2015 All-Trinity League Football

Football: Sean McGrew, Avery Williams are co-Trinity League MVPs

Eric SondheimerContact Reporter

Running backs Sean McGrew of St. John Bosco and Avery Williams of JSerra have been named the co-players of the year in the Trinity League.

The offensive MVPs were quarterback Quentin Davis of St. John Bosco and running back Brandon LaMarche of Mater Dei. The MVP defenive players were junior Jacob Callier of St. John Bosco and Alec Stewart of Santa Margarita.

The MVP lineman were junior Wyatt Davis of St. John Bosco and Luke Wattenberg of JSerra. The MVP specialists were junior Riley O'Brien of JSerra and Jed Smith of Mater Dei.

First-team all-league

Offense

St. John Bosco_Devin Fleming, Sr.; Jared Harrell, Sr.; Berkeley Holman, Jr.; Matt Smith, Sr.; Mater Dei_Zach Aguirre, Sr.; Frank Martin, Sr.; JT Daniels, Fr.; JSerra_Nick Harris, Sr.; Matt Robinson, So.; Orange Lutheran_LJ Northington, Sr.; Logan Bathke, Sr.; Jerry Fitschen, Sr.; Servite_Michael Bandy, Sr.; Terrell Bynum, Jr.; Santa Margarita_Grant Calcaterra, Jr.; KJ Costello, Sr.

Defense

St. John Bosco_Clive Manalo, Sr.; Traveon Beck, Sr.; Ryan Burke, St. John Bosco; Sal Spina, So.; Mater Dei_Kapono Laguisan, Mater Dei; Curtis Robinson, Sr.; Jalen Cole, Jr.; JSerra_Kyle Adams, Sr.; Conor O'Brien, Sr.; Orange Lutheran_TJ Augustin, Sr.; Brandon McKinney, Jr.; Servite_Conor Airey, Sr.; Keyon Riley, Sr.; Santa Margarita_Matt Mark, Sr.; Tanner Matthews, Sr.; Sam Loy, Sr.

For the latest on high school sports, follow @LATSondheimer on Twitter

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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2015 Albano's Top 10 Vote

Football: Albano's Top 10 vote

December 07th, 2015, 10:25 am · 

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· posted by DAN ALBANO

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I've been wrestling over who should be No. 1 in Orange County football the last few weeks but Mission Viejo gets my vote this week.

I voted Mater Dei No. 1 the past two weeks, giving the Monarchs to promotion after they beat Serra of Gardena on the road and played Centennial of Corona so well in the semifinals. Mater Dei played the Huskies closer and better than St. John Bosco did in the Pac-5 finals Saturday night.

But Mission Viejo won a huge CIF title game on the road at Vista Murrieta on Friday to move to 14-0, a special number in high school football. And while the Diablos' schedule isn't as flashy as Mater Dei's, it's very good and Mission Viejo is perfect. No slips, like Mater Dei had against JSerra.

And when it's a close call, the undefeated team should get the No. 1 spot. Here's my vote

1. Mission Viejo

2. Mater Dei

3. La Habra

4. JSerra

5. OLu

6. Tesoro

7. San Clemente

8. Servite

9. Santa Margarita

10. Edison

Compare Dan's vote to this week's O.C. football top 10.

JSerra vs. OLU 2015 Game Highlights

JSerra beats Orange Lutheran in a thriller

November 06, 2015 11:43 PM

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By KENNY CONNOLLY

STAFF WRITER

MISSION VIEJO – As far as both JSerra and Orange Lutheran’s sidelines were concerned, their seasons came down to the final play of what was the last guaranteed game remaining on each of their schedules.

Because neither the Lions nor the Lancers had secured a guaranteed playoff spot before Friday night’s regular-season finale, the stage was set for what proved to be nothing short of an instant Trinity League classic.

Seventh-ranked JSerra scored 21 consecutive fourth-quarter points, but ultimately needed to bat down Lj Northington’s 28-yard heave into the end zone on the game’s final play to lock up a thrilling 45-40 victory over No. 3 Orange Lutheran in a Trinity League finale at Saddleback College.

With the win, JSerra (7-3, 2-3) forced a three-way tie for third place in league with the Lancers (5-5, 2-3) and Servite (4-6, 2-3), who lost to St. John Bosco on Friday. A coin flip held after the game determined that Orange Lutheran would go into the playoffs as the league’s No. 3 seed.

The Lions were named the fourth-place team, an ideal spot to be in for one of the Pac-5 Division’s two at-large berths, and the Friars came in at fifth.

“Extremely proud obviously, these games have always come down to the last play, last seconds and this was good for us to get this win,” JSerra coach Jim Hartigan said after the fourth-quarter dramatics. “We were down, had big plays were going against us, but we found a way to rally defensively in the second half and came up with some plays offensively.

“Everybody showed up in the second half. Kind of a slow start, but a strong finish.”

With the score tied 7-7 after the first quarter, the Lions and Lancers combined to score 37 points in a second quarter that saw four touchdowns of at least 50 yards. Orange Lutheran took a 27-24 edge to halftime and extended that to a 10-point lead early in the third quarter on Dominik Austin’s second rushing touchdown of the evening.

JSerra quarterback Riley O’Brien capped a 10-play, 94-yard drive early in the fourth quarter with a 16-yard strike to his brother,Conor, to cut the deficit to 34-31. Riley’s 5-yard touchdown run on the Lions’ next series reclaimed a 38-34 lead, and after the ensuing kickoff, Tristan West’s 23-yard scoop-and-score put an exclamation mark on a 21-0 fourth-quarter run with 3:53 to play.

Brandon McKinney’s 11-yard touchdown run put Orange Lutheran back into the game with 1:43 remaining, but a missed 2-point conversion meant the Lancers needed a touchdown to win.

After stopping JSerra on a fourth-and-one with 44 seconds left, the Lancers needed to drive 60 yards for a go-ahead score. Northington guided the offense down to the JSerra 28 with six ticks remaining, setting up the final incomplete pass.

OC Sidelines JSerra vs. Mater Dei

Football: JSerra 35, Mater Dei 28

• By Carlos Arias
• Updated: 10/31/2015

JSerra coach Jim Hartigan (center) celebrates his team’s 35-28 upset of Mater Dei with his staff. Photo/Craig Takata.

JSerra, ranked No. 10 in the OC Sidelines Top 20, gave second-ranked Mater Dei a big dose of the O’Brien brothers on Friday. The Lions were ended a three-game Trinity League losing streak and kept their playoff hopes alive with a 35-28 upset of the Monarchs at Saddleback College.

Mater Dei came into the game ranked No. 6 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports.,

JSerra is in victory formation and QB Matthew Robinson takes a knee to seal the Lions’ 35-28 win over Mater Dei. Photo/Craig Takata.

With the game deadlocked, 21-21, with 5 minutes left, Riley O’Brien blocked a punt in the end zone and Conor O’Brien recovered it for a TD to give the host Lions the lead. Riley O’Brien added a TD pass to Avery Williams with 2:30 left and JSerra held on to upset Mater Dei.

“We designed the punt pressure to attack the left side and Conor, my brother, actually, clamped one of the blockers to get me a free release,” Riley O’Brien said. “I saw the punter had not yet kicked it and I knew that I needed to make a play. I went for it, dove out and made the block.”

The accomplishment wasn’t lost on O’Brien, whose team faces No. 4 Orange Lutheran next week.

“This is huge for our team because it boosts our confidence for next week and increases our chance for playoffs,” he said. “Mater Dei is a very good team, so a win against them is always a huge deal.”

Mater Dei (2-2 in league) fell into a second-place tie with OLu and Servite. JSerra (1-3) pulled into a fifth-place tie with Santa Margarita for what might be the last at-large berth for the Pac-5 playoffs.

JSERRA vs. MATER DEI VICTORY LIONS!!!!

JSerra shocks No. 1 Mater Dei with fourth-quarter rally

October 31, 2015 1:10 AM

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By JOHN SCAFETTA

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

MISSION VIEJO – The general consensus diagnosed JSerra’s playoff hopes as dead and gone.

But the boisterous bunch of Lions proved they still have plenty of life left Friday night, even when it meant going toe-to-toe with Orange County’s finest.

Ninth-ranked JSerra mounted an epic fourth-quarter turnaround to upset top-ranked Mater Dei, 35-28, in a Trinity League showdown at Saddleback College.

“It feels amazing,” Lions running back Avery Williams said. “We’ve had two fourth-quarter losses in the Trinity League, it just feels great to push one out and finish. Our season was on the line, and everybody stepped up today.”

The victory gives JSerra’s playoff hopes new life. The Lions defeated Mater Dei, 17-10, last season – the only other time JSerra had defeated the Monarchs. Mater Dei’s only other loss this season was to St. John Bosco, 42-21, on Oct. 16.

Williams accumulated 128 total yards (56 rushing, 72 receiving) and three touchdowns for the Lions (6-3, 1-3). His biggest score came with 2:30 remaining when quarterback Riley O'Brien connected with the shifty running back on a wheel route down the left sideline on third-and-9.

Williams ran untouched into the end zone to give JSerra a 35-21 lead.

But Mater Dei (7-2, 2-2) wouldn’t give up. Eight plays later, freshman quarterback JT Daniels connected with Andre Collinson a long, arching pass for a 22-yard score, cutting the deficit to seven.

On the ensuing onside-kick attempt, it appeared Mater Dei had recovered inside JSerra territory. However, the officials ruled that a Monarchs special teams player had touched the ball at the Mater Dei 49, negating the recovery.

“He said that we touched the ball on the 49-yard line, which we have nine million iPads on the sideline (showing) the ball was past the 10-yard mark,” Mater Dei coach Bruce Rollinson said.

“But that’s not what the game came down to. I take full blame for this, and I give JSerra all the credit.”

Mater Dei led 14-7 at the half on the heels of Faavae Faavae’s 32-yard interception return for a touchdown on JSerra’s opening drive.

But the offense had trouble moving the ball most of the night. Daniels was sacked five times, and JSerra’s swarming defense held the Monarchs to just 65 total yards in the first two quarters.

JSerra tied the game at 14 when Williams’ 1-yard scoring run capped a nearly eight minute third-quarter drive. However, the Monarchs quickly answered with Brandon LaMarche’s 2-yard TD run with 10:42 left.

The Lions then went on to score 21 unanswered points, highlighted by Riley O’Brien’s blocked punt in the endzone, which was recovered for a touchdown by his brother Conor O’ Brien with 4:34 left. The recovery gave the Lions their first lead at 28-21.

JSerra will play Orange Lutheran next week in the season finale.

 BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER!!!!

 We LOVE NICK HARRIS!!!  GREAT GAME NICK!!!

Thank you Papa and Grandma for always coming to the games!!  We love you!

Riley O'Brien JSerra photos

Riley tosses to Brother Conor!

JSerra vs. Servite 2015

Simpson, Servite make statement vs. JSerra

October 09, 2015 11:19 PM

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BY DAN ALBANO

STAFF WRITER

NORWALK – Don’t count out Servite in the Trinity League.

The ninth-ranked Friars proved that to themselves and the Pac-5 Division league Friday by rallying in the final seconds to stun No. 5 JSerra, 39-38, on the heroics of backup quarterback Aaron Simpson at Cerritos College.

The senior scrambled for a 22-yard touchdown run with six seconds left in the fourth quarter and tossed the winning 2-point conversion coming out of a timeout to tight end Ryan Melvin. Simpson dove into the end zone on his score.

Servite, picked to finish last in the Trinity, bounced a short kickoff that JSerra (5-1, 0-1) recovered at its 41 with no timeouts. On the final play, Servite’s Daniel Garcia tripped a scrambling quarterback Matthew Robinson for the sack to seal a league-opening victory for Servite (3-3, 1-0).

“We’re going to fight every week, 48 minutes,” said first-year Servite coach Scott Meyer, who won his Trinity League debut. “Our guys have a ton of heart. … We played a heck of a (nonleague) schedule (to prepare).”

Meyer said the Friars decided to go for the victory to ride the momentum of Simpson, who came on in the first half in relief ofTyler Lytle (hamstring). Simpson threw two touchdown passes toMichael Bandy and on the winning possession, drove the Friars from their 20 with 35 seconds left.

“It’s great celebrating with these guys,” Simpson said. “(We) loved (the decision to go for the win).”

Added Meyer, “We came here to win. We had a lot of momentum.”

JSerra took a 38-31 lead with 35 seconds left on a 16-yard touchdown pass on a screen from Riley O’Briento Avery Williams, who finished with three touchdowns.

But Servite responded and took the lead for the first time on its final drive. The Lions also led, 31-21, afterConor O’Brien, Riley’s older brother, returned a fumble 1-yard for a touchdown with 3:49 left in the third quarter.

“Disappointing that we didn’t finish,” said JSerra coach Jim Hartigan, whose school had defeated Servite the past two seasons. “We basically let the game get away from us by not executing coverage. Hats off to them. They did a nice job of staying in the game, fighting us.”

Williams rushed for 138 yards in 29 carries and also had four catches for 91 yards.

Simpson passed for 215 yards while Bandy and Terrell Bynum paced the receivers. Outside linebackerConnor Airey led Servite’s defense.

Servite turned a fumble just before halftime into a 2-yard touchdown run by Jackson Taylor and a 21-21 tie with 25 seconds left in the second quarter. Taylor’s run came three plays after a fumble recovery by Airey at the JSerra 15.

The Friars’ defense also received an interception from Jarrett Wesner at his 2 late in the first quarter ,but they couldn’t turn the turnover into points.

JSerra took a 21-14 lead on a spectacular 56-yard catch and run by Williams with 1:57 left in the opening half. The senior took a short out pass from Riley O’Brien near the sideline, made two tacklers miss in the secondary before breaking tackles near the 10 and diving into the end zone.

One of Servite’s top plays in the first half came after Lytle injured his hamstring in open field on a breakaway 39-yard run. On the next play, Simpson used a play-action fake to toss a 25-yard touchdown to Bandy.

Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com