The biggest marquee matchup in Orange County this week is not between two Trinity League teams or Alpha League teams.
Two undefeated south county beach schools — Laguna Beach and Dana Hills — will play to crown the Foxtrot League champion.
Both teams have dramatically improved over the past few seasons. Laguna Beach (8-0, 3-0) won the CIF-SS Division 9 championship in 2022 and might be as high as Division 3 this season when the playoffs begin in two weeks.
Dana Hills (8-0, 3-0) played in the Division 10 playoffs that season and might land in the Division 2 playoffs this season.
Dolphins coach Tony Henney has had success at every program he touches. Henney led Nordhoff to two CIF-SS championships and Trabuco Hills to a championship.
“He wins everywhere he goes so you better be prepared when competing against his teams,” Laguna Beach coach John Shanahan said about Henney. “This year they (Dana Hills) are so explosive on offense so we are going to have to limit big plays. Defensively, they fly around and play really hard.”
The respect is mutual between Shanahan and Henney and it’s easy to see why. Two of the last three games between the two teams have been decided by less than four points.
“I think they are as well-coached as you can get,” Henney said of Laguna Beach. “We converse often, break bread together. John is an amazing coach and dude.”
“Our games are always so dynamic and they typically turn out to be great high school football games,” Shanahan said. “It has been a great rivalry over the last few years, but when the final whistle blows, our kids get along real well and a lot of them played youth football together.”
Dana Hills has scored over 40 points in five of its eight games this season. Sophomore quarterback Carter Anderson is averaging 225 yards per game and has 23 touchdowns with just five interceptions.
He benefits from a loaded receiving corps led by the school’s all-time leader in receiving touchdowns in James Leicester. Jack Norman had a breakout game against Tesoro with 232 yards with three touchdowns. He has scored in every game since then.
“Our receivers can all stretch the field which is an attribute that helps each other get open. This puts stress on the defense,” Henney said. “He (Anderson) has really progressed since the spring and is getting more confident as we progress.”
Laguna Beach quarterback Jack Hurst has the most passing touchdowns in Orange County (35) and the ninth most in the nation. The junior is averaging 259 yards per game and has thrown just two interceptions.
“For a 16-year-old kid, Jack processes the game very quickly and he is extremely accurate as a thrower,” Shanahan said. “I think one of the most important things a quarterback can do is get the ball out on time, and he is the best I have ever been around in regards to timing.”
Freshman Charlie Christian has had a breakout season on both sides of the ball. He leads the team in rushing and had three sacks with a pick-six in a win over Aliso Niguel last week.
“His ceiling is as high as it gets,” Shanahan said of Christian. “He is so explosive on both sides of the ball. He is going to be an elite running back but will also be a dynamic contributor on defense.”
The winner of this game clinches a share of the league championship.
QUICK HITS
• Saddleback quarterback Andre Scott threw for 518 yards with five touchdowns and ran for a touchdown in the Roadrunners’ 60-21 win over Savanna in its last game. He has thrown for 1,748 yards this season with 22 touchdowns and just one interception.
• The Roadrunners’ opponent this week is Century, which recently had a record-setting game of its own. The Centurions ran for a school-record 533 yards in a win over Savanna. Derek Carrillo ran for 260 yards with three touchdowns and Jesus Arrellano ran for 257 yards with two touchdowns.
• Los Alamitos and San Clemente play each other this week after playing a classic game last season. Jaxson Rex had a touchdown reception for San Clemente with 13 seconds remaining in the game but Los Alamitos blocked the game-trying extra point attempt. Los Alamitos running back Lenny Ibarra ran for 216 yards with two touchdowns last week against Edison.
• Segerstrom and Brea Olinda are playing for the likely Kappa League championship on Friday. Brea Olinda had eight sacks against Segerstrom in a win last season and forced three turnovers. Nolan Santana has 12 tackles for a loss for Brea this season and Dalton Tagaloa has three interceptions.
• Orange plays Aliso Niguel in a game that will likely determine who gets the third and final automatic qualifier spot from the Foxtrot League. Aliso Niguel cornerback Carson Etnire had two interceptions last season in a 30-14 win over Orange.
• Orange Lutheran edged Santa Margarita 13-10 last season. Marcus Fakatou had three sacks for Orange Lutheran in that game as a freshman. Dash Fifita had 19 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries for Santa Margarita against the Lancers in 2024.
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