Football: Calhoun’s final thoughts on Week 6
October 17th, 2009, 12:02 pm · · posted by Damian Calhoun
If it doesn’t happen this year, it probably will never happen. In my opinion, this is the team’s best opportunity to come along in years. The last victory came in 1988. Do you know what you were doing in 1988? Were you even alive?
I’m talking about the Dodgers getting to the World Series. What were you thinking about?
Welcome to another edition of my final thoughts.
The Sunset League is at it again: I didn’t think Newport Harbor had it in them, especially after watching them play the previous week against Mira Costa of Manhattan Beach, but the Sailors fired the first blast in the wacky Sunset League with their 23-20 victory over No. 4 Los Alamitos. The Sailors now welcome No. 1 Edison to Davidson Field next week and Fountain Valley the following week. What will the Sailors do next?
Now, here are your weekly Sunset League standings:
Edison 1-0
Newport Harbor 1-0
Fountain Valley 1-0
Los Alamitos 0-1
Esperanza 0-1
Marina 0-1
Welcome back to a pair of All-County linebackers: Jordan Zumwalt (Edison) and Garret Gilliland (Orange Lutheran) both returned to action Friday night. Zumwalt was everywhere on the field against the Aztecs and Gilliland was doing the same for the Lancers. Their return will make life miserable for opposing offenses.
Davion Orphey needs more touches: This kid is fast. I saw him outrun the Esperanza defense on what started as a simple screen pass Friday night. He finished with 167 total yards on just five touches.
I guess Victor Blackwell is healthy: Before the game with Edison, coach Bruce Rollinson told me that he was looking forward to the bye week because it would allow them to get Blackwell 100% fit. Did you see his performance Friday night? 12 catches for 257 yards and 3 touchdowns. He touched the ball 15 times in the game. He’s extremely dangerous and I think he is quickly moving up the draft board for the OCVarsity Fantasy Draft.
One down, more to follow? JSerra, in its fifth season as a varsity program and third year in the Trinity League, finally recorded its first league victory, a 14-12 defeat of Santa Margarita. I know what you’re thinking: Will a second victory be soon to follow? Here is the remaining schedule: Orange Lutheran (Oct. 23), Mater Dei (Oct. 30, St. John Bosco (Nov. 6) and Servite (Nov. 13). Will it happen?
Cleaning out the notebook: Canyon’s second half defense against Anthony Wilkerson was the best I’ve seen against the back in two years … When did Gabe York start playing football? … We might have seen the emergence of a new star in Orange Lutheran quarterback Mike Markovsky Friday night … Big score of the night: Leuzinger 35, Palos Verdes 28!
That’s it for this week, see you at a stadium near you.
Links to the rest of the Week 6 wrap-up:
Calhoun’s wrap-up: Week 6 By the Numbers
OCVarsity.com Defensive Star of the Week
OCVarsity.com Offensive Star of the Week
Week 6: Top Rushing Performances
Week 6: Top Passing Performances
Week 6: Top Receiving Performances
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If I am correct Los Al had given up 18 points or so in 5 games 23 in this game by the offense. And when the Register listed potential all county defensive players for the year there were 3 players from that team…WHAT!!??? For three seasons in a row Newport has beaten Los Al, maybe you might want to remember why the Sunset league is considered the toughest league in the county. Anyone remember 5 league champs last year? How could you leave Whiteside off your list of county defensive players to watch, he played great intelligent football last night. That tackle with 33 seconds left to pull the Los Al player inbounds to keep the clock running instead of taking a kill shot and stopping the clock ensured the win.
***Note – “Sunset league is considered the toughest league in the county.” You may want to change that to “most competitive.” The mere fact that there were 5 co-champs pretty much disqualifies a tough lable as anyone can beat anyone in the league. The fact that all the teams in the league are competitivly equal does not make it tough. A tough league is one that a school from outside the league would be very challenged to do well in it. I think you could take schools from both the Trinity and Sea View leagues and they could do just as well there. Don’t know if the same could be said in reverse.
The Seaview league? Where did Newport come from, they were in the CIF finals for 2 strait years coming out of the Seaview. If they were still the league they would be the favorite to winCIFl every year. As far as the Trinity goes didn’t Edison beat both Servite and Mater Dei this year. If they were in the league they would both be fighting for a playoff birth. Last year Esperanza crushed San Clemente in the playoffs and they were considered the the fourth or fifth best team in the Sunset at the end of the year by most people. Before you downgrade the Sunset you better get some facts son!!
I couldn’t disagree with the Friar pre-game assessment -Winner los Al,
based on the face value of the matchup, but, it’s foolish to ever believe
” i didn’t think Newport had it in them” , based of the school’s rich tradition and penchant for pulling off the upset in the famed pit known
as “Davidson field”. The team is young, but loaded with kids who
have years of playing experience. They will be Sunset league champions no later then next year.
I’ll be surprised to see Los Alamitos finish no higher than 4th in the Sunset league. They have been seriously overrated in the preseason and have now been exposed for what they really are. AVERAGE!!! I’d say they would be very lucky to make the playoffs this year and would most certainly be bounced out of the first round IF they somehow find a way to get in. Top 3 teams in O.C are 1. Edison 2. Servite 3. Mission Viejo…..NO ONE ELSE matters!!
I agree those are 3 of the best- but you need to include Fountain Valley. They have a legitimate game changer in Middlebrooks, a solid quarterback- and unlike Los Al played a tough preleague schedule to get ready.
Just like Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo is over-rated. They haven’t earned their ranks yet this season. Wait until they play Tesoro this week before you put them in your Top 3. You could see a big upset.
NO!
Here is some food for thought
I am not saying that Servite does not deserve being #3, however Edison being #1 is based on their win over Servite and besides Servite being the pre season favorite, we have based a lot of rankings on Servites pre season wins on what were then teams with pre season high rankings.
Servite Beats LB Poly, That vaulted Servite to # 1 in Pac-5. However now we see that Poly at 2-4 and should not have been ranted that high. Looking back now, should that game carry as much weight in our evaluation of the ranking.
Servite beats Clovis West – Pre season favorite and is now 2-4 and just maybe this game carried to much weight as well and Servite just should have won this game.
Servite beats Crespi, Crespi again pre season favorite team in Pac-5 and state is now 3-3 and may not even make the playoffs if they lose to Notre Dame (SO) and undefeated (so far) Bishop Amat.
I am not saying that Servite does not deserve to be #3, and I could put a question mark on all of the top 10 schedules, however many posters (Especially Trinity League fans and writers at the OC Register) have based many of there opinions on ow tough Servites pre season schedule was. (which was based on the pre season reputations of the teams) Well, the teams Servite played are good teams, just not as “great” or “one of the best in the state” as earlier perceived. (at least not this year) For OL and MD, this is a good thought because just maybe Servite is not as big a monster as they may have thought.
And Just for the record, Mater Dei was in the Top 10 last week solely on reputation and their win over Corona Centennial. (Loss to Carson and barely beating Cypress and Jordan does not make them a top 10 team) Now that CC has been blown out by Riv. Poly 56-16 (a team not even in the inland top 10…hmm) That was for MD fan – I know it will drive him crazy. LoL
Well I have to apologize to Md fan. I had got my score about the CC Poly game from LA times and they have since corrected the score to CC 56 and Poly 16. I still stand by the statement that the Carson,Cypress, and Jorgan games are not top 10 performances, but the win over CC was a good one.
Just a thought.
I went on a business trip to San Antonio, TX this weekend caught a HS game there, Kennedy Rockets vs. Brackenridge Eagles, Eagles won to remain undefeated. I’ve watched HS football games from Pennsylvania, Hawaii, and Texas, and there is no doubt that the most dynamic, cutting edge HS football is played right here in the OC.
oc football is awesome.steve fryer u and your staff have a tough job picking who wins what a wild year and its only going to get wilder cant wait for the playoffs it already feels like playoffs from the pac 5 down to the lower divs thanks boys