OCVARSITY PREDICTS
1. Santa Ana Valley: This might be the deepest team in the league. Those numbers, and a stellar defense, have the Falcons in good position to repeat as league champs.
2. Katella: The offense will have more of a spread philosophy, which is good news for the Knights’ playmakers, bad news for the defenses trying to stop it.
3. Anaheim: After Santa Ana Valley and Katella, the rest of the league is pretty even. Look for Colonists coach Lanny Booher to have his team ready to get back to winning this season.
4. Magnolia: If Magnolia’s new batch of playmakers mature by the time league play starts, it could vault the Sentinels up the standings.
5. Century: Last season’s 7-3 campaign was a success, but a lack of experience this year will make it hard for the Centurions to reach the same win total.
6. Savanna: This team has size and a good number of returning starters, but winning a league game for the first time since 2011 should be the main objective for the Rebels.
COACHES’ POLL
1. Santa Ana Valley, 35 poll points (5)
2. Katella, 32 (2)
T3. Anaheim, 20
T3. Magnolia, 20
5. Century, 11
6. Savanna, 9
How the poll works: The league coaches do the voting. First-place votes (shown in parentheses) are worth 6 points, second are worth 5, etc.
IMPACT PLAYERS
Daniel Alo, Santa Ana Valley, OL: It’s no secret the Falcons like running the ball and controlling the clock. The senior, an All-CIF selection a year ago, help help hem with that.
Jesse Carrasco, Century, WB/FS: Carrasco is the best returning player in the league. The senior will shoulder a heavy load on offense, while being asked to be a playmaker in the secondary.
Nick Castaneda, Katella, RB: With TJ Ashmeade no longer around, expect Castaneda to put up big numbers. The Knights’ hopes of regaining the league’s top spot could depend on the senior.
Manny Covarrubias, Anaheim, RB/MLB: At 5-foot-10, 230 pounds, the senior should be a force on both sides of the ball.
Montez De Marrco, Magnolia, OL/DE: On a team that lost a lot of last season’s key players, the junior needs to be the next one to step up for the Sentinels.
Robert Rogel, Savanna, RB/SS: You should be able to find the senior everywhere on the field for his team.
MUST-SEE GAMES
Rancho Alamitos vs. Savanna at Glover Stadium, Sept. 5: If the Rebels want to right the ship after struggling the past two seasons, a win in their opener would be a big boost to their hopes.
Kennedy at Magnolia, Sept. 19: The Sentinels’ nonleague slate is tamer than years past, but this game will show if all the new faces are ready for the spotlight.
Katella vs. Century at Santa Ana Stadium, Oct. 10: A year ago, Century missed out on the playoffs despite a 7-3 record. If it wants a top-three league finish and a playoff spot this year, it will need to upset one of the league’s upper echelon teams, such as Katella.
Magnolia vs. Anaheim at Glover Stadium, Oct. 24: The winner of this game should grab the pole position in the race for the league’s final playoff spot.
Santa Ana Valley at Katella, Nov. 6: The past two Orange League champions battle in the final game of the regular season. Santa Ana Valley defeated Katella, 10-7, on its way to an outright league title in 2013.
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Contact the writer: amorales@ocregister.com
