Helix of La Mesa head coach Troy Starr gets interviewed holding the CIF Division II state bowl game title trophy following his team’s win last season against Del Oro of Loomis.
Note: The top 10 teams that would be ranked by CalHiSports.com 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 12 rankings for each of Southern California’s CIF bowl game divisions (previous ranking in parentheses; after games of Saturday, Nov. 3):
DIVISION I SOUTH
1. (1) Narbonne (Harbor City) 11-0
2. (2) Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) 11-0
3. (3) Mission Viejo 11-0
4. (4) St. John Bosco (Bellflower) 11-0*
5. (5) St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 10-1
6. (6) Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 9-2
7. (7) Centennial (Corona) 10-1
8. (8) Upland 11-0
9. (9) Santa Margarita (Rancho SM) 9-2
10. (10) Crenshaw (Los Angeles) 9-1**
11. (11) Alemany (Mission Hills) 9-2
12. (15) Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 8-3
13. (NR) Murrieta Valley (Murrieta) 10-1
14. (14) Clovis 9-1
15. (NR) Mission Hills (San Marcos) 8-2
*Does not include forfeit losses.
**Does not include default win.
Drops: Previous No. 12 Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) lost to Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 28-27; No. 13 El Toro (Lake Forest) lost to Santa Margarita (Rancho SM) 38-13.
Bubble Teams: Bishop Amat (La Puente) 7-3-1, Central (Fresno) 9-2, Chaparral (Temecula) 7-4, Charter Oak (Covina) 10-1, Clovis North (Clovis) 9-1, Crespi (Encino) 8-2 (season complete), El Toro (Lake Forest) 9-2 (season complete), Long Beach Poly (Long Beach) 8-3, Moorpark 8-3, Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 8-3 (season complete), Rancho Cucamonga 9-2, Redlands 8-3, Tesoro (Rancho Santa Margarita) 7-4, Westlake (Westlake Village) 6-5.
No. 1 Team Result: Narbonne defeated Locke (Los Angeles) 57-14.
Race for No. 1: This is the week when the real races for the D1 South and D1 Open Division bowl berths get going seriously. That’s because unlike any other section playoff in the state, when the CIF Southern Section Pac-Five reaches the quarterfinals you can throw everything that’s happened so far this season into the trash can.
•While No. 3 Mission Viejo doesn’t play another ranked team with a matchup against Long Beach Poly, all of the other quarterfinals – No. 5 St. John Bosco vs. No. 12 Notre Dame, No. 5 St. Bonaventure vs. No. 9 Santa Margarita and No. 6 Mater Dei vs. No. 11 Alemany – are games in which both teams are ranked and have been ranked for most of the season. Corona Centennial is not in the Pac-Five, but the No. 7 Huskies could have a tough test against No. 13 Murrieta Valley in the Inland Division…..
•Dropping Oaks Christian and El Toro out of the top 15 this week may be too harsh, but this also the time of the season when teams that are done just have to take a back seat to those still going with the possibility of beating higher-ranked teams. Once all playoff and bowl game results are in, teams like Oaks Christian and El Toro get to go back up…..
DIVISION II SOUTH
1. (1) Oceanside 9-1
2. (2) Edison (Huntington Beach) 10-1
3. (3) Chaminade (West Hills) 10-1
4. (4) Lompoc 11-0
5. (5) Serra (Gardena) 9-2
6. (6) Tustin 11-0
7. (7) Citrus Hill (Perris) 11-0
8. (8) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 8-2
9. (9) Serrano (Phelan) 11-0
10. (10) Helix (La Mesa) 8-1
11. (12) La Serna (Whittier) 10-1
12. (14) La Mirada 10-1
13. (13) Garces (Bakersfield) 9-1
14. (15) Olympian (Chula Vista) 10-0
15. (NR) Carter (Rialto) 11-0
Drops: Previous No. 11 Palmdale lost to Atascadero 26-7.
Bubble Teams: Camarillo 10-1, Heritage (Menifee) 10-1, Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach) 8-3, Palos Verdes (PV Peninsula) 8-3, Poway 8-2, Sanger 8-2, Valencia 8-3, Villa Park 10-1.
No. 1 Result: Oceanside did not play; had bye in opening-round of CIF San Diego Section Division II playoffs.
Race for No. 1: Nothing has changed in the last week in this division and doesn’t look like it will until the semifinal round of the various section playoffs. That’s when it could be Chaminade vs. Serra in the CIFSS Western Division and when other top-ranked teams might play strong opponents as well…..
•Another CIFSS playoff division that seems likely to produce a 14-0 champion is the Eastern. Citrus Hill has been ranked in this division since the preseason while Serrano went in pretty quickly as well due to wins against Paraclete (No. 1 in D3 South) and Quartz Hill (which turned around and beat Canyon of Canyon Country). Now those two at 11-0 have been joined in the top 15 by Carter of Rialto, which also is 11-0 after the Lions defeated La Sierra of Riverside 35-13 in their first-round Eastern Division game……
•La Serna and La Mirada, the top two teams in the CIFSS Southeast Division, both moved up this week in the aftermath of previously unbeaten Palmdale’s loss to Atascadero. With Palmdale dropping out, there are now no ranked teams in this division from the CIFSS Northern Division, which given its history from teams like Valencia, Canyon, Hart, etc. is hard to believe, especially for Division II. If the CIFSS wanted to strengthen it, a quick fix would be to move the Mission League from the Western Division into the Northern Division and swap it with the Bay League, which would then align that league closer to other schools in the region…..
DIVISION III SOUTH
1. (1) Paraclete (Lancaster) 10-1
2. (2) St. Augustine (San Diego) 8-2
3. (3) Monrovia 9-2
4. (4) Wasco 10-0
5. (5) Madison (San Diego) 9-1
6. (6) Nordhoff (Ojai) 10-1
7. (7) Laguna Beach 10-0-1
8. (8) San Dimas 10-1
9. (9) Mission Oak (Tulare) 8-2
10. (10) Brawley 9-1
Drops: None.
Bubble Teams: Banning 10-1, Corona del Mar (Newport Beach) 8-3*, Garden Grove 9-2, North (Torrance) 9-2, San Marino 10-1, Rim of the World (Lake Arrowhead) 9-2, Salesian (Los Angeles) 10-1, Valley Center 6-4.
*Forfeit win not included.
No. 1 Team Result: Paraclete defeated Temple City 49-7.
Race for No. 1: This was the one division last week in which literally nothing happened. We had five of the top 10 teams taking playoff byes (St. Augustine, Wasco, Madison, Mission Oak, Brawley) and the other five winning first-round games 49-7, 50-0, 44-0, 42-14 and 42-0…..
•There is a game to watch this week, though, when No. 8 San Dimas takes on bubble team San Marino (10-1) in the CIFSS Mid-Valley Division. That’s the same division as No. 1 Paraclete and No. 3 Monrovia and shows the strength of the division as well. We wouldn’t say the eventual winner is guaranteed a SoCal bowl game, but if it’s Paraclete or Sierra Canyon we would. Sierra Canyon, of course, would be in a D4 bowl game and if it gets that far again will be knocking out a lot of possible D3 bowl teams….
DIVISION IV SOUTH
1. (1) Bishop Diego (Santa Barbara) 11-0
2. (2) Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) 10-1
3. (3) Ontario Christian 11-0
4. (4) Mission Prep (San Luis Obispo) 9-1
5. (5) Rio Hondo Prep (Arcadia) 9-1
6. (6) St. Margaret’s (SJ Capistrano) 10-1
7. (7) Santa Fe Christian (Solana Beach) 7-3
8. (8) La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla) 7-3
9. (9) Francis Parker (San Diego) 6-4
10. (10) Horizon (San Diego) 7-3
Drops: None.
Bubble Teams: Bakersfield Christian 8-2, Boron 10-1, Calipatria 9-2*, Christian (El Cajon) 7-3, Flintridge Prep (La Canada) 6-4, Windward (Los Angeles) 5-3.
No. 1 Team Result: Bishop Diego defeated South (Torrance) 43-9.
Race for No. 1: Just like in Division III South, this division was extremely quiet last week. Sierra Canyon and Ontario Christian were in competitive games but advanced in their respective divisions by beating Northview of Covina 20-7 and Rubidoux of Riverside 59-36. Both Northview and Rubidoux are much larger schools, though, so the wins were still impressive….
The way it looks to us here is that Bishop Diego would get one of the two SoCal bowl berths by finishing 14-0 and winning the CIFSS Northwest Division crown. If Sierra Canyon (the defending D4 state champ) comes back in its division and avenges its loss to Paraclete, then we also don’t see how the Trailblazers wouldn’t be given the other slot…..
If Sierra Canyon loses, then it looks to us like Ontario Christian would perhaps be next in line. This wouldn’t just be because the Knights would be 14-0 but also because Bishop Diego has already defeated No. 4 Mission Prep. If rematches can be avoided in these regional bowl games, our guess is that the commissioners will indeed vote to avoid them….
Comments or questions? Email markjtennis@gmail.com.
18 Comments
What the CIF needs to do is eliminate 400 plus mile round trip road playoff games in the Western and Northern divisions. Its rediculous that teams from the South Bay of Los Angeles to the San fernando and Santa Clarita valleys have to travel 4-6 hrs, anywhere from 170-220 miles on a Friday afternoon to the very edge of the CIFSS to play a team from the Central Coast. Chaminade had to do this two weeks in a row last year in the quarters and semis, traveling to San luis Obispo and then arroyo Grande. Ensenada Mexico is closer to Chaminade than Morro Bay where they play this week, who the hell wants to do that on a Friday night and then turn around and come home? The Central Coast teams should not be in the same divisions as teams in Los Angeles county. There are 100 Highschools within 20 miles of Chaminade and they are put in a division with teams 200 miles north. Imagine living in Redondo Beach and the CIF pulls this sh it and throws you in a division with teams 6 hrs north. Do you know how many schools you would pass by on the way up North? Only a few hundred!
I agree! The central coast schools consisting of the los padres and pac-7 leagues should be apart of the central section. The southern section is way too big and much further away from the central coast than the central section is. Most central coast teams play central section teams in the pre-season. It makes sense not only economically for travel and gas but the competition is a little more even. Instead of teams from the central coast traveling 4-6 hours to play teams in LA, they would only have to travel 2-3 hours to play teams from bakersfield or fresno. It would also boulster the central section where most top teams have a first round bye in the playoffs. That doesn’t happen much in LA. Someone needs to present this to the CIF. I’m surprised central coast schools have not.
For you Oceanside guys, Imagine having back to back playoff games in Santa Barbara Ca 55 miles north of Westlake HS where you played Oakdale?
Thats what we are dealing with. And you could be the top seed, it doesnt matter. Its all the flip of a coin.
Chaminade that is treachourous. I agree, they are not even in the same realm of Los Angeles. Parents and family have to call Expedia just to go to a hs football game. Not good !
Nade,
No Thank you to that! Driving up to Westlake was enough! Agreed From SB all the way to San Jose should be the CCS not SS…WAY TOO FAR TO TRAVEL AND TOO EXPENSIVE!!! They would be way more competitive in the CCS anyway.
If I were redrawing the state sections, I’d actually put Santa Barbara and SLO counties in with the Central Section and not the CCS or SS. San Jose to Santa Barbara is much further than L.A. County to Santa Barbara (without as much traffic). Folks in Fresno and Bakersfield go to Pismo all the time.
I played in Arizona, and made 6hr+ trips to league games regularly. I understand the frustration!
Looking at the size of the Southern Section, I think that the section should be split into 2 or 3 separate sections. Any thoughts on that from those who live in the Southern Section area? (I’m from Oakdale, so I am just an outside observer.)
Cathedral Catholic just forfeited all 10 games for playing an ineligible athlete. They are out of the playoffs and done!
Yes, we have heard that this morning, too. Will adjust the D2 South rankings next week.
Does that mean Serra (San Diego) gets a bye this week?
The travel works both ways guys. Try going from the Central Coast to Boron or Bishop on a Friday. There have been some studies done on breaking up the SS, and frankly I would like to see a SB/SLO/Ventura (?) section.
Travel does go both ways but the central coast doesnt have hundreds of teams. They have to travel, cant complain, it is what it is for them. there is no reason for teams from Los Angeles to travel 200 miles. NO REASON.
The LPL , Channel, Pac View, Pac7 and Tri Valley leagues should make one division. Any team south of Oxnard should be in a division comprised of teams further south. You may scrifice a little on the competitive balance in the North but still better than having the LPL with the Mission league as it is now.
Sounds great to me. MJL
Mark am I missing something or is Salesian HS in LA not qualified for DIV 4 bowl? I see teams that are in their division ranked and Salesian is Ranked 3 with a 10-1 record, Please help/explain
Salesian is an all boys school so it’s enrollment is doubled. They’re not in Div 4 they’re in Div 3.
Tony but Rio Hondo prep is ranked in DIV4 and they are in the same division as Salesian?
Just saw thatNow they are a bubble team in DIV3 …Thanks Tony
It doesn’t matter which CIF Southern Section division a team is in for the CIF bowl games for smaller schools. In several CIFSS divisions, we have D3 and D4 bowl teams mixed together.