And on to the lower bracket . . .
No. 3 Servite (9-1) vs. San Clemente (6-4), Cerritos College:
Frank Says: The Tritons may not be as good or Millikan or Wilson . . . but it's moot. Even if they were considerably stronger they would still get punched out. Friars 38, Tritons 10.
No. 6 Los Alamitos (8-2) vs. Poly (5-5):
Frank Says: This figures to be one of the two most competitive first-round games in the division (the other being Mater Dei at Bishop Amat in the upper bracket). There has been a lot of attention paid to Los Alamitos (and former Poly) sophomore quarterback Dylan Lagarde. But if the Griffins pull this one out, it will be because of their defense and the ability of Nick Richardson to run the ball on the Jackrabbits. Griffins 17, Jackrabbits 13.
No. 7 Notre Dame (8-2) vs. Fountain Valley (8-2):
Frank Says: The Knights were dominated by Bishop Amat in their Serra League finale but probably have too much offensive balance for a (relatively) one-dimensional FV offense -- although that one dimension, running back Kyle Middlebrooks, is pretty explosive. Knights 27, Barons 21.
No. 2 Mission Viejo (10-0) vs. Wilson (6-4):
Frank Says: The Bruins are about to discover what 10 other teams have found out this season: This Mission Viejo thumps opponents, whether it's a non-league, South Coast League or playoff game. Diablos 49, Bruins 14.
Servite 45, San Clemente 14
Los Al 21, Poly 24
Notre Dame 28, Fountain Valley 20
Mission Viejo 56, Wilson 10
Poly will take Lagarde out of the game one way or another and beat Los Al, a team with no real backup QB.