Many teams are wrapping up nonleague play this week before their league gauntlets begin. TeamFB7 highlights the top matchups to watch involving Southern California high school football teams.
League play is rapidly approaching and a lot of top teams wrap nonleague play before taking byes next week. Thursday lacks marquee matchups this week but Friday has some fantastic games between top teams.
Breaking Down the Top High School Football Matchups in Southern California for Week 4
Here are some of the top Southern California high school football games in the area to keep an eye on this week.
Friday
JSerra vs. Bishop Amat
Bishop Amat is the top team in the San Gabriel Valley this season, but hasn’t yet faced any challenges. Domenico Duran is averaging 199 passing yards per game with 8 touchdowns and zero interceptions. The Lancers also average 213 yards per game on the ground with 15 touchdowns. A strength for Bishop Amat is its pass rush with 22 sacks. KJ Paea leads the team with 8 sacks and has a team-high 26 tackles. JSerra has two high-level tackles to neutralize the pass rush in Colorado State commit Jack Schein and top 2028 recruit Lincoln Fa’alafi. The Lions haven’t been challenged much either since their season-opening loss to Sierra Canyon. Hayes Cloutier threw 4 touchdown passes on just 7 completions last week and UCLA commit Godschoice Eboigbodin had 3 sacks a week ago.
Pittsburg vs. Mission Viejo
Mission Viejo’s lone loss of the season came when it played a Northern California team in Folsom. Sophomore quarterback Brett Burnor averages 200 yards per game and has only played in the first half in two games this season. Duke commit Luke Karby has been his favorite target this season with 10 more receptions than anybody else on the team. Jordan Hicks leads Mission Viejo’s secondary and UCLA commit Kiingbaraka Kizzee is now eligible after transferring from Orange Lutheran. Pittsburg competed well against St. John Bosco two weeks ago. Javale Jones has 8 touchdown passes with no interceptions and the Pirates rush for 164 yards per game.
Yorba Linda vs. Huntington Beach
Both these teams are 4-0 and among the top 10 teams in Orange County. Andrew Churney played quarterback last week for an injured Noah Trujillo and threw for 317 yards with 3 touchdowns in a Yorba Linda win over Esperanza. Isaiah Trujillo is a top two-way player who ran for two scores last week for the Mustangs. Yorba Linda has the best offensive line that Huntington Beach will play all season which is something to keep an eye on. Ohio State commit Brady Edmunds has completed 70 percent of his passes for 207 yards per game with 11 touchdowns for Huntington Beach. Skylar Robinson and Dylin Bruce are two big playmakers for the Oilers and Bruce was offered by Alabama this week. The Arizona State commit had 3 kick return touchdowns last week in a win over Redondo Union which is a school-record.
Bishop Gorman vs. Mater Dei
Mater Dei’s defense shined in a win over Centennial last week. DJ Clanton had 3 sacks and Mike Davis Jr. had a sack with an interception. Danny Lang is a lock down corner who can cut the field in half with his coverage. Mater Dei’s offense has struggled and is playing three quarterbacks each week. Freshman Paytyn Guess has showed the best playmaking ability of the group but coach Raul Lara said he isn’t ready to take all the snaps yet. Asir Nembhard is a big play threat at running back along with Mark Allen.
Bishop Gorman beat a Trinity League team this season in St. John Bosco to open the season, but loss to Columbus in a big upset. Ace Amina throws for 222 yards per game with 9 touchdowns and running back Noah Cole leads the Gaels in rushing. Tayaun Lawrence gets into the backfield well for Bishop Gorman, which is playing its third road game in a row.
Orange Lutheran vs. Sierra Canyon
These are two teams that are likely to be in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs and could meet again in November. Orange Lutheran has won three straight games after losing a heartbreaker in its opener against Miami Central. The secondary is a bright spot for Orange Lutheran with twin corners Anhor Johnson and King Rich Johnson and playmaking safety Chauncey Washington II. The offensive line is good for Orange Lutheran as well with Texas commit Lucas Rhoa and sophomore Mario Luna.
It’s a good thing Orange Lutheran has a good offensive line because Sierra Canyon has the best defensive line in the state. Texas commit Kasi Currie has been dominant inside and defensive ends Stephan Harrison and Marcus Fakatou shine as well. Fakatou transferred to Sierra Canyon from Orange Lutheran and will be looking to have a big game against his former teammates. For an in depth breakdown and players to watch from this game, click here.
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