County outlook: Southwest Division

Foothill (9-1): The Knights started the season with a big loss to Dana Hills, but they responded with nine consecutive victories. Quarterback Zach Griffith excelled in his first season as a starter.  The Knights can score with the best, but their defense has been tough as well. Linebacker Jordan Winger was a key reason why the Knights only allowed three teams to score more than 20 points this season.

Pacifica (5-5): The Mariners finished in third place in the Empire League, without the services of quarterback Raymond Huizar (elbow). Huizar returned in the final game of the regular season against Cypress. With Huizar and running back Josh Brannon, the Mariners have a deadly one-two punch, but their season will depend on the ability to defend.

Tustin (6-4): The Tillers finished in a three-way tie for the Century League championship. Tustin was on a six-game winning streak until it lost to El Dorado Thursday. If Tustin can stay healthy, then it could be a factor in this division, especially behind the running of Anthony Wilkerson. One area of concern is its pass coverage. El Dorado exposed that weakness in final game of the regular season.

Magnolia (6-4): The Sentinels finished in second place in the Orange League and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1985. Robert Cruz has been “The Guy” rushing for 2,567 yards and 34 touchdowns. He has posted five 300-yard performances this season. You can expect him to get the ball early and often in the playoffs.

Cypress (7-3): The Centurions were able to surprise people last year, but this year, they were team being hunted. They responded by going undefeated and winning the Empire League title. This team has the experience of making a late playoff run, so don’t be surprised if they’re still hanging around in a couple of weeks.

Canyon (6-4): The Commanches finished in a three-way tie in the Century League. Canyon can be a difficult team to defend because it has players who can score from anywhere on the field. Jared Gobert and Tubotein Taylor can make a defensive coordinator have nightmares.

Fullerton (8-2): Finished in second place in the Freeway League. The Indians were led by running back Michael Allain. He is one of the county’s  top backs (1,654 yards and 13 touchdowns. Allain missed the final game of the regular season against Troy. If Fullerton is to make a run, then it is going to need someone to make plays aside from Allain.

Santa Ana Valley (6-4): The Falcons finished in third in the Orange League. Darius Nacoste is the key to the offense, he rushed for 1,625 yards and 23 touchdowns during the season. The passing combination of Carlos Acevedo and Joe Garcia can be productive as well.

Western (8-2): The Pioneers went undefeated in the Orange League to win the league title. Western scheduled four nonleague games within this division during nonleague and went 2-2 (defeating Canyon and Valencia and losing to Fullerton and Tustin). Ruben Ortega will be a factor on both sides of the ball for the Pioneers.

Sunny Hills (6-4): The Lancers finished third in the Freeway League to claim their first playoff berth in four years. They are rewarded with a tough opening round assignment in Western. Sunny Hills won its last two games of the season to get into the playoffs.

Valencia (8-2): The Tigers aren’t flashy as other teams, but all they do is get the job done. Valencia finished second in the Empire League behind a solid running game and a stingy defense. The Tigers allowed two teams to score more than 20 points. Keep an eye on Isaac Dominguez (811 yards, 13 touchdowns).

Trabuco Hills (6-4): The Mustangs started the season 0-3, but rebounded to finish second in the Sea View League. Trabuco Hills enters the playoffs having won six of its previous seven games. Quarterback Jason Mayer has been one of the reasons for the turnaround. Mayer has completed 61.6 percent of his passes.

El Dorado (5-5): The Golden Hawks would like to forget the first half of the season when they went 1-5. El Dorado finished in a three-way tie for first place in the Century League, they received the No. 1 seed by coin flip. El Dorado has the firepower to put points on the board, led by a healthy quarterback Kane Wilson.

Huntington Beach (5-5): The Oilers finished third in the Sea View League. At one point during the season, the Oilers were 2-5, but ended the season with consecutive victories over Northwood, El Toro and Woodbridge. Quarterback Sean Guite is eighth in the county in yards (2,046).

La Habra (8-2): The Highlanders won the Freeway League. The running back tandem of Ronnie Hillmand and Joshua Quezada gets the publicity, but the play of quarterback Randall Nygren has been key to La Habra’s success. If he continues to make the smart decisions, then the Highlanders could be playing a long time. La Habra’s two losses were to Pac-5 playoff teams Los Alamitos and San Clemente.

Anaheim (5-5): The Colonists got the lone at-large berth in the division, but instead of opening at top-seeded Foothill, they have to open at No. 2 La Habra. In any case, it is a tough situation. Anaheim finished in fourth place in the Orange League.

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