The 2026 season finally begins for most of Southern California’s teams this week. TeamFB7 highlights the top matchups to watch involving Southern California teams.
The majority of high school football teams in the state begin their 2026 campaigns this week. Many of the top teams are challenging themselves with tough out-of-state matchups or are playing teams from similar caliber divisions.
Breaking Down the Top High School Matchups in Southern California for Week 0
Here are some of the top games in the area to keep an eye on.
Thursday
Centennial vs. Servite
This is a rematch of a first round playoff game in the CIF-Southern Section Division 1 playoffs last season in which Centennial won 41-6. The Huskies feature Cathedral transfers Jaden Jefferson at quarterback and USC commit Quentin Hale at receiver. Malaki Davis is back at running back after leading the Southern Section in touchdowns last season along with Northern Arizona commit Kennie Leggett. Centennial’s defense is led by Washington commit Jaden Walk-Green who was the breakout player of last season with 10 interceptions.
Servite has JSerra transfer Gino Wang at quarterback and he is surrounded by speed from Servite’s top-ranked track team. Benjamin Harris a speedy slot guy who led the team in receiving last season and Kamil Pelovello is a speed demon who will contribute on both sides of the ball this season. USC commit Drew Fielder leads the offense line along with Keiden Lokeni. The Friars have a pair of talented linebackers to lead the defense in Washington commit Isaiah Leilua and top-ranked junior Allen “Cinco” Kennett.
Murrieta Valley vs. Rancho Cucamonga
Murrieta Valley was a Division 2 semifinalist last season but lost some of its top contributors. Junior quarterback Ty Isaia is back after throwing 20 touchdowns last season while splitting time. Tahj Stephens will be a top running back to watch and Kayden Borden is back after leading the team in receiving last season with 690 yards with 7 touchdowns. Paloma Valley transfer Noah Davis may be a leading receiver after tallying over 1,000 yards last season. Junior linebacker Tyler Roney had 78 tackles last season and leads the defense.
Rancho Cucamonga quarterback Treyvone Towns may be due for a big junior season after sitting out nearly all of last season due to a midseason transfer. Oregon State commit Landon White leads the receivers along with big junior tight end Jaylin Smalls. Another Oregon State commit, Nathaniel Mensah leads the secondary.
Friday
Chaparral vs. Mission Viejo
Chaparral will be playing without Cal commit quarterback Dane Weber, who has a cast on his throwing hand right now. The Pumas are still loaded at receiver with Eli Woodard (Miami commit), Michael “Kiko” Farinas (UCLA commit), Tycen Johnson (Arizona State) and Chase Bonta (UC Davis commit). Chaparral is loaded on the offensive line as well with San Jose State commit Calvin Moala and top juniors Caeden Weaver and Axton Lange. Kameron Payne led the defense with 6 sacks and is back and all of the aforementioned receivers play two ways.
Mission Viejo graduated one of the top quarterbacks in the state and now will start sophomore Brett Burnor. San Jose State commit Jack Junker leads the receiving corps after having 1,147 yards receiving with 14 touchdowns last season. The Diablos have a ton of returning starters on the offensive line and has LSU commit Amaziah Siale at tackle. The secondary is a big strength for Mission Viejo with top underclassmen Jordan Hicks and UCLA commit Kiingbaraka Kizzee. Inside linebacker Cash Gervase missed nearly all of last season with a knee injury but may be back for this game and is an impact player.
Loyola vs. Crean Lutheran
Loyola ended Crean Lutheran’s season in the playoffs in 2024 in the only meeting between the two teams. If Crean Lutheran wants to be taken seriously as a top 10 team in the Southern Section, it has to win games like this. The Saints return Arizona commit Caden Jones at quarterback who only had one turnover last season. Arizona commit Ty Johnson is back to lead the receiving corps along with Lincoln transfer Braylen Ross. Crean Lutheran’s defense is led by two St. John Bosco transfers in Arizona commit Jacob Whitehead and Ahmeer Williamson. Inglewood transfer Kinley Victorian is a guy to watch along with freshman Jordan Terry.
Loyola has two returning quarterbacks in senior Gavin Grabe and junior JC Rising. Tobias Thuss leads the returning receivers and Kane Casani is one of the best returning two-way players in the Southern Section. He ran for 660 yards with 7 touchdowns last season and led the defense with 166 tackles with 3 forced fumbles.
Tustin vs. San Clemente
Tustin won this matchup to open the season last year and it was a win that earned the Tillers a lot of respect. Ayden Edwards is back at quarterback for his junior season along with top receiver Hayden Koo, who had a breakout offseason. Colorado State commit Jeremiah Salvant is another top receiver for Tustin with Jackson Perez. The Tillers are dominant in the trenches with Washington commit Jon Iaone and BYU commit Jeremiah Williams. Oklahoma commit Taven Epps is a four-year starter along with UCLA committed safety Khalil Terry.
San Clemente won its opening game in Hawaii against Kapa’a last week. Junior Preston Beck was efficient at quarterback throwing to his top two targets in San Juan Hills transfer Ryan Matheson and BYU commit Jaxson Rex. Linebacker Jack Weller leads the run defense and Cade Hogan had an interception against Kapa’a. Playing a game already is an advantage for San Clemente who may have shaken off the typical week zero sloppy play while Tustin just had a scrimmage.
St. John Bosco vs. Bishop Gorman
Multiple media members have called this an early National Championship game. St. John Bosco is the consensus number one team in the state and maybe the nation. Koa Malau’ulu is back at quarterback for his third year as the starter and looked great at the Battle at the Beach passing tournament. Kuika Moaalii is a big sophomore receiver who can cause mismatches in man coverage and David Plunkett III is a name to watch as well. Servite transfer Elisha Mueller leads the offensive line.
Bosco’s defense has a strong linebacking corps in USC commit Josiah Poyer, Washington commits Ethan Coach and Justin Coach, Ben Rivas and Gary Foster. The secondary is one of the best in the state with Washington commit Isala Wily-Ava back for his fourth year as a starter. Prentice Jones is a corner who will have a bigger role this year and Harvard commit Dorian Franklin can play all over the field. Darnell Lacy is a lengthy sophomore defensive back who will have a breakout season.
Bishop Gorman has two high-level quarterbacks in homegrown junior Ace Amina and Western (Anaheim) transfer Chance Thomas. Zyren Menor is a top junior receiver and Noah Cole is back after leading the team in rushing last season. Oregon committed cornerback Hayden Stepp is the top senior in Nevada and sophomore Brayley Manning is a rising player to watch. Tamatoa Gaoteote led the team in tackles last season and is back despite being an under-recruited player.
