It's the time of the year when high school football gets real. Every snap becomes increasingly more important as playoff spots are officially on the line and the league standings start to form. Here's a look at a few must-win games in the CIF Southern Section this week.
Orange Lutheran (5-1, 0-1 Trinity League) vs. Servite (2-4, 0-1 Trinity League)
Both teams dropped their Trinity League openers last week and both teams need a win in Week Seven for different reasons. Servite saw its season quickly deflate after dropping three of its first four games. A young team has struggled with mistakes and injuries this season, with BYU-bound quarterback Neil Pauu missing time due to knee and ankle injuries. While sophomore quarterback Travis Waller has gotten high marks in Pauu's absence, it's senior running back Salesi Eteaki that has shouldered most of the load for the Friars.
Orange Lutheran cruised through a light non-league schedule, going undefeated before St. John Bosco, ranked No. 5 in Scott Kennedy's CIF Southern Section Top-20, easily dispatched the Lancers 21-6 last week. Playing in arguably one of the toughest leagues in the country, Orange Lutheran will need more than just a ground game to content for a playoff spot. Last week, quarterback Luke Langdon threw just seven times, rushing more than he threw with 76 yards on the ground.
No. 2 Mission Viejo (6-0, 0-0 Trinity League) at San Clemente (4-3, 0-1 Trinity League)
It seems nearly impossible to topple Mission Viejo right now. One of the top teams in the country, the Diablos and their junior quarterback, Ian Fieber, continue to get better each week. Their weapons, like Sean Modster, Max Redfield and Frank Schnicker require exact defensive precision to shut down.
San Clemente started out the season with so much promise but has fallen short of expectations recently after quarterback Sean Donnelly missed two games due to a shoulder injury. In Donnelly's absence, the Tritons scored just 10 total points against Newport Harbor and a dominant Edison defense. Donnelly returned last week to face El Toro and had a rough go at it, being sacked six times. San Clemente needs that signature win to get back up in the rankings and into playoff contention. A win against one of the nation's best would certainly send a message, and conversely, a win over a strong team like San Clemente would be a highlight on a somewhat lackluster schedule for Mission Viejo.
No. 19 Gardena Serra (4-2, 0-1 Mission League) at Cathedral (6-0, 1-0 Mission League)
The Cavaliers dropped seven spots in the rankings after losing their second straight game last week when No. 15 Chaminade mounted a second-half rally for the come-from-behind win. The loss snapped Serra's 27-game Mission League winning streak and was the first since 2006. Jalen Greene said he might be doing too much, throwing picks under pressure instead of throwing passes away. Last week, two interceptions helped Chaminade come back from a 20-7 deficit to win 27-20. To get back on track, Serra must beat Cathedral, who comes into the game unbeaten.
But the Phantoms have yet to play any truly formidable opponents this season. Cathedral has played no teams with winning records and two with 3-3 marks. The best team the Phantoms may have faced so far is St. Francis, who is in the midst of what appears to be a down year. Cathedral's biggest weapon is too big to ignore though, as quarterback Hayden Rettig has thrown for 1,589 yards and 25 touchdowns this season. One of the top pro-style quarterback prospects in the country, Rettig, the younger brother of Boston College quarterback Chase Rettig, will soon be under center at LSU. Serra will be tasked with shutting down Rettig, which won't be easy, but will be necessary if the Cavaliers want to regain their position as the top team in the Mission League.
South Hills (5-1, 1-0 Sierra League) at No. 18 Charter Oak (5-1, 1-0 Sierra League)
Both teams come into this game with an undefeated record, and it's debatable as to which team has more to prove. Both teams are putting identical records on the line and both teams are coveting the San Gabriel Valley area's top up-and-comer status. Charter Oak, the defending league champ, has the edge right now, and must beat a good South Hills team in order to keep that edge in the Sierra League.
To do that, the Chargers must play patient. South Hills is a plodding, methodical team that keeps the chains moving while running out the clock. This tactic frustrated a very strong, athletic Monrovia team that few thought the Huskies could match up with. The Charter Oak defense has held every opponent to season-low point totals, including No. 14 Bishop Amat in a loss. A sound defense will have little room for error against a hungry South Hills team in the midst of a turnaround season.
Rancho Cucamonga (4-2, 6-1 Baseline League) at Etiwanda (2-4, 0-1 Baseline League)
In what was billed as the top defensive match up in the Southern Section last week, Rancho Cucamonga came up short against then-No. 13 Upland. Now, the powerhouse program must regroup and win the games it is expected to win, starting this weekend at Etiwanda.
Upland's defense simply outlasted the Cougars', playing a very physical, swarming style of D. To get around the secondary unit that includes USC-bound defensive end Chris Hawkins and defensive end Tahaan Goodman, who is being courted by every major college program in the country, Upland quarterback Nate Romine used his legs, getting the biggest gains on the ground. Etiwanda has two feature backs in Charles Tisdale and Deshawn Fortune, which could potentially draw the defense closer to the line. The game should be an easy bounce-back win for Cucamonga, which the Cougars are in need of.
