Previews and predictions for the top games in Week 3 – Orange County Register

A preview and prediction for each of the top football games in Orange County this week. The teams are listed by their ranking in the Orange County Top 25.

GAME OF THE WEEK

Centennial (1-1) vs. No. 2 Mater Dei (3-0)

Where, when: Santa Ana Stadium, Friday, 7 p.m.

Analysis: Mater Dei’s schedule thus far makes it difficult to figure out the Monarchs. How good are they, really? They have beaten two Utah teams, American Fork and Orem, and Colorado’s Valor Christian. Sure, those must be good teams, otherwise their coaches would not take on the challenge. We’ve got a far better idea about the quality of Southern California football teams. Corona Centennial is high quality. The Huskies looked great in their 41-21 win over Orange County’s No. 6-ranked team, Servite. They lost to county No. 1 Santa Margarita, 21-20, on Aug. 28. Centennial quarterback Jaden Jefferson is only 5-9, 170 pounds, but with a big arm. He throws deep and accurate missiles on the run. USC-committed receiver Quentin Hale has 15 receptions for 256 yards and three touchdowns. Hale had seven catches for 101 yards and a touchdown against Santa Margarita, which had to have focused on limiting Hale’s effectiveness. Mater Dei is rotating in different players at quarterback. While personally not a fan of rotating quarterbacks, that can create difficulties for the opponent’s defensive game plan. The Monarchs have a fine running game. They average 237 rushing yards per game, thanks in large part to the large offensive line that includes Lex Mailangi (6-4, 315), who committed to Oregon. The defense is terrific, with New Mexico-committed DJ Clanton at linebacker and USC-committed Danny Lang at cornerback. Centennial did not play last week. Mater Dei’s coaching staff might not have waited until this week to start game-planning for Centennial. Centennial and its ace head coach Matt Logan had the entire week to prepare solely for Mater Dei.

Winner: Centennial

No. 8 Corona del Mar (3-0) vs. No. 25 Newport Harbor (2-1)

Where, when: Newport Harbor High, Thursday, 7 p.m.

Analysis: It’s the annual Battle of the Bay. Corona del Mar beat Newport Harbor, 21-6, in last year’s game and has won 11 of the past 13 BOTBs. Newport Harbor leads the series, 40-24. Corona del Mar beat Edison, 27-7 last week. The Sea Kings have outscored their opponents, 112-17. JD Annett, a junior, has reclaimed the starting quarterback position at Corona del Mar. The Sea Kings’ star in the Edison game was junior Nolan Scott who had a sack, an interception and a dramatic, tackle-busting reception of 24 yards that led to Corona del Mar’s go-ahead touchdown. Newport Harbor beat Nanakuli at Hawaii and Murrieta Mesa before last week’s loss, 44-35, at Lancaster. The Sailors accumulated 158 rushing yards against Lancaster, led by Matthew Yamakawa’s 70 yards on nine carries. The game already is sold out.

Winner: Corona del Mar

St. Margaret’s (2-0) vs. Fountain Valley (2-1)

Where, when: Huntington Beach High, Thursday, 7 p.m.

Analysis: These look like two improving teams. Last season was a good one for St. Margaret’s. The Tartans finished third in the Kappa League and went 7-5 overall. St. Margaret’s might have a better offense this season. Senior quarterback Kai Letcher has completed 69 percent of his passes for 289 yards and three touchdowns. The Tartans have a solid running game, too, led by senior back Sam Orellana, who has rushed for 298 yards and four touchdowns. Fountain Valley was 1-9 last season. The Barons opened the season with a 27-21 win over Ocean View, lost a close one to Esperanza, 9-3, and last week beat Marina 27-21. Fountain Valley junior quarterback Isaac Combs has seven touchdown passes. Raymond Dillon has caught four of those touchdown passes among his 18 receptions for 317 receiving yards. The Barons have yet to create a productive running game, though. St. Margaret’s beat Fountain Valley last year, 24-9. This could be closer, but still should be a St. Margaret’s victory.

Winner: St. Margaret’s

No. 23 El Toro (3-0) vs. Trabuco Hills (2-1)

Where, when: Trabuco Hills High, Friday, 7 p.m.

Analysis: El Toro is off to a strong start. There are some question marks, though, because the three teams El Toro defeated — Tesoro, Marina and Aliso Niguel — are a collective 0-9. Generally those are competitive teams, and the Chargers have scored 111 points over those three games. El Toro sophomore quarterback Jaxson Algaze has led the offense. He has completed 67 percent of his passes for 761 yards and 10 touchdowns. Senior receiver Bryce Thacker has 30 catches for 299 yards and six touchdowns. Trabuco Hills started 2-0 with wins over Norte Vista and Bellflower. The Mustangs last week lost by a lot to St. Bonaventure, 51-14. That’s understandable. St. Bonaventure is 3-0 and is ranked No. 50 in the state by HSratings.com. Trabuco Hills has a good sophomore quarterback, too. Jackson Verplancke has completed 70 percent of his passing attempts for 533 yards and six touchdowns. The Mustangs run it pretty well, too. Luke Hoffman has 235 rushing yards. El Toro at the moment looks like the better team and could be Orange’s top challenger in the Foxtrot League when league play begins in a couple of weeks.

Winner: El Toro

Irvine (2-1) vs. Laguna Hills (3-0)

Where, when: Laguna Hills High, Friday, 7 p.m.

Analysis: This is a battle of teams that will be playoff contenders in their leagues – Irvine in the Foxtrot League, Laguna Hills in the Iota League. Laguna Hills has defeated Foothill, 31-21, Aliso Niguel, 24-10, and Capistrano Valley Christian, 42-13. Hawks junior Jaxson Vanderbeek has thrown for 483 yards and six touchdowns. Laguna Hills also has a productive ground game led by Drew Meyers, who has rushed for 287 yards. Irvine’s tour of intracity rivals started with a 24-7 loss to Northwood and continued with back-to-back wins over Portola, 8-0, and Woodbridge, 36-24. The Vaqueros’ offense is built around its running game. Senior running back Seamus Hoffman has rushed for 226 yards on 34 carries. Laguna Hills might have the superior passing attack, which would be an advantage if the Hawks can get some big plays there.

Winner: Laguna Hills

Fryer on Football last week: 2-3

Season to date: 9-6