san clemente

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

City Section

Granada Hills Kennedy 47, SOCES 0

North Hollywood 18, New Designs University Park 0

Sun Valley Magnet 13, New Designs University Park 12

Sun Valley Magnet 6, North Hollywood 0

Southern Section

Aquinas 13, La Sierra 0

Ayala 44, Paramount 0

Beckman 41, San Juan Hills 20

Bishop Amat 6, California 0

Compton Early College 27, Animo Leadership 0

Costa Mesa 31, Pioneer 12

Covina 26, South El Monte 0

Culver City d. Dominguez, forfeit

Desert Hot Springs 28, Long Beach Wilson 0

Downey 47, Santa Monica 12

Eastvale Roosevelt 30, Don Lugo 0

El Dorado 18, Marina 6

Elsinore 33, Lakeside 0

Estancia 7, Tustin 0

Foothill 12, Northwood 8

Fountain Valley 20, San Clemente 19

Gabrielino 41, San Gabriel 0

Garden Grove 26, Bolsa Grande 0

Garden Grove Santiago 18, Valley View 13

Glendora 25, Westminster La Quinta 0

Godinez 13, Santa Ana Valley 6

Hart 9, Santa Paula 6

Indio 19, Cathedral City 13

Irvine 18, Los Osos 0

La Canada 27, Long Beach Jordan 6

Laguna Hills 19, Laguna Beach 13

Lakewood d. St. Anthony, forfeit

Lakewood St. Joseph 33, Mira Costa 0

La Palma Kennedy 12, Garden Grove Pacifica 0

La Serna 15, Upland 6

Los Alamitos 31, Millikan 26

Montclair 33, Bloomington 0

Mountain View 37, Whitney 0

Murrieta Mesa 13, Temescal Canyon 6

Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 36, Oxford Academy 6

Oaks Christian 39, Rio Mesa 12

Ocean View 6, Los Amigos 0

Pomona 6, Bell Gardens 6

Quartz Hill 12, Vasquez 6

Rialto 19, San Dimas 14

South Torrance 7, Bishop Montgomery 0

St. Paul 22, Whittier 6

Sunny Hills 26, Santa Fe 0

Tesoro 41, Segerstrom 0

United Christian Academy 20, San Jacinto Valley Academy 0

Villa Park 12, Placentia Valencia 6

Warren 27, Long Beach Poly 14

West Covina 9, Sierra Vista 6

Western Christian 19, South Hills 18

Westridge 18, Ramona Convent 0

Whittier 22, St. Paul 6

Yorba Linda 13, La Habra 6

Intersectional

Cerritos 38, Garfield 6

Montebello 7, Maywood CES 6

Panorama 2, Alemany 0

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

City Section

Eagle Rock 33, Granada Hills Kennedy 6

Los Angeles Roosevelt 13, Sotomayor 0

Narbonne 35, Legacy 0

Franklin 31, San Fernando 8

Franklin 32, Los Angeles Hamilton 6

Los Angeles Hamilton 14, San Fernando 0

Van Nuys 39, Magnolia Science Academy Reseda 0

Southern Section

Adelanto 18, Eastside 0

Agoura 50, Simi Valley 14

Burbank Burroughs 13, Saugus 0

Camarillo 19, Thousand Oaks 0

Corona del Mar 14, Anaheim Canyon 12

Dos Pueblos 37, Lompoc 0

Gahr 18, Inglewood 12

Harvard-Westlake 25, Calabasas 6

JSerra 41, Edison 6

Knight 19, PACS 12

Mayfair 6, Cerritos Valley Christian 0

Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 25, Orange 12

Oak Park 18, Chaminade 13

Orange Lutheran 14, La Serna 0

Oxnard 32, Newbury Park 0

Palmdale 32, Rosamond 6

Redondo Union 69, West Torrance 0

Rio Mesa 20, Fillmore 14

Santa Barbara 39, Lompoc Cabrillo 0

San Marcos 25, Hart 0

St. Margaret’s 12, Capistrano Valley 0

Torrance 40, Lakewood 0

Trabuco Hills 13, Santa Margarita 7

Ventura 34, Channel Islands 0

Village Christian 39, Immaculate Heart 0

Westlake 39, Royal 6

Woodbridge 27, San Clemente 0

Intersectional

Canyon Country Canyon 57, Monroe 0

Compton 47, Port of Los Angeles 6

Van Nuys 7, Golden Valley 6

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

Will a lineman be the player of the year?

The last time a lineman was The Times’ player of the year was St. John Bosco offensive tackle Wyatt Davis in 2016. The Braves now have Elisha Mueller, a 6-foot-4, 295-pound junior transfer from Servite, as one of their blockers, so don’t be surprised if he emerges as an MVP candidate on a team that can go unbeaten. Sierra Canyon defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou is also an MVP-like lineman.

Can any City Section team beat defending champion Carson?

Call it unlikely. The Colts return versatile quarterback Chris Fields III, who does magical things when you least expect it. There’s linemen to protect him and a nonleague schedule that should have the Colts prepared to run over Marine League teams.

Can Santa Margarita show its 2025 championship in the first year of Carson Palmer as coach was no fluke?

The Eagles don’t have the defensive front from last season that was so dominating and gone to USC is Mr. Big Play, Trent Mosley. Expect the Eagles to put up a good challenge to St. John Bosco in the Trinity League. There’s speed and talent and Steven Fifita is about as good a defensive coordinator as there is. Wait for the young players, led by freshman linebacker Aydan Steen, to come on strong late in season.

Former Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer raises the 2025 Southern Section Division 1 championship plaque in his first year as head coach at Santa Margarita.

(Craig Weston)

Is Long Beach Poly ready for a resurgence?

First-year coach Travon Patterson made one of the best hires for his offensive coordinator, former Cathedral and Warren coach Kevin Pearson. He has two cornerbacks second to none in JuJu Johnson and Donte Wright. The key to the Jackrabbits returning to the top in the Moore League will be whether they can develop their offensive line to be effective.

Who will be the most successful first-year coach?

This is going to be debated all season because so many well-known football programs changed coaches. Servite’s Rick Garretson, Orange Lutheran’s Ray Fenton and JSerra’s Hardy Nickerson have high expectations from their rabid fan base. St. Bernard’s Dean Herrington takes on a rebuilding job. Bishop Alemany’s Dennis Keyes takes over a program that hit rock bottom. Jeff Bailey left Yorba Linda for Beverly Hills, which can go nowhere but up. You’ve heard of Storm Watch. This season will be called Rookie Coach Watch.

How many teams will make the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs?

Don’t look for more than eight. The Southern Section wants competitive equity, and the leading candidates at the end of the season can already be predicted: St. John Bosco, Santa Margarita, Orange Lutheran, Mater Dei, Servite, Corona Centennial, Sierra Canyon and Mission Viejo. Remember last season, with the help of rain, the No. 8 seed, Orange Lutheran, stunned the No. 1 seed, St. John Bosco.

Quarterback Chris Fields III of Carson is a dual threat quarterback who led the Colts to the City Section Open Division title last season.

(Craig Weston)

Does the City Section still have talent?

Absolutely. The recruiters have already discovered defensive end Elyjah Staples from Marquez, linebacker De’Andre Kirkpatrick from Crenshaw, Fieldsand his heavily recruited Carson teammate and defensive back Bennie Saulter. There are others waiting for their chance. Beware of receiver Paul Turner of Birmingham.

Will there be another eligibility scandal?

Count on it if athletic directors and principals don’t take their jobs seriously to give scrutiny to transfer paperwork and make home visits. There were rumors throughout the summer of 2025 about Bishop Montgomery turning the other cheek, and sure enough, they were correct. The school ended up canceling its season after too many players were declared ineligible.

What are the great games to mark on your calendar?

On Thursday, it’s Corona Centennial vs. Servite at Orange Coast College. On Friday, it’s St. John Bosco at Las Vegas Bishop Gorman.

Aug. 28: Inglewood at Westlake, Santa Margarita at Corona Centennial. Sept. 4: Murrieta Valley at Cajon, San Clemente at Chaparral. Sept. 10: Corona del Mar at Newport Harbor. Sept. 11: Corona Centennial vs. Mater Dei at Santa Ana Stadium, Cathedral at King/Drew. Sept. 18: Orange Lutheran at Sierra Canyon. Sept. 25: Oxnard Pacifica at Sierra Canyon, Servite at Damien.

Coach Jason Negro and St. John Bosco open the season as the No. 1 team in California.

(Craig Weston)

Oct. 1: Murrieta Valley at Chaparral. Oct. 2: San Pedro at Banning, Crean Lutheran at Tustin, Bishop Amat at Gardena Serra. Oct. 9: Sierra Canyon at Gardena Serra, Orange Lutheran at St. John Bosco. Oct. 15: Norco at Corona Centennial. Oct. 16: King/Drew at Crenshaw, Mission Viejo at San Clemente, Santa Margarita at St. John Bosco.

Oct. 23: San Pedro at Carson, Corona Centennial at Chaparral, St. Bonaventure at Oxnard Pacifica, Long Beach Poly at Long Beach Millikan. Oct. 29: Garfield vs. Roosevelt at East L.A. College, Edison at San Clemente, Valencia vs. Hart at College of the Canyons, St. John Bosco vs. Mater Dei at Santa Ana Stadium.

Which coaches might be under the microscope?

First-year coaches at private schools will start feeling pressure if their players don’t deliver results. There’s little patience these days from boosters, parents and fans. Watch the Corona Centennial staff, because someone there is going to one day succeed future Hall of Famer Matt Logan.

What will be the new trend in 2026?

Watching to see how well PlayOn Sports handles its control of high school sports in California. It owns MaxPreps, the NFHS Network, GoFan.co and just won state playoff TV rights from the CIF, replacing Spectrum, who’s 15-year contract ended in June. People are waiting to see if prices increase or quality decreases. And who will hold them accountable? They are the definition of monopoly for high school sports. Competition always brings out the best in businesses, so the lack of that has to be something to monitor.

What are five predictions that will come true?

St. John Bosco will win the Division 1 title (barring rain). Carson will win the City Section Open Division title (barring injury to Fields). Jack Hurst of Laguna Beach will lead Southern California with the most touchdown passes (barring his receivers doing too much surfing). Corona Centennial will exceed 70 points in a single game (barring a running clock in the first half). Lots of teams will forfeit games because of an ineligible player (barring athletic directors being skeptical of every transfer).

Dennis Pitta has a little gray on his beard and has slimmed down to a fit 235 pounds from his days as an All-American tight end at Brigham Young and NFL tight end for the Baltimore Ravens.

Living in Ladera Ranch, he’s entering his fourth season as an assistant coach at San Clemente and has started developing tight ends just like his former high school coach at Moorpark, Tim Lins, used to do.

There’s lots of former NFL players coaching high school football as head coaches but even more as assistant coaches, and Pitta is a great sounding board for those who have dreams of playing beyond high school. San Clemente has produced such tight ends as Isaac Rex and Cole Fotheringham. Last year’s tight end, Shane Kiley, is now at San José State.

Pitta looks in such good shape he could probably demonstrate himself how to catch a pass over the middle. The Tritons are fortunate they have someone with his knowledge and expertise.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.