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Dan Albano reacts to the first round of the CIF-SS football playoffs and previews the games this week:
1. What was your main takeaway on Orange County’s performance in the first round of the playoffs?
The range of scores involving O.C. teams ranked in, or near, the Top 10 surprised me. There were some expected close scores — Los Alamitos-Yorba Linda and San Juan Hills-Downey — but I didn’t expect Tustin and Crean Lutheran to lose by 37 and 17 points, respectively.
Tustin bolstered its nonleague schedule this fall but Division 2 remains a beast.
The Tillers’ opponent — Rancho Cucamonga — played an even tougher nonleague schedule with Orange Lutheran and Centennial among others.
Tillers coach Anthony Lopez praised Rancho Cucamonga’s team speed as “off the charts” but said injuries and depth hurt his team.
“Our (Delta) league was tough,” he said of the physical demands his squad faced entering the playoffs.
Crean Lutheran’s opponent — Leuzinger — narrowly lost at JSerra in a nonleague game that came down to the final play.
To have success in Division 2, teams need to be on the borderline of Division 1 and playing at that level as much as possible.
Yes, JSerra was that type of team and it would have been interesting to see what the Lions could have done in Division 2 from a competitive perspective.
2. Outside of Division 2, what other results grabbed your attention?
On the OCVarsity Gridiron show, I predicted Huntington Beach and Orange to pull upsets against Edison and Troy, respectively.
Edison owns Surf City after QB Sam Thomson led the Chargers to a 31-19 victory in Division 3. And Troy rushed for 242 yards on 56 carries to cool off Orange 49-27 in Division 5.
In hindsight, picking against Edison was too much of a stretch. As the defending Division 3 champion, they’ve played Division 1 and Division 2 playoffs teams the past two seasons in the Alpha League.
Coach Jeff Grady’s team has now won seven straight postseason games since a first-round exit at Rancho Cucamonga in ’23.
In Division 8, it was a bit stunning to see undefeated Calvary Chapel fall at Quartz Hill 41-0. Not a lot of competitive equity in that first round game.
But in review, Calvary Chapel climbed Division 8 from Division 13 last season. The Eagles fell to El Monte 54-27 in the first round in ’24.
Calvary Chapel coach Jack McInally credited Quartz Hill as a “tough game for us no matter what” but said his team also dealt with injuries.
“We jumped five divisions from last year,” McInally said. “We are proud to be a program on the rise.”
And finally, Dana Hills rallying from a 20-point to beat a proud Aquinas program 27-26 in Division 3 struck me. As did Villa Park knocking off previously undefeated Westlake on the road in Division 4.
3. What players impressed you the most in the first round?
Thomson out-dueling Huntington Beach’s Brady Edmunds caught my eye. Thomson, a junior, also impressed against Los Alamitos earlier this season.
The left-hander was considered for a spot in the O.C. Top 10 quarterback rankings in the preseason and has definitely progressed this fall.
And once again, Los Alamitos’ Lenny Ibarra amazed with his clutch play against Yorba Linda. The Army commit scored two TDs in the second half and sealed a 35-28 win an interception. The senior made two spectacular leaping catches.
4. What games this week are you most excited about?
Mission Viejo-Mater Dei in the eight-team Division 1 tops a long list.
The Diablos are ranked No. 1 in the county but they’re playing the county team that is playing the best right now. Mater Dei knocked off St. John Bosco — still ranked No. 1 in the nation by HSratings — in Week 10.
Coming off a bye week, I expect both teams to be well prepared for Friday’s game at Santa Ana Stadium.
It will be exciting to see how Luke Fahey and his wide receivers fare against the Monarchs’ defense. And how will Mission Viejo’s defense hold up against the Mater Dei offense?
The Monarchs tried to establish the run against St. John Bosco but struggled to find much success. Ryan Hopkins delivered one of his best games in connecting with Chris Henry Jr. among others.
Also in Division 1, I’m intrigued about Santa Margarita at Sierra Canyon. The Eagles have made strides in their first season under coach Carson Palmer, and it seems possible that they can upset the highly-ranked Trailblazers.
Sierra Canyon hasn’t been tested by a close game — outscored opponents 445 to 43 — and face a Santa Margarita team forged by the Trinity League and games against Centennial, Bishop Gorman and Mission Viejo.