Fryer tackles the wild events of Week 9

The Register names an offensive player of the year and a defensive player of the year in football.

How about a comeback team of the year?

So far, that would be Orange Lutheran.

In their first game after getting beat, and soundly, by Servite, the Lancers came back to beat Mater Dei, and soundly, 31-12, Friday night in front of a crowd of around 9,000 at Santa Ana Stadium.

Your Frankly Fryer pal wrote that this game could be a "trap" game for Mater Dei. Knowing that Lutheran had been beaten by Servite and knowing that Servite is Mater Dei's opponent Nov. 9, there was a good chance that the Monarchs might look past Lutheran.

There never is a way to prove that happened. But there is a bit of evidence that it did.

That evidence started with the opening kickoff. Lutheran kicked off to start the game, and it was an onside kick that Lutheran recovered. The Lancers then drove for a touchdown to take a lead and never looked back.

Lutheran grabbed the momentum and never let go. And in high school football, momentum can shift sides quickly.

The Lancers put pressure on Mater Dei quarterback Matt Barkley like Barkley had not been pressured before this season. They sacked him twice, the first times Barkley had been sacked in 2007.

Lutheran was 12 for 17 on third-down conversions, thanks in large part to tight end Blake Ayles, who sure looks like the best Orange County tight end since future NFL Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez played for Huntington Beach in the early 1990s.

Ayles caught seven passes, two for touchdowns, for 69 yards.

The Lancers also were 2 for 2 on fourth-down conversions. They did everything right.

Servite now is in sole possession of first place in the Trinity League, which is the best football league in California, and has clinched at least a share of its third consecutive league championship.

When the Orange County top 10 is released on ocvarsity.com Monday afternoon, you can expect to see the Friars at No. 1. There are 10 voters in the poll, and somebody might vote for Lutheran, although Lutheran lost to Servite, and somebody else might vote for Esperanza, which beat Los Alamitos on Friday night. But Esperanza lost to Edison, which lost to Servite.

Mater Dei certainly will want to take this loss to Lutheran out on somebody. And guess who the Monarchs play next week? Servite, next Friday, at Angel Stadium.

Mater Dei has not lost to Servite since 1988. No Monarch wants to be part of the Mater Dei team that ends that streak.

If Servite beats Mater Dei, the Friars would be Trinity champions outright. A Servite loss to Mater Dei, coupled with an expected Lutheran victory over JSerra next week. That would make it a three-way tie for first, among Lutheran, Mater Dei and Servite and a coin flip would have to determine which team goes to the CIF-Southern Section Pac-5 Division as the Trinity's No. 1 representative, and which are No. 2 and No. 3.

Santa Margarita must win its final game, against St. John Bosco, to finish 5-4 and be eligible for the one at-large berth in the Pac-5 Division. Keep in mind a team must have an overall record of .500 or better for at-large consideration, although teams that had games canceled because of the wildfires will not be penalized for that.

Next week is the final week of the regular season for all Orange County 11-man football teams (eight-man teams concluded regular-season play this week, and begin their playoffs next week). There are many league championships and playoff berths still up for grabs. CIF-Southern Section playoff seedings and first-round pairings will be announced Nov. 11. 

The Sunset League is one of several crazy leagues in Orange County football. Esperanza beat Los Alamitos, Newport Harbor beat Marina and Edison beat Fountain Valley in their Battle for the Bell series. Esperanza, Newport Harbor and Edison are all 3-1, and Los Alamitos is 2-2. Los Alamitos beat Edison, and Newport Harbor beat Los Alamitos but lost to Esperanza.

All we know for sure is that Edison-at-Newport Harbor is a big game Thursday.

Another big game next week: Tesoro at Mission Viejo on Friday, in the South Coast League. Tesoro is 4-0 with a one-half game lead over Mission Viejo, which is 3-0-1. Mission Viejo has won the South Coast League championship seven years in a row, and has not lost a league game since 1999, Bob Johnson's first year coaching the Diablos. That tie against San Clemente two weeks ago was the first Mission Viejo non-victory in a league game since '99.

Westminster just about locked up the Golden West League championship with a victory over Ocean View.

La Habra clinched at least a share of the Freeway League championship with a victory over Buena Park. More important, La Habra assured itself of being the No. 1 playoff representative from the Freeway League, which guarantees a first-round home game for the Highlanders. They are tough to beat at home.

Valencia beat Katella to clinch at least a share of the Empire League championship. The Tigers play Thursday against Kennedy, at Western High, and a victory there would give Valencia the No. 1 playoff representative position from the Empire League.

Trabuco Hills shut out Northwood, 49-0, to clinch at least a share of the Sea View League championship.

Trabuco Hills is 4-0 in league, with El Toro and Foothill tied at 3-1; Foothill beat El Toro in a wild one, 34-33, Friday. The scenarios are many for what could be the result of Sea View games next week, when El Toro plays at Trabuco Hills on Thursday and Huntington Beach plays Foothill at Tustin High on Friday.

It was a wild week. Can it get wilder next week? It usually does, in this 2007 football season.

Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com