Prep Rally: Jake Flores leads an impressive list of offensive linemen this season (2024)

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. My name is Eric Sondheimer. This week let’s look at the offensive linemen ready to throw around their weight and muscles this fall.

The big men

Junior Mateo Bilaver of Chaminade, 6 feet 6, 305 pounds, started all 13 games last year for the Eagles on the offensive line.

(Ante Bilaver)

You don’t win championships without blockers up front, so let’s examine players to reckon with.

It starts with Jake Flores of JSerra, a Washington commit who enters the fall season as the No. 1 blocker from the Trinity League. The Trinity League has plenty of contributors up front, including Kodi Greene and Sione Tohi from Mater Dei, Sam Utu and Arion Williams from Orange Lutheran, Matai Jefferson and Matt Perdue from St. John Bosco and USC commit Elijah Vaikona from Santa Margarita.

Drew Nichols from Murrieta Valley leads a big, strong group of Murrieta Valley linemen. He’s a Michigan State commit. Malik White of Rancho Cucamonga is a 320-pound junior. Long Beach Millikan has Arizona State commit Maki Stewart.

Chaminade has several underclassmen to watch in juniors Mateo Bilaver and Shane Katz. Adrian Zarsange of Chatsworth is a 6-3, 255-pound senior who could be best in the West Valley League. Jonah Leaupepetele has received praise at Apple Valley. A healthy Daniel Shipp has high expectations at Corona Centennial after missing last season with an injury.

Blake Graham at Leuzinger, Henry Wonderlick at Villa Park, Sonny Pa’u at Mission Viejo and Ashdon Wnetrzak at Sierra Canyon all can be productive blockers this season.

St. Bonaventure has won several line competitions this summer. Matthew Driver and Mason Badgett return from last season’s championship team and Oxnard transfer Scott Burleigh (6-7, 350) adds to the line’s physicality.

Mission Viejo receiver Vance Spafford catches pass at the Edison passing tournament.

(Craig Weston)

When best friends unite, the power they unleash can be magical in terms of chemistry, unselfishness and determination. That’s what Mission Viejo’s football team has going for it when the season begins in six weeks.

You could see it and feel it Saturday during the Edison seven-on-seven passing tournament. The two quarterbacks who alternate playing every other series, Luke Fahey and Draiden Trudeau, are like brothers. Trudeau showed up and greeted Fahey’s father by offering a hug and saying, “What’s up, pops?”

The quarterbacks have a great group of receivers. The summer provided some clues for players and teams to watch this fall. Here’s a look.

Montes leads Kennedy

Kennedy quarterback Diego Montes.

(@coachcrenshawty Instagram)

Granada Hills Kennedy went 6-0 in the Valley Mission League last season behind sophom*ore quarterback Diego Montes.

He’s back, and the Golden Cougars look strong again.

Here’s a report.

Golf

Jaden Soong celebrates after winning the Southern California Golf Assn. Amateur Championship.

(Jack Margaros / Southern California Golf Association)

It’s official. Jaden Soong, a 14-year-old incoming freshman at St. Francis, is a golf phenom.

He became the youngest winner of the SCGA Amateur Championship in 125 years. It’s the same trophy that Tiger Woods once won.

Here’s the report.

It’s already been a good summer for girls’ golf in Southern California, with Leigh Chien of Santa Margarita winning the Girls High School Golf National Invitational last week in Frisco, Texas. This week the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship will be held at El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana.

Here’s a look at the field for U.S. Girls’ Junior Championships.

Baseball

Harvard-Westlake shortstop Bryce Rainer.

(Nick Koza)

Sunday’s opening day of major league baseball’s amateur draft was a day to remember for Harvard-Westlake grad Bryce Rainer.

The standout shortstop who led the Wolverines to a Division 1 title as a freshman pitcher and the final as a senior was rewarded by being taken No. 11 overall by the Detroit Tigers. He joins former Wolverines Pete Crow-Armstrong, Jack Flaherty, Max Fried and Lucas Giolito as a first-round draft pick.

Here’s the report.

After the first round was completed, pitcher Braylon Doughty from Chaparral was taken No. 36 by the Cleveland Guardians and pitcher Levi Sterling from Sherman Oaks Notre Dame was chosen No. 37 by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In the second round, pitcher Boston Bateman from Camarillo was taken by the Padres at No. 52. Corona ace left-hander and UCLA commit Ethan Schiefelbein went No. 72 to the Detroit Tigers. Former JSerra pitcher Gage Jump was taken No. 73 by the Athletics.

USA baseball finalized the 84 players invited to compete for 20 spots for his 18U national team. It’s loaded with top players from Corona, Orange Lutheran, Harvard-Westlake, Warren and Crespi, among others.

Here’s the link to the list of participants.

Notes . . .

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame has gained what some people believe is the best basketball player in the class of 2026, 6-foot-7 Tyran Stokes. He’s transferring after playing for Prolific Prep in Napa the last two years. He won a gold medal for the USA U17 national team averaging 12.3 points and adds to an already strong Mission League lineup of top players. . . .

The National Federation of State High School Assns. softball rules committee has approved allowing softball coaches to use one-way electronic devices in the dugout to speak with the catcher beginning with the 2025 season. Baseball coaches began the practice last year.

Coaches are prohibited from using the device “to communicate with any other team member while on defense or any team member while on offense” and the coach cannot use the device “outside the dugout/bench area.” . . .

Maximo Adams, who played for Narbonne as a freshman and Gardena Serra as a sophom*ore, has transferred to Sierra Canyon for his junior basketball season. His brother, Marcus, a former Narbonne standout, has transferred to Cal State Northridge. . . .

AAU national championships in pairs beach volleyball have begun in Hermosa Beach. The Redondo Union duo of Cash Essert and Carter Mirabal won the 16 under national boys pairs championship

Tasman Thorsness is the new swim coach at Huntington Beach. . . .

Joe Molina is the new boys water polo coach at Orange Lutheran. . . .

Former Glendora star Cameron Murray is the new girls’ basketball coach at Claremont. . . .

Track star Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura was selected as the Gatorade national female athlete of the year. . . .

Mia Gomez of Agoura, the Marmonte League softball player of the year, has committed to Utah. . . .

Jessie Giacomazzi, a lacrosse standout for Agoura, has committed to the University of Tampa. . . .

Mateo Fuerbringer of Mira Costa is presented with the 2023 AAU Beach Volleyball National Player of the Year award by Denny Lennon.

(Christine Jimbo)

Mateo Fuerbringer of Mira Costa was presented as the AAU Beach Volleyball National Player of the Year for 2023 after winning 10 titles in 10 events. He was a 6-foot-3 freshman last season at Mira Costa.

From the archives: Northridge Little League

The Northridge Little League All-Star team in 1994 was honored with a ticker-tape parade down Disneyland’s Main Street.

(Kari Rene Hall/The Los Angeles Times)

It was 30 years ago, in 1994, when Northridge Little League made it to the Little League World Series, won the U.S. championship but lost in the championship game.

Among the players on that team was future USC and NFL quarterback Matt Cassel.

Here’s a story from 1994.

Here’s a story from 2014 looking back.

Recommendations

From ABC7.com, a story on two teens performing CPR to save a wrestler.

From the Los Angeles Times, a look at the Chargers’ new practice facility in El Segundo.

From Highschool.si.com, a look at top 50 quarterbacks in California.

From Picketfencemedia.com, a story on former Dana Hills pitcher Hans Crouse being called up by the Angels.

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