Huntley’s Round 1 Playoff 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>Last week I went 4-3 and I went 50-27 in the regular season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>DIVISION 5</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>ORANGE VS. TROY</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Orange had one of the biggest upset wins of the season last week beating undefeated Laguna Beach 24-9. [player_tooltip player_id='1204832' first='Star' last='Thomas III'] is an All-County candidate with 2977 yards with 24 touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='797123' first='Malahki' last='Allen']</strong>,<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1677148' first='Adam' last='Maldonado']</strong> and <strong>Dylan Stone </strong>are Thomas' top targets. Troy won the Iota League and is led by running back [player_tooltip player_id='1305471' first='Ethan' last='Mundt'] who averages 166 rushing yards per game with 22 touchdowns. <strong>Noah Heathington</strong> leads the defense in tackles and the duo of <strong>Noah Torosian</strong> and <strong>Andrew Green</strong> are ball-hawks with five interceptions each. This game is a clash of styles and I think Troy can control possession with its run game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The pick: </strong>Troy</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Big game for MUNDT! <a href="https://t.co/lSvO4R5bGL">pic.twitter.com/lSvO4R5bGL</a></p>&mdash; Coach Echaves (@ThsWarriorfball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThsWarriorfball/status/1967051270147240039?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>RIO HONDO PREP VS. THOUSAND OAKS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rio Hondo Prep is undefeated and making a big jump in Divisions to Division 5. <strong>Noah Penunuri</strong> is one of the best running backs in the San Gabriel Valley and <strong>Nathaniel Shine</strong> leads the defense in sacks. All of Rio Hondo Preps' wins are against teams in lower playoff divisions. Thousand Oaks is the second place team from the Conejo Coast League. [player_tooltip player_id='212222' first='Jackson' last='Taylor'] averages 210 passing yards per game with 27 touchdowns and <strong>Jordan Johnson</strong> has run for 1006 yards with 11 touchdowns. [player_tooltip player_id='401251' first='Hayden' last='Vercher'] is a big tight end who will be a matchup problem for Rio Hondo Prep. [player_tooltip player_id='283633' first='Kaden' last='Glover'] is another big tight end for Taylor to throw to. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The pick: </strong>Thousand Oaks</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I caught up with Boise State commit <a href="https://twitter.com/jackson7taylor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jackson7taylor</a>, who was refreshingly candid about his commitment to the Broncos. He — and his family — are all in on Boise State<br><br>He&#039;ll be here in January and is ready to compete right away. <a href="https://t.co/nix6Gto3SG">https://t.co/nix6Gto3SG</a></p>&mdash; Chris V (@ChrisV208) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisV208/status/1985448581919285669?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>DIVISION 4</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>ST. BONAVENTURE VS. OAKS CHRISTIAN</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oaks Christian had a disastrous start to the season but bounced back by winning three of its last four games. That one loss was against St. Bonaventure. USC commit [player_tooltip player_id='212217' first='Deshonne' last='Redeaux'] did not play for Oaks Christian in that game but has been red hot since getting healthy. [player_tooltip player_id='1291235' first='Alifeleti' last='Tuihalamaka'] is a defensive player with a ton of upside for the Lions and [player_tooltip player_id='1000924' first='Joseph' last='Peko'] is tough to block. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='958765' first='Jaxson' last='Carper']</strong> has been good at quarterback for St. Bonaventure and freshman <strong>Tony Dargan</strong> has been excellent along with [player_tooltip player_id='1183006' first='Jeremiah' last='Barrios']. <strong>Jason Homan</strong> had 17 tackles for St. Bonaventure against Oaks Christian in that first game. Redeaux is a big difference-maker and I think that will be enough for the Lions to win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The pick: </strong>Oaks Christian</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Can't wait to be at <a href="https://twitter.com/uscfb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@uscfb</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fighton?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#fighton</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AnthonyJonesFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AnthonyJonesFB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TheUCReport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheUCReport</a> <a href="https://t.co/tEY6PnkEMU">pic.twitter.com/tEY6PnkEMU</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='212217' first='Deshonne' last='Redeaux'] (@d_redeaux1) <a href="https://twitter.com/d_redeaux1/status/1983609183510671417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>DIVISION 3</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>HUNTINGTON BEACH VS. EDISON</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a great crosstown game between two teams that are former Sunset League foes. Huntington Beach can air it out with Ohio State commit [player_tooltip player_id='415341' first='Brady' last='Edmunds'] and one of the best receivers in the Section [player_tooltip player_id='797142' first='Troy' last='Foster']. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1626424' first='Dylin' last='Bruce'] </strong>has been good on both sides of the ball and so has [player_tooltip player_id='1539814' first='Steel' last='Kurtz']. Edison won this division last year but is a much younger team this year. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1717984' first='Sam' last='Thomson']</strong> averages 162 yards per game with 14 touchdowns and <strong>Devyn Blake</strong> is one of the best two-way linemen in the area. This is a big step up in competition for Huntington Beach even though they were competitive against Crean Lutheran recently.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The pick: </strong>Edison</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">HUNTINGTON BEACH ON THE CLOCK ⏰ <a href="https://t.co/gFlKDJbaX5">pic.twitter.com/gFlKDJbaX5</a></p>&mdash; Edison Football ⚡️ (@EdisonChargerFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/EdisonChargerFB/status/1986629927257711082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PALOS VERDES VS. VALENCIA</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Palos Verdes is the second place team from the very competitive Bay League. The Sea Kings won a State championship last season but this is a higher division. [player_tooltip player_id='709444' first='Ryan' last='Rakowski'] has completed 69 percent of his passes for 182 yards with 19 touchdowns and seven rushing touchdowns. Palos Verdes has one of the best sophomore classes in the state on defense with [player_tooltip player_id='1621252' first='Weston' last='Reis'], <strong>Christian Reis</strong> and Jaylen Flowers. Valencia dominated the Foothill League this year and [player_tooltip player_id='401221' first='Brady' last='Bretthauer'] completes 73 percent of his passes with 20 touchdowns and just two interceptions. [player_tooltip player_id='1182930' first='Brian' last='Bonner'] is one of the best running backs in the Section and can go off for big games. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The pick: </strong>Valencia</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Regular Season Highlights (9 GP)<br><br>Passing- 74/102 / 1,511 Yards / 20 TDs / 2 Ints / 146.0 QBR<br><br>Rushing- 70 carries / 486 yards / 9 TDs<a href="https://twitter.com/latsondheimer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@latsondheimer</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Tarek_Fattal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tarek_Fattal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GregBiggins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GregBiggins</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Throw_2_Win?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Throw_2_Win</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/QBHitList?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@QBHitList</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/VHSVikingsFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VHSVikingsFB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/adamgorney?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@adamgorney</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneCA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneCA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/InsideSoCalSpts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@insidesocalspts</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/newsfromryan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@newsfromryan</a>…</p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='401221' first='Brady' last='Bretthauer'] (@BretthauerBrady) <a href="https://twitter.com/BretthauerBrady/status/1985152208753860966?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>DIVISION 2</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CORONA DEL MAR VS. MURRIETA VALLEY</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Corona del Mar won its first nine games of the season but fell to Yorba Linda in overtime last week. The Sea Kings got a tough playoff draw after the San Juan Hills forfeit situation. [player_tooltip player_id='1715179' first='Brady' last='Annett'] averages 230 yards per game with 34 touchdowns. <strong>Garrett James </strong>is a deep threat at receiver with <strong>JJ Haley</strong> and [player_tooltip player_id='1000923' first='Dorsett' last='Stecker'] is a versatile offensive player. Murrieta Valley is led by running back [player_tooltip player_id='1907759' first='Jeremiah' last='Watson'] who is one of the top rushers in the Section, although he didn't play last week. [player_tooltip player_id='1717673' first='Ty' last='Isaia'] proved he can throw for big yardage when needed last week. [player_tooltip player_id='401237' first='Derrick' last='Johnson II'] is a lengthy corner who will be covering Corona del Mar's excellent receivers along with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1291283' first='Darius' last='Johnson']</strong>. This is a tough matchup for Corona del Mar with Murrieta Valley's size in the secondary.</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:paragraph --> <p><strong>TUSTIN VS. RANCHO CUCAMONGA</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tustin won the Delta League and is big and fast on defense. [player_tooltip player_id='668740' first='Jeremiah' last='Williams'] has been excellent on the defensive line and runs for touchdowns on offense. [player_tooltip player_id='1197214' first='Taven' last='Epps'] flies around the field at linebacker and [player_tooltip player_id='1197207' first='Khalil' last='Terry'] covers a ton of the field at safety. [player_tooltip player_id='1455302' first='Ayden' last='Edwards'] averages 200 yards per game with 21 touchdowns and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1908687' first='Elijah' last='Robinson']</strong> has run for over 100 yards in three of his last four games. Rancho Cucamonga won the Baseline League and [player_tooltip player_id='1000930' first='Jacob' last='Chambers'] threw for 1742 yards with 18 touchdowns. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1686178' first='Tyree' last='Wilson'] </strong>is his top target and [player_tooltip player_id='1197358' first='Nathaniel' last='Mensah'] leads the defense in interceptions. Tustin laid an egg in the first round of the playoffs last season in a similar spot but its young core is another year stronger and more experienced. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The pick: </strong>Tustin</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Postgame with LB/TE and two-time Delta League champ <a href="https://twitter.com/TavenEpps?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TavenEpps</a>, who sparked <a href="https://twitter.com/Tiller_Football?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tiller_Football</a> w/ a key TD catch in the final minute of the first half (he can even chat w/ press holding little bro of <a href="https://twitter.com/Jeremiah_W22?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jeremiah_W22</a> 🫡) <a href="https://t.co/Q8Cbg9QJNo">pic.twitter.com/Q8Cbg9QJNo</a></p>&mdash; Dan Albano (@ocvarsityguy) <a href="https://twitter.com/ocvarsityguy/status/1984151795531428300?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>HUNTLEY'S SEASON RECORD:&nbsp;</strong>50-27</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->