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
NO. 2 MISSION VIEJO (0-0) VS. NO. 3 SANTA MARGARITA (0-0)
Where, when: Trabuco Hills High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Mater Dei was the easy choice for the No. 1 position in the Orange County preseason Top 25. Selecting the No. 2 team was not easy. Both of these two teams qualified. The Diablos have Luke Fahey at quarterback. He finally has the position all to himself after sharing it 50/50 last season. He is a senior, a good one, and committed to Ohio State. His best receiver is Vance Spafford, University of Miami commit and a two-time All-Orange County first-team selection. This is the coaching debut of Santa Margarita’s Carson Palmer, who was a great quarterback at school, a Heisman Trophy winner at USC and a Pro Bowl player in the NFL. Palmer’s quarterback is Trace Johnson, a Tulane-committed senior who transferred in from Florida. The Eagles got great news this week when three lineman who are transfers, all projected starters, were declared athletically eligible by the CIF-SS. Santa Margarita also has senior receiver Trent Mosley, a USC commit and the most game-changing player in Orange County. The pick here is for Mission Viejo to win Friday night. The Diablos have been playing the same system for a long time, and that helps in a game in which so much else is equal. Santa Margarita will get there, and soon, but right now Mission Viejo is slightly ahead.
Winner: Mission Viejo
NO. 11 SAN CLEMENTE (0-0) VS. NO. 8 TUSTIN (0-0)
Where, when: Tustin High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: San Clemente often plays its season opener on the road against a San Diego County team. They go north on the 5 this time to face a very talented Orange County opponent. Tustin has a few guys who appear on the Hot 150 rankings of Orange County football players. Among them are Jon Ioane (6-3, 290) and Jeremiah Williams (6-2, 305) who were Delta League co-linemen of the year last season. Ayden Edwards, a 6-4 sophomore, could become one of the better quarterbacks in Tustin history. San Clemente has six returning starters on offense, five on defense and a wealth of winning tradition. The Tritons defense features senior defensive end Josh Kerst who will get after quarterbacks. San Clemente wins games no one expects the Tritons to win. But Tustin’s talent gives the Tillers the edge.
Winner: Tustin
TEMECULA CHAPARRAL (0-0) VS. NO. 6 SAN JUAN HILLS (0-0)
Where, when: San Juan Hills High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: Two very good quarterbacks duel in this one. Chaparral has junior Dane Weber who has offers from several colleges, including Arizona, Purdue and Utah. San Juan Hills has Timmy Herr, last year’s Bravo League player of the year who has collected offers from East Carolina and Western Michigan. The San Juan Hills offense also has All-Bravo first-team selections Elijah Ayala, a senior running back, junior receiver Luke Frith and two-way lineman Cooper Javorsky, who committed to UCLA as an offensive lineman. Chaparral has good receivers, too, and the Pumas added some key transfers. Look for San Juan Hills, which is 12-4 at home over the past two seasons, to win a high-scoring game.
Winner: San Juan Hills
EL MODENA (0-0) VS. NO. 24 TROY (0-0)
Where, when: Fullerton High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Analysis: El Modena has fashioned a reputation as a physical team. It has only four returning starters on defense and two on offense, so it’s going to be a season of learning for the Vanguards. Troy was 9-2 last year when it won the Iota League championship and has averaged eight wins a season over the past four years. Troy is led by senior running back Ethan Mundt, who rushed for 1,502 yards and 18 touchdowns last season. He was named the Iota League’s offensive player of the year. Mundt’s cousin Fisher McDonald is an all-league first-team senior linebacker. El Modena will battle with its usual spirit. Troy is the superior team in 2025.
Winner: Troy
NO. 1 MATER DEI (0-0) VS. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
Where, when: St. Thomas Aquinas High, Saturday, 12:30 p.m.
Live coverage: ESPN
Analysis: Mater Dei was the 2024 national champion according to MaxPreps.com and others, and it’s the No. 1 team in the nation going into this season. The Monarchs travel to Florida to face the No. 10 team in MaxPreps’ national rankings in a nationally-televised game. The Raiders have won six consecutive state championships in Florida. Their top player is senior cornerback Justice Fitzpatrick, who committed to Georgia. This game will be the Mater Dei debut of senior quarterback Ryan Hopkins, a transfer from JSerra who is committed to Wisconsin. Hopkins has a great arm and has speed – he ran the 100 meters in 10.66 seconds this past spring. He has star receivers in seniors Chris Henry Jr. and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, who are both Ohio State commits, and two USC commits, Gavin Honore and tight end Mark Bowman. The offensive line is great, too, starring All-Orange County first-teamer Kodi Greene, a Washington commit. The defense is led by 6-3, 320-pound lineman Tomuhini Topui, committed to USC. There are more college-bound guys on defense, but we’re running out of space here. Travelling cross country to play a game presents all sorts of distractions and obstacles when it comes to keeping teen-age athletes focused on the game. These Monarchs who are seniors had a business-first approach when they were juniors, and Mater Dei second-year coach Raul Lara proved long ago that he is an ace big-game leader.
Winner: Mater Dei