OCVarsity's complete preseason football Top 25

Slide show: Tonight is the kickoff for high school football in Orange County, so it's time to take a look through the OCVarsity preseason football Top 25 to find our picks as the best teams in the county.

Click through the slide show to find the complete countdown.

1. Servite

Servite went undefeated in the Trinity League and during the regular season, then won the CIF-Southern Section Pac-5 championship before running into, and getting de-cleated by, De La Salle of Concord in a state championship game to finish 14-1. The Friars look like the team to beat in county football again. Every offense starts with its offensive line and that's a good place to start for Servite. The Friars have three returning starters there, including 2010 All-Orange County first-team selection Travis Averill, 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds. Miles Williams (6-2, 245) was All-Trinity League second team last year. Senior quarterback Cody Pittman was reliable last year, when he completed 65 percent of his throws for 1,727 yards and 13 touchdowns against only four interceptions. He could be called upon to do more this season. The running game features returning starting back Sean DeRosa, who rushed for 693 yards and five touchdowns, and there could be a few others getting significant carries this season. The receiving corps includes all-league returnee Sam Hunt, 6-6 and 200 pounds. Linebacker Matt Inman, last year's county defensive player of the year, graduated, but the defense has plenty of standout returnees including all-county first-team linebacker Butch Pauu, all-league defensive back and Domain Mora, and defensive lineman Connor Einck and Jherremya Leuta-Douryere. Servite has won at least a share of the league championship in all six years of Troy Thomas' coaching tenure with the Friars and have won two CIF titles in a row. Servite plays a rugged schedule, as usual, but there could be plenty of celebratory Hut Drills in 2011.

2. Mission Viejo

Several Orange County coaches placed Mission Viejo at No. 1 on their list of top county football teams, and the Diablos are the highest O.C. team in state preseason rankings. All for good reasons, too. As good as Mission Viejo was last year, when the Diablos went 13-1 and advanced to the CIF-Southern Section Pac-5 Division championship game in which it lost to Servite, the Diablos could be as good or even better in 2011. Few, if any, county teams can match Mission Viejo's returning talent. Senior quarterback Alex Bridgford was All-Orange County second team last season when he completed 59 percent of his passes for 2,417 yards, third most in the county, and 23 touchdowns. Jahleel Pinner, all-county third team in 2010, rushed for 1,004 yards and 14 touchdowns, although he was the team's No. 2 running back – and the running game got stronger when Buzzy Yokoyama (1,247 yards, 22 TDs) transferred in from Newport Harbor during the spring. Senior receiver Austin Reuland caught 20 passes for 443 yards and five touchdowns. The offensive line should be outstanding, too, led by San Diego State-committed senior Austin Maass, 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds, who was All-County first team last year. Another returning offensive lineman, 6-5, 275-pound Colby Cyburt, was all-county second team. Defensively, the Diablos have all-league returnees Anthony Pierce and Doug Ruggles in the secondary, along with defensive playmaker Max Redfield. This is a team ready to take on the competition, which includes a road game against the nation's top-ranked team, Don Bosco Prep of Ramsey, N.J., on Sept. 10.

3. Santa Margarita

Coach Harry Welch said he enjoyed it when these Eagles were "under the radar" as he called it during the first half of the 2010 season. Well, everyone got to know Santa Margarita pretty well when the Eagles beat Mater Dei, finished second in the Trinity League and whipped Edison, 49-3, in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Pac-5 Division playoffs before losing to Mission Viejo by only three points in the second round. And everyone knows Santa Margarita, 9-3 overall and 4-1 in league last year, will be tough again this year. The Eagles lost All-County first-team quarterback Adam Young to graduation, which also took all-county linebacker Colton Christensen. But the returnees group is a strong one. Johnny Stanton takes over at quarterback, but he gathered some varsity experience there when he subbed for injured Young for a couple of games; Stanton was all-league second team as a defensive back, but he likely won't see much action on defense this year. Welch expects good things from Wolpin, who rushed for 483 yards last year as a junior and is a threat as the team's kick returner. Receiver River Cracraft was second-team all-league as a sophomore when he had 35 receptions for 467 yards and three touchdowns. And Santa Margarita has a terrific offensive line, led by all-county returnee Max Tuerk, a 6-foot-6, 296-pound senior who committed to USC. These Eagles will be on everybody's radar all season, this time.

4. Tesoro

The Titans pulled off one of the bigger upsets in last year's playoffs, with a first-round road victory against Bishop Amat of La Puente in the Pac-5 Division playoffs. Tesoro, which finished 8-4 overall and 2-2 in the South Coast League, might have the deepest group of returnees of any Orange County team, with six returning starters on offense and seven more on defense. Quarterback Matt Adam, All-South Coast League second team as a sophomore last year when he threw for 1,281 yards and 11 touchdowns. Also returning is Adam's No. 1 target, senior Kyle Woolbright, who last year had 39 receptions for 494 yards and four touchdowns and was all-league first team. Woolbright also is a top defensive back. Returning back Nate Tago rushed for 519 yards and seven touchdowns in 2010. On defense, defensive tackle Chazz Roberts and Blake Rodgers were all-league second-team selections last season. Tesoro plays in the South Coast League, which includes favorite Mission Viejo and San Clemente. Will the Titans be the chief threat to Mission Viejo in 2011?

5. Mater Dei

Because Servite ascended the past few years and Santa Margarita rebounded last year, people think that Mater Dei is down. Hardly. The Monarchs played in the CIF-Southern Section Pac-5 Division semifinals last season, and finished 8-5 overall and 3-2 (third place) in the Trinity League. When you get to the final four of the best division in California football, you've done pretty well. Mater Dei is not particularly heavy in returning All-Trinity League players. They lost quarterback Max Wittek to graduation, and 2010 all-league first-team receiver Sedric Hill transferred to Edison. But the Monarchs appear to have plenty of talented newcomers ready to step forward. Junior quarterback Ryan McMahon made much progress during the summer, and could emerge as the latest from an assembly line of fine quarterbacks at the school. Among his top targets could be junior receiver Thomas Duarte. It will be a typically large offensive line at Mater Dei. The defense has all-league linebacker Ricky Ortiz leading the charge. Getting to the playoffs could be a challenge, as the Trinity League might be, top to bottom, better than ever and the fourth-place team in the six-team Trinity will not go to the playoffs as there is no at-large berth in the Pac-5 Division. Mater Dei has not missed the playoffs since Bruce Rollinson began coaching at his alma mater in 1989, and this year's team looks good enough to continue that streak.

6. Los Alamitos

John Barnes has coached many winning teams during his long tenure as the football coach at Los Alamitos. He goes into his 33rd season there with potentially another winner. Los Alamitos last season won the Sunset League championship, going 5-0 in one of Orange County's better leagues, and finished 8-3 overall. The Griffins bring back All-Sunset League first-team running back Cody Paul, who rushed for 652 yards and six touchdowns last season as a junior. Also returning is senior quarterback Dylan Lagarde, who was named all-league second team after completing 56 percent of his passes for 1,240 yards and 11 touchdowns. All-league receiver Kyle Roberts is back, as are all-league defense backs Terrance Brown and Dan Tyler. Barnes is the all-time county leader in football coaching victories, at 288. He will get closer to the untouched 300 level soon – how close, we shall see. If he gets there this year, that will mean Los Alamitos won 12 games and did something the Griffins have not done since 2004, which is win a playoff game.

7. San Clemente

It has been a crazy 2011 season at San Clemente, and the Tritons have yet to play their first game. Longtime Tritons coach Eric Patton was relieved of his duties as part of the ongoing investigation into allegations that a sporting goods supplier made kickback payments to many county coaches. School athletic director and assistant coach Jon Hamro is the head coach, and he had to add assistant coaches. The good news, though, is that San Clemente has a good team. An offense starts with its offensive line, and the Tritons there have Kyle Murphy, a 6-foot-7, 275-pound senior tackle who is ranked as one of the nation's top prospects. Quarterback Travis Wilson, a 6-foot-6 senior, completed 58 percent of his passes last year for 2,020 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has a solid returning receiver in senior Jacob Graff, who last year had 34 receptions for 546 yards and five touchdowns. The defense looks good, too, with 2010 all-league first team selections Christian Tober (defensive back, also the return man) and Julian Perry (defensive tackle) back for their senior years.

8. Orange Lutheran

The composition of the Orange County football preseason top 10 and, specifically, the placement of Orange Lutheran changed when the transfer of Lutheran's projected starting quarterback Clark Livingston to La Habra was made public earlier this week. He threw for more than 1,000 yards last year as a junior. There remains plenty of talent on the Lancers roster. Tight end Christo Kourtzidis, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound senior who was All-Trinity League first team last year, is among the county's top college prospects and committed to Florida State. Another all-league first-team returnee is defensive back Darien Washington, who committed to his namesake university, Washington. Linebacker Deion Williams committed to Duke, and cornerback Jordan Greenwood committed to Dartmouth. The return of 2010 second-team all-league selections Jabari Wilson at running back and Robby Cooper at receiver, and returning all-league second-teamers Elisha Davis and Grant Gunnison at defensive line and linebacker, respectively, gives Lutheran plenty to be optimistic about – even without Livingston.

9. Edison

This team just received some good news that will lift its spirits, and perhaps its victory total, too. Sedric Hill, a senior receiver who transferred to Edison after an All-Trinity League junior year at Mater Dei, was granted athletic eligibility at Edison via a CIF State appeal. Eligibility at Edison initially was denied him by the CIF-Southern Section office. With Hill a Charger in 2011, the team still should be capable of scoring plenty of points with senior quarterback Chase Favreau, last season's Sunset League offensive player of the year, on hand and a group of receivers that brings back 2010 all-league selections Troy Baljeu and Curren Provost. The Chargers also have a productive running back with Nick Masanial getting plenty of carries. There are holes to fill on defense. Edison has a winning tradition and that all-important coaching continuity – Coach Dave White has run the Chargers show since 1986, with not much turnover on the staff over the years. Edison should be able to keep that winning tradition going in 2011.

10. La Habra

The Highlanders have won four consecutive CIF-Southern Section championships, tying St. Margaret's Orange County record for most CIF football titles in a row. They have what it takes to push that streak to five. Senior linebacker Aaron Porter, who committed to UCLA, was last year's CIF-Southern Section Southwest Division and Freeway League player of the year for a team that went 11-3 overall, 5-0 in the Freeway League and won its four playoff games by an average margin of 22 points. Other returnees include senior receiver Brett Bartolone and senior defense end Tony Casados, both of whom were All-Freeway League in 2010. La Habra has to find a replacement for graduated quarterback Cody Clements, last year's league MVP and Southwest Division offensive player of the year. The battle for the starting quarterback role was between Sean Sparling and Cole Wolterman during the summer, but could include Clark Livingston, who in recent days transferred to La Habra from Orange Lutheran where he was the projected starter. Livingston, however, needs to gain athletic eligibility at La Habra. The Highlanders play another challenging nonleague schedule, with games against Trinity League teams Servite, Orange Lutheran and St. John Bosco of Bellflower in succession, but they likely will blow through the Freeway League contend for the Southwest Division championship.

11. Tustin

There is plenty of talent in stock for this consistent winner. At Tustin, it all starts, of course, with the running game. Tyler Siudzinski was All-County first team and an Empire League co-player of the year as a junior last season when he rushed for 2,142 yards. He will run behind, and through, a typically big and athletic offensive line. Coach Myron Miller has talked about the Tillers passing the ball more this season, which could help in the Southwest Division playoffs if Tustin again has to face La Habra, which beat Tustin in the championship game. The Tillers' defense should be excellent, too, Tustin was 12-2 overall and 6-0 in the Empire League in 2010. Expect something like that in 2011.

12. Trabuco Hills

This could be one of Orange County football's most improved teams. The Mustangs, 4-6 overall and 0-4 in the deep South Coast League last year, return 17 starters. Among them are quarterback Jonathan Newsom, who threw for 1,651 yards last season. The receivers corps also is back, as are four starters on the offensive line. The defense will be led by 2010 all-league linebacker Mitchell Simonsen. With Mission Viejo, San Clemente and Tesoro in the South Coast League, and with only the top three finishers in the five-team South Coast going to the playoffs in the Pac-5 Division that has no at-large berth, a playoff appearance still could be a longshot for what might be a good Trabuco Hills team.

13. Newport Harbor

The buzz around this team is the lack of Buzzy – last year's star running back, All-Sunset League first-team selection Buzzy Yokoyama, transferred to Mission Viejo for his senior year. So the Sailors already are in "time to move on" mode, and they have enough talent to make that a forward move. Among Newport's returnees are all-league linebacker Ethan Cochran and defensive back Titus Hasson. Newport also has a system that for decades has created a strong running back, no matter who is getting the carries. The Sunset League is a rugged one, with Edison and Los Alamitos there, and Huntington Beach might be on the rise. Expect Newport to right there in the battle for a playoff berth.

14. Huntington Beach

It has been a long time since Huntington Beach had a team that could be considered a factor in the Sunset League – and you might have to go all the way back to when the Oilers were led by Tony Gonzalez (and we're talking about a guy who is closer to his NFL Hall of Fame induction than his high school days). Huntington Beach finished 6-4 overall last year and were 2-3 in the Sunset League, just one victory shy of making the playoffs. The Oilers bring back a slew of starters, including 2010 all-league players Mike Chislock (QB), Zach Hadlock (DB), Chris Obilvie (DB) and Ramon Vargas (WR). The Oilers play a challenging nonleague schedule that includes Corona del Mar, El Toro and Foothill, so we will know a lot about Huntington Beach soon.

15. JSerra

The good news for JSerra is that this could be the best football team in the school's brief history. The bad news is JSerra still is in the Trinity League with four teams that likely will be in the Orange County top 10. JSerra's Lions are 15-0 in nonleague games over the past three seasons, and 1-14 in league during that period. They are strong this season in the skill positions, with receiver/defensive back Jonavaughn Williams among the county's top prospects, and quarterback Jake Hall. But the offensive and defensive lines could have a difficult time matching up against the big guys every other Trinity League team has up front. Will this be the best 5-5 team in Orange County?

16. Laguna Hills

This program is 33-4 over the previous three seasons, including a 10-1 overall finish and the championship in its first year in the new Sea View League – Laguna Hills' sixth consecutive league championship. The Hawks should be good again this year, with nine returning starters including senior running back Alex Salera, a 5-foot-5,180-pound workhorse who rushed for 937 yards last year. Laguna Hills has to replace last year's league co-MVPs Mark Martindale and Ryan Ur, but Coach Bruce Ingalls and staff have a terrific track record when it comes to producing winning teams.

17. Villa Park

The Spartans had a fine season in 2010, and could be just as good this year. They won the Century League with a 5-1 league record, then advanced to the CIF-Southern Section Southwest Division semifinals, in which they lost to Tustin, and finished 9-4 overall. They have to replace 2010 Century League player of the year David Tafuna, but the group of returnees is a strong one that includes the following first-team all-league selections: senior quarterback Blair Boyce; senior running back Nick Privitelli; senior defensive lineman Jonny Semaan (also a fullback); and junior offensive lineman Nick Whitton.

18. Cypress

The Centurions return one of the county's more exciting players, 5-foot-7, 185-pound Vincent "Bug" Rivera. Last season, Rivera rushed for more than 900 yards and scored 16 touchdowns – 11 rushing, one receiving and four on returns – and could be even more productive this season if a lingering thumb injury does not intrude. Other all-league returnees include cornerback Chris Austin (who also will play quarterback) and linebacker Tyler Rose. Cypress plays in the Empire League, for which Tustin is the favorite, but the Centurions could present Tustin its toughest league challenge.

19. Pacifica

The Mariners return only four starters from last year, but the team usually has enough fine athletes to fill such holes. Among that handful of returnees is senior receiver/linebacker Trent Langham, who in 2010 compiled 420 receiving yards and caught six touchdown passes and has a scholarship offer from UNLV. Pacifica finished 7-4 overall and tied for third in the Empire League, with Kennedy, last year. The league could be even better this year, and the Mariners should be in the thick of the playoff chase.

20. El Toro

The Chargers finished second in the Sea View League last year, and were 6-6 overall – including a one-touchdown loss to Tustin in the second round of the Southwest Division playoffs. There is some rebuilding work needed here; running back Nico Jackson, a league co-offensive player of the year in 2010, graduated, as did much of the offensive line. Defense features some all-league returnees, including lineman Abery Bean and linebackers Gabe Cerda and Brian Moreen. El Toro might be best positioned to challenge Laguna Hills for the Sea View title.

21. Dana Hills

The Dolphins have a new coach, Todd Rusinkovich, who has plenty of history in south-county football as an assistant coach at San Clemente and Saddleback College, and as a player at San Clemente. The Dolphins have the same challenges though, being in the ultra-tough South Coast League that includes Mission Viejo, San Clemente and Tesoro. If there is enough talent to compete, it will be led by returning second-team all-league selections Will McKinley, a running back/linebacker, and two-way lineman Tyler Wilemon. Dana Hills went 4-6 overall and 1-3 in league in 2010.

22. Fountain Valley

Fountain Valley is not what it was in the 1980s, but the Barons could still be a factor in the deep Sunset League. They have two returning All-Sunset League first-team players, senior receiver/defensive back Sean Myers (18 receptions for 263 yards in 2010) and junior receiver/defensive back Wyatt Christensen (11 receptions, 131 yards). Also back is second-team all-league linebacker Phillip Choi. Fountain Valley was 3-6-1 overall and 1-4 in league last season.

23. Capistrano Valley

The Cougars finished 3-7 overall and 0-4 in the Sea View League in 2010, but should be good enough to challenge for a playoff berth this year. Among the returnees are junior quarterback Mason Dossey, who last season completed 57 percent of his passes for 1,246 yards and eight touchdowns.

24. Beckman

Beckman's Patriots have a new coach, Ken Musinskie, who takes over a team that had a memorable 2010 season. Beckman, which has running back/defensive back Jeff Kim returning, advanced to the CIF-Southern Section Southern Division championship game, in which the Patriots lost to Garden Grove, 31-30, in the final moments. They went 8-6 overall, finished fourth in the six-team Pacific Coast League and qualified for the playoffs as an at-large team. Beckman has a good group of returnees, including 2010 All-PCL first team selections Khodadod Kia, a two-way lineman, and Kim.

25. Yorba Linda

This is the first season with seniors at Yorba Linda, where Jeff Bailey is the coach; he coached El Dorado to CIF football titles in 2006 and '07. The team is led by All-Empire League first-team returnees Alex Bernstein and Paul Najarian, both receivers/defensive backs. Yorba Linda's Mustangs play in the seven-school Empire League that also includes Cypress, Kennedy, Pacifica, Tustin, Valencia and Western. Yorba Linda was 4-6 overall and 2-4 in league in 2010.

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Others that could emerge and be top 25 teams this season (listed in alphabetical order):

Aliso Niguel

Brea Olinda

Corona del Mar

Foothill

Fullerton

Garden Grove

Northwood

Segerstrom

Sonora

San Juan Hills

Valencia

Westminster

Woodbridge

OCVarsity continues its countdown of the O.C. preseason football Top 25 for Orange County teams with Nos. 3 and 4, including Tesoro. Click through the slide show to find teams 3-25 and be sure to come back Monday morning to find the top two teams in the countdown.

3. Santa Margarita

Coach Harry Welch said he enjoyed it when these Eagles were "under the radar" as he called it during the first half of the 2010 season. Well, everyone got to know Santa Margarita pretty well when the Eagles beat Mater Dei, finished second in the Trinity League and whipped Edison, 49-3, in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Pac-5 Division playoffs before losing to Mission Viejo by only three points in the second round. And everyone knows Santa Margarita, 9-3 overall and 4-1 in league last year, will be tough again this year. The Eagles lost All-County first-team quarterback Adam Young to graduation, which also took all-county linebacker Colton Christensen. But the returnees group is a strong one. Johnny Stanton takes over at quarterback, but he gathered some varsity experience there when he subbed for injured Young for a couple of games; Stanton was all-league second team as a defensive back, but he likely won't see much action on defense this year. Welch expects good things from Wolpin, who rushed for 483 yards last year as a junior and is a threat as the team's kick returner. Receiver River Cracraft was second-team all-league as a sophomore when he had 35 receptions for 467 yards and three touchdowns. And Santa Margarita has a terrific offensive line, led by all-county returnee Max Tuerk, a 6-foot-6, 296-pound senior who committed to USC. These Eagles will be on everybody's radar all season, this time.

4. Tesoro

The Titans pulled off one of the bigger upsets in last year's playoffs, with a first-round road victory against Bishop Amat of La Puente in the Pac-5 Division playoffs. Tesoro, which finished 8-4 overall and 2-2 in the South Coast League, might have the deepest group of returnees of any Orange County team, with six returning starters on offense and seven more on defense. Quarterback Matt Adam, All-South Coast League second team as a sophomore last year when he threw for 1,281 yards and 11 touchdowns. Also returning is Adam's No. 1 target, senior Kyle Woolbright, who last year had 39 receptions for 494 yards and four touchdowns and was all-league first team. Woolbright also is a top defensive back. Returning back Nate Tago rushed for 519 yards and seven touchdowns in 2010. On defense, defensive tackle Chazz Roberts and Blake Rodgers were all-league second-team selections last season. Tesoro plays in the South Coast League, which includes favorite Mission Viejo and San Clemente. Will the Titans be the chief threat to Mission Viejo in 2011?