SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO – RFTB.
Those initials are on the rubber bracelets of San Juan Hills students and their parents, on a large sign against the fencing of the school’s football stadium and just about everywhere else around the campus.
They stand for “Ride For The Brand,” a way of reminding all to represent the school with pride.
As for the football team, RFTB could stand for “Ready For The Best.”
On Friday, San Juan Hills looked like it is ready for the best of South Coast League football, which would be their league rivals Mission Viejo and Tesoro.
The Stallions walloped one of the elite programs in Orange County, Los Alamitos, 54-26, in a nonleague game at San Juan Hills.
“We wanted to show Orange County what we can do,” San Juan Hills senior quarterback Patrick O’Brien said.
That score is going to impress many who wonder just how good San Juan Hills really is. The Stallions opened with a surprising, to many, win over San Clemente and rolled from there. Ranked No. 10 in the county, and in the county top 10 for the first time in school football history, San Juan Hills is 5-0.
Los Alamitos (2-2) is No. 8 in the county top 10.
In ways, the game was not as close as the 28-point margin.
San Juan Hills scored touchdowns on its first three possessions and on seven of its first eight possessions.
O’Brien threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score. He completed 20 of 26 passes for 313 yards with no interceptions.
Los Alamitos coach John Barnes knows about quarterbacks, having mentored many All-County selections in his long career.
His assessment of O’Brien: “He doesn’t miss a pass. He has a great release, and he’s a big, strong guy. He wasn’t anything like that last year.”
O’Brien was elated to have played so well against the Griffins.
“They’re a great team,” said O’Brien, 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, who committed to Nebraska. “To come out and do what we did is really special.”
Stallions running back Cole Suchesk scored three touchdowns, one of them on a 57-yard run and another on a 44-yard run.
Receiver Cayden McCluskey had seven receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown.
Los Alamitos’ quarterback-receiver combo of Jack Telenko and Jacob Gasser had it going, but it was not enough. Telenko threw for 295 yards and a touchdown. Gassser had 13 catches for 226 yards and a touchdown.
The Griffins were playing without four starters in the defensive backfield,because of injuries, including standout Schuyler Whitehead. Whitehead is expected to play against Narbonne.
San Juan Hills scored touchdowns on six of its seven first-half possessions. O’Brien threw three touchdown passes, ran for another and Suchesk ran for two touchdowns as the Stallions had a 40-12 lead at halftime.
Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com