EAST VALLEY DIVISION
Last year’s champion: Jurupa Hills, def. St. Magaret’s, 41-24
Top seeds: 1. St. Margaret’s; 2. Grace Brethren; 3. St. Anthony; 4. Silver Valley.
Championship game: Saturday, Dec. 6, site is TBD
5 Predictions for the East Valley playoffs
*Teams listed in order of how they appear on the playoff bracket.
ST. MARGARET’S
10-0 overall, 4-0 Academy League (#1)
Outlook: The Tartans are built to win in the playoffs. They run the ball effectively with Oscar Gomez (1,574 yards) and defensively they stifle their opposition. In seven games this season, St. Margaret’s limited opponents to a touchdown or less. In total, they’ve only surrendered 82 points over 10 games. Add in the fact that the Tartans are scoring 43 points an outing and you’re looking at the division favorites.
Player to watch: Oscar Gomez, Sr., Running back. Gomez was the only back in Orange County to rush for at least 100 yards in every game this season.
Others to watch: Nick Shanks, Jr., Wide receiver; George Krantz, Soph., Quarterback; Preston Ellis, Sr., Cornerback, Wide receiver.
EXCELSIOR CHARTER
4-6 overall, 4-3 Desert Mountain League (At-large)
Outlook: The Eagles earned one of the division’s four at-large berths, but that means they’ll square off with St. Margaret’s on Friday. Excelsior’s defense has struggled at times this season, giving up at least 30 points in six games. They’ll struggle to slow down Oscar Gomez and a Tartans offense that averages 43 points a game.
Player to watch: Levontay Ott, Soph., Running back. The Eagles back needed only seven games to top the 1,000-yard rushing mark this season.
Others to watch: Reimers Wyatt, Sr., Running back; Jaden Garcia, Jr., Quarterback; Kameron Petersen, Sr., Defensive tackle
ST. GENEVIVE
6-4 overall, 3-1 Santa Fe League (#2)
Outlook: The Valiants average just under 400 yards of total offense a game thanks in large part to a lethal rushing attack. Four players have accumulated 300-plus yards on the ground this season including star back Matthew Cecil (1,257 yards). As a team, St. Genevieve averages nearly 250 yards rushing a game.
Player to watch: Matthew Cecil, Sr., Running back. The senior is ripping off 10.4 yards a carry.
Others to watch: Jesse Camacho, Jr., Quarterback; Anthony Fajardo, Soph., Linebacker; Alonzell Henderson, Soph., Running back
SANTA PAULA
6-4 overall, 4-2 Frontier League (#2)
Outlook: Stop Noah Magana and you beat Santa Paula. The senior running back accounted for over 80-percent of the Cardinals offense in the regular season.
Player to watch: Noah Magana, Sr., Running back. The senior speedster averaged over 200 yards rushing a game in the regular season.
Others to watch: Adam Daniel, Sr., Quarterback; Jojo Garcia, Sr., Wide receiver
SADDLEBACK VALLEY CHRISTIAN
10-0 overall, 5-0 San Joaquin League (#1)
Outlook: The Warriors defense has been on point since day one limiting offenses to around 12 points a game. Late in the season, it was the SVC offense that grabbed everyone’s attention. Over the last three weeks, the Warriors scored 68, 62 and 54 points.
Player to watch: Charlie Morris, Sr., Running back. Morris leads the team in both rushing yards (737) and touchdowns (11).
Others to watch: Caleb Ward, Sr., Wide receiver; David Molina, Jr., Running back; Dalton Lohman, Jr., Linebacker
CREAN LUTHERAN
6-4 overall, 2-2 Academy League (At-large)
Outlook: The Saints ended the regular season with a bang, dropping 77 points on Sage Hill in a Week 10 victory. While the offense was impressive, Crean Lutheran has work to do on the defensive side of the ball. In the last three weeks, the Saints have surrendered 49, 35 and 41 points.
Player to watch: Paul Sardo, Sr., Quarterback. The senior has passed for at least 150 yards in all but one game this season. He’s also rushed for seven touchdowns.
Others to watch: Mark Sharp, Sr., Running back; Nick Ellwein, Jr., Wide receiver, Safety; Tanner Atkinson, Soph., Running back, Linebacker.
SILVER VALLEY
9-1 overall, 7-0 Silver Valley League (#1)
Outlook: The Trojans can pile on the points as they’re averaging close to 50 a game. A three-headed rushing attack led by Brian Ili means Silver Valley always has a fresh back in the game. Its defense isn’t too shabby either, holding opponents to 11 points a game. The Trojans ended the season with consecutive shutout wins over Boron and Mammoth.
Player to watch: Brian Ili, Sr., Running back. The senior topped the 1,000-yard plateau on just 80 carries (12.6 yards per rush).
Others to watch: Brittian Blackman, Sr., Quarterback; Johntavius Jones, Sr., Running back
RANCHO CHRISTIAN
7-3 overall, 4-1 South Valley League (#2)
Outlook: The Eagles have a heck of a head coach in Jim Kunau, formerly of Orange Lutheran and Canyon high schools. Behind dual-threat quarterback Preston Diehl, Rancho Christian averages close to 35 points a game.
Player to watch: Preston Diehl, Sr., Quarterback. The senior accounts for more than 200 yards of offense a game, throwing for 157 yards on average, while running for an addition 62 yards.
Others to watch: Reggie Ireland, Sr., Running back; Clancy McGee, Sr., Wide receiver
ST. ANTHONY
9-1 overall, 4-0 Santa Fe League (#1)
Outlook: The Saints look to be peaking at the right time. Over the last four weeks of the season, St. Anthony scored 58, 59, 47 and 70 points. The Saints have reeled off nine straight wins as its lone loss of the season came in Week 1.
Player to watch: Roderick Ashford, Sr., Running back. He finished the regular season with a 1,374 yards on 146 carries (9.2 yards per rush).
Others to watch: Jake Hooper, Sr., Quarterback; Jaylen Watson, Sr., Wide receiver; Kameron Birch, Sr., Linebacker
CAPISTRANO VALLEY CHRISTIAN
7-3 overall, 4-1 San Joaquin League (#2)
Outlook: The Eagles lone league loss was a 14-10 contest against Saddleback Valley Christian. They responded with four wins to end the regular season, scoring at least 41 points along the way.
Player to watch: Riley Babick, Sr., Quarterback. Babick averaged 185 yards passing during the regular season. More importantly, he tossed 21 touchdowns to only six interceptions.
Others to watch: Kci Thompson, Jr., Running back; Ben Sukut, Jr., Wide receiver; Dylan Baird, Jr., Wide receiver
CALVARY MURRIETA
8-2 overall, 5-0 South Valley League (#1)
Outlook: Prior to its league championship game against Rancho Christian in Week 10, the Warriors had outscored its other league foes 227-7. Calvary Murrieta edged out Rancho last week, 16-13, to earn the league No. 1 seed.
Player to watch: Dedich Billy, Sr., Running back. The Warriors half back is averaging 103 yards rushing a game.
Others to watch: Adam Schwab, Soph., Quarterback; Paul Brown, Jr., Linebacker
VASQUEZ
8-2 overall, 5-2 Desert Mountain League (At-large)
Outlook: The Mustangs are a dangerous at-large team. It opened the season with an 18-12 win over St. Anthony, the division’s No. 3 overall seed.
Player to watch: Devin Musil, Sr., Running back. Musil is the team’s leader in total yardage.
Others to watch: Sammy Dene, Jr., Running back; Bryan McCauley, Sr., Quarterback
DESERT
8-2 overall, 6-1 Desert Mountain League (#2)
Outlook: The Scorpions are an explosive offensive team, averaging 46 points a game. In the final two weeks of the regular season, it scored 55 and 56 points in wins over Riverside Prep and Boron.
Player to watch: Ed Escobar, Jr., Quarterback. Escobar tossed 24 touchdown passes in the regular season and he’s got a 1,000-yard receiver on the outside in Chad Gleason.
Others to watch: Chad Gleason, Sr., Wide receiver; Scott Bonham, Soph., Wide receiver; Spud Thompson, Soph., Running back
BRETHREN CHRISTIAN
7-2-1 overall, 3-1 Academy League (#2)
Outlook: The Warriors gave St. Margaret’s its toughest game of the season, 38-28. They finished second in the Academy League thanks in large part to stud quarterback Conner Miller, who averaged close to 270 yards passing a game.
Player to watch: Conner Miller, Sr., Quarterback. Miller broke the Orange County record for touchdown passes in a single season with 42.
Others to watch: Andrew Assaf, Sr., Running back; Guy Demazeliere, Sr., Wide receiver; Ryan Garner, Sr., Linebacker
GRACE BRETHREN
10-0 overall, 6-0 Frontier League (#1)
Outlook: The Lancers finished the regular season with a 10-0 clip, which proved to be good enough for the division’s No. 2 seed. Grace Brethren has a challenging path to the final, as both Desert and Brethren Christian would be tough second round matchups. The Lancers beat the Warriors, 27-14, in Week 3.
Player to watch: Zikel Reddick, Jr., Running back. Reddick averaged 144 yards rushing per game and scored 16 total touchdowns.
Others to watch: Michael Herwig, Soph., Running back; Andre Bannister, Sr., Running back.
WEBB SCHOOLS
6-4 overall, 3-2 San Joaquin League (At-large)
Outlook: The Gauls earned an at-large bid after going 3-2 in the San Joaquin League. An upset over Grace Brethren will require a career game from Ricky Gonzales, the senior running back who compiled 1,409 yards rushing this season for the Webb Schools.
Player to watch: Ricky Gonzales, Sr., Running back. Gonzales rushed for over 100 yards in all but two games this season.
Others to watch: Merrick Adams, Sr., Linebacker; Chaz Salazar, Jr., Fullback
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