4. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) - Full preview 
Johnny Stanton is one of California's top quarterbacks. He'll have the luxury of lining up behind an imposing offensive line.
Photo by Louis Lopez
Strengths: Nine underclassmen started on offense last year for Santa Margarita, which beat Bellarmine in the Division I Bowl Game. Electric quarterback
Johnny Stanton is the driving force of the unit that averaged more than 36 points per game last year. The team’s biggest strength, however, might be its star-studded offensive line, which features
Erik Bunte,
Riley Sorenson and his younger brother,
Will Sorenson.
Ryan Wolpin, who rushed for 29 touchdowns, is primed for an even better senior year.
Question marks: Even with the emergence of 6-3 defensive end
Nick Begg, there are still plenty of holes to fill on the defensive front.
Taylor Prenovost figures to be an answer there. Two more starters need to emerge, not to mention trustworthy backups that will undoubtedly be needed to endure the brutal Trinity League schedule Santa Margarita faces.
Outlook: Last year, Santa Margarita suffered two defeats: a seven-point loss to Mater Dei and a one-point heartbreaker to Servite in overtime. As such, the Eagles were eight points away from a perfect season. This team is going to score plenty of points, and the defense should come together. Still, it’s difficult to survive the Trinity League unscathed. If it does, it will likely earn a second consecutive trip to the Bowl Games.
