Huntley’s Week 8 Picks

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Each week I will pick and break down seven of the top games in Southern California.<br><br>After a bit of a hot streak, I stumbled a bit going 5-2 last week, which is still acceptable.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is a look at some of the best games this week:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>SANTA MARGARITA VS. ST. JOHN BOSCO</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These are the last two undefeated (in league) teams in the Trinity League and this game may decide the league championship. Santa Margarita has won 13 consecutive games which is the most in the state and its last loss came against St. John Bosco last season. These are two of the best defenses in the state and it's remarkable how good Santa Margarita's defense is despite being so inexperienced. Freshman linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='2451516' first='Aydan' last='Steen'] leads the team in tackles and the defensive line trio of [player_tooltip player_id='2106811' first='Kingston' last='Jimmerson'], <strong>Kaleb "KJ" Herndon</strong> and [player_tooltip player_id='283616' first='Isaia' last='Vandermade'] gets into the backfield regularly. [player_tooltip player_id='2451514' first='Jayden' last='Jack'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2125027' first='Jake' last='Martin'] have been very good at safety and [player_tooltip player_id='977697' first='Ca'ron' last='Williams'] is a lock down corner.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Santa Margarita's offense is the biggest question mark in this game but <strong>Fletch Palmer</strong> played well against Servite last week at quarterback. [player_tooltip player_id='2252136' first='Kiyan' last='Callis'] is the top target for the Eagles and [player_tooltip player_id='1654657' first='Grant' last='Van Raaphorst'] has been a big play threat lately. [player_tooltip player_id='1475821' first='Adrian' last='Petero'] is a workhorse at running back.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. John Bosco's defense has been very good recently too. [player_tooltip player_id='800123' first='Isala' last='Wily-Ava'] leads the team in tackles and is one of the best run-stopping safeties in the area. [player_tooltip player_id='1197526' first='Ethan' last='Coach'] has been very good at linebacker and [player_tooltip player_id='1197363' first='Richard' last='Orosco'] is getting into the backfield at defensive line. [player_tooltip player_id='2065928' first='Kingston' last='Fatu'] has had an excellent first two games in a Braves uniform and had two sacks with an interception last week. Braves quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='959174' first='Koa' last='Malau'ulu'] threw for 289 yards with four touchdowns against Santa Margarita last season. St. John Bosco runs the ball well but Santa Margarita has not allowed a team to run for over 100 yards this season. The Braves offensive line has been considerably better since [player_tooltip player_id='958796' first='Elisha' last='Mueller'] became eligible to join [player_tooltip player_id='465349' first='Kaden' last='Franco'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1197618' first='Gabriel' last='Villalobos']. I think Santa Margarita struggles to score in this one.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The pick: </strong>St. John Bosco</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/teamfbseven/status/2110401834812874949?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"x","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/teamfbseven/status/2110401834812874949?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>MISSION VIEJO VS. SAN CLEMENTE</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a fun rivalry in South Orange County and this game will likely determine the Alpha League champion. San Clemente has cruised through its first two league games against Yorba Linda and Los Alamitos. [player_tooltip player_id='2121939' first='Preston' last='Beck'] has played well at quarterback for the Tritons, completing 70 percent of his passes for 194 yards with 12 touchdowns. [player_tooltip player_id='1858610' first='Ryan' last='Matheson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='661909' first='Jaxson' last='Rex'] have been playmakers at receiver and [player_tooltip player_id='1594903' first='Colton' last='Walz'] is a guy to keep an eye on at receiver. Mission Viejo gave up a ton of rushing yards against Yorba Linda last week and San Clemente has been banged up at running back, but <strong>Darion Ranuga</strong> was good against Yorba Linda.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mission Viejo is also banged up and had to fight hard to beat Yorba Linda last week. San Jose State commit [player_tooltip player_id='1197564' first='Jack' last='Junker'] played running back last week and ran for 180 yards with two long touchdown runs. Mission Viejo's secondary has been good led by [player_tooltip player_id='1621228' first='Jordan' last='Hicks'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2127028' first='Desmond' last='Maxwell']. <strong>Bryce Warner</strong> lead the Diablos in tackles last week and <strong>Maddox </strong><b>Mata</b><strong>ele </strong>is one of the state leaders in sacks. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The pick: </strong>San Clemente</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/ocvarsity/status/2109745144429728161?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"x","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ocvarsity/status/2109745144429728161?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>BISHOP AMAT VS. NOTRE DAME</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This game will likely decide who gets second place in the Mission League. Bishop Amat is coming off a big 28-7 win over Chaminade where it did not allow an offensive touchdown. Amat struggled offensively in that game too with under 150 yards of offense. <strong>Ayden Bias</strong> had two touchdown runs and <strong>Justin Clinton</strong> added a touchdown run. [player_tooltip player_id='2067711' first='Kj' last='Paea'] had two sacks with two forced fumbles and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2106883' first='Brandon' last='Billups']</strong> had an interception. Notre Dame is 7-0 and coming off a win over Loyola where [player_tooltip player_id='2124170' first='Noel' last='Washington'] ran for 152 yards with four touchdowns. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2106863' first='Tahj' last='Skinner']</strong> threw for 153 yards with three touchdowns and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2448858' first='Judge' last='Monroe']</strong> led the defense. Bishop Amat's offense concerned me last week and it may be tough for them to keep pace with the Knights.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The pick: </strong>Notre Dame</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/tahjskinner1/status/2101087738649079986?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"x","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/tahjskinner1/status/2101087738649079986?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>JSERRA VS. ORANGE LUTHERAN</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>JSerra was dominated by Mater Dei on both sides of the ball last week. [player_tooltip player_id='1284700' first='Hayes' last='Cloutier'] threw for 164 yards in that game but was sacked three times and pressured 11 times. [player_tooltip player_id='1611307' first='Clark' last='Cokley'] made some nice plays at receiver and [player_tooltip player_id='1623100' first='Grayson' last='Matvay'] was a workhorse at tight end. [player_tooltip player_id='2106839' first='Godschoice' last='Eboigbodin'] had a sack and led the defense with [player_tooltip player_id='1702658' first='Braylin' last='Spencer'], who has been fantastic at linebacker with [player_tooltip player_id='1619039' first='Dylan' last='Fenn']. Orange Lutheran was competitive against Bosco last week. [player_tooltip player_id='1588182' first='Ryan' last='Christianson'] ran for 140 yards with two touchdowns and [player_tooltip player_id='1197615' first='Reagan' last='Toki'] threw for 126. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1197624' first='Matthew' last='Zapien']</strong> led the Lancers in tackles and [player_tooltip player_id='1621200' first='Anhor' last='Johnson'] had a forced fumble.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/MaxPreps/status/2108770674055802952?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"x","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/MaxPreps/status/2108770674055802952?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>CORONA DEL MAR VS. CAPISTRANO VALLEY</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Capo Valley battled against Crean Lutheran but suffered its first loss of the season. [player_tooltip player_id='1197373' first='Talon' last='Spencer'] threw for 178 yards with a touchdown and ran for two touchdowns. <strong>Izaiah Bennett</strong> led the Cougars in tackles and [player_tooltip player_id='1279271' first='Colin' last='Hooper'] had a touchdown catch. Corona del Mar is 7-0 and is coming off a 28-14 win over Tustin. [player_tooltip player_id='2254928' first='JD' last='Annett'] threw for 192 yards with a touchdown and [player_tooltip player_id='1734922' first='Nolan' last='Scott'] threw two touchdown passes. Scott also led the Sea Kings in receiving and [player_tooltip player_id='2252683' first='JJ' last='Haley'] is a matchup nightmare for a lot of teams at receiver. Mission Viejo transfer <strong>Will Ingham</strong> led the Sea Kings in tackles with 13 and a sack. Princeton commit [player_tooltip player_id='1797946' first='Tucker' last='Murray'] is an excellent two-way player who will have an impact in this game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The pick: </strong>Corona del Mar</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/TeranRodriguez1/status/2108765095023231390?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"x","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/TeranRodriguez1/status/2108765095023231390?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>RANCHO BERNARDO VS. OCEANSIDE</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rancho Bernardo is on a three-game winning streak and quarterback/safety [player_tooltip player_id='1621180' first='Gaige' last='Weddle'] has been the best two-way player in San Diego. He has 1,182 passing yards with eight touchdowns and 719 rushing yards with 13 touchdowns. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2242616' first='Brody' last='Cella']</strong> is a top receiver for Rancho Bernardo and returns kicks too. Oceanside has ran the ball very well lately with [player_tooltip player_id='1635562' first='Neke' last='Letuli'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1203247' first='Anthony' last='Barquinero'] runs the offense well. I think Oceanside can control possession with its run game and take this one.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The pick: </strong>Oceanside</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/Nekeletuli2028/status/2109362017304023523?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"x","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Nekeletuli2028/status/2109362017304023523?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>RANCHO CUCAMONGA VS. ETIWANDA</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rancho Cucamonga is on a two-game winning streak. [player_tooltip player_id='958785' first='Treyvone' last='Towns Jr.'] threw for 974 yards with seven touchdowns for the Cougars and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1745616' first='Semaj' last='Smith']</strong> has been a top receiver. <strong>Bruce Barnier</strong> has had a good year on defense for Rancho Cucamonga and the secondary is loaded with [player_tooltip player_id='1197358' first='Nathaniel' last='Mensah'] and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1059136' first='Jayden' last='Hilliard']</strong>. Etiwanda has won three straight games and is playing well on offense. <strong>Landon Congalton</strong> threw for 175 yards with a touchdown last week and <strong>Jaidyn Shepherd</strong> ran for 113 with three touchdowns. <strong>Chad Wakumoto Jr. </strong>has been a top receiver in the Inland Empire and <strong>Drew </strong><b>To</b><strong>ki </strong>has been good on defense. Rancho Cucamonga forced four turnovers when it beat Etiwanda last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The pick: </strong>Rancho Cucamonga</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/RCHSCougarsFB/status/2110096752183554370?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"x","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/RCHSCougarsFB/status/2110096752183554370?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>HUNTLEY'S RECORD:&nbsp;</strong>40-16</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->