Southern California High School Football Report: Ed. 1, Issue 2: The Friday Blitz, a weekly look at Prep Football in Southern California
We answer 10 Burning Questions, a book review, and a final thought for the week.
(photo: Arnold Leos Graphics)
Before we get started with our 10 burning questions, a couple of notes.
Many of you are curious about what our football previews look like. Here’s an example of a team preview from last year. Remember two things: 1) We analyze each game on the schedule. 2) For some teams, Manny Alvarez from “The Student Section Report” will provide a breakdown of the school’s student section. This is something you won’t find in other publications.
Finally, with your subscription, we will be having team previews for girls' flag football from throughout the Southern Section. Girls' Flag Football is the fastest-growing sport in the Southern Section, and we will answer the bell with team previews. Most, if not all, will not be behind a paywall.
These are exciting times for your newsletter. There is no better time to become a subscriber (and if you want to be part of our ever-growing high school athletics community, become a paid subscriber).
And now it’s time for ….
10 BURNING QUESTIONS FOR THE START OF SUMMER FOOTBALL
1) Do 7-on-7 football tournaments have a redeeming value?
Yes and No. First, no one remembers the results of these tournaments when August comes and real football starts. That’s something to keep in mind when you hear know-it-alls talk about passing league tournaments as if they were the NBA finals. These tournaments give a glimpse of what a team might look like athletically. Add in football parents acting like this is just another form of AAU basketball and losing their minds, and it’s easy to see why many of us are tired of covering these events. Throw in offensive coordinators designing pass plays that have no relation to what will be called on Friday nights, and the relevance of these results diminishes even more. What can you learn from these tournaments? Competitiveness. Which teams show top-level competitiveness? The best players are easily singled out, and team chemistry is evident. That can translate to Friday night football. But if someone tells you that you can pick a sectional champion from these events, just laugh (and don’t tell that to the linemen, who are a vital part of the team).
Photos: Taegan Maysami
2) Are we heading to another Mater Dei vs. St. John Bosco final in 2025 in D1?
If past performance is any indication, the answer is yes. These teams don’t rebuild; they reload. Plus, with all the talent accumulated starting at the freshman level, don’t expect anything to change soon. Mater Dei is loaded. They have three players from the top 10 teams in the state (based on ratings from 247 Sports) playing on Friday night. They have a tight end in Mark Bowman who will be in the NFL, a defensive linemen (Tomuhini Topui) who are every DL coach's dream. This gives them the flexibility to run a three- or four-man defensive front. What a luxury. St. John Bosco’s highest-rated player is Madden Williams (#27) at wide receiver, and scouts love him. He is the third-highest rated WR in the state behind Kayden Dixon-Wyatt (#9) of Mater Dei and Santa Margarita’s Trent Mosley (whom we love). Bosco also has a highly rated defensive back in Joshua Holland and elite safety Isala Aisa Wily-Ava in 2027. So yes, it looks like we’re heading for another collision course between Bosco and Mater Dei in the finals.
3) Does anyone figure to compete against Corona Centennial to win the Big 8?
We always think that Centennial might come back to the field after a key loss due to graduation, transfer, or leaving, etc. And then we get it thrown into our face when they overwhelm their opponents and score at a rate that would leave YouTube sensation Vegas Matt blush. That’s going to be the case in 2025. They have 21 players who currently have Division 1 scholarship offers. It’s a number that just makes you shake your head in amazement. The big question is who the starting quarterback for CC with the departure of Husan Longstreet to USC will be Daniel Catalano (64-130, 917). He started or played in nine games in 2024 and appears to be ready to get on the horse. The closest game they played was against Murrieta Valley (D2 finalist), and they do have a lot of talented players returning from last year’s team. Looks like a Centennial, Murrieta Valley exacta is the right play here.
4) Will Mission Viejo make it to the semifinals?
I almost want to avoid answering this question until we get a team preview from Coach Chad Johnson. We ran into Coach Johnson a few months ago, and he is extremely excited about the upcoming season. They have the key positional player returning in QB Luke Fahey (105-137, 1638 yards, 17 touchdowns), who will now have no one looking behind his back like he did last year with Drai Trudeau. This is his team now, which should boost his confidence mentally. He’ll also have an elite receiver in Vance Spafford (#10 in the state rankings for 247). We like the look of several other teams as well, but I want to wait until I get a detailed update from Johnson before I give an answer. I’m playing a coffin corner punt here.
5) Who wins the Mission League?
On the surface, it has to be Sierra Canyon. They always seem to gather top-tier talent, and they boast two key players in Richard Wesley (#3), a state player who plays defensive end, and Havon Finney (CB), ranked as the ninth-best player statewide in the class of 2026 according to the latest 247 rankings. That alone makes them the early favorite. Add in CB Madden Riordan (#44 in state), WR Ja’Myron Baker (#47 in state), WR Massiah Mingo (#73 in state), QB Laird Finkel (#81 in state), and Jerod Terry (#137 in state), and that’s just the senior class. With rising stars like Kasi Currie, Jaxsen Stokes, and Myles Baker in a highly talented junior group, it’s clear why the Trailblazers are the overwhelming favorites to win. Chaminade also has promising 2027 talents worth watching. Notre Dame features an electrifying wide receiver in the class of 2026, and Bishop Amat has a new head coach in Kory Minor, who is quickly bringing in transfers. But for now, Sierra Canyon is our early pick to win the Mission League title this year.
6) Of all the new coaches entering their first year as a head coach for a new team, who figures to have the biggest success in 2025?
Loaded question, especially when you consider that, thanks to Chris Fore’s excellent spreadsheet, here are 110 new coaches in Southern California. Here are three that I think will have immediate success in 2025.
1) Ben McEnroe – The longtime coach at Cal Lutheran is leaving Thousand Oaks for Heritage Christian, making him the perfect fit for this type of job. He has a few transfers coming in and is in a league where he should be considered the favorite. Heritage Christian has just gotten better with this coach roaming the sidelines.
2) Matthew Hatchette – This comes with a bit of personal bias. I had the chance to work with “Hatch” at Crespi for one season, and it was a pleasure to collaborate with him. He understands the wide receiver position, having played it in the NFL, and steps into a fantastic situation with one of the top quarterbacks in California, Brady Edmunds. I heard an OC coach tell me last year, “He is the best quarterback I’ve faced in 25 years.” The team's leading receiver, Troy Foster, is back as well. “Hatch” has to be feeling pretty good about himself in his first year with the Oilers.
3) Ryan Lawrence – When it comes to coaching in the San Gabriel Valley, there is no tougher place to coach (among public schools) than Glendora HS. It was such a shame for Brandon Rohrer to step down; you won’t find a better coach in the area than Rohrer. However, Lawrence, who has been a longtime assistant with the program, steps into a favorable situation. From the reports we’re receiving, Sebastian Lawrence seems to be the clubhouse leader for the starting quarterback position this year. With talented players Aidan Yamazaki and Aspen Supernant returning, there’s no reason to believe that Glendora shouldn’t be a strong contender to win the Sierra.
Others include: Jim Singiser (Arroyo), Jorge Saldana (Firebaugh), Mitch Olsen (Fountain Valley)
7) Was Millikan’s 2024 Moore League championship season a fluke?
Absolutely not. The Rams finished the season with a rating of 35.1, placing them 40th in the CIF Southern Section according to HSratings.com. It is an improvement of 10 spots from 2023, and you can be assured that Millikan will either be in Div. 3 or Div. 4 when the CIFSS playoffs begin. The Rams have many pieces to replace in 2025, including the QB and RB positions. We’ll let Coach Romeo Pellum fill us in on who’s in and who’s out at the Long Beach-based campus, but last year’s run was not a fluke, and you can be assured that they will be a prime contender for a Moore League title in 2025.
8) Who is a possible Div. 1 sleeper in 2025?
You need to look beyond the MOTO teams and seek out someone who can make an impact, and that team is Santa Margarita. No one is talking about the Eagles, but they recently made headlines by hiring former star Carson Palmer as head coach. He was an outstanding player in his day, but will he have the competitiveness necessary to lead the Eagles on a deep playoff run? We say yes. Palmer steps into a situation that features DL Simote Katoanga (#13, 247 CA ratings for 2026), RB Trent Mosley (#20, 2026), WR Jonah Smith (#38), CB Jaden Crowder (#55, 2026), DL Isaia Vandermade (#81, 2027), and more. We’ll be heading down to SM early in July to check out the Eagles. From what we see, we are definitely investing in this team.
Palos Verdes QB Ryan Rakowski. (Photo: Arnold Leos Graphics)
9) Does Palos Verdes win another CIFSS championship?
That’s a great question. The job Guy Gardner did with that program to win a state title last year was extraordinary. Limiting La Serna’s offense as they did was impressive to watch. However, when you have a QB with the talent junior Ryan Rakowski possesses (220-340, 2,809 yards, 24 TDs), it’s hard not to think that PV will make another run in 2025. Most of the top players from last year’s team, including RB Morley Boyd and WR Andrew Habif, are back. And you won’t find a better underclass ILB than Weston Reis. The game that stands out is their Sept. 12 home game against Edison of Huntington Beach. They’ll be just fine in the league and should be a strong contender for another deep playoff run.
10) Who is an early sleeper in the IE to make a deep playoff run?
This is early (and I have the right to change my opinion in August), but my team is in Citrus Valley. When was the last time you saw a Kurt Bruich-coached team going 3-7 for the season? It doesn’t happen often. I had a chance to watch an interview he did with the “Pope of the IE,” Pepe Fernandez, and he said that he’s “never had as much fun as he has with this team.” That should be all you need to know when it comes to CV. Remember, they finished third in the Citrus Belt League standings and narrowly lost to Peninsula 17-14. From a skill player’s point of view, they don’t lose much from 2025. Citrus Valley is my early pick in 2025.
BOOK REVIEW
The Art of Winning, Lessons from My Life in Football, Bill Belichick, Simon & Schuster
From time to time, we offer a book review that we think might be helpful for anyone who is a coach, regardless of the sport. This week, it’s a good one from one of the legendary coaches in the game, Bill Belichick. In his first foray into the world of writing, Belichick doesn’t hold back when it comes to his philosophy of coaching.
It begins in the introduction when he opines that “as your job or role in life changes, you have to evolve and adjust too.” Once you start reading, it helps to have a notebook at your side to collect all the treasure trove of nuggets he presents. He discusses motivation, handling success, Star Players, preparation, mistakes, communication, and much more.
If you expect him to explain his thoughts on Cover 4, blitzing the “A Gaps,” Pattern Matching, and other scheme-related questions, this is definitely not the book for you.
But if you’re looking to become a better coach from a mental standpoint, then this is the book for you. As a perfect example, in the first chapter he writes, “To reach your ultimate goal, you cannot try to master the result. You must master a process. A good process results in good habits. Consistent good habits result in dependability. The goal is to have a good consistent process – and good results will follow. Then, winning becomes a practice. And finally, a habit. In other words, when we prepare to win, we prepare to win all the time.”
That paragraph provides tremendous insight into the book. That’s why I say you should have a notebook (and a highlighter) ready for action at any moment. One thing you can be sure of is that you will take away different things from your book than someone else. His thoughts on handling “Star Players” are worth the price of the book.
What sucks is that this book is not getting the much-deserved attention it merits. Belichick should be on a book tour discussing a work that will stand the test of time. Instead, the mainstream media has chosen to focus on his personal life, which is a shame.
The book is priced at $35, but you can find it on Amazon right now for $23 (if you are a Prime member) or $16 if you want it on your Kindle device.
Grade: A-
Rio Hondo Prep after their state championship game in 2024.
FINALLY…
We have a football team in the San Gabriel Valley that is being penalized for its greatness. This should never be the case, but that’s life in an area that grows jealous of a team that has sustained excellence.
That team is Rio Hondo Prep.
The team hails from a school with a total student population of 120 students (including both boys and girls).
This is not a misprint. Not 1,200. Not 12,000… 120!
The Arcadia-based campus was once the king of 8-Man football in the late 90s. Then they moved to lower division 11-man football and continued to win and contend for sectional titles.
With the change in playoff philosophy from the CIF Southern Section, using real-time data, one might think it would benefit teams like Rio Hondo Prep.
Except that it hasn’t. The school with only 120 students has won back-to-back CIF Southern Section titles in Divisions 9 and 7. Last year's championship win against Warren was 43-16, in which a local reporter covering the game said that Warren would easily win this game.
Instead of crying about the system and not being fair to them, Coach Mark Carson and his staff and players have taken the high road. They’ve poured every ounce of soul into the program and continue to confound the experts.
The crazy thing was that when Rio Hondo Prep joined the Prep League, other teams like Pasadena Poly scoffed at them and said, “They’ll find out what football is all about.” Well, it’s Rio Hondo Prep that is getting the last laugh.
When was the game that became a reflection point for the changing of the guard in Prep League football? I believe it came in 2019.
The Kares defeated Pasadena Poly, 28-21. I should know, I was there for that game on that day, covering the game for the Pasadena Star-News. It was one of the great games that I’ve ever attended. Both teams played their hearts out for the only automatic qualifier from the league into the playoffs.
It wasn’t big-time high school football, but it was high school football at its purest.
The game’s result left collateral damage for Pasadena Poly. Chris Schmoke, who was the head football coach at Poly, left to take a similar job in Wisconsin after the 2021 season. Then you throw in the COVID-19 pandemic, and it left teams like Pasadena Poly in a state of flux.
And it hasn’t recovered since those events.
The Prep League changed its status to an 8-Man League, and teams like Rio Hondo Prep and Pasadena Poly were cast aside like homeless individuals. It took some time, but both teams found new homes: RHP in the Gold Coast League and Pasadena Poly in the Mission Valley.
RHP has won consecutive league and sectional titles, and Pasadena Poly, which laughed at RHP years ago, has compiled a three-year record of 8-21.
As if that weren't enough, Pasadena Poly officials informed those at Rio Hondo Prep that they are canceling their series with the Kares—just three months before the start of the 2025 season.
Now that’s a shame.
Instead of investing resources in their team to improve, Pasadena Poly has essentially waved the white flag.
Now, it’s time for Rio Hondo Prep to seek a Week 10 game, which is nearly impossible. Most teams have solidified their schedules for the season. For Rio Hondo Prep, finding a Week 10 game is like trying to use a metal detector to find coins on the surface of a beach.
In this situation, no one wins – especially Rio Hondo Prep.
The likely outcome is that RHP will have to play nine games and make the most of them. And it’s anyone’s guess as to where they will be placed in the CIFSS playoffs.
For a school that was once laughed at because of the “they’ll get an idea of what football is really about” philosophy for other teams in the Prep League, the Kares are getting the last laugh.
And their reward? A 9-game season in 2025.
What a shame.
Next week, we’d like to do a mailbag segment for our Friday column. If you are a high school football fan in Southern California and have a question, please send it, and we’ll use it.
See you next week.