HS FOOT: Playoff divisions breakdown

DIVISION: City Section Div. I

TOP FOUR SEEDS: 1. Crenshaw (10-0); 2. Carson (8-2); 3. Venice (9-1); 4. Taft (6-4)

OTHER LOCALS: Birmingham (3-7) and Sylmar (6-4)

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Kristopher Bass, LB, San Pedro; Tevin Carter, WR, Santee; Chad Dashnaw, QB, Narbonne; Omar Herrera, QB, Locke; Alfonso Medina, QB, Venice; Brandon Mitchell, OL, Taft; D.J. Morgan, RB, Taft; Ignatius Porchia, DL, Venice; Kerrington Jones, DB, West Adams Prep; Lucky Radley, RB/LB, Taft; Sean Parker, DB, Narbonne; DeAndre Roberts, DL, Sylmar; Max Smith, QB, Birmingham; DeAnthony Thomas, RB, Crenshaw; Marquis Thompson, QB, Crenshaw; Brent Williams, DL, Taft; Antwaun Woods, OL/DL, Taft; Patrick Wooten, LB, Jordan

OUR PICK: Crenshaw

SLEEPER: San Pedro

COMMENT: Narbonne's Chad Dashnaw has passed for 2,557 yards and 25 TDs, including eight consecutive 200-yard performances. Teammate Sean Parker, a DB, has 29 scholarship offers and has taken official visits to Notre Dame and Cal. ... Birmingham is without two of its top players, RB Trajuan Briggs (foot) and WR Davontae Perry-Brooks (suspended). ... Taft's D.J. Morgan is an age-group international champion in the 300 hurdles. Teammate Lucky Radley, a top LB, played at Crespi and Agoura.

DIVISION: City Section Div. II

TOP FOUR SEEDS: Roosevelt (10-0); 2. Arleta (9-1); 3. El Camino Real (9-1); 4. Hamilton (7-3).

OTHER LOCALS: Cleveland (7-3); Grant (5-5); Panorama (5-5); Poly (8-2); Reseda (5-5).

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Logan Bates, LB, El Camino Real; Matt Bowen, RB, Fairfax; Antonio Bray, RB, Arleta; Bryan Choto, QB, Arleta; Kevin Ervin, RB, Poly; Ra'Shon Harper, RB, El Camino Real; Maka Maka, OL, Arleta; Ronnell Pompey, WR, Fairfax; Oscar Rodarte, LB, Poly; Malcolm Thomas, RB, Panorama; Don Tyler, LB, Fairfax

OUR PICK: Arleta

SLEEPER: Franklin

COMMENT: Defending champion Arleta has won 24 games in a row on the field, its only loss a forfeit in the year's season opener. RB Antonio Bray is averaging 17.3 yards per carry and has rushed for 1,001 yards and scored 22 TDs, including a 90-yard run. ... Ra'Shon Harper is ECR's all-time career rushing leader with 4,255 yards. ... Top-seeded Roosevelt won the Eastern League over Jordan and Garfield, both of which are participating in the Div. I playoffs.

DIVISION: PAC-5

TOP FOUR SEEDS: 1. Edison (10-0); 2. Mission Viejo (10-0); 3. Servite (9-1); 4. Lakewood (9-1)

LOCALS: Notre Dame (8-2)

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Ben Gottschalk, OL, Notre Dame; Ryan Kasdorf, QB, Notre Dame; Kyle Middlebrooks, RB, Fountain Valley; Matthew Inmen, LB, Servite; Eric Solis, PK, Notre Dame; Nick Richardson, RB, Los Alamitos; Jesse Scroggins, QB, Lakewood; Michael Teo, LB, Long Beach Poly; Chris Ward, OL, Mater Dei; Cecil Whiteside, LB, Newport Harbor

OUR PICK: Mission Viejo

SLEEPER: Notre Dame

COMMENT: Notre Dame is the only local entrant, and the Knights could be without top receiver Tyler Thomas (ankle). If Notre Dame gets by Fountain Valley in the first round, the Knights could play at Mission Viejo in the quarterfinals. ... Fountain Valley RB Kyle Middlebrooks (1,608 yards) finished No. 2 in the state track finals last spring. ... Servite is has coached by former Crespi coach Troy Thomas, and Bishop Amat is coached by former Paraclete coach Steve Hagerty. ... Bishop Amat has defeated Notre Dame, St. Bonaventure and Alemany during the regular season.

DIVISION: NORTHERN

TOP FOUR SEEDS: 1. Valencia (10-0); 2. St. Bonaventure (9-1); 3. Westlake (10-0); 4. Moorpark (9-1).

OTHER LOCALS: Camarillo (9-1); Canyon (2-8); Hart (7-3); Newbury Park (8-2); Thousand Oaks (5-5)

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Alex Ball, PK, Westlake; Alex Bishop, QB, Valencia; Austin Edmonson, RB, Moorpark; Joe Frank, OL, Moorpark; Nick Isham, QB, Westlake; Stephen Manfro, RB, Valencia; Giovanni DiPaolo, OL, St. Bonaventure; Patrick Hill, DB, St. Bonaventure; Marc Palacios, LB, Moorpark; Stephen Pichinni, PK, Moorpark; Justin Solis, OL, Westlake; Nelson Spruce, WR, Westlake

OUR PICK: St. Bonaventure

SLEEPER: Newbury Park

COMMENT: Top-seeded Valencia, led by QB Alex Bishop and RB Steven Manfro, has won by an average margin of more than 35 points, but second-seeded St. Bonaventure has seen tougher competition and has won eight section titles over the past 10 years. ... Hart has qualified for the playoffs for the 22nd year in a row under coach Mike Herrington, who has six titles. ... The two opponents to defeat Newbury Park have a combined record of 19-1. ... Westlake PK Alex Ball has recorded 49 touchbacks.

DIVISION: WESTERN

TOP FOUR SEEDS: 1. Mira Costa (8-2); 2. Culver City (9-1); Alemany (7-3), Mira Costa (8-2).

OTHER LOCALS:
Chaminade (6-4); Highland (6-4); Knight (6-4); Palmdale (8-2); Quartz Hill (6-4); St. Francis (8-2);

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Kyle Brooks, DB, Quartz Hill; Victor Burnett, LB, Culver City; Jesse Callier, RB, Warren; Marquel Carter, QB, Culver City; Marcus Howard, DL, Inglewood; Malcolm Marable, RB, Casey Nielsen, QB, Gahr; Alemany; David Richards, WR, Palmdale; Dietrich Riley, RB/DB, St. Francis; Christian Thomas, TE, Highland; Joshua Shaw, QB/DB, Palmdale; Christian Thomas, TE, Highland; Luke Zelon, LB, Santa Monica

OUR PICK: Culver City

SLEEPER: Palmdale

COMMENT: Gahr's Casey Nielsen has passed for 3,954 yards and 38 TDs. ... Warren's Jesse Callier has rushed for 2,632 yards and and scored 39 TDs, but he does have the supporting cast of favorites Mira Costa, Culver City and Alemany. ... Alemany, which has never won a championship, was ranked as high as No. 1 in the division during the season, and the Warriors are battle-tested after losses to Oaks Christian and Bishop Amat and a win over Crespi. ... Highland TE Christian Thomas has more than 30 scholarship offers. ...

DIVISION: SOUTHEAST

TOP FOUR SEEDS: 1. Charter Oak (9-1); 2. South Hills (8-2); 3. Schurr (8-1-1); 4. Burbank (8-2)

OTHER LOCAL: Crescenta Valley

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Alexander Bird, LB, Alhambra; Nicholas Castillo, RB, Schurr; Adam Colman, QB, Burbank; Kyle Cota, QB, Crescenta Valley; Cameron Deen, QB, South Hills; Jackson Diamond, DB, Burbank; Charlie Hosea, LB, Burroughs; Damon Kuklinski, LB, South Hills; Adam Muema, RB, Charter Oak; Ulises Ochoa, RB, Burbank; Dennis Rufus, WR, Charter Oak; Ryan Seidler, LB, Burbank; Keith Smith, LB, Charter Oak; Isaac Valdez, QB, San Gabriel; Dalton Williams, RB, Burroughs; Dorian Wells, RB, South Hills

OUR PICK: Charter Oak

COMMENT: San Gabriel's Isaac Valdez has passed for 2,534 yards, ,,, Burbank, led by LB Ryan Seidler, enters as a league champion for the first time in 37 years. Seidler, a junior, has 132 tackles, including a high of 26. He needs six tackles to eclipse his own school record of 137. ... Burroughs' Dalton Williams has rushed for 1,444 yards, including six consecutive 100-yard performances. ...

DIVISION: NORTHWEST

TOP FOUR SEEDS: 1. Oaks Christian (10-0); 2. Serra (10-0); 3. St.Joseph (10-0); Pioneer Valley (9-1)

OTHER LOCALS: Harvard-Westlake (6-3) and Oak Park (4-6)

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Scott Arellano, RB/P, Santa Ynez; K.J. Cusack, RB, St. Joseph; Anthony Jefferson, WR, Cathedral; Erik Kohler, OL, Oaks Christian; Malcolm Jones, RB, Oaks Christian; Jackson Ligouri, WR, Harvard-Westlake; Nick Montana, QB, Oaks Christian; Paul Richardson, WR, Serra; Zac Stout, LB, Oaks Christian; Robert Woods, WR, Serra.

OUR PICK: Oaks Christian

COMMENT: Oaks Christian has won six consecutive section titles and 31 games in a row. UCLA-bound RB Malcolm Jones has 100 career TDs for the Warriors, ranked No. 5 nationally by USA Today. ... St. Joseph's K.J. Cusack averages 15.6 yards per carry while rushing for 1,514 yards and scoring 26 TDs, including a 99-yard run. ... Serra WRs Paul Richardson and Robert Woods are top national recruits and DL Sean Bacon has 14 sacks.

DIVISION: MID-VALLEY

TOP FOUR SEEDS: 1. Monrovia (10-0); 2. San Dimas (9-1); 3. Arroyo (8-2); 4. Azusa (9-1)

LOCALS: La Canada (5-4) and Paraclete (6-4)

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Nick Bueno, RB, Monrovia; Wardell Crutchfield, LB, Baldwin Park;Todd Davis, LB, Paraclete; Victor Dominguez, LB, Temple City; DujawnJones, DB, Monrovia; Josh Lowden, LB, Monrovia; Rocky Moore, QB, La Canada; Christian Morgan, LB, San Dimas; Max Ruckle, RB, Temple City; Kyle Steffes, PK, Paraclete; Jesse Vargas, LB, La Puente; Steve Yortsos, WR/DB, San Marino

OUR PICK: San Dimas

SLEEPER: Paraclete

COMMENT: San Dimas' Christian Morgan has 21 sacks. ... Paraclete posted four consecutive shutouts before losing 28-19 to Cerritos Valley Christian in the season finale. ... Paraclete's Kyle Steffers has kicked eight FGs, including four in one game. He also averages 40.3 yards on punts.

DIVISION: EAST VALLEY

TOP FOUR SEEDS: 1. St. Margaret's (9-1); 2. Maranatha (8-2); 3. Kern Valley (9-1); 4. Fillmore (7-3)

LOCALS: Sierra Canyon (8-2) and Grace Brethren (5-5)

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Fernando Almejo, DB, St. Margarets; Uche Amajoyi, DL, Aquinas; Chris Cornell, LB, Maranatha; Daniel James, DB, Brentwood; Erik Johnson, RB, Marantha; Max Leffler, QB, Grace Brethren; Dusty Orrantia, LB, Sage Hill; Brennan Smith, QB, St. Margarets; Tyler Stewart, QB, Sierra Canyon.

OUR PICK: St. Margaret's

SLEEPER: Aquinas

COMMENT: St. Margaret's, coached by former Canyon coach Harry Welch, has won three section titles in a row and 63 of its past 65 games, including 13 consecutive playoff victories. ... Sierra Canyon, led by QB Tyler Stewart and WR Shane Harrison, is playing 11-man football for the first time after going 10-1 in eight-man last season. ... Grace Brethren's Max Leffler has passed for 2,710 and 20 TDs, and he has scored 15 TDs.

DIVISION: NORTHEAST

TOP FOUR SEEDS: 1. Rio Hondo Prep (10-0); 2. Linfield Christian (10-0); 3. Boron (8-2); 4. Mojave (7-2)

LOCALS: Bell-Jeff (6-4); Desert Christian (3-6); St. Genevieve (9-1)

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Jordan Agnew, RB, Chadwick; Cody Caillier, LB, Boron; Cody Cowell, LB, Rio Hondo Prep; Alex Davidians, LB, Bell-Jeff; Deon Early, LB, Salesian; Reggie Heard, RB, Boron; Austin Maranville, RB, Linfield Christian; Devon Moreland, OL/DL, Salesian; Chris Navarro, QB, St. Genevieve; Sam Schwab, OL/LB, Calvary Murrieta; Michal Shirley, WR/DB, Bell-Jeff; Justin Wilson, QB, Calvary Murrieta;

OUR PICK: Rio Hondo Prep

SLEEPER: St. Genevieve

COMMENT: St. Genevieve's Chris Navarro has passed for 1,147 yards and 11 TDs and has rushed for 1,512 yards and 29 TDs. ... Two of Rio Hondo Prep's victories have come by forfeit. The Kares have recorded three shutouts and have allowed more than more one TD just twice. ... Chadwick's Jordan Agnew has passed for 1,393 yards and 12 TDs. ... Boron's Cody Caillier has 98 tackles and eight sacks. ... Linfield Christian's Austin Maranville (1,530 yards, 23 TDs) has seven consecutive 100-yard performances. ... Calvary Murrieta's Sam Schwab has 157 tackles, including 26 in one game vs. Riverside Christian.

-- Gerry Gittelson