Orange’s football team is fired up about its match-up with Santa Ana Friday. (Photos courtesy Aaron Jacoby)
Orange High’s football team had a season to remember last year, winning the CIF Division 13 title.
Now, this year’s squad is trying to create some new special memories competing in the higher Division 9.
To see the slide show, please click on the first photo
Orange meets Santa Ana Friday night at 7 at the Santa Ana Stadium in a battle for supremacy in the Orange Coast League. Both teams are tied for first place with 4-0 records and this is a game fans, coaches and players from both teams have been pointing to since the start of the season.
“The kids are excited; it’s a great way to finish the regular season, looking toward next week and the playoffs,” said Orange Coach Robert Pedroza. “As a whole team, we’re very excited for the match-up.”
Orange (8-1 overall) has an eight-game winning streak. The Panthers only loss came in the first week of the season to Garden Grove, 21-18. Since then, Orange has been on a roll.
“We’re looking at trying to get better this week and keep the win streak rolling and take that confidence into the playoffs next week,” he said.
PLAYERS EXPERIENCED THRILLS OF LAST YEAR’S RUN
A number of players from last year’s team return to lead the way for Orange, which is ranked third in this week’s CIF Division 9 poll.
“We have a good amount that went through that 16-week season last year which is nice to have the experience back to help here in the last part of the season,” Pedroza said.
Orange is an explosive offensive team and is also very strong on defense.
“We have a good run game and we share with about six different running backs who can all carry the ball and our quarterback (sophomore Daylen Pedroza) has been lights out this year both running and throwing the ball,” the coach said. “He’s only a sophomore but the kid is a football player.”
Pedroza has passed for 1,311 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushed for 638 yards and 13 TDs.
“We have a lot of weapons on our outside,” Pedroza said. “Andrew Andrade has made some big catches and runs for us and we were finally able to get one of our best skilled players back. Isaac Galvan came back last week. He had been out about four weeks since the Irvine game. We missed him. He’s a home run threat every time he touches the ball for us.”
Galvan has 448 yards rushing and five touchdowns and 119 yards receiving and three touchdowns in six games.
Andrade has rushed for 317 yards and five touchdowns and hauled in 25 catches for 557 yards and four touchdowns.
Another top receiver is senior Syrus Soakai, “who is our mean weapon outside on the edge,” Pedroza said. He has 411 yards receiving and six touchdowns.
RUNNING GAME FOR PANTHERS IS STRONG
The top running backs include junior Dylan Moses (451 yards and six touchdowns) and senior Miguel Orendain (389 yards and four TDs).
Pedroza said he also has great confidence in the offensive and defensive lines.
“A lot of those guys are back from last year and that’s our bread and butter, those big guys up front,” he said.
Among the top defensive players are senior lineman Anthony Garcia, who is a two-way player and a three-year starter and junior lineman Christian Noyala, who is “dominant up front,” according to Pedroza.
“Those two are very good linemen who we rely on heavily,” Pedroza said.
Orange rolled through Orange Coast League play, defeating Saddleback 62-0, Costa Mesa 81-0, Estancia 49-18 and Calvary Chapel 69-6.
“I thought we played well,” Pedroza said. “At times, we didn’t play our best. I like the way we’re playing, but obviously as a coach and a program, we can always do better and that’s why I’m so excited for the big test on Friday to see where exactly our program and our kids are.”
Pedroza admits it’s been challenge to keep the players focused on the games before the game of the year.
“It’s hard, it’s been very hard because all the talk was about week 10,” he said. “It’s been tough to try and keep the boys on track every week but I feel as a program, we’ve been getting ready for this game in the right ways with our weight lifting and conditioning. It put us in a spot to be ready for Friday night.”
COACH EXPECTS A BATTLE AGAINST SANTA ANA
Pedroza expects a battle Friday night.
“It’s going to be a tough, physical game,” he said. “(Patrick) McMorris is a great running back. They are coached very well and they have a lot of good athletes…their quarterback, their receivers, the running backs, their O-Line. They do a lot of good things and they’re a good football team.”
Pedroza said he and his players are well aware of McMorris, who transferred in the middle of the season from Godinez.
“That’s going to be a fun and great test for us,” Pedroza said. “Everybody seems to say that nobody can stop him and I’ve even seen some headlines that you guys have put out… which will have our kids fired up for it.”
There is plenty of enthusiasm on campus too, the coach said.
“There is a lot excitement,” Pedroza said. “We have parents buying pre-sale tickets and the community is buzzing about it, so it’s definitely a different vibe.
“We’re excited and ready for the test. We will be ready to go Friday night.”
MAYOR OF ORANGE CONGRATULATES PANTHERS AFTER LEAGUE VICTORY
-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
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