The victim, identified by family as Larry Rojas from Orange, was shot in the Nellie Gail Ranch neighborhood on Oct. 17 while parked in his security vehicle. Authorities later arrested Matthew Luke Pickens, 32, who lives in the Laguna Hills neighborhood, on suspicion of attempted murder.

Rojas was on routine patrol when the shooter approached him, and the two exchanged a few words before the security guard was shot in the shoulder, neck, and back of the head, according to his 40-year-old brother Marcos Rojas. He didn’t know what the argument was about.

Sheriff’s officials confirmed the guard was doing nothing out of the ordinary when he was shot.

Larry Rojas had only been employed by the security company for two months. He previously was a social worker conducting homeless outreach and a behavioral therapist for autistic children.

Rojas said his brother is currently “fighting for his life” and will likely live with a disability if he survives the gunshot wound in his head.

In a declaration filed by Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Elliot in support of increasing Pickens’ bail, Elliot said the suspect had ongoing mental health issues and previously displayed violent tendencies toward law enforcement, including being charged with battery on a peace officer in 2011 and 2012. The disposition of those cases was not immediately clear on Tuesday.

During a search of Pickens’ residence and vehicle, authorities found multiple knives, makeshift weapons, and several firearms, including an unserialized ghost gun, court documents show.

The declaration did not specify which weapon was used in the shooting. The guns were not registered to Pickens, Sgt. Frank Gonzalez said.

Elliot described the shooting as “an especially egregious violent act,” committed against an unsuspecting victim and recommended a no-bail hold due to Pickens’ history and access to firearms.

The judge agreed to no bail, and Pickens was charged with attempted murder and three felony enhancements, including attempted premeditated murder, and great bodily injury.

A GoFundMe has been established to support Rojas and his family, who describe him as someone who has always been dedicated to helping others, a nature and animal lover who enjoys camping and the outdoors.

“His injuries are life-threatening and if survivable will be a long and difficult recovery. We are staying as positive and strong as possible. We ask for everyone to please pray for him and his family,” Yesenia Diaz , the victim’s wife, wrote on GoFundMe.

An attorney for Pickens did not respond for comment on Tuesday.

Enjoy them now, because most of these league rivalries are very unlikely to be around next season.

They could continue as nonleague games, but it’s more fun when a playoff berth or a league championship is at stake.

Orange County high schools agreed this past spring to reassemble its football leagues and conferences after this season. With the exception of the Trinity League teams, all of the Orange County 11-player football teams will placed into one basket. CalPreps’ ratings will be used to place teams into leagues. This is a football-only plan. League and conference memberships will be different for other sports.

If the 2023 football season was over, what would the leagues look like in 2024?

Let’s do this … but first a couple of items to know …

Again, the Trinity League is excluded. The four football teams with the top ratings by CalPreps will be in one league, then there will be 10 six-team leagues, and the bottom five teams in one league.

The league names have not been finalized, so the working titles are Orange County Football Conference A (OCFC A) and Orange County Football Conference B (OCFC B),etc. For this exercise, we’re going with “leagues.”

The previous two years of ratings will be used to place teams into leagues, weighted at 65 percent for the 2023 season and 35 percent weighted for the 2022 season.

Going into this week’s games, with rounded-off ratings totals, here are what the leagues would look like in 2024 (league members listed in alphabetical order):

League A: Edison, Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo, San Clemente.

League B: Corona del Mar, Newport Harbor, San Juan Hills, Tesoro, Villa Park, Yorba Linda.

League C: Capistrano Valley, Cypress, El Modena, Trabuco Hills, Tustin, Western.

League D: El Dorado, Foothill, Huntington Beach, La Habra, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills.

League E: Crean Lutheran, Dana Hills, Fountain Valley, Irvine, Northwood, Orange.

League F: Aliso Niguel, Canyon, El Toro, Santa Ana, St. Margaret’s, Troy.

League G: Brea Olinda, Esperanza, Kennedy, Segerstrom, Sonora, Sunny Hills.

League H: Beckman, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Marina, Valencia, Westminster.

League I: Buena Park, Calvary Chapel, Pacifica, Portola, University, Woodbridge.

League J: Estancia; Katella, Los Amigos, Ocean View, Rancho Alamitos, Santa Ana Valley.

League K: Anaheim, Bolsa Grande, Costa Mesa, La Quinta, Loara, Santiago.

League L: Century, Godinez Magnolia, Saddleback, Savanna.

The margins could be tight when teams are placed into football leagues for the 2024 season. Through eight games of this season, using the Calpreps ratings, Irvine’s rating is 4.79 and Aliso Niguel’s is 4.78. So if the 2023 season was over now, Irvine would be the bottom team in League E and Aliso Niguel would be the top team in League F.

NOTES

CIF-SS football playoff brackets will be released Oct. 29 at 10 a.m. The 8-man football playoff brackets will be released Oct. 29 at 1 p.m. …

Yes, Orange County has 8-man football. Sage Hill, in Newport Beach, is in the Prep League and is 4-2 overall and 0-1 in league and averages 48 points a game. Vista Meridian, in Santa Ana, plays a freelance schedule and is 1-4. …

The CIF-SS Division 1 football championship game will be played at the Coliseum on Nov. 24. The first CIF championship football game played at the Coliseum was in 1923 when Long Beach Poly defeated Glendale 15-8. The most recent CIF final at the Coliseum was in 1997 when Long Beach Poly beat Mater Dei 28-25. …

It looks like the Pacific Coast Conference schools will present a proposal at Monday’s releaguing meeting that would exclude Rosary from its group. This past spring Orange County schools included Rosary in the Pacific Coast group in the approved releaguing plan for all sports outside of football. The Freeway League, which would be broken up in the passed proposal, has indicated that it would present a proposal that would keep its membership intact. …

Holly Barker of Trabuco Hills and Evan Noonan of Dana Hills, so far, are making it easy to select the Orange County boys and girls cross country athletes of the year by winning or finishing high in just about every race they enter. Barker won last weekend’s Orange County Championships and earlier finished first in the Central Park Invitational. Noonan finished first in the Orange County Championships, the Woodbridge Classic and was third in the Clovis Invitational. …

The CIF-SS Division 1 girls volleyball playoffs started Wednesday. Mater Dei swept Palos Verdes in three sets (the first was a tough one, 27-25), Los Alamitos lost to Mira Costa in three sets and Huntington Beach swept Alemany (and another tough first set there, with the Oilers winning 28-26). Division 1 pool play resumes Tuesday with Los Alamitos at Huntington Beach. Huntington Beach beat Los Alamitos in their two Surf League matches. …

Newport Harbor’s girls flag football team had its closest win of the season Wednesday, a 14-12 victory over Edison. Newport Harbor is 21-1, with the loss to Woodbridge, which Newport Harbor defeated a couple of weeks later.

The shooting was reported just after 11 a.m. Tuesday in the area of Bridlewood Drive and Saddlerock Place in Laguna Hills, where an on-duty security guard was found parked in his security vehicle suffering from gunshot wounds to his upper torso.

The security guard was hospitalized and remained in critical condition Wednesday, said Orange County Sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Woodroof.

Deputies surrounded the home of the suspect, Matthew Luke Pickens, who surrendered peacefully, according to authorities. The 32-year-old man was arrested and booked on suspicion of attempted murder.

Authorities also seized multiple weapons from Pickens’ residence and vehicle. The weapons will be analyzed to determine if any were used in the shooting, the Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.

Further information on the circumstances of the shooting and the motive, if known, was not immediately disclosed by authorities.

The security guard is an employee of 24-Hour Mobile Patrol and was the only on-duty security officer at the time of the shooting, according to Brian Mitchell, general manager of the Nellie Gail Ranch Homeowner’s Association.

Ryan Gass made a game-winning field goal for Santa Margarita with one second remaining to beat JSerra 34-31 Friday in a Trinity League game at JSerra High.

Trent Mosley had 10 receptions for 230 yards with two touchdowns for Santa Margarita (5-3, 1-2). The sophomore also ran for 87 yards with two touchdowns.

John Gazzaniga completed 15 of 24 passes for 277 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

The Eagles had a 10-3 lead at halftime after a touchdown pass from Gazzaniga to Mosley.

JSerra (4-4, 1-2) quarterback Michael Tollefson ran for a touchdown early in the third quarter to tie the game at 10.

Mosley and Tollefson exchanged touchdown runs in the third quarter and the game was tied at 17 entering the fourth.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Mosley scored on a touchdown run out of the Wildcat formation. On the ensuing offensive play, Kamar Garbourel tied the game for JSerra with a 61-yard touchdown run.

JSerra took the lead with three minutes remaining in the game on a touchdown run by Gabriel Rivas.

Gazzaniga connected with Mosley for a game-tying touchdown on the next possession.

Noah Sulick and Levar Talley each had 12 tackles to lead the Santa Margarita defense. Sophomore Mason Reyes had an interception.

In other games Friday: 

Orange Lutheran 36, Servite 33: Steve Chavez ran for the game-winning touchdown with three minutes remaining in the game to give Orange Lutheran a Trinity League win over Servite.

The junior running back had three touchdowns for Orange Lutheran (5-3, 2-1). Tj Lateef threw a touchdown pass and added a touchdown run. Freshman Nicholas Bland had a long touchdown reception in the first quarter.

Servite (4-4, 0-3) got four rushing touchdowns from Quaid Carr. Leo Hannan threw a touchdown pass to Quinn Rosenkranz.

Dana Hills 21, Laguna Hills 20: Dana Hills returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in an upset win over Laguna Hills in a Pacific Coast League game.

The Dolphins snapped a county-high 15-game winning streak for Laguna Hills (7-1, 0-1).

Noah Kucera and Owen Walz returned kicks for touchdowns for Dana Hills (6-2, 1-0). Walz also ran for a 56-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

Kurtis Webber and John Ponce had touchdown runs for the Hawks. Luke Whitfield made a field goal in the first quarter.

The Dana Hills defense forced a turnover on downs with seven seconds remaining in the game to seal the win.

Northwood 35, Portola 7: Edward Ma threw for over 150 yards with two touchdowns to lead Northwood to a Pacific Coast League win over Portola.

Eddie Petrushin had 10 catches with a touchdown for Northwood (4-4, 1-0) and Cole Hidalgo added a touchdown catch.

Lucas Trausch had a rushing and a receiving touchdown for the Timberwolves.

Quarterback Rocky Palacio had a touchdown run for Portola (4-4, 0-1).

Trabuco Hills 58, Aliso Niguel 24: Trabuco Hills scored a season-high 58 points in a Sea View League win over Aliso Niguel.

Jacob Perry completed 17 of 19 passes for 244 yards with three touchdowns for Trabuco Hills (5-3, 1-0). Taylor Bowie ran for 86 yards with three touchdowns.

Ryan Luce led the Mustangs with 118 receiving yards. Alex Kiernan had 76 yards receiving with a touchdown.

Hunter Najm threw two touchdown passes for Aliso Niguel (5-3, 0-1) and ran for a touchdown.

Western 56, Santa Ana Valley 0: Anthony Luna threw for 288 yards with four touchdowns for Western in a rout of Santa Ana Valley (3-5, 2-1) in an Orange League game.

Desmin Joshway-Fairley led the Pioneers in receiving with 95 yards on three catches. Clayton Corbett had a 96-yard run for Western (7-1, 3-0) and Joshua Faulkner had 85 yards on four carries.

Capistrano Valley Christian 51, Riverside Prep 8: Nate Richie completed 11 of 12 passes for 281 yards with five touchdowns for Capistrano Valley Christian in a blowout win over Riverside Prep in a Mesquite League game.

Max Krosky caught five passes for 120 yards with three touchdowns for the Eagles. Heath Carlson had two touchdown receptions for CVC (6-1, 3-0).Travis Scherer and Joshua Monroe had touchdown runs.

Jack Gallo led the defense with 11 tackles, two for a loss and a sack. Krosky and Talan Sego added interceptions for the Eagles.

— Michael Huntley

Los Alamitos 69, Corona del Mar 14: Griffins quarterback Alonza Esparza passed for 346 yards and four touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns in the Sunset League win for Los Alamitos (6-2, 3-0).

The Griffins are tied for first place with Edison. Corona del Mar is 4-4 overall and 1-2 in league.

Yorba Linda 58, Brea Olinda 7: Jacob Escovar ran for a touchdown and returned an interception for another touchdown as the Mustangs (6-2, 1-0) won their Crestview League opener against the Wildcats (5-3, 0-1).

The Mustangs scored 41 points in the first quarter. Running back Chase Jones scored two touchdowns for Yorba Linda which plays Villa Park on Friday at El Modena High.

La Quinta 42, Santiago 36: Alex Tran scored on a 10-yard run in overtime for the first-place Aztecs (6-2, 3-0) in a Garden Grove League win over the Cavaliers (3-5, 0-3).

Santiago had a 20-14 lead at halftime. Cooper Starnes scored on an 80-yard run on the first play of the second half. Tran also caught a touchdown pass.

Rancho Alamitos 21, Bolsa Grande 18: Jesus Diego scored two touchowns and Omar Salazar scored the other for the Vaqueros (5-3, 2-1) in their win over the Matadors (5-3, 2-1) in the highly-competitive Garden Grove League.

Bolsa Grande led in the first half 12-0.

Rancho Alamitos plays first-place La Quinta (6-2, 3-0) on Friday at Bolsa Grande High. Bolsa Grande is home on Thursday against Los Amigos (4-4, 2-1).

El Dorado 41, Canyon 0: Robby Hagar and Tyson Hartman had interceptions for the defense as the Golden Hawks (4-4, 1-0) got their first shutout of 2023 with the win over Canyon (1-7, 0-1) in the North Hills League opener for both.

J.P. Murray rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries for El Dorado. Golden Hawks quarterback rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries and threw touchdown passes to Nathan Meek and Lucas Raya. Cooper Larson rushed for 64 yards on seven carries.

El Modena 41, Esperanza 20: Xzavior Guess threw for two touchdowns and ran for another and Brodie Hitchens scored three rushing touchdowns for the Vanguards (4-4, 1-0) in their win over the Aztecs (3-5, 0-1) in the North Hills opener for both teams.

Ell Modena plays El Dorado (4-4, 1-0) in a league game Friday at Valencia High, El Dorado’s home field.

Huntington Beach 30, Fountain Valle 13: Tyler Young rushed for 255 yards and two touchdown for the Oilers (4-4, 1-2) in their win over the Barons (3-5, 0-3) in a Sunset League game.

Oilers left tacked Justin Tauanuu scored a touchdown on a tackle screen/lateral play.

— Steve Fryer

Notable this week: Although JSerra was shut out 42-0 by Mater Dei last week the Lions move up one position to No. 2. … Mission Viejo, which did not play last week, drops to No. 3. … Tustin moves up one spot after a 42-0 shutout of Valencia. … El Dorado returns to the Top 25.

1. Mater Dei 7-0 (75 points)

Quarterback Elijah Brown was his usual efficient self last week, completing 20 of 22 passes for 312 yards and four touchdowns to four different receivers, in a 42-0 Trinity League win over JSerra. Semi Taulanga had two of the Monarchs’ seven sacks. Next up for the Monarchs is a league showdown Friday at St. John Bosco.

Previous ranking: 1

2. JSerra 4-3 (70)

All of JSerra’s losses are to teams that are 7-0 and among Calpreps’ top six teams in its state rankings: No. 1 Mater Dei, which beat the Lions 42-0 last week, No. 3 Sierra Canyon and No. 6 Clovis North.

Previous ranking: 3

3. Mission Viejo 5-2 (69)

The Diablos did not play last week. They have a big game this week, their South Coast League opener against 6-1 San Clemente at Mission Viejo. Diablos sophomore Vance Spafford has 852 total yards including 646 receiving yards.

Previous ranking: 2

4. Orange Lutheran 4-3 (67)

The Lancers got a huge win over Santa Margarita, 28-21 in their second Trinity League game. Steve Chavez rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown and Wallace Filemu was in on nine tackles.

Previous ranking: 4

5. Servite 4-3 (62)

The Friars are 0-2 in the Trinity League after last week’s 56-27 loss to St. John Bosco that followed the previous week’s loss to Mater Dei. Their three losses are to teams that are a combined 20-1.

Previous ranking: 5

6. Santa Margarita 4-3 (60)

Eagles quarterback John Gazzaniga passed for 227 yards and rushed for 82 against his former Orange Lutheran teammates in a 28-21 loss to the Lancers in a Trinity League game. Santa Margarita plays at JSerra this week.

Previous ranking: 5

7. Los Alamitos 5-2 (58)

The Griffins compiled more than 600 yards of offense in a 62-14 win over Newport Harbor to improve to 2-0 in the Sunset League. Running back Anthony League returned to form, rushing for 146 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries.

Previous ranking: 7

8. San Clemente 6-1 (54)

The Tritons kept the momentum going in their final nonleague game with a 42-13 win over Ayala as Aiden Rubin rushed for 271 yards and three touchdowns. San Clemente starts South Coast League play Friday against No. 3 Mission Viejo.

Previous ranking: 8

9. San Juan Hills 7-0 (50)

The Stallions did not play last week. They have three wins over teams in the Orange County Top 25: El Modena, Newport Harbor and Tesoro. San Juan Hills plays its Sea View League opener Friday at home against El Toro.

Previous ranking: 9

10. Villa Park 7-0 (49)

The Spartans remained undefeated with a 49-12 nonleague win over Esperanza. Their average margin of victory is 28 points going into their Crestview League opener Friday against Foothill at El Modena High.

Previous ranking: 10

11. Tustin 7-0 (44)

Previous ranking: 12

12. Edison 4-3 (43)

Previous ranking: 11

13. Newport Harbor (3-4) 38

Previous ranking: 14

14. Corona del Mar 4-3 (36)

Previous ranking: 13

15. Tesoro 4-3 (34)

Previous ranking: 15

16. Yorba Linda 5-2 (30)

Previous ranking: 16

17. Capistrano Valley 7-0 (25)

Previous ranking: 17

18. Western 6-1 (23)

Previous ranking: 18

19. Cypress 4-3 (19)

Previous ranking: 20

20. El Modena 3-4 (18)

Previous ranking: 21

21. Trabuco Hills 4-3 (17)

Previous ranking: 22

22. Laguna Hills 7-0 (14)

Previous ranking: 24

23T. Crean Lutheran 6-1 (6)

Previous ranking: 25

23T. La Habra 3-4 (6)

Previous ranking: 23

25. El Dorado 3-4 (3)

Previous ranking: Not ranked.

Also receiving votes: Laguna Beach 6-1 (2); Foothill 4-3 (1); Santa Ana 6-2 (1)

About the poll: There are three voters in the weekly poll. Points are awarded for each spot in the poll. Starting with 25 points for a No. 1 ranking.

Notable this week: Mission Viejo moves up a spot to No. 2 and JSerra rises two spots to No. 3. … Orange Lutheran slips to No. 4 after its loss to JSerra last week. … Undefeated teams San Juan Hills and Villa Park switch positions. … Undefeated Tustin continues its steady climb, reaching No. 12 this week. The Tillers were No. 22 in the first poll on Aug. 21.

1. Mater Dei 6-0 (75 points)

The Monarchs scored touchdowns on all seven of their possessions in a 49-0 win over Servite in the Trinity League opener for both teams. Quarterback Elijah Brown threw for 293 yards and five touchdowns, and the Monarchs defense held Servite to minus-21 yards rushing.

Previous ranking: 1

2. Mission Viejo 5-2 (71)

The Diablos, averaging 35 points a game, return to the second position in the rankings after a 34-0 win over Kamehameha of Honolulu. Sophomore receiver Vance Spafford had seven receptions for 102 yards and three touchdowns.

Previous ranking: 3

3. JSerra 4-2 (70)

The Lions won their Trinity League opener, 24-14, over Orange Lutheran. Their defense came up with several big plays, including linebacker Rocco Panicola’s interception that he returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Previous ranking: 5

4. Orange Lutheran 3-3 (63)

The Lancers have lost three in a row, including Friday’s 24-14 loss to JSerra. The losses have been to very good teams – Chandler of Arizona and Sierra Canyon, both 6-0, and 4-2 JSerra.

Previous ranking: 2

5T. Santa Margarita 4-2 (62)

The Eagles had a difficult time against St. John Bosco’s running game and defense in a 42-7 loss to the Braves. They play Orange Lutheran in another crucial Trinity League game Friday at Saddleback College.

Previous ranking: 5

5T. Servite 4-2 (62)

The Friars couldn’t do much on offense or defense in a 49-0 loss to Mater Dei. Sophomore linebacker Brando Mosqueda had seven solo tackles for Servite, which plays at St. John Bosco on Friday.

7. Los Alamitos 4-2 (59)

The Griffins easily won their Sunset League opener, 49-10 over Fountain Valley. They average 227 rushing yards a game. Los Alamitos plays Newport Harbor on Friday at Westminster High.

Previous ranking: 7

8. San Clemente 5-1 (54)

The Tritons did not play last week after taking their first loss, 39-38, against Murrieta Valley the previous week. They play at Ayala on Friday before their South Coast League opener Oct. 13 at Mission Viejo.

Previous ranking: 8

9. San Juan Hills 7-0 (50)

Colton Chase scored on a touchdown pass from Timmy Herr in the final seconds in a 27-24 nonleague win over Tesoro, the Stallions’ third win over a county Top 25 opponent. San Juan Hills does not play this week and opens Sea View League play at home Oct. 13 against El Toro.

Previous ranking: 10

10. Villa Park 6-0 (49)

The Spartans remained undefeated with a 35-7 nonleague win over El Dorado. They play a nonleague game against Esperanza this week before their Crestview League opener against Foothill on Oct. 12.

Previous ranking: 9

11. Edison 3-3 (44)

Previous ranking: 11

12.Tustin 6-0 (42)

Previous ranking: 13

13. Corona del Mar 3-3 (38)

Previous ranking: 12

14. Newport Harbor 3-3 (36)

Previous ranking: 14

15. Tesoro 3-3 (35)

Previous ranking: 15

16. Yorba Linda 4-2 (29)

Previous ranking: 16

17. Capistrano Valley 6-0 (24)

Previous ranking: 17

18. Western 5-1 (23)

Previous ranking: 18

19. Foothill 4-2 (20)

Previous ranking: 19

20. Cypress 3-3 (18)

Previous ranking: 19

21. El Modena 3-3 (15)

Previous ranking: 21

22. Trabuco Hills 4-2 (14)

Previous ranking: 22

23. La Habra 3-3 (12)

Previous ranking: 23

24. Laguna Hills 7-0 (7)

Previous ranking: 24

25. Crean Lutheran 5-1 (3)

Previous ranking: 25

Others receiving votes: None

Notable this week: One week after moving into a tie for No. 2, Mission Viejo drops one spot after a loss Saturday night on the East Coast. … San Juan Hills stayed hot and solidified its position as a Top 10 team with a solid 39-18 win over No. 21 El Modena. … Capistrano Valley (6-0) advances two places after a 23-12 win over Barstow. … Crean Lutheran replaces Huntington Beach as the county’s No. 25 team after beating Gahr 44-7.

1. Mater Dei 5-0 (75 points)

The nation’s No. 1-ranked team had a successful excursion east, defeating St. Frances Academy 20-7 in Baltimore, Md. Now comes the start of Trinity League play with a game Friday against Servite at Santa Ana Stadium.

Previous ranking: 1

2. Orange Lutheran 3-2 (72)

The Lancers did not play last week. Their last game was a 40-6 loss to undefeated Sierra Canyon. They have wins over Serra and De La Salle.

Previous ranking: 2

3. Mission Viejo 4-2 (69)

The Diablos lost 39-17 to a very good St. John’s team in Washington, D.C. Their other loss was to Long Beach Poly. Mission Viejo has a win over Los Alamitos.

Previous ranking: 2

4. Servite 4-1 (64)

Maybe the surprise team so far in 2023, the Friars last week defeated St. Paul 34-13 behind another fine game from quarterback Leo Hannan. Their loss was by three points to undefeated Rancho Cucamonga. Servite also beat Los Alamitos.

Previous ranking: 4

5. JSerra 3-2 (63)

The Lions did not play last week. Their last game was a 23-7 road loss to undefeated Clovis North. JSerra’s other loss was by two points to undefeated Sierra Canyon.

Previous ranking: 5

6. Santa Margarita 4-1 (60)

The Eagles did not play last week. They have won three in a row since a loss to Centennial. Santa Margarita starts Trinity League play Friday against St. John Bosco at Saddleback College.

Previous ranking: 7

7. Los Alamitos 3-2 (59)

The Griffins did not play last week. Their last two games were close losses to highly-ranked Servite and Mission Viejo. Los Alamitos plays its Sunset League opener Thursday against Fountain Valley at Huntington Beach High.

Previous ranking: 6

8. San Clemente 5-1 (54)

The Tritons took their first defeat last week, a 39-38 loss to Murrieta Valley. Aiden Rubin had another big game for San Clemente, rushing for 252 yards and four touchdowns. The Tritons, who do not play this week, have wins over Corona del Mar and Edison.

Previous ranking: 8

9. Villa Park 5-0 (51)

The Spartans beat Mira Costa 28-13 last week as quarterback Nate Lewis completed 7 of 11 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns. Their most impressive win was a 35-23 victory over Upland, which is Upland’s only loss. Villa Park plays El Dorado on Thursday at Valencia High.

Previous ranking: 9

10. San Juan Hills 6-0 (48)

The Stallions scored early and often in their 39-18 win over El Modena. Sullivan Land rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns for San Juan Hills, which has won 10 of its past 11 games going back to the second half of last season. The Stallion have a good challenge this week, playing a home game against Tesoro on Friday.

Previous ranking: 10

11. Edison 2-4 (44)

Previous ranking: 11

12. Corona del Mar 3-2 (43)

Previous ranking:12

13. Tustin 5-0 (39)

Previous ranking: 13

14. Newport Harbor 2-3 (37)

Previous ranking:14

15. Tesoro 3-2 (33)

Previous ranking: 15

16. Yorba Linda 3-2 (29)

Previous ranking: 16

17. Capistrano Valley 6-0 (25)

Previous ranking: 19

18. Western 4-1 (23)

Previous ranking: 17

19. Cypress 2-3 (18)

Previous banking: 18

(tie) Foothill 3-2 (18)

Previous ranking: 21

21. El Modena 2-3 (17)

Previous ranking: 19

22. Trabuco Hills 3-2 (13)

Previous ranking: 23

23. La Habra 2-3 (12)

Previous ranking: 22

24. Laguna Hills 6-0 (7)

Previous ranking: 23

25. Crean Lutheran 4-1 (2)

Previous ranking: Not ranked

Also receiving votes: Huntington Beach 3-2 (1)

Here are some observations and opinions on what has happened so far, and what might happen in coming weeks.

Let’s start with some awards for the first half of the season:

Offensive player of the year: Mater Dei quarterback Elijah Brown.

Quarterback is the most important position on the field and among the more difficult positions to master in team sports. Sometimes mega-talented teams like Mater Dei get by with an average or slightly above-average quarterback, but Brown is a major reason for the Monarchs’ success.

Other players who probably will be in our county offensive player of the year conversation in December are San Clemente running back Aiden Rubin, Tustin running back Eimesse Essis and Santa Margarita receiver Trent Mosley.

Defensive player of the year: Capistrano Valley linebacker Jackson Sievers.

He is credited for a county-leading 67 total tackles with 48 solo tackles and seven tackles for loss. The Cougars are 5-0 going into Friday’s game at Barstow.

Others who have looked like sure-thing All-County defense selections are San Juan Hills linebackers Jake Javorsky and Weston Port and San Clemente linebacker Puka Fuimaono.

Coach of the year: Robert Frith of San Juan Hills.

The Stallions went 4-8 last year and their 2022 league co-MVP quarterback transferred out. Yet they took a 5-0 record and No. 10 position in the Orange County Top 25 into this week. …

Upset of the year: Servite’s 28-24 win over Los Alamitos.

PLAYOFF OUTLOOK

At the brink of the season’s halfway point, it’s worth taking a look at the CalPreps rankings that will be used to place teams in playoff divisions after the regular season ends.

If Division 1 is a 10-team bracket like it was last year, then based on the rankings this week the Orange County teams in Division 1 would be Mater Dei, Orange Lutheran, Santa Margarita and Mission Viejo.

San Clemente’s rating is 49.8, just below the 50 rating of Oaks Christian, which would be the 10th and last team placed in Division 1 if it is a 10-team bracket again.

San Clemente would be the top-seeded team in Division 2, which was a 16-team division last season.

TRINITY LEAGUE OUTLOOK

Mater Dei and St. John Bosco again are the top two teams in the Trinity League with a considerable drop to the other four teams, which seem to be very similar in quality.

Predicted final standings: 1. Mater Dei; 2. St. John Bosco; 3. Orange Lutheran; 4. Santa Margarita; 5. Servite; 6. JSerra.

The four-through-six order of finish could be reversed, that’s how tight those three teams are.

SECOND-HALF PREDICTIONS

Segerstrom at Garden Grove on Oct. 19 will decide the championship of the Big 4 League. …

Villa Park will take a 10-0 record into the playoffs. The Spartans have a great running attack led by running back Carter Christie and an active defense that features linebacker Jacob Johnson. Villa Park likely will need to improve its passing game to get to a CIF-SS championship game. …

Tustin is set to go 5-0 in the Empire League. The top competition there is Cypress which still is a capable team but lacks the number of offensive playmakers it has had in recent seasons. …

La Habra is 2-3 but still is the beat team in the Freeway League. …

El Modena vs. El Dorado on Sept. 30 at Valencia High is the likely league championship game in the North Hills League. …

Orange still is the team to beat in the Orange Coast League. Santa Ana and its ace running back Charles Hughes are the Panthers’ top challenger in the seven-team league. …

Laguna Beach junior quarterback Jackson Kollock (6-4, 225) might be the current county high school quarterback who will go furthest in college or perhaps pro football. …

Western is going to go 5-0 again in the Orange League with large margins of victory in all five league games. …

Laguna Hills should not be as good as it is. Graduation took away most of the Hawks’ top players from last year’s CIF-SS and state championship team but here they are, taking a 5-0 record into this week. …

Irvine vs. Beckman on Oct. 19 at Tustin High will be the Pacific Hills League championship game. …

San Juan Hills is the best team in the Sea View League. Trabuco Hills is second best. …

It’s going to be Mission Viejo in first place and San Clemente in second again in the South Coast League. Tesoro is the league’s No. 3 team in the four-team league. Capistrano Valley will be the best last-place team in county football outside of the Trinity League. …

Predicted order of finish in the Sunset League, which is the most difficult league to forecast: 1. Los Alamitos; 2. Edison; 3. Corona del Mar; 4. Newport Harbor; 5. Huntington Beach; 6. Fountain Valley, which is better than it was last year. …

Five of the six teams in the Garden Grove League are .500 or better. That is unusual for that league. …

The Sage Hill 8-man football team is 3-0 going into Friday’s away game against Hesperia Christian. The Lightning’s average margin of victory is 40 points. …

Officials are getting confronted by parents as they leave fields after games. The refs do make mistakes and this seems to be the year in which, more than ever before, 15-yard penalties are marked off as 14- or 16-yard penalties. Parents need to get themselves under control and athletic directors must make sure their school provides the officials with ample security.

Notable this week: Mission Viejo moves into a tie with Orange Lutheran at No. 2 in the poll behind top-ranked Mater Dei. … The Diablos defeated Los Alamitos 34-28 in triple overtime last week while Orange Lutheran lost to Sierra Canyon 40-6. … Servite did not play last week but moves up to No. 4. … Undefeated Tustin climbs four positions to No. 13.

1. Mater Dei 4-0 (75 points)

The Monarchs, who are No. 1 in all sorts of national rankings, did not play last week. They have outscored their opponents 165-12. Mater Dei travels east this week to play St. Frances Academy in Washington, D.C.

Previous ranking: 1

2T. Mission Viejo 4-1 (69)

The Diablos beat Los Alamitos 34-28 in three overtime periods with sophomore receiver Vance Spafford catching three touchdown passes.

Previous ranking: 3

2T. Orange Lutheran 3-2 (69)

Sierra Canyon beat Orange Lutheran 40-6 as the Trailblazers were too fast and too good for the Lancers, who were without quarterback TJ Lateef. It was Orange Lutheran’s second loss in a row to a high-quality opponent.

Previous ranking: 2

4. Servite 3-1 (66)

The Friars did not play last week after upsetting Los Alamitos 28-24 on Sept. 8. They play at St. Paul on Friday in a matchup of long-ago Angelus League rivals, the first Servite-St. Paul game since 2012.

Previous ranking: 5

5. JSerra 3-2 (64)

The Lions lost an away game to Clovis North, 23-7. They had scored 123 points over their previous three games.

Previous ranking: 4

6. Los Alamitos 3-2 (60)

The short-handed Griffins lost in three overtimes to Mission Viejo 34-28. Quarterback Alonzo Esparza’s throwing and running kept Los Alamitos in the game.

Previous ranking: 7

7. Santa Margarita 4-1 (58)

The Eagles extended their winning streak to three games with a 42-7 rout of Leuzinger at Saddleback College as sophomore receiver Trent Mosely scored his 19th touchdown of the season and Noah Sulick had nine tackles.

Previous ranking: 5

8. San Clemente 5-0 (54)

Aiden Rubin had another big game with 160 yards rushing and two touchdowns, and Riley Kelley had two interceptions in the Tritons’ 31-7 win over Edison.

Previous ranking: 8

9. Villa Park 4-0 (51)

The Spartans held their opponent to 54 yards of offense in a 45-0 home win over Eastlake of Chula Vista. They play an away game Friday against winless Mira Costa of Manhattan Beach.

Previous ranking: 9

10. San Juan Hills 5-0 (48)

The Stallions remained undefeated with their closest win of the season, a 28-20 victory at Mira Costa. Isaiah Bennett had two interceptions for San Juan Hills.

Previous ranking: 9

11. Edison 1-3 (44)

Previous ranking: 11

12. Corona del Mar 2-2 (43)

Previous ranking: 12

13. Tustin (5-0)

Previous ranking: 17

14. Newport Harbor 2-3 (36)

Previous ranking: 13

15. Tesoro 3-2 (32)

Previous ranking: 14

16. Yorba Linda 3-2 (29)

Previous ranking: 16

17. Western 3-1 (23)

Previous ranking: 19

18. Cypress 2-3 (21)

Previous ranking: 15

19T. Capistrano Valley 5-0 (20)

Previous ranking: 21

19T. El Modena 2-2 (20)

Previous ranking: 23

21. Foothill 3-1 (17)

Previous ranking: 22

22. La Habra 2-3 (16)

Previous ranking: 17

23T. Laguna Hills 5-0 (8)

Previous ranking: 24

23T. Trabuco Hills 3-1 (8)

Previous ranking: 21

25. Huntington Beach 3-2 (2)

Previous ranking:  Not ranked

Also receiving votes: Crean Lutheran 3-1 (1)

About the poll: There are three voters in the weekly poll. Points are awarded for each spot in the poll. Starting with 25 points for a No. 1 ranking.

The outfitter for all things recreational is in the final days of refitting the 33,000-square-foot store at 24271 Avenida de la Carlota in Oakbrook Village.

If all goes to plan, the store will open its doors at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept.15.

Shoppers will find a vast array of gear and apparel for camping, hiking, cycling, running, fitness and paddling. REI said the store also will have a specialty bike shop with certified mechanics available to tune or repair equipment. A ski and snowboard shop will mount bindings and also tune gear.

“From Santiago Peak to Laguna Beach to all the South OC parks and trails along the way, we’re here to run, ride, hike and paddle alongside our fellow adventurers,” said Alan Ortega, the Laguna Hills store manager. “We’re stoked to invite the community out to party with us, our vendors, our non-profit partners during our grand opening weekend.”

The grand opening will continue through that Sunday and include giveaways (while supplies last). Early birds can get free coffee from Verve and a camp mug with a donation (Laguna Canyon Foundation on Friday and Saturday and Environmental Nature Center on Sunday).

The store is operated as a “consumers’ co-operative” and shoppers are encouraged to join. There are 1.7 million REI members in the Los Angeles metro area and 4.6 million in California.

The county has seen a revival in recreational retail with the addition of Sports Basement in late 2022 and the expansion of REI. Also coming in the near future is a Bass Pro Outdoor World in Irvine. The former Walmart Supercenter at Alton Marketplace is in the process of a makeover with the signature log-cabin roofline of Outdoor World taking shape at the building along Technology Ave.

Brewmasters buy Delahunt Brewing Co.

The 3-year-old Delahunt Brewing Co. has been acquired by a group of veteran beer makers.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We’re proud of what we built,” said company founder Todd Delahunt. “And we’ve found the right people to whom we’ve passed the torch.”

Those new owners include Dana Point resident Chris Linn as the head brewer. Linn has worked previously with Bottle Logic Brewing, Modern Times Beer, Beachwood Brewing and Laguna Beach Beer Co.

Miles McLennan is the new CEO of the brewery. He’s a longtime craft beer enthusiast who’s won national and local awards.

Brandon Portnoff is president and the brewer behind O’Shea Brew Co., a craft beer keg and bottle shop in Laguna Niguel.

Other owners in the transition include Noah Lunt, Chris Leal, Dylan Butler and Tom Linn

The company, founded in 2020, has recently opened the Dana Point Taproom + Taqueria and has a dedicated taproom at its San Clemente production facility.

For more information, go to delahuntbrewing.com

On the move

Regina Cheung, the chief financial officer of Irvine-based Pokeworks has been promoted to chief executive of the chain. She will hold both executive titles moving forward, the company said. Cheung previously was vice president of finance at Blaze Pizza in Pasadena. Founded in 2015, Pokeworks is in expansion mode with new restaurants opening in Toronto later this year. The chain has 60 locations in 20 states plus Taiwan and Mexico.

Eli Kumekpor is the new chief executive officer at Mitchell & Ness, a vintage lifestyle and sports apparel company. Kumekpor, who will be based in Irvine, has 20 years of experience and previously was at Nike, serving as global vice president and general manager of the Jordan Brand’s men’s business. He replaces Kevin Wulff, who retired Sept. 1.

Chad Costello is the new director of fund development at Costa Mesa-based Project Independence. The nonprofit provides services to at least 750 people with developmental disabilities in their homes, at work and in the community. Costello previously served as manager of the independent living and supported living programs at Project TEAM, a Riverside Unified School District vocational program for young adults with disabilities.

Mark J. Higgins has joined Irvine-based Index Fund Advisors as a senior vice president and institutional adviser. He has 12 years of experience working with large institutional investors, such as endowments, foundations, public pension plans and a variety of corporate plans.

On board

Santa Ana-based MOMS Orange County appointed three new board members: Dr. Lisa Cowan, Kathy O’Donnell and Victor Villanueva. Cowan is the executive director of Women’s and Children’s Services at Providence St. Joseph. O’Donnell is the founder and executive director of the O’Donnell Family Foundation, which promotes pre- and post-natal support, early education, and first-generation college support. Villanueva is co-owner of StrikeWorks Solutions, an IT service provider.

New ventures

Santa Ana-based System Pavers is expanding into Nevada, opening an office in Henderson beginning Sept. 6. System Pavers’ services will be available for Las Vegas Valley residents looking for help on their outdoor living spaces. Sam Leisman, a long-time System Pavers employee, will lead the expansion effort.

Milestones

Fountain Valley letter carrier Jonathan Paterson was awarded the Postmaster General Hero Award after helping a customer who had fallen and couldn’t get up. The award is given to those who perform “a heroic act above and beyond the call of duty while on the job.” Paterson came to the help of Fountain Valley resident Maria Chavez. She was out for a stroll when she tripped on a rock and fell to the pavement.

Good works

Santa Ana-based Orange County’s Credit Union raised $22,700 for Children’s Health of Orange County. The credit union ran a fundraising campaign in honor of the 2023 CHOC Walk in the Park. The initial fundraising goal was $15,000.

Status Update is compiled from press releases by contributing writer Karen Levin and edited by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items and high-resolution photos to sgowen@scng.com. Allow at least one week for publication. Items are edited for length and clarity.