USC recruit Max Redfield (left) is the most dynamic player for high-flying Mission Viejo. In the team’s big win over El Toro, though, it was teammate Hunter Remington (right) who shined the most with three interceptions on defense. Photo by Ronnie Flores.
Note: The top 10 teams that would be ranked by CalHiSportsFootball for the CIF Open Division in Southern California would be:
1. Narbonne (Harbor City); 2. Vista Murrieta (Murrieta); 3. Mission Viejo; 4. St. John Bosco (Bellflower); 5. St. Bonaventure (Ventura); 6. Mater Dei (Santa Ana); 7. Centennial (Corona); 8. Upland; 9. Santa Margarita (Rancho SM); 10. Oceanside.
With assistance from Harold Abend and Paul Muyskens, here are the Week 11 rankings for each of Southern California’s CIF bowl game divisions (previous ranking in parentheses; after games of Saturday, Oct. 20):
DIVISION I SOUTH
1. (1) Narbonne (Harbor City) 10-0
2. (2) Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) 10-0
3. (3) Mission Viejo 10-0
4. (4) St. John Bosco (Bellflower) 10-0*
5. (7) St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 9-1
6. (5) Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 8-2
7. (8) Centennial (Corona) 9-1
8. (10) Upland 10-0
9. (6) Santa Margarita (Rancho SM) 8-2
10. (11) Crenshaw (Los Angeles) 8-1**
11. (13) Alemany (Mission Hills) 8-2
12. (12) Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 8-2
13. (9) El Toro (Lake Forest) 9-1
14. (15) Clovis 9-1
15. (NR) Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 7-3
*Does not include forfeit losses.
**Does not include default win.
Drops: Previous No. 14 Bishop Amat (La Puente) lost to Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 49-28.
Bubble Teams: Bishop Amat (La Puente) 7-2-1, Central (Fresno) 8-2, Chaparral (Temecula) 7-3, Charter Oak (Covina) 9-1, Chino Hills 7-2-1, Clovis North (Clovis) 9-1, Crespi (Encino) 8-2 (season complete), Mission Hills (San Marcos) 8-2, Moorpark 8-2, Murrieta Valley (Murrieta) 9-1, Rancho Cucamonga 8-2, Tesoro (Rancho Santa Margarita) 7-3, Westlake (Westlake Village) 6-4.
No. 1 Team Result: Narbonne defeated Gardena 53-7.
Race for No. 1: It was easy to move St. Bonaventure into the top five after the Seraphs posted a 30-21 victory against Oaks Christian and were chosen as the top seed for the CIF Southern Section Pac-Five Division playoffs. Mission Viejo and St. John Bosco, two teams we have had higher for several weeks, were seeded No. 2 and No. 3…..
•The dynamics of the race continues to surround the likelihood of the CIFSS Pac-Five champ being given one of the two SoCal Open Division slots, especially if that team ends up being Mission Viejo or St. John Bosco. This also assumes that Bosco’s four forfeit losses would not be held against the Braves because last year CIFSS officials were adamant last year that Vista Murrieta’s forfeit losses were not a reason it was not chosen for a bowl game…..
•If a team with losses wins the Pac-Five title, odds are better that that team would still get a bowl game but more likely for Division I and not Open. Besides, in that scenario, a possible matchup between Narbonne and Vista Murrieta for the Open Division would be fun to see and the berths would be well-deserved by both teams…..
•Narbonne’s hopes, despite still being No. 1 in these rankings, also still hinge to a degree on how Mater Dei does in the Pac-Five playoffs. It’s uncertain how Narbonne’s ranking would be impacted if the Monarchs as well as Serra of Gardena (two teams Narbonne has beaten) both lose early in their respective playoff divisions.
DIVISION II SOUTH
1. (1) Oceanside 9-1
2. (2) Edison (Huntington Beach) 9-1
3. (4) Chaminade (West Hills) 9-1
4. (3) Lompoc 10-0
5. (5) Serra (Gardena) 8-2
6. (6) Tustin 10-0
7. (7) Citrus Hill (Perris) 10-0
8. (8) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 8-2
9. (9) Serrano (Phelan) 10-0
10. (10) Helix (La Mesa) 8-1
11. (14) Palmdale 10-0
12. (11) La Serna (Whittier) 9-1
13. (12) Garces (Bakersfield) 9-1
14. (13) La Mirada 9-1
15. (15) Olympian (Chula Vista) 10-0
Drops: None.
Bubble Teams: Carter (Rialto) 10-0, Camarillo 9-1, Heritage (Menifee) 9-1, Palos Verdes (PV Peninsula) 7-3, Poway 8-2, Sanger 8-2, Summit (Fontana) 9-1, Valencia 7-3, Villa Park 9-1.
No. 1 Result: Oceanside defeated El Camino (Oceanside) 34-0.
Race for No. 1: Narbonne in D1 South isn’t the only team hoping that Mater Dei goes on a deep run in the CIFSS Pac-Five playoffs. Edison of Huntington Beach, which has lost only to the Monarchs and by just 20-14, will strengthen its case for a possible CIF SoCal D2 bowl bid based on Mater Dei’s results. It also would help both the Chargers and unbeaten No. 6 Tustin if both teams can roll in the CIFSS Southwest Division playoffs, then play each other in a 13-1 vs. 14-0 final….
•The more we look ahead, the scenarios don’t actually seem favorable to No. 1 Oceanside. Although the Pirates have two CIF state bowl titles already in hand, their problem even if they win the CIF San Diego Division II title is that those voting in the room on Sunday, Dec. 2 will know that Oceanside’s lone loss is to a CIF Southern Section team (Chaparral of Temecula). Also, with Chaminade, Lompoc and Gardena Serra all in the same section playoffs (CIFSS Western Division) it’s more likely that that winner of that division is going to get a bowl game than even Oceanside…..
DIVISION III SOUTH
1. (1) Paraclete (Lancaster) 9-1
2. (2) St. Augustine (San Diego) 8-2
3. (3) Monrovia 8-2
4. (4) Wasco 10-0
5. (5) Madison (San Diego) 9-1
6. (6) Nordhoff (Ojai) 9-1
7. (7) Laguna Beach 9-0-1
8. (9) San Dimas 9-1
9. (10) Mission Oak (Tulare) 8-2
10. (NR) Brawley 9-1
Drops: Previous No. 8 Valley Center lost to Orange Glen (Escondido) 42-38.
Bubble Teams: Banning 9-1, Corona del Mar (Newport Beach) 7-3*, Fillmore 8-2, Garden Grove 8-2, La Salle (Pasadena) 10-0, North (Torrance) 8-2, San Marino 9-1, Valley Center 6-4.
*Forfeit win not included.
No. 1 Team Result: Paraclete defeated Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) 31-17.
Race for No. 1: In a battle of two teams ranked at No. 1 in their respective CIF bowl game divisions, it was D3 South No. 1 Paraclete that got revenge and ended D4 South No. 1 Sierra Canyon’s 24-game winning streak with a 31-17 win on Friday night. Tyler Carvalho completed eight of his nine pass attempts for 133 yards and two touchdowns while Chris Campbell rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. The Trailblazers had defeated the Spirits twice last year to win the Alpha League and then ended their season in the CIFSS Mid-Valley Division finals. The two teams could meet again in this year’s CIFSS Mid-Valley Division title game…..
•This week’s only newcomer, Brawley, got some good luck from World Series hero Sergio Romo in its 42-3 win last week over Central of El Centro. Romo, who is from Brawley and was the closer for the San Francisco Giants, was helicoptered onto the field before the game and conducted the pre-game coin flip. Romo also spoke to Brawley students and players earlier in the day. The Wildcats are seeded third behind St. Augustine and Madison but ahead of previous No. 8 Valley Center in the CIF San Diego Division IV playoffs…..
DIVISION IV SOUTH
1. (2) Bishop Diego (Santa Barbara) 10-0
2. (1) Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) 9-1
3. (4) Ontario Christian 10-0
4. (3) Mission Prep (San Luis Obispo) 8-1
5. (5) Rio Hondo Prep (Arcadia) 8-1
6. (6) St. Margaret’s (SJ Capistrano) 9-1
7. (7) Santa Fe Christian (Solana Beach) 7-3
8. (8) La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla) 6-3
9. (9) Francis Parker (San Diego) 6-4
10. (10) Horizon (San Diego) 7-3
Drops: None.
Bubble Teams: Army-Navy (Carlsbad) 10-0, Bakersfield Christian 8-2, Boron 9-1, Christian (El Cajon) 7-3, Ribet Academy (Los Angeles) 9-1, Windward (Los Angeles) 5-3.
No. 1 Team Result: Bishop Diego defeated Mission Prep (San Luis Obispo) 16-13.
Race for No. 1: It was only fitting that last week’s game between two undefeated top-ranked teams came down to the final seconds as Anthony Carter connected with B.J. Murillo for a game-winning one-yard touchdown pass with seven seconds remaining to give Bishop Diego of Santa Barbara the 16-13 road win over Mission Prep of San Luis Obispo. Tyler Baty completed 15 of his 31 pass attempts for 196 yards and two touchdowns for the Royals in the loss as they took a 13-10 lead earlier in the fourth quarter after trailing 10-6 at halftime…..
•With previous No. 1 Sierra Canyon falling in its showdown game with Paraclete of Lancaster, it was easy to move up Bishop Diego to No. 1 in this division for this week. The Cardinals have to win a pretty tough playoff division (CIFSS Northwest) as well to get bowl eligible. Sierra Canyon only dropped to second and does have the chance to avenge its loss to Paraclete in the playoffs…..
•It’s hard to drop Mission Prep at all after a loss like that, but Ontario Christian is sitting at 10-0 itself and arguably will have to win a tougher playoff division to get bowl eligible than the Royals…..
Comments or corrections? Email markjtennis@gmail.com.
25 Comments
Edison is in one of the toughest leagues outside of the Pac-5, the Sunset League. Does this warrant any consideration ? IMO the VI Southwest division once again other than Pac-5 “may” be the strongest division ?
Potential means you haven’t done it yet
I don’t think the Sunset is as good as it once was, but overall it’s still better than the Moore League (which is still Pac-Five). What’s going to help Edison for possible D2 SoCal bowl berth is how well Mater Dei does in Pac-Five (Edison’s only loss) and getting to perhaps play a 13-0 Tustin in the final. As for strongest division in CIFSS after Pac-Five, Inland clearly is second and I think this year anyway that Western is better than Southwest but not my much.
Chaminade is in the #5 league in the state, Edison is in the #13 league in the state, Oceanside is in the #15 league in the state.
The Western Division has 3 of the top 5 rated D2 south teams.
What are you smokin Tank?
Olympian (Chula Vista) is Division III, not II…
Olympian is indeed Division III for San Diego but for the bowl games all San Diego D3 teams or whichever team ends up as champion would be considered for the D2 South bowl game (same bowl bid that Oceanside, Helix, etc. would be up for or whichever team wins San Diego D2 title).
A 3 way heat for the Regional Division 2 bowl game…probably the most contested Regional in CA. Sucks that whoever wins has to go to Carson and play a subpar team.
Div 2 South/
I really don’t understand how Palmdale can jump over Garces, La Mirada and La Serna.
Palmdale is unbeaten with a win over Valencia and is top seed in CIFSS Northern Division. Garces’ loss to Bakersfield isn’t looking so good as before. La Mirada’s loss to Amat also lessened because of Amat losing to Notre Dame while La Serna’s win over Westlake lessened as well due to Westlake losing to Moorpark.
Hopefully Oceanside makes it to the D2 SoCal regionals. The Pirates (two time state champs) know what it takes to get the job done.
There are going to be some upsets, mark this note, in the 3rd round.
Not sure where Blng Blng obtains his info ?
D4 – Why is St. Margaret’s (6) rated above Santa Fe Christian(7)? The Eagles have a tougher schedule & quality wins over La Jolla(8), Parker(9) & Horizon (10) . St. Marg’s quality win was against an unrated Whittier Christian.
Santa Fe Christian does have a tougher schedule. We’ve been sticking St. Margaret’s higher because their only loss was by a decent score to unbeaten Laguna Beach and because they have had such a good track record. Ranking Santa Fe higher, though, is a move we may make next week. Recent wins by the Eagles sure have been impressive.
Sunset league teams are regrouping this year after senior losses; effects Los Al and HB a lot this year. Look to a fully restored Sunset next year. Edison also has lost many good players, but seems to have made a good year of it, with players really stepping up in later games. For example, Edison had a slow start against Servite, only scored 1 TD, and a loss to a superior offensive front line in Mater Dei. Newport, Los Al, and HB locked in a three way, next year will have a lot of senior players. Still, I don’t think Sunset is 2nd in overall quality of play to Pac 5.
Can anyone explain the CIF playoffs?
1- How is it decided which teams from SoCal and NorCal will play each other in the State Championship?
2- Is the Open Championship the “true” state champ?
3- I’m from MV, so take Mission Viejo for example. If they win the Pac5, would they play Vista Murrietta or Narbonne at any point to get to the State Championship?
4- Regardless of Mission Viejo’s finish, if Narbonne and Vista Murrietta win out, would they play each other eventually?
THANKS
I’ll try by answering each of your four questions.
1. This year, the NorCal and SoCal teams will be determined by a regional bowl game. From 2006 when the CIF bowls started until last year, the CIF section commissioners voted on which teams from each region would play each other in each division.
2. There is no “true” state champ even with regional bowl games. The only way there ever would be a “true” state champ is for actual statewide playoffs.
3. As for Mission Viejo, based on previous years of how the CIF commissioners have voted and how the CIF Southern Section itself views its Pac-Five Division, if the team goes 14-0 and wins the Pac-Five I’m pretty confident that it would be given one of the two SoCal berths in the Open Division. If Narbonne and Vista Murrieta both win out, it would then be a tough call as to which team Mission would play. Vista would have the edge because it was almost chosen last year but Narbonne has played some good CIFSS teams, too. A lot for Narbonne depends on how Mater Dei, Serra and LB Poly do in the CIFSS playoffs because those are the three prominent teams the Gauchos have beaten. If they all crap out, then I think Narbonne’s case gets a lot weaker.
4. I think the only way Narbonne and Vista Murrieta play each other is if a team other than Mission Viejo (take Mater Dei for example) or perhaps St. John Bosco wins the Pac-Five title, then they’d perhaps play in the Open Division. If it’s Mission or perhaps Bosco (which would be undefeated on the field) for the Open, then whichever team between Narbonne and Vista that isn’t in the Open Division would most definitely be playing in the Division I SoCal bowl game and would be playing either the San Diego D1 champ or the Central Section D1 champ. In that scenario, it’s also pretty clear to me that either Narbonne or Vista would win the SoCal D1 game and then would probably win the D1 state bowl game.
Okay, great response. Thanks for educating me, I appreciate your time a expertise. Looking forward to some great football games.
Is there really a San Diego D1 team that can make the regional? With all due respect, the strongest teams from SD are all in D2. I can’t imagine which team you’re talking about, could you please elaborate.
Sure, it’s Mission Hills. Only losses to Mission Viejo and Oceanside. You can definitely make a case for Mission Hills if it wins SD D1 title and especially when it would be going up against the Central Section D1 champ for that last spot. Mission Hills also only lost to MV by 14 compared to El Toro (49-7), which is a team that beat Clovis 27-10.
Looking forward to the updated rankings.There goes Palmdale. La Serna dominated Diamond Ranch Hs in first round and should move in La Times poll in which they are ranked 23.
how can you rank santa fe higher this upcoming week when they had a bye and st margarets shut the #9 rusher in the state down to his only sub 100 of the year and won 28-0 and are tested this week with the states leading rusher.
If Wasco runs the table 13-0 what are there chances of getting in that play in game?
Wasco’s best chance probably hinges on Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth winning in that CIFSS division with Paraclete and Monrovia. If that happens, then Wasco would have a good shot at getting into the regional game. The team’s sophomore running back seems like the real deal.
DIV.4 What about Salesian HS they are 10-1 ranked 3 in the division above teams that are bowl ranked
We have L.A. Salesian’s enrollment above 500, which would make them D3 South for bowl rankings.
Haven’t seen anywhere where they’ve dropped that low, but could be possible. A lot of smaller Catholic schools have had enrollments drop in recent years.