OCVarsity’s Steve Fryer has his predictions and previews for the top games of Week 9, plus a complete schedule for the week.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Sunset League
FOUNTAIN VALLEY (6-2, 3-0) VS. EDISON (5-3, 3-0)
Where, when: Orange Coast College, Friday, 7 p.m.
Coaches: Fountain Valley, Ray Fenton (18-11 at Fountain Valley); Edison, Dave White (233-116-3 at Edison)
Last time they met: 2014, Edison 33, Fountain Valley 15
Series: Edison leads, 30-14-1
Analysis: For the first time in a few years, “The Battle for the Bell” is a big-stakes battle. Fountain Valley and Edison are tied for first place in the Sunset League. That seemed like an unlikely scenario several weeks ago. Fountain Valley started 0-2. The Barons have won six in a row, including league wins over Newport Harbor, Los Alamitos and Marina. The Barons held Los Alamitos to seven points. Fountain Valley senior quarterback Chad Olberding has rushed for an average of 130 yards a game and has 14 rushing touchdowns. Kent Swift, also a senior, replaced Olbering last week after Olberding was injured and threw for 192 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Marina. Olberding should be good to go in this one, and he sure wants to be; he was knocked out of last year’s Bell game in the first quarter because of injury. Edison is where it was expected to be. The Chargers’ losses are to county top-10 teams Tesoro, Servite and Mater Dei. Since back-to-back losses to Servite and Mater Dei, Edison went into league and beat Los Alamitos, Marina and Huntington Beach. Injures have brought Edison backups into the action and they have done well, especially sophomore quarterback Griffin O’Connor and junior running back Turner Maza. Maza rushed for 155 yards and a touchdown against Huntington Beach. Fountain Valley is in a great position to win this game. Certainly, the Barons are en route to the playoffs. We’re going with the team that has won the past 10 Bell games to make it 11 in a row.
Winner: Edison
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All games 7 p.m. unless noted
THURSDAY
Crestview League
VILLA PARK (8-0, 1-0) VS. FOOTHILL (6-2, 1-0)
Where, when: Tustin High, 7 p.m.
Analysis: These clearly the two best teams in the four-team league. Villa Park will be without leading receiver Brennan Corbin, who was ejected from the Spartans’ 38-0 win last week over Yorba Linda. That makes Corbin, a 6-foot-5 prospect, ineligible for this game. Foothill’s Jared Copeland is averaging 85 rushing yards a game. Knights quarterback Preston Moebious is a running threat, too. Even with Corbin missing, Villa Park quarterback Nick Sipe (217 yards a game, 16 touchdowns with only one interception) should be productive enough to lead the Spartans to triumph.
Winner: Villa Park
Trinity League
ST. JOHN BOSCO (8-0, 3-0) VS. NO. 3 ORANGE LUTHERAN (5-3, 2-1)
Where, when: Orange Coast College, 7:30 p.m.
Analysis: Orange Lutheran won a big one last week. The Lancers beat Santa Margarita, 28-14, to greatly improve their chances for a playoff berth. A win here would put them in a tie for first place with Bosco and Mater Dei if Mater Dei beats JSerra. Well, that’s not going to happen. Yours truly, who envisioned a Lutheran upset win over De La Salle of Concord a few weeks back, has been to the optometrist and is enjoying improved clarity. Lutheran senior quarterback Lj Northington is having a heck of a season and added to it with 104 yards and three touchdowns rushing, and 152 yards and a touchdown passing against Santa Margarita. Bosco quarterback Quentin Davis has been great following Josh Rosen, now at UCLA. Davis has completed 69 percent of his passes for an average of 266 yard a game with 23 touchdowns and one interception. The Braves’ best offensive player, though, might be speedy senior running back Sean McGrew who averages 124 yards a game and 10 yards a carry. With this game, Lutheran will have played four of the top six teams in the state top 25: No. 1 De La Salle, No. 2 Centennial of Corona, No. 3 Bosco, and No. 6 Mater Dei. Those will be all four of Lutheran’s losses, too, when they take a 6-4 record into the playoffs as the Trinity League’s No. 3 team in two weeks.
Winner: St. John Bosco
Academy League
St. Margaret’s (7-1, 2-0) vs. Crean Lutheran (6-2, 1-0) at Irvine High
Empire League
Pacifica (5-3, 1-2) at Western (1-7, 0-3)
Garden Grove League
Santiago (0-8, 0-3) at Bolsa Grande (0-8, 0-3)
North Hills League
El Dorado (0-8, 0-1) vs. Canyon (4-4, 0-1) at El Modena High
Orange League
Century (3-5, 1-2) vs. Magnolia (2-6, 0-3) at Glover Stadium
Orange Coast League
Costa Mesa (5-3, 1-2) vs. Saddleback (4-4, 1-2) at Santa Ana Valley High
Godinez (4-4, 2-1) at Estancia (3-5, 2-1)
Sunset League
Huntington Beach (3-5, 1-2) vs. Los Alamitos (3-5, 1-2) at Veterans Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
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FRIDAY
Empire League
VALENCIA (8-0, 3-0) VS. TUSTIN (7-1, 3-0)
Where, when: Tustin High, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Both teams have league games next week. But, really, this one is for the league championship. Valencia’s average margin of victory in league is 33 points. For the season, the Tigers’ average margin of victory is 41 points. They have allowed seven points a game and forced four turnovers in a 42-14 win over Cypress last week. Offensively, Valencia quarterback Tyler Switzer has been steady, completing 73 percent of his throws. Valencia running back Jahquon Speed (that’s a good name for a running back) is averaging 91 yards a game and 9 yards a carry. Tustin’s Tyler Noble rushed for 192 yards and three touchdowns last week in the Tillers’ 35-15 win over Pacifica. Outside linebacker Alema Pilimai was O.C. defensive player of the week after making nine tackles and two interceptions, one returned 76 yards for a touchdown. Tustin has tools. Valencia probably has more of a complete team.
Winner: Valencia
Freeway League
BUENA PARK (6-2, 2-1) VS. TROY (5-3, 2-1)
Where, when: Fullerton High, 7 p.m.
Radio: CASportsZone.com
Analysis: La Habra is going to finish 5-0 in league for the eighth year in a row. These two are battling for second place, as is Sonora. That’s an important designation. A league’s No. 2 playoff team will play another league’s No. 2 team in the first round, on the road or at home, or, less likely, another league’s No. 3 team in a home game. A No. 3 team will play a first-round game on the road against another league’s No. 1 team or, less like, a No. 2 team on the road. And neither of these two wants to finish below third and thus hope for the at-large route to the playoffs. Buena Park’s offense can be special. Coyotes quarterback Zach Taylor’s completion rate is 69 percent, with 24 touchdowns and only three interceptions. He will lead Buena Park to a 3-1 league record in this one.
Winner: Buena Park
Sea View League
NO. 10 SAN CLEMENTE (6-3, 2-0) VS. TRABUCO HILLS (3-5, 2-0)
Where, when: Trabuco Hills High, 7 p.m.
Radio: CASportsZone.com
Analysis: This is a rematch of last year’s CIF-Southern Section Southwest Division championship game won by Trabuco Hills. For a time, it looked like Trabuco Hills was not going to return to the playoffs this season. The Mustangs were 0-5 with some lopsided losses. But the composite record of those five Trabuco opponents is 29-11. They since have won three in a row, including a 48-14 league win last week over Capistrano Valley. Mustangs quarterback Cooper Uhl threw for 277 yards and a touchdown and their defense forced Capo to punt on six of its first seven possessions. San Clemente’s losses are to O.C. top-10 teams, San Juan Hills and Tesoro. Tritons quarterback Jack Sears threw five touchdown passes last week in a 59-0 pounding of Laguna Hills. San Clemente looks good enough for another trip to the division final.
Winner: San Clemente
South Coast League
NO. 2 MISSION VIEJO (9-0, 3-0) VS. EL TORO (4-4, 0-2)
Where, when: El Toro High, 7 p.m.
Analysis: El Toro lost to Tesoro, ranked at No. 4 in Orange County, by three points and to No. 8 San Juan Hills by four. It won’t be that close against the No. 2 team, if Mission Viejo has its serious face on. El Toro, coming off of its bye week, is far better than its record. The Chargers beat Corona del Mar and defending Southwest Division champion Trabuco Hills. El Toro junior quarterback Dawit Wilson has been terrific, averaging 241 passing yards a game. Mission Viejo senior quarterback Brock Johnson and his interesting-and-effective throwing motion have tossed 22 touchdown passes, including two last week when he passed for a season-high 311 yards in a win over San Juan Hills. His receivers either get wide open or make great catches when covered.
Winner: Mission Viejo
Trinity League
NO. 4 SANTA MARGARITA (5-3, 1-2) VS. NO. 6 SERVITE (3-5, 1-2)
Where, when: Cerritos College, 7 p.m.
Analysis: It’s a big one for both, in their effort for the league’s third and final guaranteed playoff berth or to improve their chances of getting one of the Pac-5 Division’s two at-large berths. Servite fell behind by a lot early in its 42-10 loss to Mater Dei last week at Angel Stadium. Santa Margarita is capable of doing similar to the Friars in this game, especially if Eagles quarterback KJ Costello is fully, or at least more, recovered from a sprained right ankle, the plant foot for the right-handed Costello. Santa Margarita, too, needs to fix things. In their 28-14 loss to Orange Lutheran, the Eagles lost three fumbles, including one in the red zone, and missed a short field-goal attempt and an extra-point kick. Servite coach Scott Meyer liked the way his team kept at it in the loss to Mater Dei. Toughness and resolve are Servite trademarks. The Friars will need all of that and more, like a couple of turnovers and consistently favorable field position, to win. A clean Santa Margarita game would mean a Santa Margarita win.
Winner: Santa Margarita
NO. 1 MATER DEI (7-1, 2-1) VS. NO. 9 JSERRA (5-3, 0-3)
Where, when: Saddleback College, 7 p.m.
Live streaming: foxsportswest.com
Radio: CASportsZone.com
Analysis: People who look for possible “trap games,” games in which the favorite team has potential attitudinal obstacles, would find one here. Mater Dei is coming off of the usual tension of the Servite game; Mater Dei’s many sophomore and junior players might think this week is something of a break, figuring that JSerra is a 0-5 league team. JSerra’s Lions are desperate and will fight like hungry lions. So Mater Dei coaches and senior leaders have to get the team’s mind right. If the Monarchs bring defensive pressure early and get running back Brandon LaMarche going, they will bag this one.
Winner: Mater Dei
Also Friday (all games 7 p.m. unless noted)
Academy League
Brethren Christian (7-1, 0-1) at Sage Hill (1-7, 0-2)
Crestview League
Yorba Linda (2-6, 0-1) vs. Esperanza (1-7, 0-1) at Yorba Linda High
Empire League
Kennedy (4-4, 2-1) vs. Cypress (2-6, 0-3) at Western High
Freeway League
Fullerton (4-4, 0-3) vs. Sonora (7-1, 2-1) at La Habra High
No. 7 La Habra (7-1, 3-0) vs. Sunny Hills (4-4, 0-3) at Buena Park High
Garden Grove League
Garden Grove (6-2, 3-0) vs. La Quinta (3-5, 1-2) at Bolsa Grande High
Rancho Alamitos (6-2, 2-1) vs. Los Amigos (3-5, 3-0) at Garden Grove High
Golden West League
Westminster (7-1, 3-0) vs. Santa Ana (7-1, 2-1) at Santa Ana Stadium
Ocean View (4-4, 1-2) at Segerstrom (5-2, 3-0)
Loara (0-8, 0-3) vs. Orange (3-5, 0-3) at El Modena High
Orange League
Anaheim (4-4, 2-1) vs. Savanna (2-6, 0-3) at Glover Stadium
Katella (8-0, 3-0) at Santa Ana Valley (3-4, 3-0)
Orange Coast League
Laguna Beach (2-6, 0-3) vs. Calvary Chapel (5-3, 3-0) at Ocean View High
Pacific Coast League
Beckman (3-5, 1-2) vs. Woodbridge (4-4, 2-1) at University High
Northwood (2-6, 1-2) vs. Corona del Mar (6-2, 3-0) at Estancia High
University (7-1, 2-1) at Irvine (3-5, 0-3)
San Joaquin League
Capistrano Valley Christian vs. Webb of Claremont (5-3, 1-2) at Damien High of La Verne
Santa Clarita Christian of Canyon Country (6-2, 2-1) vs. Saddleback Valley Christian (8-0, 3-0) at Tesoro High
Fairmont Prep (2-6, 0-3) vs. Southlands Christian of Walnut (5-3, 1-2) at Rowland High of Rowland Heights
Sea View League
Capistrano Valley (5-4, 1-2) at Aliso Niguel (2-6, 0-2)
South Coast League
Dana Hills (0-8, 0-2) at No. 8 San Juan Hills High (7-1, 1-1)
Sunset League
Newport Harbor (3-5, 1-2) vs. Marina (1-7, 0-3) at Westminster High
Nonleague
Adelanto (3-5) at Laguna Hills (5-3)
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SATURDAY
North Hills League
BREA OLINDA (4-4, 1-0) VS. EL MODENA (5-3, 1-0)
Where, when: El Modena High, 5 p.m.
Analysis: El Modena put itself in great position to win the league championship by beating league favorite Canyon, 21-20, last week. The Vanguards have been in some close games: one-point losses to Villa Park and Yorba Linda, a one-touchdown loss to Foothill, the win over Canyon. El Modena running back Kenneth Lamb willed his way to crucial, late fourth-quarter first downs last week. He is averaging 96 rushing yards a game and 5 yards a carry. Brea beat El Dorado, 35-3, in last week’s other opener in the four-team league. The Wildcats’ four losses are to teams destined for the playoffs: Sonora, Valencia, Foothill and Villa Park. Brea has a fine balanced offensive attack, but the ’Cats give up too many points – 30 a game.
Winner: El Modena
8-man
Express League
St. Michael’s Prep (0-6, 0-2) at La Verne Lutheran (2-6, 0-2), 11 a.m.
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Fryer on Football last week: 8-2
Season to date: 66-23-1
Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com