The annual Edison Battle at the Beach passing tournament provides a preview of the upcoming high school season.
Edison High School in Huntington Beach will again host its annual passing tournament this weekend. Saturday will bring several of the top area teams to one summer event in the Battle at the Beach. The yearly tournament serves as a preview of the upcoming high school season across Southern California.
The talent-rich region means plenty of the top prospects will be in attendance and participating at Edison High School. In all, there will be four pools featuring top Southern California teams. The group is highlighted by 2025 CIF Open Division state champion Santa Margarita Catholic. Other top area teams include Corona-Centennial and St. John Bosco.
Mission Viejo, which won the 2025 Edison Battle at the Beach, will also be in attendance Saturday in Huntington Beach.
Breaking Down The Field For The 2026 Edison Battle At The Beach
Here is a closer look at the pools including notable teams and players to watch Saturday in Southern California. The games get going at 9 a.m. PT at Edison High School.
Pool A
Teams: St. John Bosco, Cathedral Catholic (San Diego), Tustin, Edison, Millikan
The host Edison Chargers did not do themselves any favors in creating their pool. It features plenty of talented teams and players led by perennial Southern California powerhouse St. John Bosco. The other remaining teams all have college-bound prospects as well. Bosco is again loaded with talent across the board coming off a 9-2 season. The Braves were the only Trinity League team to hand eventual state champ Santa Margarita a loss. Rising seniors Isala Wily-Ava (Washington) and Josiah Poyer (USC) are two of the top 2027 Bosco players.
2028 receiver DJ Tubbs has put together a strong offseason including a standout showing at the OT7 Finals last month. Cathedral Catholic has multiple college commits led by elite two-way standout Honor Fa’alave-Johnson, who is committed to USC. Tustin features 2027 commits Taven Epps (Oklahoma) and Khalil Terry (UCLA). Receiver Hayden Koo (2028) has been outstanding in multiple events this offseason.
Pool B
Teams: Centennial (Corona), Los Alamitos, JSerra, Palos Verdes, Liberty (Bakersfield)
Pool B is an interesting mix of teams from all over the region. Liberty making its way down from Bakersfield will add an interesting wrinkle to pool play. Centennial is the headliner in the pool and is again loaded with talent following an 11-2 season. The only two losses for the Huskies came against Santa Margarita including in the CIF playoffs. Newcomers QB Jaden Jefferson and WR Quentin Hale from Cathedral (Los Angeles) add even more talent to the team. Hale, a USC commit, is one of the top players in the country and has stacked accolades this offseason.
Los Alamitos and JSerra are two teams with new head coaches in Rory Schoonmaker and Hardy Nickerson, respectively. Palos Verdes is a team that has plenty of success in passing tournaments led by quarterback Ryan Rakowski. The senior-to-be has exploded as a prospect this summer including being an Elite 11 finalist.
Pool C
Teams: Santa Margarita, Servite, Lincoln (San Diego), Capo Valley, Long Beach Poly
There will be plenty of talent among the teams in Pool C headlined by defending Open Division state champs Santa Margarita. Carson Palmer’s squad features plenty of talent once again, and should be in position to make a run again in 2026. Kansas TE commit Luke Gazzaniga will be one of the top offensive weapons this season for the Eagles. Meanwhile, the defense at Santa Margarita is stacked led by 2028 cornerback Ca’ron Williams. The rising junior shined in 2025 and has been productive this offseason.
Fellow Trinity Leauge foe Servite is also part of the group led by elite linebacker Allen Kennett V, who is back after a stint at Santa Margarita. Long Beach Poly features two of the top defensive backs in the region — Miami commit Donte Wright and UCLA commit Juju Johnson. Throw in Lincoln from San Diego and Capo Valley to the pool, and there will not be any easy games in pool play.
Pool D
Teams: Orange Lutheran, Mission Viejo, Rancho Cucamonga, Corona del Mar, Oaks Christian
Pool D is another stacked group including defending Edison Battle at the Beach champ Mission Viejo. The Diablos again feature plenty of talent across the field. Elite 2028 defensive back Jordan Hicks leads the way for Mission Viejo while there are a number of other key players on the roster. San Jose State WR commit Jack Junker and Duke TE commit Luke Karby will be the key pass-catchers. UCLA commit Kiingbaraka Kizzee (2029) is a newcomer from Orange Lutheran, which will have a new coach this year. Texas transfer QB Nash McElree will be another new Mission Viejo player to watch Saturday.
Orange Lutheran receivers Nico Bland and Chris Flores Jr. are always fun to watch. Meanwhile, 2028 recruit Chauncey Washington II will lead things on defense for the Lancers. Rancho Cucamonga’s Nathaniel Mensah (Oregon State) and Dillon Sykes (Utah) are two 2027 recruits to know Saturday. TE Jaylin Smalls is one of the top players in the region for 2028.
