Santa Margarita, Mater Dei square off to open Trinity League play

Let the carnage begin.

The six-team Trinity League starts play Thursday night, and you know what that means.

“It’s going to be the last man standing,” Santa Ana Mater Dei Coach Bruce Rollinson said. “You need a few backup guys because there’s no way you’re going to come out unscathed. You need to bring a lot of Band-Aids and liniment.”

Four of the six Trinity League teams — Anaheim Servite, Santa Margarita, Bellflower St. John Bosco and Orange Lutheran — took this week off and were trying to heal injuries and prepare for what is always a brutally tough, five-week-long mental and physical football survival test in trying to make the Pac-5 Division playoffs.

Mater Dei (2-3), which lost three close nonleague games to Carson, Corona Centennial and San Clemente, has won two in a row heading into Thursday’s league opener against unbeaten Santa Margarita (5-0) at Santa Ana Stadium.

“We’re going to have to learn how to take advantage of opportunities when they’re presented, and I truly believe you can’t turn the football over or the thing will turn into a boat race,” Rollinson said. “We’re concentrating on ourselves more than worrying who we’re playing.”

Beware of San Pedro

The focus in the Marine League has been an Oct. 21 game between Carson and Harbor City Narbonne, but San Pedro finished its nonleague season at 5-0 after a 50-20 thumping of Westchester, and Coach Mike Walsh, in his 21st season, is thrilled with the play of 6-foot-2 senior quarterback Kenny Potter.

“He’s an unbelievable player,” Walsh said. “He’s got a great arm, and the kid can run.”

Against Westchester, Potter completed 10 of 14 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns while also running for 60 yards.

The Pirates open league play against Washington and Gardena before facing Carson on Oct. 28.

“I don’t know if we’ve proven anything yet,” Walsh said. “I just try to work one day at a time. I’ve been 6-0 before and finished 7-4. And I’ve been 6-0 and finished 14-0. I know it can go either way.”

Party in West Hills

West Hills Chaminade students were so excited about the Eagles’ 36-32 comeback victory over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame that they charged onto the field.

“They’re kids,” Chaminade Coach Ed Croson said. “They’re supposed to have fun.”

The two quarterbacks turned in stellar performances. Chaminade’s Logan Scott passed for 215 yards and one touchdown and ran for 60 yards and one touchdown. Notre Dame’s Kelly Hilinski was 14 of 18 for 225 yards.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

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