In this new era of competitive equity and using computer rankings to determine league placement, some long-standing local rivalries have fallen by the wayside.
One of the best ones that has survived this new system is the annual game between Tustin and Foothill.
The rivalry began in 1969 and Foothill leads the series 33-27-2. Tustin and Foothill have each won 11 games against each other since 2004.
“The Tustin vs. Foothill game is huge for our community,” Tustin coach Anthony Lopez said. “It sells out every year and really brings the city together for one night. Every year we have to prepare our players that haven’t played in a game like this for the environment they will see that night.”
Aside from Tustin’s 42-14 blowout win over Foothill last season, the rivalry has produced excellent games in recent years. Tustin narrowly beat Foothill 36-35 in 2023 and required a late 2-point conversion for the Tillers to win.
In 2022, Foothill beat Tustin 9-7 with a game-winning safety in the fourth quarter.
Tustin seems to be the heavy favorite in this year’s game that will take place Friday at Northrup Field. The Tillers are No. 7 in the Register’s Top 25 poll and Foothill is unranked.
“Anything can happen in a rivalry game,” Lopez said.
Tustin beat San Clemente 30-17 last week for one of the program’s biggest wins in recent years. Sophomore quarterback Ayden Edwards threw for 168 yards with two touchdowns and Mission Viejo transfer Hayden Koo caught eight passes for 118 yards with a touchdown.
The defensive line pairing of Jon Ioane and Jeremiah Williams combined for 12 tackles and five for a loss.
“The win Friday definitely felt nice to get,” Lopez said. “It has been a minute since we’ve won a game against a team we weren’t supposed to (beat).”
Foothill is coming off a 13-7 loss to Marina. John Nisson led the Knights in tackles and Nico Gonzalez had an interception.
Friday’s game will be the first game between the two schools in 26 years without longtime Foothill coach Doug Case on the sidelines. The Knights have a new coach this season, Jason Jellerson, who had been an assistant with the team for eight years and has had two sons play for the program.
“I have nothing but the utmost respect for Foothill and their football program,” Lopez said. “Every year we play them, they are disciplined and a physical football team.”
SNEAKY GOOD MATCHUP
One of the most intriguing games this week is between El Modena and Dana Hills.
El Modena had a lead in the fourth quarter against a good Troy team last week, but allowed 22 unanswered points in a disastrous 12 minutes to lose the game.
The Vanguards lost a lot of key starters from its 2024 team that reached the Division 3 quarterfinals, which is a reason why El Modena is absent from the Register’s Top 25 poll for the first time in many years.
Sam Jackett led El Modena with 91 receiving yards and threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Russell in the loss.
Dana Hills played the ball control game in its Week 0 win over Desert Oasis and Radley Geiss ran for 212 yards. Sophomore QB Carter Anderson struggled in his varsity debut, but threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to James Leicester.
The Dolphins’ defense was outstanding with two sacks and two forced turnovers. Nicholas Newsome had an interception and Trevor Blackmore had a sack with a forced fumble.
Dana Hills is the favorite to win the competitive Foxtrot League and El Modena has not been in the media discussion regarding Delta League contenders. But if El Modena held on and had beaten Troy last week, the narrative surrounding the Vanguards would be different. We may learn a lot about these two teams in this game.
REDEMPTION TIME
There are two games featuring 0-1 teams that had disappointing starts to the season: Pacifica vs. Garden Grove and Sonora vs. Northwood.
Pacifica and Garden Grove will play at SoFi Stadium on Friday. They have been two of the top Garden Grove area teams in recent years.
The Mariners allowed four receiving touchdowns from Mahseiah Banks of Kennedy and a 99-yard fumble recovery by Jacob Pineda in their 35-13 loss.
Garden Grove got a record-breaking rushing performance by Quentin Pacelli, but fell to Los Amigos 42-36.
Pacifica beat Garden Grove 28-0 on the field last season but later had to forfeit that game.
Sonora was blanked, 47-0, by an excellent Brea Olinda team in Week 0. The Raiders allowed 353 yards rushing and 224 yards passing.
Northwood lost to crosstown rival Irvine 34-14. Jack Schultz had a kickoff return for a touchdown and a touchdown reception for the Timberwolves in the loss.
All four of these teams could use a win to get their seasons on the right track.
