Huntley’s Week 9 Picks

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Each week I pick and break down seven of the top games in Southern California.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I had a strong week last week going 6-1.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>HUNTINGTON BEACH VS. CREAN LUTHERAN</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This game will decide the Epsilon League championship. I saw Crean Lutheran in person last week and was very impressed by its pass rush led by [player_tooltip player_id='401217' first='Anthony' last='Jones'], <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1269166' first='Ryder' last='Barnes']</strong>, [player_tooltip player_id='1086121' first='James' last='Carrington'] and <strong>Allitoa Nansen</strong>. [player_tooltip player_id='1197336' first='Caden' last='Jones'] threw for 322 yards with five touchdowns in that game against La Habra. [player_tooltip player_id='1197522' first='Caleb' last='Bey'] broke off some big runs late in the game and the receiving duo of [player_tooltip player_id='1561275' first='Ty' last='Johnson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1598347' first='Bryce' last='Coleman'] were flying around the field. Huntington Beach is excellent on offense as well with Ohio State quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='415341' first='Brady' last='Edmunds'] and top receiver [player_tooltip player_id='797142' first='Troy' last='Foster']. Edmunds has completed 73 percent of his passes for 258 yards per game with 26 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Foster has 1114 yards receiving with 15 touchdowns. Crean Lutheran is better defensively and will win this game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The pick: </strong>Crean Lutheran</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Enjoying our senior dinner as we get ready for “Senior Night”on Friday night vs. Hunt. Beach. Blessed to be able to coach these outstanding young men. “We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.” Phil. 4:13 <a href="https://twitter.com/CreanFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CreanFootball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/creanlutheranhs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@creanlutheranhs</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/OCSportsZone?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OCSportsZone</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ocvarsity?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ocvarsity</a> <a href="https://t.co/e6YYv2XjCY">pic.twitter.com/e6YYv2XjCY</a></p>&mdash; Rick Curtis (@coachcurtis7) <a href="https://twitter.com/coachcurtis7/status/1981153576279019743?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>MIRA COSTA VS. LEUZINGER</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bay League championship is still in play and this game may be crucial in that race. Leuzinger is 3-0 in league and Mira Costa is 2-1. Leuzinger has scored over 40 points in its last four games. Running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1598387' first='Journee' last='Tonga']</strong> played some quarterback last week with <strong>Albert Kupu</strong>. [player_tooltip player_id='283636' first='Kelton' last='Strickland'] ran for 149 yards with a touchdown in that win over Culver City. Mira Costa lost a close game to Inglewood last week. <strong>Liam Meeker</strong> threw for 169 yards with a touchdown and ran for a score in that game. <strong>Joaquin Wagner-Bagues</strong> had 14 tackles with a sack. I think Leuzinger has the edge in the trenches and a lot of firepower on defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The pick: </strong>Leuzinger</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Leuzinger 47 Culver City 7. A win next week versus Mira Costa will clinch at least a share of the Bay League championships. <a href="https://t.co/svxLF9X4MZ">pic.twitter.com/svxLF9X4MZ</a></p>&mdash; 🏈 The Leu 🏈 (@Leuzinger_FB) <a href="https://twitter.com/Leuzinger_FB/status/1979410906728808595?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>MURRIETA VALLEY VS. VISTA MURRIETA</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is one of the best rivalries in the Inland Empire and Murrieta Valley beat Vista Murrieta 57-55 last season. Murrieta Valley is coming off a loss to top-ranked Centennial. [player_tooltip player_id='1907759' first='Jeremiah' last='Watson'] has run for 1237 yards with 20 touchdowns for the Nighthawks and [player_tooltip player_id='1717673' first='Ty' last='Isaia'] has been a good dual threat quarterback. Vista Murrieta dominated last place Roosevelt last week 42-0. [player_tooltip player_id='1000959' first='Bryson' last='Beaver'] threw for 173 yards with a touchdown and [player_tooltip player_id='1620388' first='Myles' last='Robinson'] had an interception. If Murrieta Valley gets Watson going again after a tough game last week, they should win this.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The pick: </strong>Murrieta Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/jeremiah_juice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jeremiah_juice</a> of <a href="https://twitter.com/MVNighthawkFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MVNighthawkFB</a> is <a href="https://twitter.com/sportingnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sportingnews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AllAmericanSN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AllAmericanSN</a> SoCal 🏈 Player of the Week for Week 7 after rushing for 6 touchdowns and totaling more than 300 yards to beat Chaparral.<br><br>Read more about one of the state&#039;s top breakout stars ⬇️<a href="https://t.co/2vyyVFFvL9">https://t.co/2vyyVFFvL9</a> <a href="https://t.co/BZxmfpgiDk">pic.twitter.com/BZxmfpgiDk</a></p>&mdash; Lance Smith (@LanceSmithTPC) <a href="https://twitter.com/LanceSmithTPC/status/1981340137545224260?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>ORANGE LUTHERAN VS. SANTA MARGARITA</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Orange Lutheran's offense had a bounce back week against JSerra last week and dominated. Freshman quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1506318' first='Ezrah' last='Brown'] completed all 17 of his passes for 368 yards with three touchdowns. [player_tooltip player_id='780472' first='Sean' last='Morris'] ran for 108 yards with two scores. [player_tooltip player_id='1197219' first='Chris' last='Flores'] Jr. had 114 yards receiving with a touchdown and [player_tooltip player_id='676963' first='Nico' last='Bland'] added 106 with a score. Santa Margarita lost to St. John Bosco last week but its defense is among the best in the state. [player_tooltip player_id='283606' first='Dash' last='Fifita'] and [player_tooltip player_id='283645' first='Manoah' last='Faupusa'] each had sacks in that game and [player_tooltip player_id='283684' first='Siua' last='Holani'] had an interception. USC commit [player_tooltip player_id='283690' first='Trent' last='Mosley'] ran for 94 yards with two touchdowns for the Eagles. Santa Margarita's defense is a lot for a freshman quarterback to play against.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The pick: </strong>Santa Margarita</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">[player_tooltip player_id='283690' first='Trent' last='Mosley']. What a run. <a href="https://t.co/jZpzJFhkz4">pic.twitter.com/jZpzJFhkz4</a></p>&mdash; eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) <a href="https://twitter.com/latsondheimer/status/1979374136230318423?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>LA COSTA CANYON VS. CARLSBAD</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If La Costa Canyon wins this game we will likely have a 3-way tie for the Avocado-West League title. Carlsbad rallied to get a close win over San Marcos last week. [player_tooltip player_id='401244' first='Eli' last='MacNeal'] threw for 233 yards with two touchdowns for Carlsbad in that win and <strong>Kai Brown </strong>ran for 123 yards with a touchdown. <strong>Ethan Meyerhoff</strong> and [player_tooltip player_id='1197620' first='Darian' last='Webb'] each had big games receiving. La Costa Canyon is coming off a blowout win over El Camino. [player_tooltip player_id='401286' first='Quinn' last='Roth'] threw for 268 yards with four touchdowns on just seven completions. <strong>Jackson Maggiore</strong> had 135 yards receiving with a touchdown and <strong>Lennox Marcucci</strong> had 100 yards with a touchdown. <strong>Ford Mitchell</strong> had an interception and <strong>Henry Mallory</strong> had nine tackles. LCC won this game by 10 last year and its key players are back.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The pick: </strong>Carlsbad</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">having a good season so far 7-0, Chopping wood and carrying water! Check out my 1-7 game highlight! <a href="https://t.co/2XtKn7hAP6">https://t.co/2XtKn7hAP6</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CBadFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBadFootball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Daygofootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Daygofootball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/247recruiting?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@247recruiting</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GregBiggins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GregBiggins</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BrandonHuffman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrandonHuffman</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/yngstarathletes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@yngstarathletes</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FastCampAth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FastCampAth</a> <a href="https://t.co/Em2sytHQLO">pic.twitter.com/Em2sytHQLO</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1197620' first='Darian' last='Webb'] (@DarianWebb2) <a href="https://twitter.com/DarianWebb2/status/1978944246171472241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC VS. LINCOLN</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These are two of the best teams in San Diego and this may be a preview of the Open Division championship game. Lincoln is coming off a 56-0 win over University City. <strong>Kainan Manna</strong> threw for 139 yards with three touchdowns and [player_tooltip player_id='1197366' first='Jordan' last='Roa'] threw for 116 with two. <strong>Junior Curtis</strong> ran for 107 with a score and <strong>Jaydin Lewis</strong> had three sacks. Cathedral Catholic was upset by Point Loma two weeks ago but routed Scripps Ranch last week. <strong>Joshua Faraimo</strong> threw for 203 yards with four touchdowns in that win and [player_tooltip player_id='1197204' first='Honor' last='Faalave'] ran for 95 with a score and added a receiving touchdown. Cathedral quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1000878' first='Brady' last='Palmer'] has missed the last two games and if he plays, Cathedral has a better chance, but I think Lincoln is too loaded.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The pick: </strong>Lincoln</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Game Week‼️<br>🍀 vs Cathedral Catholic (<a href="https://twitter.com/Donsfootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Donsfootball</a>)<br>🍀 League Game<br>🍀 Game Will Kickoff Friday @ 7pm<br>🍀 Ranked #4 in San Diego County<br>🍀 Previous Meeting: LIN 31 - CC 13 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LincolnCertified?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LincolnCertified</a> 🍀 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RepTheHive?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RepTheHive</a> <a href="https://t.co/hcbHsWLEux">pic.twitter.com/hcbHsWLEux</a></p>&mdash; LINCOLN HORNETS FOOTBALL (@THEHIVEFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/THEHIVEFB/status/1980294943102103927?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>LAGUNA BEACH VS. DANA HILLS</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both of these teams are undefeated and this game will decide the Foxtrot League championship. Laguna Beach quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1545888' first='Jack' last='Hurst'] is second in the state in touchdowns with 35 and is averaging 259 yards per game. <strong>Brady Stringham </strong>has 15 touchdown receptions and <strong>Charlie Christian</strong> is a high-upside freshman at running back and linebacker. Dana Hills has scored over 40 points in five of its eight games this season. <strong>Carter Anderson</strong> is averaging 225 yards per game with 23 touchdowns for the Dolphins. [player_tooltip player_id='797112' first='James' last='Leicester'] is the school's all-time leader in touchdown receptions and <strong>Jack Norman</strong> has broken out lately. <strong>William Reardon</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1689027' first='Thompson' last='Foulger']</strong> and <strong>Micah Langohr</strong> lead Dana Hills' defense and <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/charlie-chuck-eckl/"><strong>Charlie "Chuck" Eckl</strong> </a>returned from injury last week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The pick: </strong>Dana Hills</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dana Hills vs. Laguna Beach is this season's perfect football matchup. Plus other notes. <a href="https://twitter.com/tonyhenney?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tonyhenney</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Laguna_Football?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Laguna_Football</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ocvarsityguy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ocvarsityguy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/James_Escarcega?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@James_Escarcega</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Tritonfootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tritonfootball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LosAlFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LosAlFootball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/coachcalahan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@coachcalahan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/carson_etnire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@carson_etnire</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SMCHS_Football?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SMCHS_Football</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/OLuFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OLuFootball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BOHSFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BOHSFootball</a> <a href="https://t.co/mqLw7Q2gvr">https://t.co/mqLw7Q2gvr</a></p>&mdash; Michael Huntley (@mikehuntley63) <a href="https://twitter.com/mikehuntley63/status/1981452480019054804?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>HUNTLEY'S SEASON RECORD:&nbsp;</strong>43-20</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->