Football: La Habra set to face Orange Lutheran

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Fans are filing into Glover Stadium in Anaheim for tonight’s season opener between Orange Lutheran and La Habra, two of the best teams in Orange County.

For defending Southwest Division champion La Habra, this is the first of three games against Trinity League opponents. The Highlanders posted a 13-1 record last season and are riding a 10-game winning streak since a 28-13 defeat at the hands of Pac-5 Division powerhouse Los Alamitos last October.

Ranked #18 in The Times’ preseason poll, La Habra is led by Washington State-bound quarterback Cody Clements, who threw for 29 touchdowns last season, and receivers Jake Neely, Mark Yackey, Brett Bartalone and Jordan Salo. The Highlanders also boast two of the best defensive backs in the area in seniors Will Peppard and Mike Sparling.

La Habra won the Huntington Beach 7-on-7 passing tournament in July by beating the likes of Santa Ana Mater Dei, South Hills, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, Westlake Village Oaks Christian, Valencia and Corona Centennial.

Orange Lutheran, ranked 21st in The Times’ preseason poll, is looking to bounce back from a 6-5 season that ended with a 30-10 loss to Dana Hills in the first round of the Pac-5 playoffs. Quarterback Mike Markovsky won a four-way competition for the starting job and has plenty of targets, notably receivers Robby Cooper and A.J. Holman and tight end Christo Kourtzidis.

Kickoff is 15 minutes away. Check back for live updates...

-- Steve Galluzzo