OCVarsity’s reactions, predictions and favorites to kick off Week 4 of the football season – Orange County Register

It’s the start of Week 4 of the high school football season, a good time to take a quick look back at Week 3 and start getting ready for this week’s big games.

Who stood out last week? Who will win this week’s big game? Who is on the rise in the rankings?

The OCVarsity Blitz chased down reporters Steve Fryer, Dan Albano and Michael Huntley, who are the three voters in the weekly Orange County Top 25, and asked them to answer a rapid-fire series of questions.

Here comes the Week 4 blitz …

The big story in Week 3 was …?

Fryer: JSerra going to San Diego to beat Lincoln 28-19 to strengthen JSerra’s status as an elite team. Lincoln had been ranked as the San Diego Section’s No. 1 team. Lions quarterback Ryan Hopkins scored on runs of 61 and 34 yards and threw two touchdown passes.

Albano: San Clemente handing Corona del Mar its first shutout since 2009 in a 28-0 victory. The Sea Kings have won several championships since 2009 and produced some of Orange County’s best offenses but this was a stunning result. San Clemente’s effort also helped the Alpha League flex its muscle with a 4-0 week.

Huntley: The Alpha League is just fine. San Clemente and Edison got off to rough starts but their dominant wins over Corona del Mar and Palos Verdes, respectively, in Week 3 show that the teams are still better than the vast majority of teams in the county. Mission Viejo is the best public school team in the state and Los Alamitos bounced back from a loss with a blowout win over St. Paul.

My Player of the Week was …?

Fryer: Kenny Saucedo of La Habra. Very few quarterbacks also play defense. Saucedo does, manning a safety position for the Highlanders and also is a special teams contributor. He ran for a touchdown, passed for a touchdown and returned a punt for a touchdown in La Habra’s 42-8 win over Orange, the Highlanders’ third win in a row.

Albano: JSerra linebacker Madden Faraimo with 11 total tackles and a sack in a 28-19 win against San Diego power Lincoln. The senior looks like a contender for Orange County defensive player of the year.

Huntley: Gino Marchetti, Foothill. Marchetti threw for 241 yards with a touchdown and two rushing touchdowns in Foothill’s 42-41 win over Troy. The senior ran for the game-winning touchdown with 24 seconds left to seal the win. He is part of a Marchetti family that has had great success at Foothill. Roman Marchetti was an All-County football player and now plays at USC and his cousin Mia Marchetti was the Register’s girls lacrosse Player of the Year.

Matchup fans should pay attention to in Week 4?

Fryer: Yorba Linda vs. Tustin on Saturday. Both teams are 4-0. (Yorba is 3-1 on the field; the Mustangs’ loss to San Jacinto became a forfeit win when San Jacinto self-reported that it used an ineligible player in that game.) Tustin is winning by large margins. Yorba Linda scored a touchdown and an extra point with five seconds left to beat Edison 22-21 three weeks ago. This past Friday the Mustangs scored a touchdown and added the 2-point conversion with 11 seconds remaining to beat Charter Oak 29-28.

Albano: Mission Viejo (4-0) will be in the spotlight Friday when it plays host to Arizona juggernaut Basha (3-0).

Huntley: The most interesting game is between Tustin and Yorba Linda. Yorba Linda is coming off a gritty win over a Charter Oak team that is full of players committed to Division I colleges. Running back Cole Nerio has been a touchdown machine and Holden Nagin hasn’t put up gaudy numbers but has made two clutch throws to win games this season. Tustin was without star running back Eimesse Essis last week and still cruised to a win over Fountain Valley. Yorba Linda is the toughest test Tustin has this season and if the Tillers win, another 10-0 season is in reach.

(Fill in the blank) is undefeated and better than I expected.

Fryer: Beckman is undefeated and better than I expected. The Patriots’ best win was over Canyon 45-28 two weeks ago. I’ve already got an eye on their game on Nov. 1 against Marina because both could be undefeated and playing for the Lambda League championship.

Albano: Marina is undefeated and better than I expected. The Vikings have the makings of a balanced team and are pushing for a spot in the O.C. Top 25. They impressed in a 31-7 win against Pacifica last week and have an opportunity to make a statement against Esperanza on Friday. Marina has an exciting playmaker in Shane Cassidy and an aggressive defense coordinated by Eric Johnson.

Huntley: Dana Hills is undefeated and better than I expected. Dana Hills entered the season with a young offensive line but has helped running back Radley Geiss rush for at least 100 yards in every game this season. Vanden Dugger, a transfer quarterback from Arizona,  has been an excellent dual-threat quarterback and Thompson Foulger leads the state in tackles. Dana Hills is a contender to win an underrated Foxtrot League this season.

(Fill in the blank) is quickly becoming one of my favorite players to watch.

Fryer: JSerra linebacker Madden Faraimo is quickly becoming one of my favorite players to watch. Linebacker is an action-packed position to play on the defensive side of the ball and this guy packs in the action. Faraimo (6-3, 215), who has offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, UCLA, USC and many others, had seven solo tackles and a sack in JSerra’s 28-19 win over Lincoln.

Albano: Tomu Topui of Mater Dei is quickly becoming one of my favorite players to watch. The 6-foot-3, 315-pound junior is a must-watch player. The defensive tackle can not only produce bone-jarring tackles but is athletic enough to return an interception or blocked punt for a score. He’s done both already this season. Defensive linemen usually never score but Topui has three TDs in his past five games. It seems only a matter of time until he appears at fullback like he did in the finals last season against St. John Bosco. And what happened that time? He caught a touchdown.

Huntley: Tesoro quarterback Cash O’Byrne is being asked to put Tesoro’s offense on his back and he has delivered. O’Byrne is averaging 349 yards per game with 10 passing touchdowns and a team-high five rushing touchdowns. He is a much better quarterback than he was last season and if Tesoro wins games in the Bravo League, it will be a credit to O’Byrne’s development.

Which coach is the most fun (or entertaining) to talk to before or after games?

Fryer: Rick Feldman of Cypress. His team could win by 40 points and he still is worried about something with his team.

Albano: Mission Viejo’s Chad Johnson is an entertaining interview because he often opens up honestly about his thoughts on a victory or loss. He also brings energy with his responses.

Huntley: Mission Viejo coach Chad Johnson is never afraid to tell you exactly what is on his mind and is refreshingly honest. Cypress coach Rick Feldman always has a sense of humor and isn’t afraid to crack a few jokes in postgame interviews.