OCVarsity football wrap-up: Stories, scores and photos from Friday’s Week 8 games

• October 14, 2023

Here are all of OCVarsity’s stories, scores and photos from the Week 8 high school football games on Friday, Oct. 13.

We also have links to our coverage of the games Thursday, Oct. 12.

FRIDAY’S GAMES

SCORES

High school football: All of the scores from Friday’s games, Oct. 13

PHOTOS

Photos: High school football action at SoFi Stadium and other big games Friday, Oct. 13

GAME STORIES

Mater Dei football stumbles in stunning shutout loss to St. John Bosco

Fryer: Mater Dei left dazed and defeated by St. John Bosco, but it might get a rematch

San Clemente football knocks off Mission Viejo with strong defense

Offense powers Tesoro football to victory over Capistrano Valley

Sonora football wins battle with Fullerton to stay unbeaten in Freeway League

Tustin football shuts out Crean Lutheran to stay unbeaten

THURSDAY’S GAMES

High school football: Scores from the Week 8 games Thursday, Oct. 12

Edison football rallies to edge Newport Harbor in thriller that ends with blocked field goal attempt

Foothill football stuns Villa Park in Crestview League opener with rousing finish

Passing attack lifts Anaheim football to win over Magnolia that boosts playoff chances

DID YOU SEE THIS?

Laguna Beach’s Ryner Swanson writing remarkable football story but potential still higher

Mission Viejo football hosting First Responders Night as part of San Clemente showdown

Orange County football Top 25 poll: JSerra rises after loss, Tustin continues climb in Week 8

High school football: Orange County season stat leaders through Oct. 7

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​ Orange County Register 

Sonora football wins battle with Fullerton to stay unbeaten in Freeway League

• October 14, 2023

LA HABRA – Sonora’s Anthony Abad had a career night, rushing for 227 yards and two long touchdowns, as the Raiders defeated Fullerton 43-36 on Friday to remain undefeated in the Freeway League.

While Abad was slicing up Fullerton’s defense with touchdown runs of 60 yards in the second quarter and 62 yards on the third, the Indians’ Deshawn Cobbs was pounding away at Sonora (7-1, 3-0).

Cobbs ran for 174 yards, and his second-quarter scoring runs of 3, 5 and 2 yards helped give Fullerton (2-6, 0-3) a 28-21 halftime lead.

“He was a thousand-yard rusher last year a junior,” Sonora coach Kevin Oberlander said of Cobbs. “We did not play well on defense tonight. We did not tackle very well. But like I said, I’m glad that they stuck with it and got that stop at the very end.”

Abad’s 62-yard run, on the second play of the third quarter, tied the game at 28-28. That didn’t last long as Fullerton’s Fernando Padron, who played as the Wildcat quarterback for nearly half of Fullerton’s snaps, scored on a 19-yard run 3 minutes later.

Padron ran for 157 yards, and Sonora’s best defense was to keep the ball out of his hands. The Raiders did that by taking the kickoff and grinding out a 14-play, 73-yard drive which ended on Nicholas Fernandez’s 15-yard touchdown run.

Olin Morales, who had a key block on Abad’s second TD, set up the score with a 24-yard run to the Fullerton 3 on second-and-16.

The Raiders forced a punt on the first play of the fourth quarter and chewed up five minutes of the clock before Martin found TylerRobertson in the right corner of the end zone with 6:48 left in the fourth quarter. An 11-yard pass to Morales on fourth-and-6 from the Fullerton 25 kept the drive alive.

Oberlander said the previous three games against Fullerton have been Sonora victories and all decided in the final seconds. This was no exception, as the Indians moved from their 20 to the Sonora 24. Padron had two crucial pickups on the drive, a 22-yard run on fourth-and-1 to the Sonora 49, and an 11-yard run on fourth-and-1 to the Sonora 30.

But three plays later, Cobbs was separated from the ball after a 6-yard pickup, and Isaiah Porch fell on the fumble at the 18 with 53 seconds left in the game.

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​ Orange County Register 

Harvard-Westlake star Trent Perry commits to USC: What it means for Trojans’ future

• October 14, 2023

USC already has its point guard of the immediate future – the 2023-24 future, that is – raring to go in Isaiah Collier, one of the top recruits in the nation who has built a fast rapport with returning senior Boogie Ellis.

But Collier, in all likelihood, is destined for the draft after one season with the Trojans. And on Friday night, USC locked its future future backcourt into place.

Trent Perry, a 6-foot-4 combo guard coming off a run leading a talented Harvard-Westlake squad to a CIF Open Division state championship, announced his commitment to USC on Friday night on social media. It’s another massive recruiting win for Coach Andy Enfield, who brought in Collier and Sierra Canyon’s Bronny James as part of a loaded 2023 class and now strikes big with Perry in 2024.

“He felt at home with the staff and school,” David Rebibo, Perry’s coach at Harvard-Westlake, wrote in a text.

Perry’s the ideal modern combo guard for Enfield. He’s mature beyond his years and plays with the innate pace of a conductor, if the conductor could also take off from a few steps inside the arc and flip a legs-splayed layup around the outstretched arms of opposing big men. He’d be a ready-made fit next to Bronny James if James were to stay at USC for a sophomore season – James’ recovery from cardiac arrest leading to a range of possibilities as to his future with the Trojans – and if James moves on, Perry is a foundational piece capable of running the point or playing off the ball.

“Coach Enfield plays an uptempo style and gives his guards freedom to play,” Rebibo wrote, when asked how he envisioned Perry fitting into Enfield’s system.

Perry’s shot selection can occasionally waver, firing off a pull-up 3-point attempt here and there when a better look might have come later in the shot clock in games during his junior year, but that’s more than offset by his court vision and versatility on defense. Watch his patience here in commanding a fast break, drawing the eyes of the low-man just long enough to dink teammate Jacob Huggins for a dunk:

Trent Perry finds Jacob Huggins and Harvard-Westlake is up 27-9 over De La Salle. Mick Cronin watching here at Mater Dei. pic.twitter.com/Gssxy9zC6M

— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) January 29, 2023

He’s got plenty of shot-making moxie and the ability to push tempo, too, as evidenced in the first clip of this highlight by Ballislife, an end-of-quarter 3-pointer over double-coverage in a game against Sierra Canyon last year:

From watching him orchestrate Harvard-Westlake’s offense at one of the highest levels of high school basketball in the country, it’s easy to see Perry eventually stepping into a Drew Peterson-esque role at USC, a versatile guard with size who is as capable of threading a pick-and-roll needle as he is bumping a defender off for a smooth midrange jumper.

Perry, too, is a born leader, the focal point of excellent chemistry in Harvard-Westlake’s core, in constant communication and encouragement with teammates like now-graduated forward Brady Dunlap.

“Constantly seeking ways to improve his game, how he approached the game, film study, nutrition, and the weight room,” Rebibo texted. “An incredibly motivated young man who loves the process of getting better.”

​ Orange County Register 

Fryer: Mater Dei left dazed and defeated by St. John Bosco, but it might get a rematch

• October 14, 2023

BELLFLOWER — Last year Mater Dei beat St. John Bosco in the regular season. St. John Bosco beat Mater Dei in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 football championship game.

Flip the script?

Mater Dei has to hope so. The Monarchs were shut out by St. John Bosco 28-0 in their Trinity League game Friday at St. John Bosco’s very full, 5,000-capacity Panish Family Stadium.

What happened in 2022, when either St. John Bosco or Mater Dei wins their Trinity League game and the other team wins the CIF championship game, has happened in other years.

In 2019, Mater Dei beat St. John Bosco in the regular season. Bosco beat Mater Dei in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game.

In 2018, Mater Dei lost to St. John Bosco in the regular season and beat St. John Bosco in the CIF-SS Division 1 final.

Mater Dei was shut out Friday for the first time since 2011, when the Monarchs lost to Orange Lutheran 28-0.

Mater Dei quarterback Elijah Brown gains yardage on a keeper play against St. John Bosco in a Trinity League football game in Bellflower on Friday, October 13, 2023. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)

The Monarchs came up with only 182 yards of offense – 121 passing, 61 rushing. Their leading rusher Jordon Davison was injured in the first half and had an ice pack wrapped around his right shin after exiting the game. He did not return, but that is not why Mater Dei had difficulty getting the ground game going.

Credit St. John Bosco. The Braves’ quickness and size dominated line play when they were on defense and on offense.

Their offensive line is big and it is excellent: Adrian Tavui, a sophomore who is 6-3 and 301 pounds; Mathays Moe, junior, 6-1 and 376; Matai Jefferson, junior, 6-4, 342; Matthew Perdue, junior, the lightweight of the group at 6-1 and 273; and the wonderfully-named King Large, a senior committed to SMU, 6-4 and 294.

The Braves rushed for 169 yards on 35 carries. That’s not an overwhelming ground game, but it was superior to what opponents had done to Mater Dei thus far.

The Monarchs defense had been on quite the roll.

Mater Dei held JSerra to 107 yards of offense last week in a 42-0 win. And they clogged Servite to minus-19 rushing yards two weeks ago in the Monarchs’ 49-0 win over Servite.

Mater Dei longtime defensive coordinator Eric Johnson expected what the Monarchs got Friday from the Braves.

“This is kind of how it is every game,” Johnson said, “but they’re going to try to run the ball on us and we have to stop them from running the ball.”

After a scoreless first quarter, St. John Bosco’s first touchdown drive was nine plays, all running plays, with Cameron Jones scoring on a 1-yard run for a 7-0 lead.

St. John Bosco needed to show some formations that Mater Dei might not expect. That might have been one of those on the Braves’ second touchdown.

On third-and-16 on the Mater Dei 17 with 55 seconds to go in the second quarter, Jones, who had done significant damage from the backfield, lined up at tight end. Braves quarterback Caleb Sanchez found Jones alone in the backfield for the touchdown pass that gave Bosco a 14-0 lead.

Johnson’s other prediction: “I expect them to go real quick,” meaning plenty of no-huddle action from the Bosco offense. And Bosco presented plenty of that.

St. John Bosco running back Cameron Jones breaks through for a touchdown in the second quarter against Mater Dei in a Trinity League football game in Bellflower on Friday, October 13, 2023. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)

Johnson hoped that the Monarchs’ pass rush could be disruptive.

“Their quarterback is good,” Johnson said, “but he’s had time to throw. We’ll have to see how he does against pressure.”

Sanchez was sacked only once, by junior defensive lineman Semi Taulanga in the first half. He had to hurry some throws while completing 10 of 21 passes for 115 yards. Those are not exactly wild numbers, but he did not throw an interception, and St. John Bosco committed no turnovers.

That’s how St. John Bosco beat Mater Dei, the No. 1 team in various national rankings going into Friday’s game.

Mater Dei won’t be No. 1 next week. They won’t be No. 1 in the Trinity League, either. St. John Bosco is 3-0, Mater Dei is 2-1.

But there could be a chance to be No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division 1 next month. And given the history, that chance could come again against St. John Bosco.

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​ Orange County Register 

Offense powers Tesoro football to victory over Capistrano Valley

• October 14, 2023

LAS FLORES –Tesoro had no problem moving the ball down the field and wracking up yardage on long scoring drives in a 37-14 victory over previously undefeated Capistrano Valley in the South Coast League opener for both teams Friday at Tesoro High School.

In addition to the victory being critical in a four-team league, as teams play only three leagues games, it also gave the Titans (5-3, 1-0) a fifth victory overall, which is a necessary benchmark in order to be selected as an at-large team for the CIF-SS playoffs, Tesoro coach Matt Poston said.

“We were sitting at four wins, so we wanted to get to five to kind of make sure we have that winning record, to make sure we get a chance to go in the playoffs,” Poston said. “So that was our goal for this week, to punch our ticket to the playoffs.”

A victory over Mission Viejo next week would almost guarantee the Titans a playoff berth.

The Cougars (7-1, 0-1) will take on a tough San Clemente team next week.

The Tritons defeated the Diablos, 20-10, in the other South Coast contest Friday.

Tesoro kept the Cougars guessing with an array of passing and running plays.

Travis Wood ran for 141 yards and two touchdowns and had a receiving touchdown in the Titans’ 37-14 victory over Capistrano Valley on Friday, Oct. 13. (Photo by Lou Ponsi)

The Titans scored touchdowns on drives of 80, 61 and 67 yards in the first half to take a 21-0 lead at halftime.

Travis Wood capped the first drive with a 7-yard touchdown run, O’Byrne hit Campbell Schamel for a 1-yard score on the second drive and threw a 2-yard scoring pass to Wood for the third score.

Tesoro’s defense, meanwhile, held the usually high-scoring Cougars to three-and-out drives on three of of four first-half possessions.

The Cougars did put together 60-yard drive by running a no-huddle offense late in the second quarter.

The drive stalled, however, at the Tesoro 15, forcing the Cougars try a 32-yard field goal.

But Drew Wong managed to get through the line and block the attempt, preserving the shutout.

The Cougars received the second half kickoff and put together a 66-yard scoring drive and getting back in the game on quarterback Tommy Acosta’s 1-yard touchdown run.

But the Cougars’ momentum was short lived because O’Bryne connected with Schamel for a 75-yard touchdown two plays into the ensuing drive to give the Titans a three-touchdown cushion again.

Schamel finished with 94 receiving yards and two touchdowns and teammate Todd Nelson had six catches for 149 yards.

Nelson’s receptions were a factor in four of the Titans’ five touchdown drives.

“Our offense carried us tonight, I felt,” Poston said. “To put 37 points up is a good effort. And especially once they started battling back into it, we had that huge play for the touchdown that reassured us a little bit.”

Wood, an Force Academy signee, was often difficult to bring down and ran for 141 yards and two touchdowns along with a receiving touchdown.

“When we run and pass that well, I don’t think we’re very easy to stop,” Wood said.

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​ Orange County Register 

Tustin football shuts out Crean Lutheran to stay unbeaten

• October 14, 2023

IRVINE — Tim Ioane had seen that Wildcat formation before.

The sophomore outside linebacker for Tustin sprung out of his defensive stance against Crean Lutheran on Friday night and took two strides into the backfield before realizing what was coming next.

He stopped in his tracks after the ball was pitched out wide to Crean Lutheran quarterback Jeremiah Finaly, who then tried to throw a screen pass to his running back on the opposite side.

Ioane leaped up, however, tipped the pass in the air and then wrapped it in his arms as he sprinted into the end zone for a 45-yard interception return, the key defensive play in the 21-0 Empire League victory at Crean Lutheran.

“I seen the toss to the quarterback and as I seen the toss, I seen the running back flare out, so that was the key,” Ioane said. “I was like ‘Oh yeah, I know that’s a setup.’ “

The Tillers (8-0, 3-0) made it difficult for the Saints (6-2, 2-1) to gain momentum all night.

The closest Crean Lutheran came to scoring was a 45-yard field goal attempt as time expired in the first half, but it fell short.

“They played out of their mind,” Tustin coach Anthony Lopez said of his defense. “They did a great job. To hold that team to zero points, that’s something special.”

Tustin took a 7-0 lead on its first drive of the game. Facing a fourth-and-10 from the 20-yard line, Jack Stupin connected with Marques Guzman in the end zone with 6:38 left in the opening quarter.

Crean Lutheran kept the game close thanks to interceptions by Troy Hill and Ben Byszewski on back-to-back possessions in the second quarter.

Crean Lutheran reached midfield following Byszewski’s fourth interception of the season. Facing a third-and-4, the Saints tried a trick play out of the Wildcat formation and Ioane made them pay.

“We always work on retracing a lot of screens and trick plays and everything,” Ioane said. “Shout out to my coaches for doing those drills. … If we didn’t do that, if we didn’t have the right preparation, it might not have been the same.”

The Tillers took the 14-0 lead into the half after holding Crean Lutheran to 48 total yards.

Tustin leaned on running back Eimesse Essis in the second half as the junior rushed for 103 of his 161 yards after halftime, giving him 1,186 rushing yards on the season.

Tustin’s success on the ground opened up for another big play in the air, as Stupin hit MacKenzie Alleyne on a deep post and he broke several tackles before completing the 55-yard touchdown reception, stretching the lead to 21-0 with 7:18 left in the game.

All that was left was securing the shutout and the Tillers stopped Crean Lutheran on downs at the Tustin 25 with just under two minutes left to fulfill that goal.

The Tillers have allowed a combined seven points in their past three games.

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​ Orange County Register 

Santa Anita horse racing consensus picks for Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023

• October 14, 2023

The consensus box of Santa Anita horse racing picks comes from handicappers Bob Mieszerski, Art Wilson, Terry Turrell and Eddie Wilson. Here are the picks for thoroughbred races on Saturday, October 13, 2023.

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Photos: High school football action at SoFi Stadium and other big games Friday, Oct. 13

• October 14, 2023

The Southern California News Group has photos from the biggest high school football games Friday, Oct. 13, including Mater Dei vs. St. John Bosco and Warren vs. Downey at SoFi Stadium.

Take a look at the great plays and exciting moments from the Week 8 games.

​ Orange County Register