying an outstanding season. The senior has passed for 2,656 yards and rushed for 857 yards. He also is masterful at extending plays and turning potential losses into gains, especially at the end of games.
Prediction: La Habra 36, Camarillo 35. The Highlanders have the momentum, resume and physical style to win this difficult road game. But La Habra’s defense will need to be at its best and the offense must avoid turnovers. Expect another thriller decided in the fourth quarter.
DAN ALBANO
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
