Another week, another slate of Southern California football games that delivered plenty of storylines.
From an Inglewood defensive line that might be one of the most dominant duos in the country to Huntington Beach finding ways to win in all three phases, there was plenty to take away from Week 3. Bonita continues to look like one of the area’s most complete teams, while Santa Margarita’s defense showed once again why the Eagles are the team to beat.
Rounding out the takeaways was Baldwin Park’s Landis Whitener, who put together a performance that looked more like a video game than a high school football stat line.
Here are five takeaways from another action-packed week of Southern California football.
1. Inglewood has an insane defensive line duo
Inglewood has one of the nastiest defensive line tandems in Southern California with Oklahoma commit Elija Harmon and Texas A&M commit Myels Smith and the duo was absolutely dominant in the Sentinels’ 50-21 win over Franklin.
Harmon was living in the Franklin backfield, recording nine tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks and three quarterback hurries. Smith was just as disruptive, totaling 10 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and four quarterback hurries.
That’s an absurd amount of production from two players on the same defensive line.
Quarterback Lincoln Jahn said it best, “Myels and Elija are the best one-two punch in the country.”
It’s hard to argue with him after watching what they did against Franklin. Every time the Wildcats started to build momentum, one of those two seemed to be making a play.
With Harmon and Smith collapsing the pocket, Inglewood can make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks. If the Sentinels continue getting that kind of production up front, they’re going to be a problem for anybody on the schedule.
Good luck blocking these guys.
2. Huntington Beach is winning in all three phases
Huntington Beach has plenty of star power, but what makes the Oilers so dangerous is that they’re finding ways to win in every phase of the game. The biggest example came in their 28-14 win over previously unbeaten Redondo Union.
Special teams were the obvious headline thanks to Arizona State commit Dylin Bruce, who returned two punts and a kickoff for touchdowns, but the offense and defense did their part, too.
Ohio State commit Brady Edmunds battled through an injury to score two rushing touchdowns, while the defense consistently made big plays against a Redondo Union offense built around standout running back Rocky Martinez. The Oilers also blocked a field goal and forced a fumble, giving their offense extra opportunities.
Then Bruce did what Bruce does best.
The senior finished with three return touchdowns and 260 return yards, single-handedly changing the game whenever Huntington Beach needed a spark.
That’s the scary part about this team. If one phase isn’t clicking, another can pick it up. At 4-0, Huntington Beach is dominating in all three phases of the game, which is a testament to head coach Matthew Hatchette and his staff.
3. Bonita is playing outstanding football
There is something special brewing at Bonita. The Bearcats entered their rivalry matchup with San Dimas undefeated and walked away with a 28-16 victory, extending their winning streak in the Smudge Pot rivalry.
Along with winning their seventh straight Smudge Pot victory, Bonita showed why it deserves to be considered one of the best teams in the San Gabriel Valley.
The defense set the tone from the opening whistle, forcing turnovers, getting pressure on quarterback Kris Saris and coming up with a massive fourth-down stop late in the game.
Matt Milazzo was everywhere. The junior cornerback opened the game with an 82-yard pick-six and later threw a touchdown pass as part of a versatile performance on both sides of the ball. Joseph Lara was just as important, rushing for two touchdowns, including a 90-yard house call.
Bonita is now 4-0 and the Bearcats have already shown they can win games with physicality, defense and playmakers making big-time plays. This is a team that deserves much more attention.
4. Santa Margarita’s defense is scary
Santa Margarita has plenty of offensive firepower, but the defense might be the reason the Eagles are the best team in Southern California.
Santa Margarita shut out Inderkum 41-0, holding the Tigers scoreless while forcing turnovers and consistently living in the backfield.
The defense set the tone immediately when freshman defensive end KJ Herndon intercepted a pass on the opening drive. Jake Martin added an interception, while Kingston Jimmerson, Rayshawn Brandon and a collection of linebackers repeatedly made plays behind the line of scrimmage. The Eagles’ defense looked like a bunch of heat-seeking missiles in the shootout win.
Santa Margarita has now opened the season 4-0, which includes a dogfight win with Corona Centennial. They’ve shown they know how to put teams away and that they can win against the best.
Carson Palmer and the offense can put points on the board, but this defense can completely take a game away from an opponent.
5. Landis Whitener’s stat line looked like a video game
What exactly was Baldwin Park’s Landis Whitener doing last week?
The junior defensive lineman put together one of the most ridiculous individual performances you’ll see all season, recording eight sacks and nine tackles for loss in Baldwin Park’s 42-0 shutout of rival Sierra Vista.
No, that’s not a typo.
Whitener was essentially living in the opposing backfield for four quarters, completely taking over the game and helping Baldwin Park pitch a shutout. The performance was so dominant that Whitener became the Southern Section’s sack leader in a single game.
There are great defensive performances, and then there are games like this. Whitener’s eight-sack outing was on another level and earned him Southern California football’s Week 3 MVP.
