gardena serra

A look at this week’s top high school football games in the Southland:

FRIDAY

Garfield (6-2, 4-0) vs. Roosevelt (4-4, 3-1) at East Los Angeles College, 7:30 p.m.

Throw out the records. Close the blinds. It’s East L.A. Classic week. Garfield should be a heavy favorite with running back Ceasar Reyes coming off a school-record 420 yards rushing performance. Roosevelt, though, has won three straight Eastern League games. Jason Moreno is Roosevelt’s version of Reyes. The pick: Garfield.

King/Drew (7-1, 3-0) at Crenshaw (7-1, 3-0), 7 p.m.

King/Drew has never won the Coliseum League title. This is the Eagels’ best chance behind top athlete Jayden Mitchell. Crenshaw has continued to improve behind receiver/defensive back Deance’ Lewis and quarterback Danniel Flowers. The pick: Crenshaw.

A look at this week’s top high school football games in the Southland:

THURSDAY

Los Alamitos (7-0) vs. Edison (5-2) at SoFi Stadium, 5 p.m.

The Alpha League begins with a terrific matchup. Los Alamitos hasn’t played since Sept. 26, so the Griffins might start slow, but their offensive line has been key for quarterback Colin Creason and running back Kamden Tillis. Edison needs a big game from quarterback Sam Thomson, who has nine touchdown passes with one interception. The pick: Los Alamitos.

FRIDAY

St. John Bosco (7-0, 2-0) vs. Santa Margarita (5-2, 2-0) at Trabuco Hills, 7 p.m.

The Trinity League title could be decided in this game. Few teams this season have been able to deal with St. John Bosco’s high-scoring offense and aggressive defense. Santa Margarita showed last week in a 7-6 win over Mater Dei that it has an elite defense. The Eagles will need offensive improvement under first-year coach Carson Palmer. The pick: St. John Bosco.

Sitting in a chair on Thursday night as fans came into SoFi Stadium to watch high school football games between Loyola and Gardena Serra and Leuzinger against Palos Verdes, you can hear the different reactions of first-time visitors as they climbed escalators and stairs to reach their seats.

Many were in awe.

“This is nice.”

“Wow. This stadium is so different.”

“I can’t believe I paid $80 for a high school game.”

The games have been put together by Playbook Events. Teams have to give up revenue they would make from hosting their own games. Parking costs $10 while student and adult tickets range from $29 to $71. Usual student tickets are $10 at home sites.

It’s clear players enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime experience to play in a prestigious NFL stadium that will host the swimming competition at the 2028 Olympic Games. And first-time visitors who’ve never been able attend a concert or NFL game at SoFi because of cost are truly impressed with the seating and experience.

But there’s also some issues that could enhance the experience. One fan suggested better directions on where to park and how to pay for parking, since only credit cards are accepted, and lots of grandparents are not tech savvy on how to purchase tickets online or which entrance to take to find the parking lot. Schools need to provide more specific instructions. Organizers are also requiring fans to sign a waiver when entering, leading to long lines if you don’t arrive early.

The cost for fans can be prohibitive, which means schools need to take that into account when agreeing to play a game at SoFi. The organizers certainly know what they are doing. Games start on time and security is plentiful and helpful for first-time visitors.

Loyola athletic director Chris O’Donnell said, “For this kind of experience, for both teams, it’s really great. I’d do this again in a second.”

The next big game at SoFi Stadium happens Thursday at 5 p.m. when unbeaten Los Alamitos plays Huntington Beach Edison.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].

If Loyola football coach Drew Casani could give out game balls after his team’s 13-10 Mission League win over Gardena Serra at SoFi Stadium on Thursday night, he’d need to go to a sporting goods store to find enough to hand out. There were so many contributors.

There was kicker/punter Jacob Kreinbring making field goals from 44 and 35 yards despite narrower NFL goal posts. He also had a punt downed at the one-yard line.

There was linebacker Kane Casani, who blocked a field goal that led to a long touchdown return by sophomore Malique Pollard.

There was linebacker Holden Smyser and defensive linemen Max Meier and Will Mack, all of whom helped the defense stop Serra three out of four times on fourth downs in the fourth quarter.

Remember that Loyola (4-3, 1-1) lost a group of players who abandoned the program in the offseason, leaving behind players who drew skepticism whether they would be competitive against top teams.

It’s that Loyola tradition of playing as a group that allowed the Cubs to beat a Serra team that continues to struggle on offense. Serra (3-4, 0-2) fell behind 10-0, then tied the game on a DeVohn Moutra Jr. safety, followed by a touchdown run and two-point conversion from sophomore quarterback Malik Tunai.

“Man, this feels great,” said Kane Casani, who’s the son of the head coach. “A lot of people doubted us. We came together as a brotherhood.”

Loyola broke the tie with 4:14 left in the third quarter on Kreinbring’s 35-yard field goal.

A look at three of this week’s top high school football games in the Southland:

THURSDAY

Leuzinger (4-1, 1-0) vs. Palos Verdes (4-2, 1-0) at SoFi Stadium, 8:30 p.m.

It’s going to be a late night in Inglewood as these two schools vie for what could be the decisive game to determine the Bay League championship. Both have outstanding quarterbacks, Ryan Rakowski for Palos Verdes and Russell Sekona for Leuzinger. Both schools have played challenging schedules. A field goal could decide it. Loyola plays Gardena Serra at 5 p.m. The pick: Leuzinger.

FRIDAY

Santa Margarita (4-1, 1-0) vs. Mater Dei (4-1) at Santa Ana Stadium, 7 p.m.

If first-year coach Carson Palmer of Santa Margarita doesn’t know about the physicality of the Trinity League, he’s about to find out. Mater Dei’s defense will be coming after quarterback Trace Johnson. If the Eagles can put together a running game, that would help. Santa Margarita has an outstanding secondary to test Mater Dei’s talented receiving group. The pick: Mater Dei.

Palisades (6-0, 1-0) at Venice (3-3,1-0), 7 p.m.

It’s a Western League showdown featuring Venice’s stingy defense against a Palisades offense that hasn’t been held below 35 points this season. Quarterback Jack Thomas of Palisades has 23 touchdown passes with two interceptions. Venice has the speed to prevent big plays. The pick: Venice.

The high school football season begins this weekend with Week 0 games. Let’s examine storylines and questions to be answered:

What will it take for a team other than Mater Dei or St. John Bosco to reach the Southern Section Division 1 final?

The answer is luck, because it’s not happening. Every season since 2016, the Monarchs or Braves have won the Southern Section Division 1 title and have met in the finals every season except for 2021, when Servite, led by its two future first-round draft picks, Mason Graham and Teteroia McMillan, beat St. John Bosco in the semifinals. Those two schools have offensive and defensive lines too big, too strong and with too much depth for others to take down in the transfer era. They face off at the end of the regular season on Halloween, then will likely play again four weeks later for the section title.

What will life be like in the City Section after the collapse of Narbonne for rules violations?

It’s back to beating Birmingham if you want to win the City Section Open Division title. The Patriots had their 48-game City winning streak end with a loss to Narbonne but that was turned into a forfeit victory, so the streak is at 49. It’s a wide-open City race. Look for Carson, San Pedro and Palisades to join the Patriots for the right to win a missing trophy (yes, put up a reward to find it).

What’s the strongest position in the Southland this season?

It’s the defensive line. There are so many elite linemen and ends capable of making an impact this season, and beyond that quarterbacks better be warned to wear extra equipment to cushion the blows about to be inflicted. From Mater Dei’s Tomuhini Topui to Gardena Serra’s Khary Wilder, from Sierra Canyon’s Richard Wesley to St. John Bosco’s Dutch Horisk, expect lots of sacks and forced fumbles.

Which teams will be surprise success stories?

A new campus and new football stadium has Compton excited and ready for a big turnaround after going 3-7 last season. Former L.A. Jordan coach Derek Benton has taken over at Fremont, so perhaps the Pathfinders can move up. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame has received some big-time transfers, putting the Knights in position to be competitive with Sierra Canyon and Gardena Serra in the Mission League. Agoura quarterback Gavin Gray is back from a knee injury, so the Chargers are ready to roll. Servite has a group of track athletes to be unleashed in football, and speed can be a game-changer. Cathedral is poised to be a title contender as quarterback Jaden Jefferson receives help on the offensive line. Burbank was impressive in seven-on-seven competitions and will try to prove its linemen can help out.

Which teams must find replacements for big-time players from last season?

Newbury Park needs someone to become the No. 1 receiver for quarterback Brady Smigiel after the graduation of Shane Rosenthal. Mater Dei will be trying out a trio of running backs to take on the role previously held by Jordon Davison, who is now at Oregon. Sierra Canyon’s bid to be a Division 1 contender will come down to play at quarterback (senior Chase Everett, junior Demarco Hernandez and senior Laird Finkel are competing for the starting job). Mission Viejo must find someone to duplicate Jaden Williams’ 23 sacks. JSerra is turning to untested quarterback Koa Smith-Mayall to replace Ryan Hopkins, who left for Mater Dei.

Which coaches will be under the microscope?

Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer takes over at Santa Margarita, having put together a top staff that includes last season’s interim coach, Steve Fifita. No one has a bigger task ahead than Narbonne first-year coach Doug Bledsoe, whose team is ineligible for the postseason and saw an exodus of players. Former NFL defensive back Troy Hill is a first-year coach at St. Bonaventure with no head coaching experience. Rick Clausen takes over at Westlake, which went 0-10 last season. Former Crespi coach Dameon Porter gets a second chance at Harvard-Westlake, which forfeited a game in 2023 because of a lack of players.

Which freshmen could have an impact?

Quarterback Thaddeus Breaux, Hamilton; quarterback Ezrah Brown, Orange Lutheran; quarterback Ford Green, Westlake; quarterback Marcus Washington Jr., Cajon; linebacker Ethan Harrington, Sierra Canyon; tight end Austin Miller, Bellflower; quarterback CJ Woods, Harvard-Westlake; quarterback Evan McCalister, Valencia; safety Tyrin Jefferson, Cathedral; receiver Mason Fowler, Corona Centennial.

What are games you don’t want to miss?

Mission Viejo vs. Santa Margarita at Trabuco Hills, Friday; Mater Dei at Corona Centennial, Sept. 12; Mater Dei at Bishop Gorman, Sept. 19; Gardena Serra at Sierra Canyon, Oct. 3; St. John Bosco vs. Orange Lutheran, Oct. 10; San Clemente at Mission Viejo, Oct. 17; Roosevelt vs. Garfield, Oct. 24; Carson at San Pedro, Oct. 30; Mater Dei at St. John Bosco, Oct. 31.

Which schools have new stadiums to visit?

Garfield, Roosevelt and Hamilton have new stadiums in the City Section. Long Beach Jordan, Hawthorne, Crescenta Valley and El Rancho open new stadiums in the Southern Section.

Eighth in a series of stories profiling top high school football players by position. Today, Jalen Flowers, Palos Verdes defensive back.

Jalen Flowers made a spectacular one-handed interception in a one-on-one drill during the spring. He didn’t run off the field waving his arms wildly or proclaim he’s the greatest lock-down cornerback since Deion Sanders.

“I’m not really a talker,” he said. “I let my game show it.”

He gives Palos Verdes High a 6-foot-2, 175-pound sophomore defensive back with the rare skill of being able to stick with any and all receivers. They can make moves, they can run their best patterns, but escaping Flowers doesn’t happen very often.

His instincts, lanky frame and knowledge from playing receiver come into play at a position in which misjudgments or a failure to respect an opponent can leave the defender getting burned for a touchdown.

“He’s got a knack,” coach Guy Gardner said of Flowers’ ability to cover receivers. “We coach him the best we can, but most of the things he does we didn’t coach. The way he carries himself, covering guys, running routes, things came naturally.”

He showed up during the summer of his freshman season and immediately got noticed as someone with talent. “It was pretty obvious,” Gardner said.

A 16-week season that led to a Division 2-A state championship saw Flowers catch four passes for 58 yards and one touchdown in the final. He finished the season with 26 tackles and one interception in his first full season playing defensive back and was literally growing taller every month.

“We didn’t think about him being a freshman from the midpoint of the season,” Garner said.

Flowers has played football since he was 6, so nothing an opponent tries to do on a football field ever surprises him.

“He really enjoys playing,” Gardner said. “You can see it when he plays. And he has some God-given ability.”

There are so many defensive backs with college football scholarship offers this season in Southern California that you’ll get a different answer every time you ask, “Who’s best?”

Madden Riordan, a USC commit from Sierra Canyon, had 11 interceptions last season. Isala Wily-Ava of St. John Bosco had 72 tackles as a sophomore safety along with seven interceptions. Aaryn Washington, a junior at Mater Dei, had 23 tackles and three interceptions during a 13-0 season. Gardena Serra has a trio of defensive backs headed to the college ranks in Wesley Ace, Marcellous Ryan and Duvay Williams.

There are schools with multiple top defensive backs, including St. John Bosco, Serra, Sierra Canyon, Mater Dei and Santa Margarita. No one is perfect. Even the best give up a touchdown on occasion.

But pay attention to what Flowers accomplishes in his sophomore season. Prepare for the bandwagon effect when people realize his gift for sticking close to receivers and start figuring out he’s no fluke.

And Flowers warns he’s not done growing.

“I might have an inch or more in me,” he said.

Said Gardner: “He’s putting in the work ethic with that ability and keeps getting better.”

Wednesday: San Pedro kicker Dylan Moreno.

Defensive backs to watch

Davon Benjamin, Oaks Christian, 6-0, 170, Sr.: Oregon commit returned three interceptions for touchdowns last season

Havon Finney Jr., Sierra Canyon, 6-3, 170, Sr.: LSU commit is terrific cornerback

Jalen Flowers, Palos Verdes, 6-2, 175, So.: He covers receivers so close he knows what gum they are chewing

Josh Holland, St. John Bosco, 6-2, 175, Sr.: USC commit with long arms and deceiving strength

Derrick Johnson, Murrieta Valley, 6-2, 170, Sr.: Oklahoma commit is tall, aggressive cornerback

Jeron Jones, Mission Viejo, 6-0, 195, Sr.: Washington commit makes big plays and big tackles

DeVohn Moutra Jr., Gardena Serra, 5-9, 190, Sr. Defensive player of the year from Mission League

Madden Riordan, Sierra Canyon, 5-11, 164, Sr.: USC commit had 11 interceptions

Aaryn Washington, Mater Dei, 6-0, 160, Jr:. Ready to make a leap in production

Isala Wiley-Ava, St. John Bosco, 6-3, 195, Jr.: Had seven interceptions as a sophomore

Donte Wright, Long Beach Poly, 6-2, 170, Jr. Georgia commit is fast, tough and smart

Sixth in a series of stories profiling top high school football players by position. Today, Mikhal Johnson, Sierra Canyon defensive lineman.

Mikhal Johnson, 6 feet 2 and 255 pounds, has played defense all his football life. Then came the moment last season when Sierra Canyon coach Jon Ellinghouse gave him a chance to catch a pass from quarterback Wyatt Becker in a Mission League championship game against Gardena Serra.

Johnson called it “something out of a movie.”

“We practiced it a couple times during the week,” Johnson said. “Coach called me over, ‘We’re running the play.’ I lined up at tight end. I did a fake block. I go out, nobody is guarding me. This is it. Wyatt throws me the ball over my shoulder. I catch it. It was like, ‘Yes.’ I was so excited. My first ever touchdown the first time I played a skill position in my life.”

Nothing comes as a surprise for Johnson, who also had a baseball game in the spring in which he hit two home runs and had seven RBIs against Camarillo.

Ivy League football schools have been lining up trying to get him to consider their experience of academics and athletics. He had 16 tackles for losses last season.

“I think he’s almost unblockable,” Ellinghouse said. “I’ve seen him screw up several of my practices and go up against some the best high school players in the world. He’s a perfect combination of strength and twitchiness. He has long arms and deceptive strength.”

Johnson is one of many outstanding defensive linemen and edge rushers set to make an impact this season. The position might be the strongest of any in Southern California when considering talent and depth.

Richard Wesley of Sierra Canyon changed his classification to class of 2026 because he’s been a standout since freshman year and is a Texas commit. Mater Dei has the most dominant lineman in Tomuhini Topui, a 315-pound USC commit known for throwing around blockers and running backs.

Khary Wilder of Gardena Serra, an Ohio State commit, is coming off a junior season in which he recorded 11 tackles for losses. Andrew Williams of Fremont is a 6-5, 220-pound USC commit trying to prove you can still make it out of the City Section. Sophomore Marcus Fakatou of Orange Lutheran and junior ElijaHarmon of Inglewood are big, strong and intimidating young stars in the making. Anthony Jones of Crean Lutheran is a UCLA commit known for his pass-rushing skills.

Malik Brooks of St. Pius X-St. Matthias is a 330-pound tackle committed to USC who knows how to take apart double teams. Devyn Blake of Edison has the size to cause havoc. Elijah Staples of Marquez is a defensive end who had 13 sacks as a sophomore. Dutch Horisk of St. John Bosco is an Oregon commit who had four sacks last season.

There’s many defensive linemen this season ready to be difference-makers, and Johnson fits right in.

He has used baseball to help him excel in football.

“I feel they both help me,” he said. “Baseball is good hands-eye coordination and because I’m a defensive linemen I use my hands a lot. Seeing a baseball, the reaction time is like an offensive lineman using their hands.”

Sierra Canyon is still trying to find a way to get past Mater Dei and St. John Bosco in the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs, a roadblock that most teams in Southern California have failed to get through.

“It’s a fire under our butts to keep going,” Johnson said. “We practice hard.”

Monday: Ventura linebacker Tristan Phillips.

Defensive linemen to watch

Malik Brooks, St. Pius X-St. Matthias, 6-4, 330, Sr. USC commit is big roadblock in the middle

Marcus Fakatou, Orange Lutheran, 6-7, 265, So. His talent level is off the charts

Dutch Horisk, St. St. John Bosco, 6-3, 240, Sr. Four-year starter is Oregon commit

Mikhal Johnson, Sierra Canyon, 6-2, 255, Sr. Had 16 tackles for losses

Anthony Jones, Crean Lutheran, 6-4, 285, Sr. UCLA commit keeps building up strength

Simote Katoanga, Santa Margarita, 6-5, 250, Sr. JSerra transfer is physical specimen

Izak Simpson, Simi Valley, 6-3, 260, Sr. Sacramento State commit has 29 sacks the last two years

Tomuhini Topui, Mater Dei, 6-3, 320, Sr. USC commit could play for any college in the country

Richard Wesley, Sierra Canyon, 6-5, 250, Sr. Texas commit had nine sacks last season

Khary Wilder, Gardena Serra, 6-4, 260, Sr. Ohio State commit is four-year starter who shows up every game

Saturday is one of those busy days in summer passing competitions for fans to get a sneak peek of the high school football season.

Mission Viejo is hosting a seven-on-seven passing tournament that includes Mater Dei, which will then take its mandatory two-week dead period immediately after the tournament. A matchup of Mission Viejo and quarterback Luke Fahey against Mater Dei’s outstanding defensive backs will be something that’s likely to take place.

Santa Margarita has pulled out from participating in the Mission Viejo tournament and will be replaced by Schurr, which won a tournament earlier this month.

There’s also an eight-team passing tournament at St. John Bosco featuring the Braves, Servite and Gardena Serra, among others. Salinas pulled out and has been replaced by La Sierra in Riverside.

Simi Valley, Redondo Union and Baldwin Park are also hosting tournaments this weekend.

After Saturday, the next big day for passing tournaments is July 12, featuring Huntington Beach Edison’s Battle at the Beach, along with tournaments at Ocean View and Huntington Beach.