SoCal high school football opens with blowouts and top performances

High school football returned across Southern California and Orange County last week, with Week 1 opening games staged at local campuses and larger venues including SoFi Stadium and Huntington Beach High School. Dozens of intersectional matchups and league openers produced lopsided victories, dramatic finishes and a handful of breakout individual performances that will shape early-season rankings and recruiting chatter.

Friday night’s slate included several marquee Southern Section games and nonleague contests. Servite defeated Murrieta Valley 56-35, St. John Bosco routed Eastwood of Texas 66-7, and Sierra Canyon posted a 63-0 shutout of Oaks Christian. Local rivalry cards at college venues drew attention as Canyon beat Ayala 26-7 in a SoFi Stadium showcase, and Pacifica and Garden Grove met later that evening at SoFi. In Orange County, Laguna Beach’s returning offense looked potent in an early win, and long-established powers such as Orange Lutheran and Damien recorded close victories against out-of-county opponents.

Scores were compiled by local outlets through the weekend; in some cases totals varied between reports. Mission Viejo’s romp over St. Paul was listed as 59-14 in...