OC Varsity » varsity

Site, time: St. Margaret's High, Saturday 7 p.m.

Outlook: St. Margaret's march toward the Orange County consecutive-victories football record begins against a team it beat 35-6 last year. The Tartans, CIF-SS Northeast Division champions last year and in 2006, averaged 48 points a game last year and had an average winning margin of 40 points. The same can be expected this year, given how good St. Margaret's should be and the lack of challenging opponents on the league and nonleague schedules, and its placement this year in the East Valley Division, which used to be called Division XII before the changes of division names from numbers to quasi-geographic designations. The county wining-streak record is 41, set by Mission Viejo, 2001-03.

Winner: St. Margaret's (see roster)

Next: More Saturday predictions

All Steve Fryer Week 1 predictions

St. Margaret's gets help from Pac-10 QB

DAN ALBANO, ocvarsity.com — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:48:48 +0000

Tartans football coach Harry Welch is so high on his quarterback David Mothander, he said the 6-foot-2, 172-pound senior could have been the passer on many of his teams at Canyon of Canyon Country.

During the offseason, Mothander did pick up some tips from one of Welch's top stars at Canyon -- quarterback Nate Longshore. The senior quarterback at Cal spent time with Mothander at St. Margaret's.

Surprisingly, Longshore hasn't been tabbed the starter this season at Cal but I'm sure he helped Mothander.

Welch added that if he were at Canyon and Mothander was his quarterback, he would feel good about the season.

Wilkerson isn't Tustin's only big-time talent

DAN ALBANO, ocvarsity.com — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:22:52 +0000

While Orange County football fans should be well aware of Tustin junior-to-be running back Anthony Wilkerson, we all should put the name Chris Robinson to memory now.

The 6-foot-1, 265-pound senior-to-be is a tight end/defensive end transfer from Salinas. Robinson arrived at Tustin in the spring and has a scholarship offer from Nevada, according to Tustin coach Myron Miller.

And check out these stats:

Robinson benches 365 pounds and cleans 320.

"He's a physical specimen," Miller said. "He's special."

Also remember the name Ameer Webb (6-0, 180). He is a senior who played at Tustin as a freshman but hasn't played football since.

Miller said Webb is the fastest player that he has coached and will be in the backfield with Wilkerson.

Needless to say, Tustin could be one of the most improved teams in 2008.