The Battle at the Beach passing tournament is dominated by St. John Bosco, but Orange Lutheran makes a big impression.
St. John Bosco’s Prentice Jones Jr. knocks down a pass during Saturday’s Battle at the Beach seven-on-seven passing tournament. The Braves won the championship. A thick early morning marine layer on Saturday in Huntington Beach left players, coaches and fans arriving for the Battle at the Beach seven-on-seven passing tournament feeling cool and energized.
New Servite coach Rick Garretson later joked that back at his former home in Arizona, the temperature was over 100 degrees. Ray Fenton, the new head coach at Orange Lutheran after earning coach of the year honors at Los Alamitos, didn’t have to wear a hat to cover his shaved head. Neither sun nor one of the most talent-laden group of teams in the tournament history could disrupt where Fenton appears to be taking the Lancers.
“Are we playing selflessly or selfishly? Are we good teammates or not? ” Fenton said about what he wanted to learn in the Lancers’ only appearance this summer in a passing competition. Let’s just say the progress is impressive.
Fenton brought along his up-tempo, no-huddle offense from Los Alamitos, and quarterbacks Ezrah Brown and Reagan Toki were executing it in midseason form. Looking on in street clothes was 6-foot-5, 305-pound offensive tackle Lucas Rhoa, a Texas commit who can’t wait to throw his weight around when the pads come on. The Lancers won their first four matches, including an opening win over two-time defending champion Mission Viejo.
They made it to the semifinals until a roadblock sent the Lancers home. St. John Bosco came in as the tournament favorite, and from start to finish, the Braves looked better than each opponent. It was only a matter whether coach Jason Negro was going to use his backups to spread playing time.
Junior quarterback Koa Malau’ulu, in his third year as a St. John Bosco starter, has put in hours of work in the weight room, and the hard work is showing. The ball is coming out quicker from his hand. His priority this summer has been trying to build chemistry with a new group of receivers. Junior DJ Tubbs, one of the few returnees, remains a go-to target.
“He may not be big but plays big,” Malau’ulu said. St. John Bosco has six top defensive backs, giving the Braves options for the coming season. One of the best players in California and the nation, Cathedral Catholic’s Honor Fa’alave-Johnson, a USC commit, got to show off his speed.
Corona Centennial, which doesn’t usually perform well in passing competitions , started the morning 4-0 and didn’t lose until its final game. Making the final means the Huskies could be very good this fall. The only other times they reached the Edison final was in 2015 when they won the Division 1 title and in 2008 when they were undefeated state champs.
New quarterback Jaden Jefferson has lots of weapons at the receiver position, including his former Cathedral teammate Quentin Hale. Sophomore defensive back Koti Fultz had a big day on defense. Palos Verdes has a four-year starter at quarterback, Ryan Rakowski, and he’s going to cause many problems for defenses this fall with his knowledge and accuracy.
Long Beach Poly, making its debut under first-year coach Travon Patterson, will have lots of options on defense because of its standout cornerbacks in Donte Wright and JuJu Johnson. Eric Sondheimer is the prep sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times. He has been honored seven times by the California Prep Sportswriters Assn. for best prep sports column.
Please follow us on Google to support usUnited States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Money Saving Tips for the Orange County FairDiscover how to save money on admission and carnival rides at the annual Orange County Fair by booking in advance and choosing off-peak days.
Read more »
Money Saving Tips for the Orange County FairA guide on how to save money at the OC Fair by planning ahead, utilizing advance ticket purchases, and taking advantage of weekday discounts and carnival deals.
Read more »
‘Real Housewives of Orange County’ star Jennifer Pedranti says son involved in California brush firePedranti says her son was not arrested for his involvement in the Ladera Ranch fire, but is facing consequences to make sure he learns from the incident.
Read more »
Orange County United Way Launches $18M ‘The OC Way’ CampaignOrange County United Way announces The OC Way, an $18M campaign to transform social services and connect residents to care. Learn how to help.
Read more »