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Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now Dan Albano reacts to Week 9 of the O.C. football season and answers readers questions going into Week 10: 1. What team surprised you the most in Week 9? Easy. San Clemente. The Tritons’ 28-9 victory against Los Alamitos in the Alpha League was the result that stunned me the most on Friday. San Clemente entered the game with a 4-4 record. Los Alamitos was 8-0 and appeared focused on the Tritons. Griffins coach Ray Fenton mentioned the teams’ 2024 result — a narrow San Clemente win — and the challenges of being a road team at San Clemente. Fenton sent the message moments after Los Alamitos defeated Edison at SoFi Stadium. But in hindsight, the signs of a San Clemente breakthrough were evident leading up to the upset. The Tritons were tied 10-10 at halftime with No. 1 Mission Viejo the previous week before losing 34-16. They played a challenging schedule to prep for Los Alamitos. And they appear to have found success switching to sophomore QB Preston Beck, who wasn’t on the O.C. radar entering the season. Give credit to San Clemente’s defense. Holding Los Alamitos to nine points also is a stunner. And remember the importance of strength of schedule. The Tritons hold a 45.8 on HSratings compared to Los Alamitos’ 25.1. Both teams played good schedules but bottom line, San Clemente was trending in multiple areas. 2. What player performance impressed you the most in Week 9? Jack Hurst of Laguna Beach. The junior passed for almost 400 yards and five TDs to lead the Breakers past host Dana Hills 49-40 in a clash of undefeated teams. The Dolphins entered the Foxtrot League showdown holding opponents to 13 points per game. Hurst is a first-year starter after replacing Jackson Kollock, now at Minnesota. He played well in chances last season but now looks like a Top 10 QB in Orange County with a resume of 2,469 yards passing, 40 TDs and only three interceptions. “Their QB is phenomenal,” Dana Hills coach Tony Henney said of Hurst. “He can play at any level in the Southern Section. He’s going to be a great college quarterback.” 3. Are there projections on what the O.C. football leagues will look like in 2026 and 2027? Yes. Coaches and statisticians are crunching the HSratings numbers on a weekly basis to make projections. Henney produces a weekly, color-coordinated spread sheet that easily displays the movements of teams. Here’s one example of the projections. There was chatter that the Laguna Beach-Dana Hills game was the Bravo Bowl, or the winner will be placed in the Bravo League for 2026-27. After the Breakers’ win, here is the latest projected lineup for the Bravo League: Edison, Corona del Mar, Tustin, Capistrano Valley, Laguna Beach and La Habra. Dana Hills’ projects to be placed in the Delta League with Huntington Beach among others. 4. Where will Santa Margarita be slotted for the playoffs and will Eagles get a home game? As of Monday morning, Santa Margarita is ranked fourth in Division 1 by HSratings, just ahead of Mater Dei. If the Eagles hold that position through Week 10 and Division 1 is an eight-team playoff bracket, coach Carson Palmer’s team would be the No. 4 seed for the playoffs and the home school against Mater Dei in the first round or essentially the quarterfinals. Trabuco Hills High would seem like the likely location. 5. What game in Week 10 do you feel is running under-the-radar? I’m tempted to say Mater Dei-St. John Bosco on Friday because the Monarchs must feel that they’re being overlooked, and I agree. But that’s a Trinity League rivalry with a national scope so it can’t be flying under-the-radar. So the answer is Pacifica at Portola on Thursday in the Omicron League. For the second consecutive season, this one is for the league crown in Week 10. Pacifica and Portola are both blue-collar and prideful programs that are well-coached by Kyle Murphy and Peter Abe, respectively. Pacifica beat Portola 28-0 last season in Week 10 in a result that ignited a historical response from Portola. The Bulldogs won the CIF-SS Division 11 title and edged King/Drew in an overtime thriller to claim the SoCal Regional crown in Division 6-AA. They lost to Arcata in a state title game. Pacifica reached the Division 10 semifinals last season. Both teams have played solid schedules for their level and appear well-prepared for Week 10 and the playoffs.
