La Habra vs. Mission Viejo Preview: Players to Watch

La Habra and Mission Viejo are two of the top public school programs in Orange County. The two teams play each other pretty regularly for nonleague foes and last season the Diablos came out ahead 23-6. They will play each other again this Friday and during the Orange County public school media conference, the La Habra players expressed that this is the most important game of their season. La Habra has won the Freeway League many years in a row and Mission Viejo has won the South Coast League 10 of the last 11 years. Both teams feature players who have already signed letters of intent and prospects who are still available. Below I will break down some of the top players in this game: Brandon Vasquez, La Habra He is the best offensive player for La Habra and one of the more under the radar players in the county. La Habra will find ways to get him the ball including screens and fly sweeps. He may get 15 touches per game. “He’s going to do everything. The idea is to try to get him the ball as much as we possibly can,” La Habra coach Frank Mazzotta said of Vasquez. “It’s not going to be a mystery. We aren’t hiding anything. Everybody knows what we are going to do with this guy.” He torches safeties in man coverage from the slot and has excellent hands. Check the film

Justin Flowe made the great hit on Brandon Vasquez tonight, but Vasquez had a great game for La Habra and was a big reason why they won. Here is his second TD catch, which ended up being the game winner. @LHHighlanders pic.x.com/yCfvjW6iER
— Connor Morrissette (@C_Morrissette) August 23, 2019

TJ Patu TJ Patu 6'3" | 210 lbs | DB La Habra | 2021 State CA , La Habra He is the best player on the La Habra defense. He played safety last season but he has put on a few pounds and will move up to linebacker this season. He excels in pass coverage and closes to the ball very quickly. He frequently blows up receivers who try to block him on screens and fly sweeps. He is signed with Colorado. Check the film

More FBF! A little pressure and pick6 @tj_patu pic.x.com/MpX3GIwXop
— Coach Mazzotta LH FB (@LHHighlanders) February 28, 2020

David Sanchez, La Habra Sanchez is the most experienced of the Highlanders’ offensive line which is a very strong unit. He is aggressive and finishes every block. He played center last season and picks up twists and blitzes very well. He is clearly the captain of the offensive line and plays with a lot of energy. He would be a FCS level prospect if he were a little bigger but I expect him to get some recruiting buzz after this season. Check the film

Justin Gil, La Habra Gil is the sophomore starting quarterback for the Highlanders. He transferred to La Habra from Villa Park where he threw for over 2400 yards and 29 touchdowns if you believe freshman football stat keepers. He looks comfortable in the pocket for a freshman and makes good throws even to the far side of the field. He can extend plays with his legs and keeps his eye on the routes instead of the pressure. He is getting thrown into the fire having his first varsity game be against Mission Viejo, but he will be a good quarterback for La Habra for the next three years. Check the film

Kadin Semonza Kadin Semonza 6'0" | 190 lbs | QB Mission Viejo | 2023 State CA , Mission Viejo The Diablos also start a sophomore quarterback in . He has been impressing scouts at camps and performed well for the OC Elite team in the Winner Circle Champions League. He had good timing with his club team receivers despite very little practice time which is impressive. He stands tall in the pocket and has an effortless release. With Semonza filling in for the departing , the Diablos shouldn’t be missing a ton. Check the film

@kadinsemonza just getting started @diablocjohnson @missionfootball pic.x.com/4DRjdYo1Uh
— Mikey Matthews (@_mjmatt8) February 12, 2021

Mavin Anderson Mavin Anderson 6'0" | 195 lbs | WR Mission Viejo | 2021 State CA , Mission Viejo Anderson did not have out of this world stats last season, but it was clear he was the best receiver on the field in most games he played in. The reason the Diablos’ offensive numbers aren’t eye opening is because their defense and special teams create a lot of short fields for the offense. He had 533 yards and seven touchdowns and will likely be Semonza’s favorite receiver. He is signed with Cal and it was surprising to see him opt to play his senior season but the Diablos will be thrilled to have him back. Check the film

Sophomore Mavin Anderson out here playing football football 👀 @AndersonMavin pic.x.com/VrWEt6QKSF
— Football Recruit. (@FootballRecruit) September 23, 2018

Easton Mascarenas Easton Mascarenas 6'1" | 220 lbs | LB Mission Viejo | 2021 State CA , Mission Viejo Mascarenas is one of the best defensive players in Orange County. He makes plays in the running and passing game. He has hands and had three interceptions last season including a pick six. He had 91 tackles, 5.5 sacks and 3 rushing touchdowns. He stands out when you watch Mission Viejo on film. At the public school media day when asked if he has any teams he is looking forward to playing, he said, "I don’t like any of the teams we play." Mascarenas is one of my favorite players to watch and it’s good for high school football that Oregon State is letting him play this short season. Check the film

Mikey Matthews Mikey Matthews 5'10" | 180 lbs | WR Mission Viejo | 2023 State CA , Mission Viejo Matthews is young and under the radar right now but he won’t be for long. He caught 16 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown as a freshman last season and has been getting reps with Semonza in club football. He recently got an offer from Arizona State and I expect him to be a national recruit this summer heading into his junior season. He will likely be the Diablo’s number two receiver. Check the film

Jacquez Robertson, Mission Viejo Robertson is a three-year playing time guy for the Diablos and he can make some big plays. He was the primary running back for a team that had 35 rushing touchdowns and averaged over 35 points per game last season in one of the most competitive leagues in the state. He rushed for 832 yards on 155 carries with 15 touchdowns in just 12 games, helping lead the Diablos to an 11-1 record. Robertson is signed with Northern Colorado and I expect the coaching staff to find ways to get him the ball often. Check the film

Mission Viejo hosts St. Mary's (Stockton) tonight. St. Mary's is very good, but I don't think they can hang with MV.

I bet Diablos get a near-shutout and RB Jacquez Robertson @jocky05 goes off again for 2+ TDs and 150+ yards. These were his highlights from last game, MV won 59-0 pic.x.com/xU4EYTCb1s
— Lance Smith (@LanceSmithTPC) September 20, 2019

Roee Lachmish, Mission Viejo The biggest sleeper on the Mission Viejo roster in my opinion. He got rave reviews from scouts during the Winner Circle Champions League and even got thrown into the offensive line and had to block Power 5 players and held his own. He excels as a three-technique defensive tackle who can use his athleticism to get into the backfield and take away cutback lanes. Should be getting looked at by FCS schools and maybe he will get a late offer this spring. Check the film