It’s the start of Week 10 of the high school football season, a good time to take a quick look back at Week 9 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 Monday morning.

Here comes the Week 10 blitz …

Aaryn Washington #21 of Mater Dei celebrates with Nasir Wyatt #31 after he intercepted a pass and ran it back for a touchdown while playing St. John Bosco in the first half on Oct. 25, 2024 in Santa Anna CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer) note: Stadium lights flashed on and off making the photo low quality in the dark.

What’s your reaction to Mater Dei’s rout of St. John Bosco in Week 9?

Steve Fryer: The word I have used to describe Mater Dei and will continue to use is: inevitable. The score was 59-14 and it accurately described the gap between what some had as the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in the nation. That’s no knock on Bosco, which as usual played with spirit even when the score was very one-sided. Maybe there is some team in Florida or Texas that would give Mater Dei a better challenge? Mater Dei looks untouchable.

Dan Albano: Jolted. I was stunned to see the Monarchs leading 45-0 at halftime and invoke a running clock for the entire fourth quarter. I predicted Mater Dei would win big but didn’t see the score turning that lopsided. St. John Bosco is so well-coached, has plenty of athletes and a winning culture. But the experienced Monarchs played an A-level game and the inexperienced Braves struggled from the opening series.

Michael Huntley: I expected Mater Dei to be the better team but, seeing the score was jarring. Mater Dei’s defense is up there amongst the best I’ve ever seen at the high school level. Quarterback Dash Beierly has gotten better each week and is a candidate for Trinity League Offensive Player of the Year. St. John Bosco is still a great team, but very young and when something goes wrong in a game for young teams, things tend to spiral. This may be a rare year that we don’t see a Mater Dei vs. St. John Bosco CIF championship game.

Is there any advice you’d give a team that has to face Mater Dei in the playoffs?

Fryer: Remember that every team is beatable. Upsets will occur, which makes sports such high drama. That’s the philosophy part. The Xs and Os part? Rush the quarterback with all of your might. Mater Dei quarterback Dash Beierly has yet to throw an interception. That is so because he is very good and also because he is getting excellent pass protection and those receivers are supreme at getting open. Try to block punts. Big plays on special teams are not as pursued as much as they should be in high school football. Block a punt, get good field position off of that and get on the attack right away – a long pass after a turnover of any sort often works because the other team still is shook up and not yet focused.

Albano: Don’t judge yourself against the Monarchs, and try to protect your QB. Mater Dei looks untouchable right now, so opponents need to maintain their perspective about their success and keep their quarterback upright.

Huntley: Don’t make plans for the following Saturday morning because it will be time to turn in your pads. In all seriousness, try to drain the play clock down to zero between plays and keep Mater Dei’s offense off the field. You can’t turn the ball over and you have to play good red zone defense to hold Mater Dei to three points on a possession instead of seven.

Was there a winner in Week 9 that surprised or impressed you?

Fryer: Laguna Beach’s 35-32 win over Dana Hills. Laguna Beach lost by 20 points the week before to Aliso Niguel. That’s quite the rebound, coming back the next week to give Dana Hills its first loss.

Laguna Beach quarterback Jackson Kollock passed for three touchdowns and ran for a TD in a 35-32 victory over Dana Hills on Friday, Oct. 25. The Breakers earned a share of first place in the Foxtrot League. (Photo by Martin Henderson)

Albano: Los Alamitos definitely impressed. The Griffins snapped a three-game slide to edge an excellent San Clemente team in a critical spot. Los Alamitos was humbled by Gardena Serra a few weeks ago but got off the mat in Week 9. That’s not easy to do when the schedule has been tough each week.

Huntley: Capistrano Valley really impressed me with its win over El Modena. I knew Capo Valley would keep the game close because quarterback Tommy Acosta does not turn the ball over. Much of the credit should go to Capo Valley’s offensive line for leading the Cougars to 151 yards rushing with two touchdowns and giving Acosta time to let passing plays develop. I also was impressed with Foothill’s comeback win over El Dorado when the Knights were missing their starting quarterback.

Was there a player who stood out in Week 9?

Fryer: Maxwell Mapstone, junior linebacker at Portola. He was credited for 29 tackles in the Bulldogs’ 28-26 win over Buena Park in an Omicron League game. Was he the only Portola player on the field when the Bulldogs were on defense? Because 29 is a lot of tackles.

Albano: Dash Beierly. The Mater Dei QB continues to improve each week and is playing at an elite level. Yes, the senior has his pick of weapons but it’s first season playing a national schedule. It’s clear that Beierly has been working hard to raise his level of play.

Dash Beierly #9 of Mater Dei passes the ball while playing St. John Bosco in the second half on Oct. 25, 2024 in Santa Anna CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Huntley: Alex Kiernan of Trabuco Hills. Kiernan had 220 yards receiving with three touchdowns on offense and added three interceptions on defense in the Mustangs’ win over Cypress. Former All-County receiver Ryan Luce has battled injuries all season and Kiernan has taken the reins as the team’s top receiver.

This is the last week of the regular season. What are your favorite matchups this week?

Fryer: The Alpha League has two beauties on Friday. Los Alamitos, coming off of a tight win over San Clemente, plays at Mission Viejo. Edison is at San Clemente. Over in the Delta League, Capistrano Valley and Tustin are tied for first place with their 4-0 league records. Both are 8-1 overall. They play each other Friday at Tustin High. Brea Olinda is 9-0 overall and 4-0 in the Kappa League. Esperanza is 6-3 overall and 3-1 in league, and might have the goods required to beat Brea. I’ve seen Esperanza play. That offense is very good, with Travis Frazier at quarterback and Coen Ali and Edward Khutshivili at receiver. In the Omicron League on Thursday it’s Pacifica at Portola. Both are 4-0 in league.

Albano: Capistrano Valley-Tustin. The winner claims the outright Delta League title.

Huntley: The two games that will decide outright league champions are my favorite matchups this week. Capo Valley and Tustin play for the Delta League title Friday and Pacifica and Portola play for the Omicron League title Thursday. Beckman will play Marina and if Marina wins we could have a three-way tie for the Lambda League title. There is also an outside chance of a five-way tie for a league title in the Foxtrot League. Northwood vs. Dana Hills is the best matchup in that league this week.

Pacifica’s Jakob Davis (6) catches a pass in the second quarter but fumbles the ball with Northwood recovering it during a football game at Irvine High School in Irvine on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Playoff pairings come out Sunday. What’s the best thing about pairings day? And the worst thing?

Fryer: Because the composition of brackets is dictated by Calpreps.com ratings, there will not be as many matchup surprises as there used to be. But it’s still going to be fun to see who plays who in the first round. The worst thing is knowing that a very good team is not going to make the playoffs. A team that is a very good at-large candidate, a team that is deserving of a playoffs opportunity, might not get in. And that would be rough for those seniors, who worked so hard through spring and summer and fall, who have to accept that their final high school football season has come to an end.

Albano: It’s always exciting to see the matchups and how the county represents itself throughout so many divisions. It’s a challenge not knowing in advance how many teams will be in Division 1 but I understand why the section follows this plan. It’s always good to have options.

Huntley: The best thing is seeing teams that haven’t been to the playoffs in a long time posting videos to social media of the players being excited to see the brackets. This new league system in Orange County allows programs that have struggled recently in tough leagues to play teams of a similar caliber and have a chance to reach the playoffs.

The worst thing is when I look at the pairings and see a traditional power program that had an awful season get rewarded with playing in a lower playoff division. In recent years, there has always been a team that went 2-8 and sneaks into the playoffs in a much lower playoff division. That team ends up running the table to the championship game while beating up on much smaller schools. I enjoy the current playoff format, but that trend is something I would like to see change.

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