St. John Bosco went undefeated Saturday to claim the 2026 Edison Battle at the Beach championship.
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — The annual Edison Battle at the Beach event typically serves as a preview of the upcoming season across Southern California. It tends to feature the top teams from the area. Plus, many of the top players opt to participate making it an intriguing event each year.
The 2026 edition of the Edison Battle at the Beach again put a number of the top teams and players on the same field. It provided plenty of exciting moments and a chance to think about the upcoming season.
Here is a look back at the biggest takeaways after watching all the top matchups throughout the event.
St. John Bosco Claims Edison Battle At The Beach Title
Jason Negro and his staff at St. John Bosco routinely have one of the best rosters in the country. The Braves are always stacked with talent, and that is again the case this year. Bosco returns several key contributors on both sides of the ball, and most of that group was on the field Saturday.
The end result was an undefeated day and a championship for the Braves. St. John Bosco defeated Corona-Centennial in the championship round, 31-21. Many of the teams that will be taking part in the Southern Section Division 1 Playoffs were in action Saturday.
So, it was no small feat to go undefeated in the event for the Braves.
Bosco was a bit shorthanded on defense with elite junior safety Brandon Nash not playing. Still, it was a good indication of what’s to come for the Braves this season. The championship game win over Centennial was impressive, but a dominant 21-9 victory over Orange Lutheran proved how strong SJB will be this year.
Junior QB Koa Malau’ulu played with plenty of intensity and guided a strong day for the Bosco offense. 2028 WRs DJ Tubbs and Jacob Reid shined throughout the day while 2029 playmakers David Plunkett III and Kuika Moaalii had several highlight plays.
USC linebacker commit Josiah Poyer and Vanderbilt safety commit Dillon Davis shined on defense for St. John Bosco.
Top Seniors Back Up The Hype
Southern California is a talent-rich state, so there will always be a wealth of elite prospects on the field. The rising senior class is stocked with future college players, and many of the big names shined Saturday. Quentin Hale (Centennial) is a player we have watched at multiple events this offseason, and he continuously delivers when his number is called.
He won MVP at the Los Angeles stop of The Opening earlier this year. Saturday, he continued to show why he’s headed to play at USC, and why he will be difficult to slow down for the Huskies this season. Hale has great body control and an impressive ability to make difficult plays look easy. He made several touchdown catches for Centennial en route to a runner-up finish.
Long Beach Poly finished its day with a 2-3 record, and its two biggest stars factored into both wins. Miami-bound cornerback Donte Wright and UCLA commit Juju Johnson are as talented of a CB tandem that you’ll find in the country. Johnson played a lot on offense Saturday for the Jackrabbits but still looked the part of a high-level playmaker. Wright came up with a big interception against Servite in a two-point win marking just a portion of his impressive day. Wright shows up to every event and consistently locks down his side of the field.
Linebackers Show Out
Linebacker is a difficult position to play in the 7-on-7 world. The greatest asset of a linebacker — an ability to tackle — is taken away leaving coverage ability as the prime marker of a successful day. Still, there were several impressive linebackers on display Saturday at the Edison Battle at the Beach.
Tustin’s Taven Epps, who is committed to Oklahoma, is widely regarded as the top senior linebacker in the state. He shined and pulled double duty playing offense for the Tillers on Saturday. He has impressive size but doesn’t give up much with his coverage skills. Servite linebacker and Washington commit Isaiah Leilua had arguably the best day among the linebackers. He had a big interception against Santa Margarita and has a strong presence at the position.
Leilua and 2028 linebacker Allen Kennett V will give the Friars an imposing duo at the linebacker spots this season. Both shined in their ability to cover and be disruptive Saturday.
Poyer was particularly impressive for Bosco during its run to the championship. He is at his best with pads on, but the USC-bound prospect has enough speed and athleticism to play in coverage. Poyer showed that in several instances at the Edison Battle at the Beach.
Junior Playmakers In SoCal Shine At Edison Battle At The Beach
If California is going to have one thing it is defensive backs and receivers. The skill positions are always loaded in the region, and the 2028 class in particular is one to watch. The rising junior group shined across the board Saturday as each player reaches an important time in their development.
The day began with standout play from Palos Verdes two-way star Jalen Flowers. He will settle in on defense in college, but his abilities as a receiver were present on Saturday, too. On back-to-back drives against Centennial, Flowers caught a touchdown pass and came up with an interception. He has a knack for being in the right spot on defense, and offensively his pure athleticism makes a difference.
We love his confidence as well.
Over at Mission Viejo, Jordan Hicks is one of most wanted juniors by college programs in the region. The standout cornerback is elite, and he continued to make strong plays Saturday. He is disruptive and has a strong football IQ. It adds to his overall profile as a cornerback
We have already discussed what Tubbs showed in Bosco’s championship run. However, Tustin’s Hayden Koo is just as electric of a playmaker at the receiver position. We loved what we saw from both players at last month’s OT7 Finals, and they continued that Saturday.
Koo has become a master of making plays in traffic. He shines with his ability to outrun defenses and use his playmaking skills to haul in touchdowns. The 2028 receiver plays with a ton of confidence and fire. That was on display again Saturday as he continued to show that he is as sure of a pass-catcher as there is in Southern California.
