NEW BEGINNINGS, STRONG RETURNERS BLAZE TRAIL FOR CITY’S HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAMS

BY ZACH CAVANAGH

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.

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.

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 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

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

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