Steve Fryer’s previews and predictions for the Week 2 football games, plus the complete schedule for all of this week’s games.
GAME OF THE WEEK
NO. 2 MISSION VIEJO (3-0) VS. NO. 7 LA HABRA (2-0)
Where, when: La Habra High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Coaches: Mission Viejo, Bob Johnson (178-29-1 at Mission Viejo); Frank Mazzotta (163-53-1)
Last time they met: 2014 – Mission Viejo 49, La Habra 20
Series: Mission Viejo leads, 3-0
TV: Live streaming at foxsports.com/west
Radio: CAPrepZone.com
Analysis: These might be the two best public-school teams in county football, athough Los Alamitos and Tesoro would have to be considered, too. Maybe San Juan Hills also. Mission Viejo is off to a fine start. The Diablos had a splendid offensive performance last week in a 56-27 win over Oak Hills of Hesperia. Isaiah Miller rushed for 160 yards and four touchdowns on only 10 carries. Mission Viejo, No. 10 in CalHiSports.com’s state rankings, compiled 503 yards of offense. Oak Hills scored 20 points in the second half as the Diablos began substituting. This is a matchup of two of the county’s better quarterbacks. Mission Viejo’s Brock Johnson has completed 76 percent of his passes for 527 yards and six touchdowns without an interception. La Habra’s Eric Barriere has completed 67 percent of his passes for 441 yards and eight touchdowns with two interceptions. Barriere can be a running threat, but he is trying to be more of a passer this year as a senior. La Habra has outscored its opponents, El Toro and South Hills of West Covina, 90-7. This game is a step up in competition for the Highlanders. Mission Viejo and the rest of the South Coast League play in the West Valley Division for the playoffs. Before the CIF-Southern Section went to quasi-geographic names for its football playoff divisions, the West Valley would have been known as Division 2. La Habra plays in the Freeway League that belongs to the Southwest Division, what would be Division 4. The major differences in divisions are speed and physicality. Mission Viejo should have advantages over La Habra in both categories.
Winner: Mission Viejo
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All games 7 p.m. unless noted
THURSDAY
ALISO NIGUEL (1-1) VS. TUSTIN (1-1)
Where, when: Tustin High, 7 p.m.
Analysis: These two teams were outstanding in Week 0, then stumbled in Week 1. Aliso Niguel, with third-year starter Nick Chapman at quarterback, opened the season with a 40-21 win over Marina then followed with a 41-21 loss to Long Beach Millikan. Tustin scored 74 points in a win over Dana Hills two weeks ago. Last week, the Tillers could not get the offense going in a 13-7 loss against Foothill. Tillers running back Tyler Noble rushed for 132 yards and three touchdowns against Dana Hills. He was limited to 50 yards against Foothill. Tustin should find the scoring efforts more successful against Aliso.
Winner: Tustin
TRABUCO HILLS (0-2) VS. FOUNTAIN VALLEY (0-2)
Where, when: Huntington Beach High, 7 p.m.
Radio: CAPrepZone.com
Analysis: Trabuco Hills was a CIF-SS champion in 2014, having won the Southwest Division championship. Last year’s Mustangs coach left for another job, some good players graduated and some transferred. They have lost to two good teams this season, Rancho Cucamonga and La Costa Canyon of Carlsbad. Fountain Valley was 4-1 in its nonleague games in 2014. The Barons are 1-6 since. They lost this year’s opener to Servite, which was expected. Fountain Valley had a better opportunity to win last week, but was defeated by Long Beach Wilson, 26-11. Nobody wants to start 0-3. Trabuco Hills is the better team, and the schedule just got friendlier.
Winner: Trabuco Hills
LOARA (0-1) VS. MAGNOLIA (1-1)
Where, when: Glover Stadium, 7 p.m.
Analysis: It’s an Olson family picnic. Loara coach Mitch Olson is the uncle of Magnolia coach Ryan Olson. Mitch had some good teams before moving out of state a few years ago. So far, his Saxons team is not at that level. Loara lost to Estancia, 37-14, last week. Magnolia beat Glenn of Norwalk, 46-8, two weeks ago then lost to Artesia of Lakewood, 30-0, last week. Magnolia running back Kalolo Pangia rushed for 176 yards against Glenn and for 174 against Artesia. He scored three touchdowns against Glenn, none against Artesia. He will rediscover the end zone against Loara.
Winner: Magnolia
Kennedy (1-1) at El Modena (1-0)
Savanna (0-1) at Bolsa Grande (0-1)
Warren of Downey (1-0) at Buena Park (1-1)
Katella (1-0) vs. Costa Mesa (2-0) at Estancia High
Bellflower (0-2) vs. Esperanza (1-0) at Yorba Linda High
Lakewood (0-2) vs. No. 8 Los Alamitos (1-0) at Veterans Stadium, Long Beach
Mission Prep of San Luis Obispo (1-0) vs. Crean Lutheran (1-1) at Irvine High
8-man
St. Michael’s Prep (0-1) at San Diego Jewish Academy (0-0), 3:30 p.m.
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FRIDAY
CENTENNIAL OF CORONA (2-0) VS. NO. 4 ORANGE LUTHERAN (2-0)
Where, when: Orange Coast College, 7:30 p.m.
TV: Prime Ticket
Analysis: Both teams are in the CalHiSports.com California top 25. Centennial, last year’s Pac-5 Division champion, is No. 2 behind De La Salle of Concord. Lutheran made its 2015 state top 25 debut this week, at No. 19, after the Lancers beat Crespi of Encino, No. 14 in the state at the time. The Lancers won, 43-28 at Crespi. Lutheran quarterback Lj Northington is healthy this year – he dealt with a throwing-shoulder injury last year – and is playing like it. He threw two touchdown passes against Crespi. Dominik Austin rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns on only 12 carries. Centennial beat Lutheran last year in a nonleague game, 52-49. Centennial’s defense is said to be better than it was last year, and that could be the difference in the outcome of this game.
Winner: Centennial
CORONA DEL MAR (2-0) VS. EL TORO (0-2)
Where, when: El Toro High, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Reports of Corona del Mar’s imminent decline not only were exaggerated, they were false. The Sea Kings under first-year coach Dan O’Shea beat Palos Verdes when that team was No. 1 in the CIF-SS Western Division rankings. The Sea Kings followed with a 52-14 win over Dana Hills. El Toro is better than its record. The Chargers lost to two excellent teams, La Habra, 41-7, and Eastlake of Chula Vista, 34-28. El Toro is the second-best 0-2 team in county football, behind 0-2 Trabuco Hills. The Chargers will be the best 0-3 team in the county after this one. Corona del Mar quarterback Chase Garbers, who threw five touchdown passes against Dana Hills, is set for another big night.
Winner: Corona del Mar
TROY (1-1) VS. YORBA LINDA (0-1)
Where, when: Yorba Linda High, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Troy lost to Canyon in Week 0 and beat El Dorado in Week 1. As scripted. That script also had Yorba Linda losing to Valencia, which happened. Troy’s 5-foot-9, 190-pound senior running back Dray Shaw has averages of 92 rushing yards a game and 8 yards a carry. Warriors senior receiver Ryan Scotti has 10 receptions for 179 yards and a touchdown. Troy needs to get Scotti the ball more frequently, and this game is a good time to establish that.
Winner: Troy
NO. 9 SERVITE (1-1) VS. DE LA SALLE OF CONCORD (1-1)
Where, when: De La Salle High, 7:30 p.m.
Analysis: De La Salle lost its season opener, 26-21, to Trinity of Euless, Texas. Trinity is No. 14 in USA Today’s national rankings. The Spartans beat Serra of San Mateo, Tom Brady’s alma mater, 37-21, last week. They had a 28-0 lead in the first quarter. Servite lost to Bishop Amat of La Puente, 28-10, last week when Amat was short a couple of key skill-position players. If Servite thought Amat was tough …
Winner: De La Salle
WOODBRIDGE (1-1) VS. GARDEN GROVE (0-1)
Where, when: Garden Grove, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Like so many teams this early in the season, Woodbridge is a challenging one to figure out. The Warriors cruised to a 23-7 win over Cypress in Week 0, then floundered in a 27-7 loss to El Modena. Garden Grove is 0-1 for the first time in eight years. The Argonauts last week lost to Westminster. When the Argos started 0-1 in 2007, Westminster was the team that made them so. Garden Grove went 13-1 last year. The team that beat the Argos was Woodbridge. Garden Grove wants revenge against Woodbridge for its only loss that kept the Warriors from going undefeated, and Garden Grove wants revenge against anybody for last week’s loss. This is not a good week to play Garden Grove.
Winner: Garden Grove
CAPISTRANO VALLEY (2-0) VS. NO. 10 SAN JUAN HILLS (2-0)
Where, when: San Juan Hills High, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Capistrano Valley is on a roll. The Cougars reached the Southwest Division semifinals last year and, despite only six returning starters from that team, are off to a solid start this year. The Cougars, No. 5 in the Southwest Division top 10, beat Long Beach Jordan, 34-7, and El Rancho of Pico Rivera, 27-19. Jordan and El Rancho are a combined 0-4. San Juan Hills is much better than either. The Stallions recorded one of Week 0’s bigger upsets with a win over San Clemente. No letdown followed in Week 1 when they beat Canyon, 32-14, as ace quarterback Patrick O’Brien passed for 275 yards and ran for three touchdowns. San Juan Hills’s momentum continues in this one.
Winner: San Juan Hills
No. 1 Mater Dei (2-0) at La Mirada (1-1)
Huntington Beach (1-1) vs. No. 5 JSerra (2-0) Saddleback College
Upland at No. 6 Tesoro (1-1), 7 p.m.
Dorsey of Los Angeles vs. No. 7 Santa Margarita (2-0) at Trabuco Hills High, 7:30 p.m.
Pacifica (1-0) at Estancia (1-0)
Littlerock (0-1) at University (1-0)
El Dorado (0-1) at Fullerton (2-0)
Brea Olinda (0-1) at Valencia (1-0)
San Clemente (1-1) at Dana Hills (0-2)
Northwood (0-2) at Laguna Hills (1-0)
Laguna Beach (1-1) at Segerstrom (0-1-1)
Calvary Chapel (2-0) at Ontario Christian (1-1)
Sage Hill (1-1) at Maranatha of Pasadena (1-1)
Foothill (1-0) vs. Beckman (1-0) at Tustin High
Rancho Alamitos (1-0) at Pioneer of Whittier (2-0)
Saddleback Valley Christian (1-0) at Malibu (1-1)
Los Amigos (0-1) vs. Cypress (0-2) at Western High
Villa Park (1-0) at Cabrillo of Long Beach (0-2)
Santiago (0-2) vs. Orange (0-2) at El Modena High
Ocean View (0-1) at Valley Christian of Cerritos (2-0)
Santa Ana (1-0) vs. Anaheim (1-0) at Glover Stadium
Newport Harbor (1-0) at El Rancho of Pico Rivera (0-2)
Canyon (1-1) vs. Edison (1-1) at Huntington Beach High
Godinez (1-0) vs. Sunny Hills (1-1) at Buena Park High
Rim of the World of Lake Arrowhead (0-1) at Irvine (0-1)
Westminster (1-0) vs. Marina (1-1) at Westminster High
Sonora (2-0) vs. Mayfair of Lakewood (2-0) at Bellflower High
Whittier (1-1) vs. Whittier Christian (1-1) at Whittier College
Santa Ana Valley (0-1-1) vs. Saddleback (1-0) at Santa Ana Stadium
Bosco Tech of Rosemead (0-2) vs. La Quinta (0-1) at Bolsa Grande High
St. Margaret’s (1-0) vs. Webb of Claremont (2-0) at Damien of La Verne
Workman of the City of Industry (0-1) vs. Brethren Christian (2-0) at Ocean View High
Mary Star of San Pedro (1-0) vs. Capistrano Valley Christian (1-1) at Capistrano Valley High
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SATURDAY
Desert Christian of Lancaster (1-1) vs. Fairmont Prep (0-2) at Yorba Linda High, 7 p.m.
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Fryer on Football last week: 7-3
Season to date: 14-5-1
Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com
