Pictured L-R: Northview’s Keanu Tauvao (by Gwen Pointer) & Bonita’s Noah Mikhail (by Beth Oualline)
Football:
Of the 30 football programs this site covers, 21 were awarded spots in Friday’s first round of the CIF-SS playoffs.
For the time being, it appears that we are stuck with the current postseason format, which is solely based off the state rankings by Calpreps.
However, the end result has some shaking their heads and/or uttering an expletive or two.
I texted back and forth with a number of CIF-SS champion coaches, and one described the pairings as “not passing the smell test” and another said, “the biggest injustice is how a league champion gets placed in an unwinnable division, while second and third place finishers from the same league get easier paths.”
In prior years, winning one’s league would, at the very least, earn that program a first-round home game against another league’s No. 3 or No. 4 seed.
And certainly going 10-0 in the regular season would secure a home playoff game.
But that isn’t the case anymore.
It was just two years ago when Charter Oak (10-0) had to travel to Yorba Linda (10-0) in the first round of the D-3 playoffs.
This year, two of our programs went 10-0, and neither will play in front of a home crowd.
Bonita (10-0), who just wrapped up their first undefeated regular season in a quarter of a century, has to travel to Los Angeles to battle the Angelus League champions from Cathedral (9-1) in a D-3 showdown.
Also in Division 3, Chino Hills (7-3) welcomes Cajon (8-2) after finishing second in the Baseline League.
Northview, who won the D-10 title just three years ago, has jumped six divisions since then.
The Vikings went 10-0 in 2024, and they allowed just 76 points all season.
And yet NHS will travel to Veterans Stadium to battle Long Beach Poly (5-5) in a D-4 first-round game.
Friday’s 34-31 setback to their visitors from Damien cost Rancho Cucamonga a favorable draw.
The Cougars (6-4) travel to top-seeded Murrieta Valley (8-2) in Division 2, while Damien (8-2) hosts San Clemente (5-5) in that same division.
Charter Oak (8-2) finished one-game back of Bonita in the Sierra League, and the Chargers welcome Apple Valley (6-3) in Division 4.
The most interesting division for this site in D-6.
It features five (Muir, St. Francis, Glendora, San Dimas and Ayala) of our programs.
And the Mustangs (8-2), who ran their Pacific League slate 7-0 and by a combined margin of 385-41, is the division’s top seed.
Muir will host Schurr (9-1) on Friday.
Fans of Upland (4-6) and Etiwanda (3-6-1) can’t be too fond of the playoff formula.
The Highlanders and Eagles both defeated Ayala, 31-28 and 35-21, in week eight-and-10 games, respectively.
AHS (2-8), who ended the regular season on an eight-game losing streak, will travel to Irvine to battle Northwood (8-2) in a D-6 contest.
And while UHS and EHS finished above the Bulldogs in the Baseline League standings, they find themselves on the outside looking in.
San Dimas (8-2) finished one-game back of Northview in the VVL, and the Saints were awarded a D-6 home game against Aliso Niguel (7-3).
Rio Hondo Prep (8-1), the reigning D-9 champs, will travel to Ramona (10-0) in a D-7 showdown, and face a Rams program that won CIF-SS D-11 and CIF State D-5 championships in 2023.
The boys from Arcadia (RHP) have an approximate enrollment of 150 students from grades 7-12, while RHS has 2,190.
Meanwhile, Brentwood, who finished second in the Gold Coast League behind the Kares, will compete in Division 10.
One of the more intriguing matchups is a D-9 showdown between Monrovia (8-2) and their visitors from Burbank (8-2).
The Wildcats and Bulldogs finished second in the Rio Hondo and Pacific leagues.
Only 15 points separates the two programs.
MHS has scored 408 points through week-10, and BHS has 393.
Covina (8-2) narrowly eclipsed a 21-0 deficit two days ago, but Chino (4-6) held on for a 28-21 victory.
And that meant the Colts and Cowboys had to share the Hacienda League title.
Covina welcomes Village Christian (4-6) in Division 9, while Chino travels to Santa Barbara to face San Marcos (6-3-1) in Division 10.
The full schedule is just below.
The list of 210 Prep Sports teams that did not earn a playoff berth were: Alta Loma, Arcadia, Azusa, Claremont, Etiwanda, La Salle, Maranatha, Upland and West Covina.
It should be noted that the current playoff formula was voted on by a coach’s advisory board.
Perhaps some human oversight would help make this work for everyone.
Friday, November 8th:
Division 2:
Rancho Cucamonga at Murrieta Valley
San Clemente at Damien
Division 3:
Bonita at Cathedral
Cajon at Chino Hills
Division 4:
Apple Valley at Charter Oak
Northview at Long Beach Poly
Division 6:
Schurr at Muir
St. Francis at Calabasas
Ayala at Northwood
Glendora at Agoura
Aliso Niguel at San Dimas
Division 7:
Rio Hondo Prep at Ramona
Division 8:
Irvine at Los Osos
Division 9:
Burbank at Monrovia
Village Christian at Covina
Division 10:
South Hills at St. Anthony
La Canada at Pacifica of Garden Grove
Chino at San Marcos
Division 13:
Pasadena at Santa Rosa Academy
Hawthorne at San Marino
Division 14:
Sierra Vista at Duarte
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