As I’ve written about a zillion times over the past two seasons, the Pac-5 division in the CIF Southern Section is the toughest football playoff setup in California – if not the United States.
That being said, here’s my look and projections at each of the division’s first-round games Friday night, starting with the upper bracket . . .
UPPER BRACKET
Santa Margarita (5-4) vs. Poly (9-1) at Veterans Stadium
Frank Says: A lot of folks are pegging this is the one first-round upset, based on equal parts respect for the Trinity League (where the Eagles are located) and the fact that Santa Margarita knocked off the Jackrabbits in the 2006 regular-season opener, 9-7 (a game I covered, FYI). But Raul Lara’s team is playing too well right now and, with junior quarterback Morgan Fennell healthy, Poly’s offense is too balanced and explosive for the Eagles to slow down discernibly.
PREDICTION: Poly, 27-10
Newport Harbor (7-3) at Notre Dame (8-2)
Frank Says: If Knight’s quarterback Dayne Crist is playing (he suffered a “mild” concussion in the Serra League loss to Crespi last week), the hosts will cruise, say, 35-14. If Coach Kevin Rooney can’t play him, the Knights will still have too much power up front for the team from the Sunset League.
Prediction: Notre Dame, 35-14 (with Crist); Notre Dame 24-14 (without Crist)
Compton (8-2) vs. Edison (7-3) at Huntington Beach High
Frank Says: The Tarbabes were a shell of themselves last week in the loss at Lakewood, with multiple starters missing because of injuries, most notably starting running backs Donald Green and Curry Williams. If Calvin Bryant’s team is relatively healthy this week, the Moore League’s third-place team has a pop had knocking off a Sunset League champion for the second consecutive of year. If not, it will get ugly early.
Prediction: Edison 31, Compton 22 (if the Tarbabes are healthy); Edison 41, Compton 12 (if the Tarbabes are missing their RBs)
Mission Viejo (6-3-1) vs. Orange Lutheran (8-1) at Santa Ana Stadium
Frank Says: Many are touting this as the best game of the first round and it is going to be broadcast by Fox Sports Prime Ticket. This is strictly a “name big game”, however. This Mission Viejo team isn’t anything approaching the outstanding ones of seasons past, as its record would indicate.
Prediction: Orange Lutheran 31, Mission Viejo 10
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