OCVARSITY GAME OF THE WEEK
NO. 6 TESORO (4-1) NO. 10 SAN CLEMENTE (5-0)
Where, when: San Clemente High, Thursday, 7 p.m.
Last time they met: 2013, Tesoro won, 30-14.
Series: San Clemente leads, 6-4
Coaches: Tesoro, Matt Poston (13-4); San Clemente, Jaime Ortiz (12-13)
Outlook: These teams used to be in the South Coast League together before this school year’s Coast View Conference restructuring sent San Clemente to the Sea View League. Both are ranked No. 1 in their CIF-Southern Section divisions. San Clemente is on top in the Southwest Division poll. Tesoro is on top in the West Valley. Tesoro beat Corona del Mar, 28-14, last week to end the Sea Kings’ winning streak at 30 games. The Titans defense made several big plays. Tristan Kafentzis had 14 tackles and recovered a fumble. Matt Buoncristiani returned a fumble for a touchdown and had an interception. Tesoro’s loss was by three points in its season opener to La Mirada, which is 4-1 and ranked No. 3 in the Southeast Division. The Titans then beat over Chaparral of Temecula, Upland and West Covina before the win over Corona del Mar. They beat Upland by the same score Mater Dei did, 28-14. Tesoro junior quarterback Devon Modster has rushed for six touchdowns and has thrown nine touchdown passes. San Clemente senior quarterback Sam Darnold is having an All-County season. Darnold, who committed to USC, has completed 62 percent of his passes, is averaging 229 passing yards a game and has 17 touchdown passes with only one interception. He has rushed for a team-high seven touchdowns. Darnold threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns the Tritons’ 47-24 win over Newport Harbor last week. Tesoro is the best team Darnold and San Clemente have faced so far. Both teams have a plethora of playmakers. Tesoro gets the edge because of its defense.
Winner: Tesoro
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THURSDAY’S OTHER FEATURED GAMES
NO. 1 MATER DEI (4-0) VS. WESTLAKE OF WESTLAKE VILLAGE (3-1)
Where, when: Westlake High, 7:30 p.m.
Outlook: Mater Dei has beaten two teams that have been in CalHiSports.com’s California top 25, Centennial of Corona and Upland. Westlake is No. 16 in the state rankings, and Mater Dei is No. 3. (St. John Bosco and De La Salle of Concord are 1-2, respectively.) In the Pac-5 Division top 10, Mater Dei is No. 2 (behind St. John Bosco) and Westlake is No. 9. Westlake’s loss was to state No. 12 Long Beach Poly. Warriors quarterback Malik Henry threw for 303 yards and four touchdowns last week in a 41-14 win over Dominguez of Compton. Mater Dei’s average margin of victory is 30 points. The Monarchs won’t win this one by that much, but they will win.
Winner: Mater Dei
CYPRESS (3-1) VS. DANA HILLS (1-4)
Where, when: Dana Hills High, 7 p.m.
Outlook: Cypress is coming off of a 38-27 loss to Diamond Bar. The Centurions have one of the county’s better all-around players in receiver/defensive back/returner Quinten Pounds. Nick Buras has been a tough, reliable quarterback for them, and Cypress has a solid offensive line. Dana Hills is 0-5 on the field. Its 25-10 loss to Villa Park two weeks ago was turned into a win because Villa Park had to forfeit the game because it used an ineligible player. The Dolphins have played a tough schedule. The teams that have beaten them are a cumulative 17-6. Cypress and Pounds could be too heavy for Dana Hills.
Winner: Cypress
YORBA LINDA (2-2) VS. EL MODENA (2-2)
Where, when: El Modena High, 7 p.m.
Outlook: The nonleague schedule this season has plenty of games in which Crestview League and North Hills League teams play each other. This is another of them. Eight schools grouped into the Century Conference are split into the four-team Crestview and North Hills leagues, with league membership varying from sport to sport. It’s like the South County’s Coast View Conference and its Sea View and South Coast leagues. Yorba Linda is a Crestview League football school. El Modena is in the North Hills League. El Modena has its best team in several years and might be the best team in the North Hills League. The Vanguards have beaten Western and Woodbridge, with losses to Villa Park and Kennedy. Yorba Linda lost its first two games, to Valencia and Orange Lutheran, and then beat Fullerton and El Dorado. El Modena is going to put up a fight, but Yorba Linda should win its third in a row.
Winner: Yorba Linda
UNIVERSITY (3-1) VS. GARDEN GROVE (3-1)
Where, when: Garden Grove High, 7 p.m.
Outlook: University was rolling along before last week’s surprisingly one-sided loss to Estancia, 35-10. Garden Grove has defeated Westminster, Pacifica and Dana Hills. This is Garden Grove’s final nonleague game before next week’s Garden Grove League opener against Rancho Alamitos. Rancho Alamitos-Garden Grove looks like the game that will decide the league championship. So there is the possibility that the Argonauts are looking past University. If the Argos are focused, they will win.
Winner: Garden Grove
Also Thursday
(All games 7 p.m.)
Nonleague
Laguna Hills (1-3) at Valencia (3-1)
Esperanza (1-3) at Brea Olinda (1-3)
Marina (0-4) at Capistrano Valley (4-1)
Santa Ana (2-2) at Bolsa Grande (0-4)
Saddleback Valley Christian (4-0) at Aliso Niguel (2-3)
Laguna Beach (1-3) vs. Northwood (3-1) at Irvine High
Fairmont Prep (2-3) vs. Calvary Chapel of Downey (3-1) at Downey High
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FRIDAY’S FEATURED GAMES
NO. 9 LOS ALAMITOS (4-0) VS. NARBONNE OF HARBOR CITY (1-3)
Outlook: Don’t be fooled by Narbonne’s record. The Gauchos’ three losses are to teams in the state top 25 – Long Beach Poly, Alemany of Mission Hills and Serra of Gardena. Los Alamitos has an outstanding defense and a power running game that could take the Griffins to the Sunset League championship and through a deep run in the West Valley Division playoffs. Junior quarterback Jack Telenko, who threw for 223 yards and three touchdowns in a win over San Juan Hills last week, seems to be improving with each game. The past two weeks, they shellacked teams they should have shellacked – Canyon and San Juan Hills. Los Alamitos does not seem to have that one impressive win – yet. This will be it.
Winner: Los Alamitos
BUENA PARK (4-0) VS. WESTERN (1-3)
Where, when: Western High, 7 p.m.
Outlook: A “trap game” is a game in which a favored team might underestimate an opponent while looking ahead to a more important game. This has all the ingredients of a trap game for Buena Park. The Coyotes next week play their Freeway League opener against league-favorite La Habra. Western opened the season with a one-point win over Katella then followed with losses by 44, 38 and 46 points. Buena Park has the offensive ammo with its passing attack led by quarterback Zach Taylor, fourth in county passing with 1,343 yards, and receivers Jaylinn Hawkins and Will Latham. The Coyotes should be 5-0 when they play La Habra.
Winner: Buena Park
PACIFICA (1-3) VS. WESTMINSTER (2-2)
Where, when: Westminster High, 7 p.m.
Outlook: Pacifica has lost two in a row, to Garden Grove and Aliso Niguel. The Mariners beat Estancia and flexed a good running game in that one. Westminster lost to two teams one would figure the Lions would lose to, Fountain Valley and Garden Grove, and beat teams one would figure they would beat, Laguna Beach and Marina. They were shut out by Garden Grove and scored only six points against Fountain Valley. If the offense has it together, Westminster will win.
Winner: Westminster
Also Friday (all games 7 p.m. unless noted)
Chaparral of Temecula (1-3) at No. 8 Mission Viejo (3-2), 7:30 p.m.
Bell Gardens (0-4) at El Toro (4-1)
Estancia (2-2) at Ocean View (3-1)
La Quinta (1-3) at Ganesha of Pomona (3-2)
Foothill (2-2) vs. Canyon (0-4) at El Modena High
Villa Park (2-2) vs. El Dorado (0-4) at Valencia High
Southlands Christian of Walnut (1-3) at Sage Hill (2-3)
St. Margaret’s (4-0) vs. Century (1-3) at Segerstrom High
Whittier Christian (0-5) vs. Sonora (4-0) at La Habra High
Newport Harbor (1-3) at Mira Costa of Manhattan Beach (1-3)
Trabuco Hills (2-3) vs. Los Amigos (2-2) at Garden Grove High
Capistrano Valley Christian (2-2) at Crean Lutheran (4-1), 4 p.m.
Anaheim (3-0) vs. Rancho Alamitos (3-1) at Bolsa Grande High
El Rancho of Pico Rivera (2-2) vs. Katella (2-2) at Glover Stadium
8-man
St. Michael’s Prep (2-2) at Rolling Hills Prep of San Pedro (2-1), 3:30 p.m.
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SATURDAY’S FEATURED GAMES
BECKMAN (3-1) VS. SAN JUAN HILLS (2-3)
Where, when: San Juan Hills High, 7 p.m.
Outlook: Beckman split its past two games but were impressive in both – a 9-7 loss to Foothill and a 20-17 win over Tustin. San Juan Hills is coming off of a 42-7 loss to Los Alamitos that might say more about how good Los Al is than about San Juan Hills. The Stallions have a good quarterback, Patrick O’Brien, who has completed 64 percent of his passes for 842 yards. O’Brien should lead San Juan Hills to a bounce-back win.
Winner: San Juan Hills
SAVANNA (2-2) VS. SANTIAGO (4-0)
Where, when: Garden Grove High, 7 p.m.
Outlook: Anyone following the Garden Grove League knows that Garden Grove and Rancho Alamitos are the top dogs in that circuit. But Santiago can’t be forgotten. While that undefeated record was earned against teams that are a combined 3-16 – Orange, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa and Godinez – that’s still 4-0 against teams of Santiago’s ilk. Savanna often has talent at the skill positions. The Rebels are getting production from running backs Logan Thomas (342 rushing yards) and Leroy Hibbert (238 yards). Santiago’s offense has not been burning up scoreboards, averaging only 17 points a game. But the Cavaliers defense has been giving up only 13 points a game. The Cavs’ average margin of victory is four points. This could be another close one.
Winner: Santiago
Also Saturday
Aquinas of San Bernardino (2-2) vs. Brethren Christian (4-1) at Ocean View High, 7 p.m.
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Fryer on Football last week: 7-3
Season to date: 34-16
Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com
