Posted by Irvine Sign Company
Posted by Irvine Business Sign Company
Editor’s note: Michael Huntley writes about the “under the radar” players, teams, rivalries, uniforms, school bands — anything to do with the Orange County high school football scene.
This will be the final OCVarsity Under the Radar Report of the season.
Under the Radar Offensive Player to Watch: Laguna Beach’s Sean Nolan
Laguna Beach is one of the more surprising success stories in Orange County this year, largely due to quarterback Andrew Johnson and three-year starting receiver Sean Nolan.
The Breakers have their first 10-win season since 2012 and they earned a share of the Pac 4 League title. Their dominant passing attack helped make that happen.
Johnson has been outstanding in his first year as the team’s starting quarterback by throwing for 256 yards per game with 41 touchdowns.
Nolan is Johnson’s primary target and is quietly the fifth-leading receiver in Orange County. The senior has caught 70 passes for 1,184 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Nolan has been a staple of the offense during all three years of John Shanahan’s tenure at Laguna Beach and has become a reliable leader for the Breakers.
“He has been able to come to the sidelines on multiple occasions this year and tell us what he thinks he can get on a big play, and almost every time he has been right on,” Shanahan said. “He brings a level of confidence to our team in times of struggle. We know we can dial up a play for Sean when we are struggling and will be able to get the offense going.”
The Breakers have had no problem getting the offense going in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Nolan has 14 receptions for 318 yards and five touchdowns in Laguna Beach’s wins over Saddleback Valley Christian and Northwood. Johnson has thrown for 625 yards and eight touchdowns in the playoffs.
“Ultimately I think they both work so well together because they trust each other,” Shanahan said.
Laguna Beach will play Artesia in the Division 12 semifinals Friday. The Pioneers won a close game against Rio Hondo Prep in the quarterfinals. Artesia hasn’t allowed less than 24 points in a game this season, so the Breakers should have some scoring opportunities.
The Pioneers average 44 points per game on offense, largely due to running back Travys Davis, who has rushed for 1,788 yards and 24 touchdowns this season.
“Artesia is going to bring incredible talent to the game on Friday night,” Shanahan said. “Their quarterback and running back are as good as anybody we have seen this year. We are going to have to play very clean to have a chance to slow them down.”
The Breakers and Pioneers have two common opponents this season. Both teams narrowly beat Rio Hondo Prep, and both teams lost to Western. For what it’s worth, Laguna Beach was much more competitive against Western than Artesia was.
Under the Radar Defensive Player to Watch: Western’s Caine Savage
The Savage brothers of Western are certainly not under the radar as offensive weapons. Caine Savage is second in the county in receiving yards with 1,432 and has 22 touchdowns. His brother Cassius is also among the top 25 receivers in the county with 795 yards and 12 touchdowns.
But not many people give the Savage brothers the credit they deserve as defensive backs. Caine Savage is a shutdown corner and leads the team with seven interceptions.
“He has great feet and understanding of the route combinations the receiver wants to run,” Western coach Dan Davidson said. “His biggest attribute is his film work. He puts in a lot of time studying on who he is guarding. His understanding of the game and quick reactions to the adjustments the wide receiver is trying to make is pretty special.”
A major contributor to the Savage brothers’ success on defense is the pass rush of the Western front seven. The Pioneers have 36 sacks this season, led by Simi Ah-Loe (9 sacks). James Mendoza and Danny Walters III each have eight sacks for Western. Ellis Nguyen also provides a good rush from the inside side of the line with Walters.
“Those guys put so much pressure on the defense and allows the playmakers on the backside to make plays,” Davidson said. “The quarterback has been forced to throw the ball earlier than they want to, forcing these mistakes.”
This week Western plays Beaumont, which is led by star receiver Brennen Jenkyns, who has 865 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns. The Cougars have scored 31 touchdowns through the air this season.
“The key to slowing him (Jenkyns) down will be our understanding of their scheme and Caine Savage guarding him most of the time,” Davidson said. “That young man is special, but I have a few guys that our pretty good ball players themselves. I know they are looking forward to the challenge. He is a solid route runner, they put him in good places to be successful and he can go and get it.”
If Western can prevent Jenkyns from making big plays, the Pioneers should advance to their first CIF championship game since 2004.
Under the Radar Game to Watch in the semifinals: Brea Olinda vs. North Torrance
Division 9 was full of county teams in the top 25. Brea Olinda was not one of those teams, but it is one of the last two county teams standing in Division 9.
The Wildcats narrowly beat Norte Vista of Riverside last week with two touchdowns from Nathan Wyse and a field goal by sophomore Kyle O’Brien.
Brea has found a successful formula with its offense, scoring 14 touchdowns in its last three games. Senior quarterback Jacob Moon has been efficient, throwing five touchdowns in those last three games with no interceptions. Wyse has been the playmaker, as usual, scoring eight touchdowns during that three-game span.
The Wildcats’ defense has been an unsung hero recently. Noah Tango had 20 tackles against Norte Vista and was named Orange County defensive player of the week. Kion Marshall has been a valuable piece of the Wildcats’ defense, tallying a team-high 18 tackles for a loss and adding 4.5 sacks. Eugene Kim is the team’s leading tackler with 120, including 18 against Norte Vista.
“Those three kids are talented and all have had a very outstanding season,” Brea Olinda coach Robb Perrance said. “They have had great games because they have executed their part in the defensive scheme from week to week. It’s really a reflection of the defensive team on the field, each guy buying into the package and collectively playing solid team defense.”
The Brea defense will have its hands full Friday with North Torrance running back Stephen Bradford, who has rushed for 1,863 yards and 22 touchdowns this season.
“My feeling on (Bradford’s effectiveness) based on the film I’ve seen is he has good size, speed, agility, and appears to have good vision,” Perrance said. “He runs hard. Just a gifted young man and they get him the ball.”
North Torrance is 1-1 against Orange County teams this season, suffering an early-season loss to Fountain Valley and a thrilling win against Orange in the first round of the playoffs. The Saxons narrowly beat San Marino in the quarterfinals as Bradford rushed for 332 yards and three touchdowns.
If Brea beats North Torrance, the Wildcats will advance to their first CIF championship game since 2015 when they lost to Canyon in the final.
Under the Radar storyline: Styles make fights.
There is a cliche but true expression in the boxing and mixed martial arts world: styles make fights. The same is true in football.
I mean, hopefully there won’t be any fights breaking out Friday, but different styles create intriguing matchups.
For instance, Santa Ana plays Kaiser of Fontana in the Division 8 semifinals on Friday. This game is a reporter’s dream as it features two teams that run the ball relentlessly — which means a faster game and no problems making deadline. Patrick McMorris ran the ball 36 times in Santa Ana’s quarterfinal win over Temecula Valley. It’s easy to see why the Saints prefer running the ball as McMorris rushed for 306 yards in that game and is averaging 216 yards per game this season.
McMorris is the fifth-leading rusher in the county despite having played only seven games.
Kaiser ran the ball 51 times for 323 yards in its quarterfinal win against San Dimas.
This game will come down to who can prevent big plays and which offensive line is in better shape.
Western and Beaumont are teams that tend to throw the ball a lot. Western does have a good running back in Rashaan Hester, but it’s not a secret that the Western coaching staff likes putting the game in the hands of quarterback Anthony Munoz.
Beaumont doesn’t have a dominant quarterback like Munoz, but still likes to air it out. The Cougars average more pass attempts per game than Western.
“Both teams like to throw the ball. We both run it enough to set up the pass,” Davidson said. “We both have playmakers all over the field, so the team that takes care of the ball and makes those few special plays will move on to the championship game.”
I expect 70 pass attempts between these two teams and a game that lasts approximately four hours. I do not envy the reporter who has to cover this game. Wait a second, (checks notes) phew. It’s not me.
Sometimes it’s tough to get emotionally invested in a week where so few county teams play each other. But when you examine the matchups, it gets more fun. It is exciting to see two fantastic offensive lines play each other, or a dominant pass defense play a gifted quarterback.
[Read More ...]
Posted by Irvine Sign Maker
For Free Sign Estimate Visit: Lighted Channel Letters Irvine ca
Posted by https://goo.gl/TXzGV5
No comments:
Post a Comment