Senior quarterbacks Pat Barnes of Trabuco Hills...

Senior quarterbacks Pat Barnes of Trabuco Hills and Matt Johner of Estancia received most of the preseason attention in the Pacific Coast League. But so far this season, juniors Pat Wood of Laguna Beach and Justin Vedder of Laguna Hills have outplayed them.

Vedder, a transfer from Mater Dei, is third in Orange County in passing efficiency, completing 25 of 42 passes for 404 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. The Hawks, the defending Southern Section Division VII champions, are off to a 3-0 start.

Laguna Beach is off to an 0-3 start, but the Artists feature the hottest quarterback-receiver combination in the county in Wood and Luke Matjas. Wood is fifth in the county in passing, completing 47 of 83 passes for 802 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. Matjas leads the county with 20 catches for 430 yards.

Barnes struggled n his first two games before throwing three touchdown passes and running for two in a 34-24 comeback victory over Woodbridge.

Johner has completed 18 of 58 for 241 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions.