Prep Rally: Which two football teams are the best in Division 1? It’s a mystery
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Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. Santa Margarita’s 7-6 football win over Mater Dei has created uncertainty who might be the best two teams in Division 1.
Southern Section football
For the first time since the 2015 season, Mater Dei (4-2) has suffered more than one loss in a season. Santa Margarita inflicted defeat No. 2 with a 7-6 win over the Monarchs. The return of Trent Mosley, who had not played since the opening game, provided a big boost for Santa Margarita. Here’s the report.
Santa Margarita’s win sets up a Trinity League showdown with unbeaten St. John Bosco on Friday night at Trabuco Hills.
Leuzinger took control of the Bay League race with a convincing 40-14 win over Palos Verdes at SoFi Stadium even though starting quarterback Russell Sekona suffered a fractured hand. Journee Tonga came to the rescue. Here’s the report.
Loyola pulled off a Mission League upset with a 13-10 win over Gardena Serra at SoFi Stadium. The race for second place and third place behind unbeaten Sierra Canyon is up for grab. Loyola, Bishop Amat, Notre Dame and Chaminade all have 1-1 records. Here’s the report.
Crespi and Salesian are headed for a Friday showdown at Crespi to decide the Del Rey League tournament featuring quarterbacks Chase Curren and Donovan Shirley.
Jaden Walk-Green of Corona Centennial returned his third interception for a touchdown this season in a win over Vista Murrieta.
SoFi Stadium hosted two more games and will have the Los Alamitos vs. Edison game on Thursday night at 5 p.m. Here’s a look at the good and bad playing at SoFi Stadium.
Here’s the top performers list from last weekend’s games.
Here’s The Times’ top 25 rankings.
Here’s this week’s schedule.
City Section football
It was an offensive brawl not decided until the final seconds. Palisades and Venice kept scoring and scoring. When the final second had ticked off the clock, the scoreboard said, Palisades 56, Venice 54. Quarterback Jack Thomas of Palisades passed for 460 yards and five touchdowns.
Here’s the report.
University upset Hamilton 27-26, stopping a two-point conversion attempt.
Birmingham won its 51st consecutive game against a City Section opponent, defeating Cleveland 49-21.
A big game comes on Saturday when Sylmar and San Fernando will play varsity, JV and flag football games at the Coliseum. The varsity game goes at 7:30 p.m.
King/Drew gets to try to win the Coliseum League over the next two weeks, playing Dorsey on Friday, then Crenshaw on Oct. 24.
Carson and San Pedro continued on collision course to play on Oct. 30 at San Pedro to decide the Marine League title.
Here are the latest top 10 City Section rankings.
Flag football
JSerra (23-0) has established itself as the No. 1 team in Southern Section flag football after beating Orange Lutheran for a second time, 21-20.
The final week of the regular season is set for this week.
Two unbeaten City Section teams, Eagle Rock and Panorama, faced off, with Eagle Rock prevailing 13-6.
The QB of the future
After going 0-10 in 2022, Crespi brought in a new coaching staff that was told to rebuild from the ground up. The Celts went 2-8 in 2023, 5-6 in 2024 and has started this season 7-0 behind sophomore quarterback Chase Curren.
A look how to build a program the right way led by a quarterback with immense talent.
‘Grass isn’t always greener’
With more than 17,000 transfers statewide last school year, one of the strangest involved Chaminade football player Harout Agazaryan.
He left Chaminade on a Monday last January, went to Burbank on a Tuesday, then was back at Chaminade on a Thursday. The story about lessons learned.
Girls volleyball
Sierra Canyon, Marymount and Redondo Union hold the top three spots in Southern Section girls vollleyball power rankings. Sierra Canyon defeated Marymount last week to pretty much clinch the Mission League title.
Here’s the rankings.
The dunk machine
Todd Wolfson has hit the basketball lottery for a second time when 7-foot-3 Cherif Millogo showed up for the start of school at St. Francis.
He adds to an already talent-laded Mission League.
Here’s the report on where Millogo came from and the impact he might have. Can you say, “Dunk.”
Notes . . .
There’s a new scholarship program for California high school senior athletes awarding $2,500 for overcoming adversity and turning setbacks into success. Here’s the link to apply. . . .
Forward Jonas Oware of Long Beach Poly has committed to Yale. . . .
Junior infielder Brady Guth of Mater Dei has committed to Oklahoma State. . . .
Junior pitcher AJ LaSota of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame has committed to Virginia. . . .
Longtime baseball coach Phil Torres of Crescenta Valley is no longer with the program, according to an email sent to parents. He had been on leave after 29 seasons as head coach. Bryan Rich is the interim coach. . . .
The Southern Section announced eight new inductees for its Hall of Fame, including former Tustin football coach Myron Miller. Here’s the list. They will be honored in Long Beach on Oct. 21. . . .
James Brooks is the new baseball coach at Citrus Hill. . . .
Drew Anderson, a 6-foot-9 senior basketball player at Santa Margarita, has committed to Oregon State. . . .
Standout junior shortstop Dylan Seward of Norco has committed to Tennessee. . . .
The JSerra girls’ cross country team won the ASICS Clovis Invitational. . . .
Newport Harbor (19-0) continues to dominate in boys water polo. Here’s the report. . . .
From the archives: Sam Yoon
During UCLA’s 0-4 start, there was debate whether to replace center Sam Yoon. Not after the Bruins’ 42-37 upset of Penn State in which one organization ranked him as the highest-graded center from Week 6.
The Loyola High grad isn’t the biggest of centers but certainly one of the smartest from his days of getting mostly A’s on his report cards.
Here’s a profile from 2021 on Yoon’s rising ability as a football player.
Recommendations
From VCstar.com, a story on a law that could help college students deal with disciplinary action promoted by the parents of former Newbury Park soccer player Katie Meyer.
From San Diego Union Tribune, a story on De La Salle coming to San Diego to beat the city’s top team in football.
From ABC7, a story on Palisades football team getting to practice at SoFi Stadium.
From the Sacramento Bee, a story on a new football playoff format for the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section.
From the Riverside Press Enterprise, a story on Vista Murrieta football player recovering after spinal injury.
Tweets you might have missed
Until next time....
Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.
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