OCVarsity’s scouting report for the Golden West League:
OCVARSITY PREDICTS
1. Ocean View: The Seahawks just might have one of the top quarterbacks in the county in Blake Meyer. Add to that am athletic offensive line and tall receivers, and the Seahawks will be tough to beat this season.
2. Segerstrom: The Jaguars have plenty of talent, speed and strength and have the potential to emerge as one of the top teams in the county.
3. Santa Ana: The Saints will lack experience this season, but John and Jorge Briseno are among the best athletes in the league and will keep the Saints in contention for the final playoff spot.
4. Westminster: The Lions return only three starters so it’s going to be difficult to match the 5-0 record they posted in winning the league championship last season.
5. Loara: A lot has changed for the Saxons since last season. They have a new coach (Mitch Olson), a new offensive coordinator (Ramon Juarez) and defensive coordinator (John Selbe).
6. Orange: The Panthers are going to have plenty of experience this season, returning 14 starters. But they better stay healthy because the Panthers lack overall depth.
COACHES’ POLL
1. Westminster, 33 poll points
2. Ocean View, 26
3. Segerstrom, 20
4. Santa Ana, 19
5. Orange, 14
6. Loara, 13
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
Blake Meyer, Ocean View: He is a three-year returning starter and an all-league quarterback. He has received considerable interest from colleges in the Patriot and Ivy leagues. Coach Luis Nunez projects Meyer to become one of the best QBs in the division. Last season, Meyer completed 107 of 228 attempts for 1,732 yards, giving him 3,018 yards passing since he became the starter in his sophomore season. He can be a dual threat as well; he rushed for 134 yards and 2 TDs last fall.
OTHER IMPACT PLAYERS
Adel Holmes, RB, Ocean View: He averaged 10.4 carries last season.
Chris Ferman, RB, Segerstrom: He is a fast, powerful player who can run a 4.59 40-yard dash and power-clean 285 pounds.
Anthony Arellano, FS, Santa Ana: He led the team with 73 tackles, 14 of which saved a touchdown.
Matt Dinh, QB, Westminster: He completed 44 percent of his passes and threw for 956 yards last season.
Brian Bautista, OL/DL, Loara: He is coming off a shoulder injury and could make an impact on both sides of the ball this season.
Ty Cole, RB, Orange: He has the potential to be a game-changing player after rushing for 421 yards on 69 carries last season.
MUST-SEE GAMES
Ocean View vs. Westminster, Oct. 9: This game will go a long way toward showing if the Lions can repeat as league champs or if first place will belong to the Seahawks.
Santa Ana vs. Loara, Oct. 9: It is the league opener, but this matchup could shape the playoff future of both teams.
Santa Ana vs. Ocean View, Oct. 16: The league’s best QB, Ocean View’s Blake Meyer, will meet the league’s top defensive back, Santa Ana’s Anthony Arellano.
Ocean View vs. Segerstom, Oct. 30: The winner of this game might be the league champion.
Contact the writer: ddottore@ocregister.com
