CIF Playoffs: Muir, Rosemead in the “Group of Death”

Note: I deleted the old thread and started this new one. Sorry for the 38 comments deleted, but I had a feeling the previous playoff thread crashed or froze.

The CIF-Southern Section playoffs begin Friday. All games at 7:30 p.m. unless noted.

SOUTHEAST DIVISION PAIRINGS: Seeds: 1. Charter Oak; 2. Santa Fe; 3. Muir; 4. Rowland.
My thoughts: Muir gets grouped in the infamous “Group of Death.” They draw a Diamond Ranch team that is gunning for them and should they win they’ll likely draw South Hills at Covina District Field in the second round. Wouldn’t it be nice if Muir played its playoff home games at the Rose Bowl? Someone should get on that.

Top bracket:
Bell Gardens (5-5, Almont 3) at Charter Oak (9-0-1, Miramonte 1)
California (8-2, Del Rio 2) at Crescenta Valley (8-2, Pacific 2)
San Gabriel (5-5, Almont 2) at La Serna (Del Rio 2, 9-1)
Burroughs (7-3, Pacific 3) at Rowland (8-2, San Antonio 1)

Bottom bracket:
Diamond Ranch (4-6, Miramonte 3) at Muir (9-1, Pacific 1)
South Hills (8-2, San Antonio 3) at Schurr (Almont 1, 7-3)
Bonita (7-3, Miramonte 2) at West Covina (8-2, San Antonio 2)
Burbank (5-5, Pacific 4) at Santa Fe (9-1, Del Rio 1)

MID-VALLEY DIVISION: Seeds: 1. Monrovia; 2. Azusa; 3. Northview; 4. San Dimas
My thoughts: Rosemead got robbed. I know it. You know it. Huckster knows it and the little kid whose ice cream I stole knows it. Rob Wigod, the Associate Commisioner in charge of football, said when he looked at Rosemead he knew they were really good and had beaten Monrovia by a few TD’s. But the fact remains CIF must honor the polls. Should the Panthers advance, they’ll only have to face San Dimas in the second round. Yikes!

Rosemead coach Matt Koffler’s reaction: “I don’t know, it’s impossible to explain. You try to play a tough schedule. You hammer everyone in your league. What else can you do? But we can’t sit here and cry about it. It is what it is now, you’ve got to go back to work and get ready.”

South Hills coach Steve Bogan’s reaction on Rosemead potentially facing San Dimas in the second round: “That’s a shame. That should be a semifinal or final. It’s an incredible oversight to say the least. It shows the herb is alive and well in some places.”

Top bracket:
El Monte (5-5, Mission Valley 3) at Monrovia (8-2, Rio Hondo 1)
Duarte (5-5, Montview 2) at L.A. Baptist (6-4, Olympic 2)
Cerritos Valley Christian (7-3, Olympic 3) at Rosemead (8-2, Mission Valley 1)
Sierra Vista (4-6, Montview 3) at San Dimas (9-1, Valle Vista 2)

Bottom bracket:
Workman (5-4, Montview 4) at Northview (8-2, Valle Vista 1)
San Marino (8-2, Rio Hondo 3) at Paraclete (7-3, Olympic 1)
Arroyo (3-7, Mission Valley 2) at Temple City (5-4-1, Rio Hondo 2)
Covina (4-6, Valle Vista 3) at Azusa (9-1, Montview 1)

WESTERN DIVISION: Seeds: 1. Palmdale; 2. Alemany; 3. Quartz Hill; 4. Mira Costa
My thoughts: St. Francis earns an at-large berth. Lets face it, the Golden Knights were somewhat robbed against Alemany. Luck plays in their favor this time. Balance has been restored.

Top bracket:
Redondo Union (5-5, Bay 3) at Palmdale (9-1, Golden 1)
Chaminade (2-8, Mission 2) at Beverly Hills (7-3, Ocean 2)
Santa Monica (8-2, Ocean 3) at Warren (7-3, San Gabriel Valley 1)

Bottom bracket:
St. Francis (6-4, Mission at-large) at Quartz Hill (9-1, Golden 2)
Peninsula (5-5, Bay 2) at Lynwood (7-2-1, San Gabriel Valley 2)
Downey (5-5, San Gabriel Valley 3) at Culver City (7-3, Ocean 1)
Highland (3-7, Golden 4) at Alemany (9-1, Mission 1)

EAST VALLEY DIVISION: Seeds: 1. St. Margaret’s; 2. Brentwood; 3. Aquinas; 4. Santa Paula.
My thoughts: The No. 2 seed was up for grabs when Maranatha marched into Brentwood. Minutemen were shutout and will probably face St. Margaret’s in the semifinals instead of the finals.

Top bracket:
Campbell Hall (5-5, Alpha at-large) at St. Margaret’s (10-0, Academy 1)
Yucca Valley (6-4, De Anza 2) at Bishop Uniont (5-4, High Desert 1)
Ontario Christian (Christian 2, 5-5) at Maranatha (9-1, Alpha 2)
Big Bear (6-3-1, De Anza at-large) at Santa Paula (8-2, Frontier1)

Bottom bracket:
Kern Valley (5-5, Hi Desert at-large) at Aquinas (9-1, Christian 1)
Brethren Christian (4-6, Academy 2) at 29 Palms (7-3, De Anza 1)
Desert (7-3, High Desert 2) at Filmore (8-2, Frontier 2)
Arrowhead Christian (6-4, Christian at-large) at Brentwood (9-1, Alpha 1)

NORTHEAST DIVISION: Seeds: 1. Saddleback Valley Christian; 2. Boron; 3. Linfield Christian; 4. Riverside Christian.
My thoughts: Rio Hondo Prep should have been seeded. Kares should run into Linfield Christian in the semifiinals. Flintridge Prep vs. Rio Hondo Prep for the title? Hmm…

Top bracket:
Mojave (5-5, Freelance at-large) at Saddleback Valley Christian (10-0, San Joaquin 1)
Webb (4-5, Prep 2) at Silver Valley (6-4, Desert Mountain 2)
Twin Pines (5-5, San Joaquin 3) at St. Genevieve (8-2, Santa Fe 1)
Flintridge Prep (3-6, Prep 3) at Riverside Christian (9-1, Big Sky 2)

Bottom bracket:
Mammoth (3-7, Desert Mountain 3) at Linfield Christian (8-2, Big Sky 1)
Bell-Jeff (7-3, Santa Fe 2) at Fairmonte Prep (3-6, San Joaquin 2)
St. Anthony (5-5, Santa Fe 3) at Rio Hondo Prep (6-3, Prep 1)
Animo Leadership (DNR, San Joaquin 4) at Boron (9-1, Desert Mountain 1)

***
THE SCENE FROM OUTSIDE THE CIF OFFICE SUNDAY MORNING TAKEN FROM MY NIFTY, COMPANY-ISSUED PALM TREO PHONE

Above: The Muir coaching staff and others watching the coin flip to determine home sites for the second round in the playoffs.


Above: Rob Wigod, the Associate Commisioner in charge of football, presiding over the coin flips.


Above: San Gabriel head coach Keith Jones and assistant Donald Bernard look on.


Above: Coaches take over the street as they await for the playoff pairings to be released Sunday morning.


Above: Coaches patiently waiting on a hot and ashy Sunday morning.


Above: I believe that’s Maranatha coach Joel Murphy with the shades and the biker hair deu.

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