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In our annual San Juan Capistrano high school football preview, we delve into everything you need to know about the upcoming football season. Click the links below to read the team-specific previews, scroll through the PDF version here for more photos and interviews.
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| Click here for San Juan Hills preview | Click here for JSerra preview |
| Click here for St. Margaret’s preview | Click here for CVC preview |
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We’ve gone 100 yards and back again, and Friday Night Lights are back on the horizon. It’s time for the annual San Juan Capistrano High School Football Preview.
The four high school teams that call San Juan Capistrano home all have an incredible amount of promise, whether it’s new beginnings for new coaches and high-profile transfers or a stable of strong returners looking to take their programs beyond last year’s early endings.
San Juan Hills, the city’s lone public school, has a quarterback battle entering the season, but the Stallions are bolstered by the return of league offensive and defensive MVPs in seniors Sullivan Land and Jake Javorsky. San Juan Hills is fortified elsewhere with returners in heralded linebacker Weston Port and wide receivers Colton Chase and CJ Williams, plus the recent transfers of wide receivers Jason, Jaydn and Skylar Robinson.
If whoever grabs the reins of the Stallions’ offense gets things clicking, another Sea View League title with hopes for playoff success are in San Juan Hills’ future.
JSerra is looking to take last season’s late surprises of a playoff berth and playoff win even further with the arrival of new head coach Victor Santa Cruz. With the elevated eye of college-level tactics, Santa Cruz has his Lions ready to take a big swing at the Trinity League.
The Lions get the in-city transfer of quarterback Michael “Butter” Tollefson from San Juan Hills and an out-of-county impact from linebacker Madden Faraimo to infuse the JSerra roster with more next-level talent. Returners including highly recruited offensive lineman Jake Flores and senior linebacker Jack Munro were battle-tested last season, and that Lions brotherhood has its eyes on big-time results.
Back on Ortega Highway, St. Margaret’s is also under new management with the hiring of head coach Dan O’Shea from Corona del Mar. The Tartans have experienced leaders in quarterback Max Ruff and linebacker Battle Gideons, and O’Shea will lean on that experienced group to get a strong start on what he hopes is a long, successful season for St. Margaret’s
Capistrano Valley Christian had an electric regular-season campaign, but a tight loss in the opening round of the playoffs fuels the Eagles’ fire into 2023. CVC has impact returners at its skill positions and strong and hungry returners on the defensive line. The Eagles are building for beyond October.
Three teams get their chance to make an impact next week in their season openers on Friday, Aug. 18.
San Juan Hills welcomes in Oceanside for its Week 0 opener, and the Stallions will surely be ready to wipe away back-to-back, 0-6 and 0-7 starts from their ledger.
JSerra will travel north to Sierra Canyon in a series that’s seen the two programs meet three times over the past two seasons. The Lions won at home last year and will look to win their first game at Sierra Canyon.
St. Margaret’s opens at home against Ontario Christian, and the Tartans will be looking to avenge a 35-7 road loss from last season’s opener and avoid another season-opening winless stretch.
Capistrano Valley Christian is the only city team that will have to wait, but the Eagles will get going early in Week 1 with a home date on Thursday, Aug. 24, against Calvary Chapel at Saddleback College.
Flip through each of our season previews for San Juan Capistrano’s four high school football teams, and put on the pads for another stellar season of South Orange County football.
