Orange Lutheran seeks to show that its 2-0 start is reason to be taken seriously as a Pac-5 contender. Centennial seeks to keep smashing teams.
Video: (3) Corona Centennial vs. Orange Lutheran - High school football previewCentennial (Corona, Calif.) at Orange Lutheran (Calif.)Why it's big: Third-ranked Centennial's lone trip to Orange County this regular season could prove to be one of its toughest tests. Coming off a disappointing 4-6 record in 2014, Orange Lutheran was expected to be one of the most improved teams in SoCal this season. The Lancers have lived up to that expectation so far with a 2-0 record that includes a 43-28 win over state-ranked Crespi (Encino) last week, and it wasn't as close as the score indicates.
Centennial (2-0) has looked every bit as good as its ranking in the national polls. The Huskies took state-ranked Serra (Gardena) to the woodshed last week, opening up an early 49-0 lead then cruising to a much easier-than-expected 52-13 victory.
Names to watch: L.J. Northington, Orange Lutheran's Harvard-committed senior quarterback, has accounted for five of his team's nine offensive touchdowns. Junior running back/safety
Brandon McKinney, rated four stars by 247Sports, leads the team with 19 solo tackles and also has one receiving touchdown.
Centennial running back
J.J. Taylor has 275 rushing yards and six touchdowns on only 28 carries. The Arizona commit has eclipsed 100 rushing yards in six consecutive games, dating back to last season. Explosive four-star receiver
Javon McKinley returned the opening kickoff against Serra 83 yards to the 1-yard line last week.
Photos by MaxPreps Photographers/Graphic by Ryan Escobar
