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Dan Albano ranks the top 10 quarterbacks in Orange County going into the high school football season:

TOP 10 QUARTERBACKS

1. Elijah Brown, Mater Dei: The Stanford commit mixes his strengths, such as leadership, poise and clutch play, with arguably the most accurate arm in the county. This will be his fourth year as the Monarchs’ starter. He is 3-0 against St. John Bosco in Trinity League games.

2. TJ Lateef, Orange Lutheran: The 6-foot-2, 190-pound junior emerged last season with his precise passing and ability to escape the rush to make a positive play.

Orange Lutheran quarterback TJ Lateef scrambles for a big gain against Santa Margarita in a Trinity League football game at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on Friday, September 30, 2022. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)

3. Aidan Houston, Cypress: The dual-threat senior keeps defenses off balance with his speed as a runner and ability to throw accurately on the move.

4. Kaleb Annett, Corona del Mar: Sea Kings first-year coach Kevin Hettig said the 6-foot-3, 190-pound senior has made major progress going into his first season as the starter.

5. Alonzo Esparza, Los Alamitos: The transfer from 2022 CIF-SS Division 2 champion Sierra Canyon completed 63 percent of his passes last season, and that ability will serve the dual-threat junior well this fall.

6. Xzavior Guess, El Modena: The speedy dual-threat junior made strides last season by passing for 1,228 yards and rushing for 861 yards and 14 TDs as the Vanguards went 11-1.

7. Michael Tollefson, JSerra: The Arizona State-committed junior, who is a transfer from San Juan Hills, will look to continue his progress while playing for the Lions’ new offensive coordinator Rudy Carlton.

8. Anthony Luna, Western: The senior showed excellent touch on his deep passes last season en route to 3,128 yards and 37 TDs. The past two seasons, he has passed for nearly 6,000 yards and 71 TDs.

Western’s Anthony Luna throws a long pass for a large gain against Cypress during a nonleague game at Western High School in Anaheim on Thursday, September 1, 2022. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

9. Jackson Kollock, Laguna Beach: The 6-foot-4, 220-pound junior burst onto the scene last fall by passing for 2,202 yards and 32 TDs in nine games while leading the Breakers to the CIF-SS Division 9 title.

10. Max Ruff, St. Margaret’s: The 6-foot-2, 185-pound senior should continue to progress after throwing for 2,356 yards and 26 TDs last season. He teams with first-year coach Dan O’Shea this fall.

Please send football news to Dan Albano at [email protected] or @ocvarsityguy on Twitter

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