NOTES: Tough PCL race, Saints and Eagles collide, Fence Post update and unique homecoming

Northwood players (from left) Muhammad Wahby, Jonathan Kang, Eugene Miyata and Adam Harper represent the Timberwolves at a coin toss. (Photo: OC Sports Zone, Tim Burt).

Most teams in the eight-team Pacific Coast Conference have byes this week and are gearing up for the start of league play in a couple weeks.

Teams play just three league games, so they have one more non-league game next week.

The eight teams in the conference are divided into two four team leagues.

It looks like it’s going to be quite a battle for the top spot in the Pacific Coast League, the upper tier of the two leagues.

Laguna Hills, which plays at University Friday night, is 5-0; Northwood is 5-1, Dana Hills, which hosts Beckman Friday night, is 3-2 and Irvine 3-3.

Northwood and Irvine have a bye Friday night.

Beckman, Portola, University and Woodbridge, will be battling it out for the Pacific Hills League title. Those teams have struggled against the conference’s upper tier squads so far.

Woodbridge, which faces Irvine next week in the final non-league game, is 3-3 and looks to be the favorite.

Santa Ana Saints keep improving

Santa Ana football coach Charlie TeGantvoort has never been one to push the panic button. So after the Saints lost their first three games to Millikan, El Modena and Garden Grove, TeGantvoort stayed the course and it paid off.

The Saints were later awarded a forfeit win when Millikan reported the use of an ineligible player, and now stand at 4-2 overall and 2-0, tied with Orange and Calvary Chapel atop the Orange Coast League. Among the wins was a tough road victory at St. Margaret’s.

Running backs Jayderick Garcia and Stephen Hughes (also a top defensive player) quarterback Sergio Torres and a hard-working offensive line have led the way for the Saints.

Next up, Santa Ana tries to take another big step toward an eventual meeting with Orange for the league title when it faces Calvary Chapel (3-3, 2-0) Friday night at the Santa Ana Stadium.

It usually comes down to Santa Ana and Orange battling for the title on the final week of the season.

Calvary Chapel challenges Santa Ana next

Calvary Chapel’s football team, coming off an impressive win over Saddleback, hopes to complicate the Orange Coast League title race Friday night with a victory against Santa Ana at Santa Ana Stadium.

The Eagles (3-3) are led by sophomore quarterback Matt Peters, who had a big all-around game vs. Saddleback, passing for 233 yards and rushing for 108 yards.

“Having Santa Ana and Orange coming up for us is going to be a little tough but we just want to get better and take every week at a time,” said first year Coach Jack McInally.

Calvary Chapel plays Orange next Thursday at El Modena High School’s Fred Kelly Stadium.

Fence Post Trophy will be awarded again

The city of Irvine teams are once again competing for the Dennis Toohey Fence Post Trophy, which Irvine won last year.

Both irvine and Northwood have 3-0 records against Irvine squads, so the game between Northwood and Irvine on Friday, Oct. 21 at Irvine Stadium could have a lot riding on it.

“The thing for us is the league, the three league games,” said Northwood Coach JC Clarke, adding that Northwood had not defeated Portola until last week. “Irvine smacked us the last couple of years, it would be nice to get those guys.”

Original homecoming at Brea Olinda

Brea Olinda officials put on quite a homecoming show last Friday night in the game against Canyon. There were all the traditional features, such as the introduction of the homecoming queen, but a special part was having the class of 1972 which was celebrating its 50th anniversary, take part in the homecoming activities, noted Jim McCormack, who filed a story and photos for OC Sports Zone.

At halftime, 1972 homecoming queen CIndy Nix-Bell presented 2022 queen Marel Handel with her sash and crown.

Another example of why high school football is so special.

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