Week 3 is bringing some serious heat to the Southern California high school football scene.
From revenge games and bounce-back opportunities to potential shootouts and physical battles, this week’s slate is loaded with high-stakes matchups and star power. The biggest headliner comes Friday night when No. 2 Corona Centennial travels to face No. 5 Mater Dei in a rematch of last year’s classic regular-season and playoff battles. The Monarchs will be looking to avenge two heartbreaking losses, while Cen10 looks to bounce back after its loss to Santa Margarita.
That’s not all. No. 13 Palos Verdes gets another shot at Edison after last year’s stunning 21-20 loss, while No. 19 Damien and No. 21 Tustin square off in a matchup that could have major implications moving forward. No. 25 Rancho Cucamonga faces No. 16 Chaparral in a potential shootout, and No. 24 Oak Hills looks to pull off another upset against No. 8 JSerra Catholic.
With elite talent all over the field and plenty of unfinished business, Week 3 has all the ingredients for another memorable week of SoCal football.
#2 Corona Centennial (1-1) @ #5 Mater Dei (3-0) 7 p.m., Friday
These two teams have been going at it for years, with Mater Dei seeing the most success, but last year was a different story. Cen10 snapped their losing streak to the Monarchs with a thrilling 43-36 regular-season win, then did it again in the postseason in a 28-27 dogfight.Mater Dei is still haunted by last year’s losses and is on a mission to redeem themselves.
The Monarchs have been playing impressive football through three games, sitting at 3-0 with three out-of-state wins. Despite an ongoing quarterback battle between Russell Sekona and Cameron Pooley, the offense has been averaging 33.7 points per game. They’ll both need to be sharp against a secondary that boasts three-star safety Augus Sanders and three-star cornerbacks Jordan Kirkpatrick and Brett Smith. The good news for either quarterback is that three-star wide receiver Gavin Honore is the definition of a safety blanket. Still, Mater Dei will lean on sophomore running back Asir Nembhard, who has been averaging 128 rushing yards per game. Can they establish the run game against a defensive line led by Cal commit Miles Schirmer and three-star edge Kye Duval?
It’ll be just as interesting on the other side of the ball. Hawaii commit Jaden Jefferson and the Cen10 offense runs a no-huddle, tempo offense. USC commit Quentin Hale is a problem on the outside and the run game is reliable with three-star Malaki Davis and Braylin Drake. NAU commit Kennie Leggett is a Swiss Army knife and can line up anywhere he’s needed.
They’ll be up against one of the deadliest secondaries in the nation, with four-star cornerback Danny Lang, four-star safety Ace Leutele and three-star cornerbacks Patrick Hall and Troy Bishop. The front seven is no joke either, with a linebacker corps that boasts four-star Sosene Schuster, New Mexico commit DJ Clanton and three-star Mike Davis Jr. Three-star defensive linemen Montana Toilolo and Matamatagi Uiagalelei headline the defensive line.
There’s no shortage of star power on both sides of the ball and both teams have a lot on the line. Cen10 is looking to bounce back after a heartbreaking loss to Santa Margarita, while Mater Dei is on the hunt for revenge.
#13 Palos Verdes (3-0) @ Edison (1-2) 7 p.m, Friday
Similar to the prior matchup, there’s one thing that’s on Palos Verdes’ mind this September, and that’s revenge. Last year’s game was a thriller, with Edison storming back in the fourth quarter down 14 points. Palos Verdes put themselves in field goal position as the clock expired, but Edison blocked it and held on for a 21-20 win.
After Edison’s 1-2 start, Palos Verdes has got to be licking their chops. They’re playing outstanding football, sitting pretty at 3-0 with wins over Serra, Carson and Florida’s Bishop Moore.
Nevada commit Ryan Rakowski has been doing his thing at quarterback, averaging 199.3 passing yards and 32 rushing yards per game with nine total touchdowns. He has a deep wide receiver core in two-way star Jalen Flowers, Aaden Brady and Antonio Robles. Senior offensive lineman Jake Pekarek and the hogs up front have done a solid job creating running lanes for running back Christian Reis, who is averaging 58 rushing yards per game.
Despite a tough start to the season, Edison is not to be taken lightly. This is a well-coached unit and flies around on defense. Can Colorado State commit Blaise Burwell and his defense maintain the Sea King offense long enough to get their own offense going?
Veteran quarterback Sam Thomson is still trying to find his groove. It won’t be easy against Palos Verdes, with Flowers headlining the back end and linebacker Weston Reis anchoring the front seven.
This game should be a hard-nosed chess match.
#19 Damien (2-1) @ #21 Tustin (2-1) 7 p.m., Thursday
Even though both teams sit at 2-1, it seems like both of them badly need this win.
Damien was handed their first loss of the season against Nevada’s Faith Lutheran last week and will look to bounce back against a tough Tustin unit.
Tustin, on the other hand, has won two straight since their shutout loss to San Clemente, but is trying to find their identity offensively without four-star quarterback Ayden Edwards.
The firepower is endless on both sides of the ball.
Damien’s offense is headlined by Boise State commit Malachi McFarland, who is averaging 101.3 rushing yards per game. Benjamin Gutierrez and SDSU commit Travon Garrison lead the wide receiver corps, and sophomore quarterback Anthony Randolph has done a superb job getting the ball to his weapons.
Will Randolph be able to keep it going against a stingy Tustin defense? UCLA commit Khalil Terry can take away a whole side of the field, while BYU commit Jeremiah Williams and Oklahoma commit Taven Epps have been living in the backfield. This defensive unit has held its own against offenses like San Clemente and Long Beach Poly, allowing only 10 points per game.
Offensively, four-star wide receiver Hayden Koo has stepped up at quarterback. Will Koo be able to feed Colorado State commit Jeremiah Salvant? How well will he be protected with Washington commit Jon Ioane sidelined with an injury?
It’s a tough task ahead for Koo, who will see a defense that boasts USC commit Gavin Williams and three-star linebacker Iona Uiagalelei.
Damien took the cake last season, defeating Tustin 24-7. This year’s matchup should be a dogfight.
#25 Rancho Cucamonga (2-1) @ #16 Chaparral (1-2) 7 p.m., Friday
The main question heading into this electric matchup is whether Cal commit Dane Weber will be suited up for Chaparral.
The Pumas have missed their four-star quarterback badly, averaging only 22.7 points per game. Sophomore quarterback Caden Sterba has been a fine replacement, though and has done a solid job feeding Miami commit Eli Woodard, UCLA commit Michael Farinas and Cal Poly commit Chase Bonta. Three-star Axton Lange and San Jose State commit Calvin Moala will continue to set the tone up front and try to impose their will on a talented Rancho Cucamonga defense.
Three-star defensive lineman Johnny Fortune will try to make Sterba’s life as difficult as possible in the pocket. The key matchups will be three-star cornerback Nathaniel Mensah against Woodard, with three-star safety Terence Parsee helping over the top.
Rancho Cucamonga’s offense will need to find its groove again after only scoring 17 points against Oak Hills in a loss last week. Expect three-star quarterback Treyvone Towns to bounce back and feed Oregon State commit Landon White and three-star tight end Jaylin Smalls. Chaparral has had inconsistencies on defense, allowing 35.3 points per game. Can three-star defensive end Kameron Payne and this unit turn it around?
This one might turn into a classic shootout.
#24 Oak Hills (2-1) @ #8 JSerra Catholic (2-1) 7 p.m., Thursday
Oak Hills shocked the area by handing Rancho Cucamonga their first loss of the season last week. Will they be able to do it again against a Trinity League juggernaut?
JSerra has been rolling since its week 0 loss to Sierra Canyon and is coming off a physical 37-29 win over Crean Lutheran. It starts up front on both sides of the ball. Four-star Lincoln Fa’alafi and three-star offensive tackle Jack Schein have done an excellent job controlling the line of scrimmage. Running back William Fredericksen is averaging 85.3 rushing yards per game, while quarterback Hayes Cloutier has had plenty of time spread the wealth to three-star wide receiver Clark Cokley and Sam Fredericksen.
The Oak Hills defense is no joke, though. Oklahoma commit Sione Felila and Fresno State commit Ritchie Avei are problems up front, while the secondary is no joke either. Wisconsin commit Royalton Allen, Oregon State commit Alonzo Green and three-star cornerback Keyon Yarber are lockdown in coverage, but they’ll be asked to tackle in space against a JSerra offense that looks to pound the rock.
Running back Maurice Council and the Bulldog offense will be on a mission to get their run game going too. Three-star interior lineman Epalahame Finau will pave the way up front. Can this unit win at the point of attack against UCLA commit Godschoice Eboigbodin and middle linebacker Braylin Spencer?
JSerra won a 24-21 thriller last year. Expect the 2026 matchup to be a physical battle. Time of possession will be key.
