Orange County High School Football: Five First-Round Playoff Matchups Set for Friday

High school football in Orange County enters its first round of CIF-SS playoffs this Friday with five games scheduled for 7 p.m. The matchups pit ranked local teams against opponents from various divisions, creating a mix of expected contests and potential upsets. The Orange County Register's column Fryer on Football, which is currently 36-18 on the season, offers predictions for each game.

In Division 2, No. 14 Tustin (6-4) travels to face San Juan Hills (8-2) at San Juan Hills High. Tustin finished tied for fourth in the Bravo League but beat Capistrano Valley 21-7 last week. The Tillers feature senior defensive tackle Jeremiah Williams, committed to BYU, and senior linebacker Taven Epps, committed to Oklahoma. San Juan Hills, ranked second in the Alpha League, recently lost a 54-44 decision to Mission Viejo. Backup quarterback Parker Armstrong played well in that loss, completing 30 of 40 passes for 381 yards and four touchdowns. San Juan Hills senior kicker Trevor Koko has made eight of nine field goal attempts, including a 44-yarder. The prediction favors San Juan Hills.

Also in Division 2, undefeated No. 10 Huntington Beach (10-0) hosts Inglewood (9-1) at Inglewood High. Huntington Beach senior quarterback Brady Edmunds, committed to Ohio State, has completed 69 percent of his passes for 2,063 yards and 24 touchdowns. Receivers Skylar Robinson and Dylin Bruce lead the offense, with Bruce returning three interceptions, two punts, and one kickoff for touchdowns. Inglewood went 4-0 in the Bay League and features running backs Marlon Watson, who has 1,080 rushing yards, and Semaj Welch, who has 915. The Sentinels have recorded 89 tackles for loss. Inglewood is predicted to win.

In Division 3, No. 15 El Modena (9-1) faces No. 21 Newport Harbor (8-2) at Newport Harbor High. El Modena is led by two-way quarterback Ethan Sorenson, who has passed for 1,302 yards and rushed for 685. Newport Harbor senior quarterback Jordan Spigarelli has thrown for 2,311 yards and 29 touchdowns, with receiver Ryan Palmer adding 14 touchdown receptions. El Modena is predicted to win a close game, relying on a strong second-half performance.

In another Division 2 game, No. 19 Orange (10-0) visits Chaparral (6-4) in Temecula. Orange junior quarterback Star Thomas III leads the county with 3,764 passing yards and 42 touchdown passes. Freshman running back Jeremiah Dunkin has rushed for 904 yards. Chaparral senior quarterback Dane Weber returned from a hand injury to throw for 387 yards and four touchdowns last week. Chaparral is the No. 1 seed in the division, while Orange is the No. 16 seed. Chaparral is the predicted winner.

In Division 12, Costa Mesa (5-5) plays Rancho Alamitos (9-1) at Bolsa Grande High. This is a rematch of an October 15 league game where Rancho Alamitos won 14-13 after trailing 13-0 at halftime. Senior quarterback Oswaldo Ramos ran for two second-half touchdowns in that game. Senior receiver Joe Vazquez caught six passes for 45 yards. Rancho Alamitos is expected to win again on the same field.