OCVarsity’s scouting report for the North Hills League:
OCVARSITY PREDICTS
1. Canyon: The defending league champs and Southern Division semifinalists return 15 starters, including 10 on defense. Senior quarterback Jason Harman should pick up where he left off in 2014 – burning defenses with both his arm and feet. That should make the Comanches legitimate CIF title contenders.
2. Brea Olinda: A one-point overtime loss to Canyon was all that separated the Wildcats from a league championship last season. With quarterback Nick Drury back, as well as a pair of defensive studs in linebacker Zach Arnold and defensive end Brandon Legendre, Brea boasts a nucleus that will compete for league supremacy.
3. El Modena: Expectations are high on campus considering the Vanguards return 15 starters from last season’s squad that made a run to the division’s semifinals. Senior running back Kenneth Lamb and teammates make the North Hills League a bonafide three-team race that can go anybody’s way.
4. El Dorado: First-year coach Zack LaMonda has his work cut out for him. The Golden Hawks return three starters from the county’s lowest scoring offense, and just one back on a defense that allowed 28 points a game in 2014.
COACHES’ POLL
1. El Modena, 16 (2)
2. Canyon, 15
3. Brea Olinda, 14 (1)
4. El Dorado, 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. Note: One league coach abstained from voting.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
Jason Harman, Canyon: You’d be hard-pressed to find a player that improved more than Harman over the course of 2014. After an 0-6 start, Harman led Canyon to a 6-1 record in its final seven outings, tossing 14 touchdowns to two interceptions over that span in addition to running for 684 yards and five scores. Now a senior, the North Hills League MVP should continue putting up big numbers while operating one of the county’s fastest-paced units. In its semifinal playoff loss to Rancho Alamitos, Canyon ran 89 offensive plays. Win or lose, defenses are sure to be exhausted the day after seeing Harman and Co.
OTHER IMPACT PLAYERS
Charlie Treanor, Canyon, RB: After leading the team with 162 carries in 2014, Treanor should see a spike in his workload and production (663 yards) as a senior.
Zach Arnold, Brea Olinda, LB: The three-year starter has developed into one of the county’s most instinctive backers, evident by back-to-back seasons of 100-plus tackles.
Kenneth Lamb, El Modena, RB: The 5-9 speedster averaged 117 yards an outing over the second half of 2014, pushing him over the 1,000-yard plateau and earning him All-CIF honors.
Austin Shear, El Dorado, QB: The junior looks to turn around an offense that scored 11 touchdowns in 10 games last year.
MUST-SEE GAMES
El Dorado vs. Troy, Sept. 3: Zack LaMonda opens up his tenure at El Dorado with a difficult road game against the Warriors in Week 1.
Canyon vs. El Modena, Oct. 22: The two Southern Division semifinalists open up league play with the winner grabbing an upper-hand atop the standings.
El Modena vs. Brea Olinda, Oct. 31: At the worst, second place and an inside track for the league’s second guaranteed playoff spot will be on the line in this one.
Canyon vs. Brea Olinda, Nov. 6: Last year’s 22-21 overtime thriller gave the Comanches the league crown. This season’s meeting could serve as the de-facto championship game in Week 10.
Contact the writer: kconnolly@ocregister.com
