Fryer on football: Can JSerra build on victory?

JSerra 31, Orange Lutheran 14.

Fluke? Or the start of something big?

Time will tell, of course, but JSerra's victory over Orange Lutheran on Thursday was historic. The Lions had won only once before in the Trinity League, a victory over Santa Margarita in 2009, and were 1-21 on the field in Trinity games going into the Lutheran game. (Add the five league forfeits in 2008 when JSerra shut down varsity football because of a lack of players, and that made the Lions 1-26 before playing the Lancers.)

Couple the victory Thursday with the promise of a freshman class that is 9-0, including 4-0 in Trinity games going into this week, and the future looks bright at JSerra as long as the school can keep its young football talent from jumping ship to Mission Viejo, Tesoro, Santa Margarita and other neighboring schools.

Here we are in Week 10, and JSerra remains in contention for a Pac-5 Division playoff berth. Interesting.

THE TOP 10

Here is how I voted this week in the Orange County top 10: 1. Servite; 2. Mission Viejo; 3. Santa Margarita; 4. San Clemente; 5. Orange Lutheran; 6. Mater Dei (hold on, friends); 7. Edison; 8. La Habra; 9. Tesoro; 10. Huntington Beach.

Of course, many of you will be angry about this. To explain, Huntington Beach's 30-point victory over Los Alamitos, its six-point loss to Edison and its 28-point victory over Newport Harbor in the past three weeks are better achievements than what Villa Park has done the past three weeks or all season. So, calm down.

Oh. It's the Mater Dei inclusion, at No. 6, that gets you riled up? OK. Mater Dei led in the second half Friday on the big stage of Angel Stadium and TV against the No. 1 team in the county and the No. 2 team in the state, Servite, and lost by a touchdown. Mater Dei has beaten two teams ranked in the top 10, Santa Margarita and Edison, and all of its losses are to good teams and some to very good teams like Centennial of Corona, ranked No. 6 in California, and to San Clemente (in overtime) and to Orange Lutheran and St. John Bosco of Bellflower, all of which have been in the state top 25 at some point this season.

Find a team below Mater Dei in the county top 10, or that is not in the county top 10, that beat two teams in the county top 10, and get back to me.

GARDEN GROVE LEAGUE

There was a stretch of years in the 1990s when Los Amigos and Rancho Alamitos were the top two, or two of the top three, teams in the Garden Grove League. Los Amigos-Rancho Alamitos games were games as physical as you could find in county football in that era.

Well, it's Los Amigos vs. Rancho Alamitos, once again, for the league championship Thursday at Garden Grove High. Los Amigos and Rancho Alamitos, both 8-1 overall and 4-0 in league, are averaging 40 points a game in league and both have strong running games. But these 21st Century Los Amigos and Rancho Alamitos teams are good passing teams, too.

It should be another great game in a great rivalry.

UNEXPECTEDLY IN/OUT

Teams we thought, back in early September, would be out of contention for guaranteed playoff berths in Week 10 but are still in it (in alphabetical order): Anaheim, JSerra and Kennedy.

Teams we thought, back in early September, would be in contention for guaranteed berths in Week 10 but have been eliminated (in alphabetical order): Loara, Los Alamitos, Mater Dei, Northwood and Trabuco Hills.

It just goes to show that you never can be sure what is going to happen in high school football.