TJ Lateef, Orange Lutheran football showing promise with youth and talent

QB TJ Lateef after getting Georgia offer: "I want more. I want to prove I'm the best quarterback in my class."

Orange Lutheran football coach Rod Sherman thinks this year's edition of the Lancers is the best he's had.

"It's year three," he said. "These kids know our system, and they're only getting better."

The team is 2-0 with impressive wins over Gardena Serra (47-19) and De La Salle in Northern California (35-14). Maybe, what's more impressive is the team has just three senior starters.

Photo by Dennis Lee

Photo by Dennis Lee

Photo by Dennis Lee

Photo by Dennis Lee

The team has all the trimmings to be a CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoff team, led by junior quarterback TJ Lateef and an offensive line that Sherman raves about.

"TJ is making great decisions. He's also getting us roughly four first downs a game with his feet," Sherman said.

Lateef is entering his second year as starter after throwing for 2,446 yards and 18 touchdowns as a sophomore. The 4-star recruit received an offer from Georgia in March.

"It was big," Lateef said. "It showed me that my hard work is paying off, but it also put a fire in me. I want more. I want to prove I'm the best quarterback in my class."

Lateef said the game has "slowed down" for him entering his junior season, and it shows. He's thrown three touchdowns and no interceptions in his first two games.

"I feel myself being less mechanical and I'm reading defenses more," he said. "I believe you have to prepare well to perform well."

Orange Lutheran QB TJ Lateef is a 4-star junior with offers to Georgia and Miami / Photo by Dennis Lee

Orange Lutheran (2-0) has rushed for more than 400 yards and nine touchdowns in two games thanks to its offensive line, which is senior-less. Juniors Cole Principe, Nehemiah Johnson Williams and Arion Williams, along with sophomores Sam Utu and Dustin Foisia-Gordon, anchor the Lancer offense.

Junior running back Steve Chavez has six rushing touchdowns.

It's a junior-heavy team with a hot start. But Sherman knows what life in the Trinity League is all about and the unescapable question that comes with it: Can you compete with Mater Dei and St. John Bosco?

"It's absolutely a fair question, and yes, it's where Orange Lutheran is headed," Sherman said. 

But those games aren't until October 19 and 27, respectively. 

Sherman continued: "According to MaxPreps.com we have the 5th toughest schedule in the country. We can't focus on (Mater Dei or Bosco) or we'll lose the big ones in front of us."

"We have the best team in Washington coming to play us this week," he added.

The No. 4-ranked Lancers will host Eastside Catholic at Orange Coast College Friday before traveling to Arizona to take on Chandler High next week and hosting heavy-hitter No. 5 Sierra Canyon on Sept. 15. After a bye week, Orange Lutheran will start Trinity League play at JSerra on Sept. 29.