Here are semifinal matchups for our local teams for Friday.
Exact times at sites to come
CIF Southern Section
Pac-5 Division
Poly at Lakewood
Tesoro at Orange Lutheran
Southern Division
Mayfair at Corona del Mar
Norwalk at Laguna Hills
Northwest Division
Serra at El Segundo
Oaks Christian at Morro Bay
CIF L.A. City Section
City Division
Crenshaw at Narbonne
Taft at San Pedro
Invitational Division
Franklin at Roosevelt
Wilson at Arleta
Griffin White scored three goals and Tommy O'Connell made 11 saves as El Toro topped Santa Barbara to win the CIF-SS Masters Tournament on Saturday night at Newport Harbor High.
Locally, Los Alamitos placed fifth and Cerritos took eighth.
CIF SOUTHERN SECTION
Quarterfinals
PAC-5
Lakewood 28, Mission Viejo 7
Tesoro 38, Mater Dei 35
Orange Lutheran 24, S.O. Notre Dame 14
INLAND
Corona Centennial 41, Vista Murrieta 14
Murrieta Valley 27, Miller 6
Chaparral 20, Redlands East Valley 0
Norco 40, Riverside North 26
WESTERN
Palmdale 21, Beverly Hills 14
Mira Costa 28, Warren 14
Quartz Hill 35, Lynwood 20
Alemany 31, Culver City 15
NORTHERN
St. Bonaventure 32, Paso Robles 7
Saugus 35, Thousand Oaks 28
Valencia 55, Westlake 26
Moorpark 6, Atascadero 0
CENTRAL
Rancho Cucamonga 28, Paloma Valley 20
Cajon 34, Ayala 14
Upland 54, Glendora 14
Los Osos 28, Chino Hills 24
SOUTHWEST
Tustin 49, Garden Grove Pacifica 21
Anaheim Canyon 53, Fullerton 17
Trabuco Hills 28, Western 21
La Habra 23, El Dorado 14
SOUTHEAST)
Charter Oak 40, Crescenta Valley 9
Rowland 52, La Serna 28
Diamond Ranch 15, South Hills 12 (OT)
West Covina 49, Burbank 28
EASTERN
Citrus Hill 56, Palm Desert 28
Serrano 21, Banning 12
Barstow 34, Palm Springs 20
Silverado 59, Hesperia 44
SOUTHERN
Laguna Hills 41, G.G. Santiago 7
Norwalk 28, Irvine 3
Mayfair 50, Los Amigos 14
Corona del Mar 41, Laguna Beach 0
NORTHWEST
Oaks Christian 21, Pioneer Valley 0
Morro Bay 15, Harvard-Westlake 14
El Segundo 24, S.M. St. Joseph 20
Gardena Serra 55, Verbum Dei 21
MID-VALLEY
Monrovia 41, Duarte 21
Rosemead 59, San Dimas 22
Temple City 17, Azusa 0
EAST VALLEY)
St. Margaret's 17, Yucca Valley 6
Twentynine Palms 40, Aquinas 0
Fillmore 21, Brentwood 14
NORTHEAST
Mojave 28, Silver Valley 22
Rio Hondo Prep 42, Boron 14
8 MAN DIVISION II
Semifinal
Joshua Springs 56, Big Pine 24
Narbonne, the No. 1 team in the L.A. City Section City Division football playoffs, held on to defeat No. 9 Birmingham, 45-35, on Wednesday night in a second-round game.
The Gauchos (11-1) built a 35-14 lead before Birmingham rallied to make a game of it.
Narbone moves into the semifinals, against the winner of the L.A. Jordan-Crenshaw game next Friday.
No. 2-seeded San Pedro (11-1) had no trouble with No. 7 Venice, claiming a decisive 31-0 decision.
The Pirates will host No. 3 Taft in next week.
Taft (11-1) is led by USC-bound running back D.J. Morgan. The junior put on a show Wednesday despite wet, muddy conditions, rushing for 176 yards and four touchdowns on 23 carries and adding 62 yards receiving in a 40-17 victory over visiting San Fernando.
Taft's only loss is to unbeaten Serra, the No. 2 seed in the CIF Southern Section's Northwest Division.
CIF FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
Southern Section
Second Round
Games at 7:30 p.m. unless noted
Friday
Pac-5 Division
Poly at Esperanza
Mission Viejo at Lakewood
Western Division
Warren at Mira Costa
Quartz Hills vs. Lynwood at Lynwood MS
Southern Division
Mayfair at Los Amigos
Norwalk vs. Westminster/Irvine
Northwest Division
Verbum Dei at Serra
L.A. City Section
Second Round
Wednesday at 7 p.m. unless noted
City Division
Birmingham at Narbonne
Venice at San Pedro
Invitational Division
Huntington Park at Arleta
El Camino Real at Roosevelt
PJ Gabayeron scored four goals and Jason Lee and Dennis Fan each scored three times, leading the Cerritos High boys water polo team to a 13-6 win over Malibu in the CIF Southern Section Division IV title game at Woollett Aquatic Center in Irvine on Saturday.
It's the third straight CIF title for the Dons, who claimed the Division VI crown the previous two seasons.
In the City Division...
Narbonne defeated Washington, 28-9.
San Pedro beat Sylmar, 34-3
Banning lost to Crenshaw, 42-6
Carson fell to Venice, 25-20
In Wednesday's second round...
Narbone plays Birmingham
San Pedro faces Venice.
In the Invite Division...
Huntington Park topped Lincoln, 42-28
Roosevelt stopped Jefferson, 35-16
South East lost to Arleta, 42-7
In the second round...
Huntington Park plays Arleta
Roosevlet takes on El Camino Real
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel (4-6) vs. Mayfair (7-3) at Bellflower HS
The Eagles finished third in the Orange Coast League and are making their first playoff appearance since 2001. They will give the Monsoons multiple looks on offense, everything from the spread to single wing to the power I. "They execute," said Mayfair co-coach Mike Fitch. "We better line up correctly or than can out-flank us. They can go spread, they can go up the middle. ... We're not taking them lightly." Calvary Chapel won its last two games of the season to make the playoffs and allowed just 16 points in those games. The Monsoons are seeded No. 3 in the division and have won six games in a row. But they're out to reverse a recent trend of early playoff losses, including the first round the last two years. "We've got a great opportunity to practice on Thanksgiving," said Fitch, meaning his team will have made the second round. "We've had a great week of practice and everybody is healthy. ... Offensively, we're humming along. We're really looking good." Mayfair, the eight-time defending Suburban League champion, has a deep and talented offense. Senior QB Jimmy Ohiri has thrown for 1,185 yards and 15 TDs with just six interceptions. His backup is sophomore Evan Hunko, who started much of his freshman season with the varsity when Ohiri was out with an injury. RBs Dominique Small (759 yards, 6 TDs), Keith Harvey (666 yards, 6 TDs) and Ronald Kennedy Jr. (11 TDs) share the ball well and all have breakaway ability. WR Brandon Estrada leads the team with 784 receiving yards and 9 TDs but Jakob Johnson and Caleb Pitts have also been effective. On defense, senior DE Dave King Jr. leads the team with 7.5 sacks and LB Nathan Van Der Linden isn't far behind with five. Julian Perez and Erik Wiersma make up a formidable duo at inside LB. "They're legitimate," said Fitch. "They're playing well." As a DB, Kennedy leads the team with 6 interceptions and 2 blocked punts. Andre Allen Jr. and Theodore Chambers each have 4 interceptions. "This is a great bunch of kids," Fitch said. "It's the best team we've had in the last few years. They're blue collar, hard-working kids."
Artesia (7-3) at Laguna Hills (9-0)
The Pioneers face a stiff test in the top-seeded Hawks. "They're a well-coached team, a hard-running team, they play good defense," said Artesia coach Vince La Rosa. "They're a very good team, to say the least." Laguna Hills allowed 80 points in 9 games and held opponents to 7 points or less 5 times. "They fly to the ball (on defense)," said La Rosa, "and they tackle well. They're going to be very difficult to beat." On offense, the Hawks have an outstanding line and prefer to run but are very efficient when they throw, especially against defenses trying to stop the rush. Artesia is led by senior QB Donnay Ragland, who can beat defenses with his arm (1,666 passing yards, 18 TDs) and his legs (796 rushing yards, 13 TDs). His top targets include Derrell Randell (548 yards, 4 TDs), David Evans (536 yards, 9 TDs) and Travon Payne (477 yards, 7 TDs). La Rosa feels the passing game is Artesia's strength, but that has struggled in recent games, especially with overthrown balls and dropped passes. "As long as we don't make mistakes, and catch the ball ... we'll be fine," he said. Junior RB David Lasisi (709 yards, 5 TDs) is Artesia's second-leading rusher and picks up most of his yards up the middle. On defense, the Pioneers have an emerging star in junior LB T.J. Taimatuia. "He loves to hit, loves to play the game," said La Rosa. Taimatuia has terrific closing speed and has 95 total tackles, including 68 solo, and 5 sacks. Taimatuia had 20 tackles vs. Norwalk earlier this year. La Rosa calls him a "skinny" 200 pounds and expects him to fill out to about 225-230 for his senior year. Ragland is also a starting CB and leads the team with 4 interceptions. LB Mike Thomas has 47 solo tackles, 4 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries.
La Mirada (4-6) vs. Corona del Mar (8-2) at Newport Harbor HS
The Matadores have turned around their season in recent weeks with 3 wins in a row. The defense, which allowed 31 points or more 4 times in early games, has kept opponents to 15.7 ppg in those 3 victories. On offense, junior QB Daniel Poncedeleon been effective lately. Senior WR Dean Zherdev has caught 22 passes for 377 yards and 8 TDs. When La Mirada runs, it's usually with seniors Devon Tracy (511 yards, 4 TDs) and Daniel Gonzalez (201 yards, TD). Corona del Mar is the No. 2 seed and finished second in the Pacific Coast League behind No. 1 Laguna Hills. The Sea Kings have won 3 in a row and 5 of their last 6. Senior QB Mitch Sands has passed for 1,043 yards and 18 TDs with just 5 interceptions.
-- David Felton
Northeast Division
St. Anthony (5-5) at Rio Hondo Prep (6-3), 7:30 p.m.
The Saints go marching in, err limping in, against the Prep League champion Kares with a two-game losing streak that left them third in the Santa Fe League. QB Lamont Rowe has been everything for S.A. this season, throw for more than 1,000 yards and nine TDs and rushing for nearly 800 yards and 12 scores, not to mention what he does on defense. Despite missing a couple of games, RB John Graves piled up 920 yards and 10 TDs, and WR Sunny Montoya had a solid season with 47 catches for 634 yards and six TDs. The offense needs to be good as Rio Hondo, on a four-game winning streak, has allowed just 84 points this season. The Kares like to run the ball, averaging 243 yards per game. RBs Antonio Alaniz and Tim Esguerra are the leading rushers.
Anaheim Canyon (6-4) at Cypress (7-3) at Western HS, 7 p.m.
It's been a two pretty good seasons for the Centurions, who won the CIF-SS Southern Division title last year - their first - and the Empire League title this season - only the third in school history. But coach Ray Fenton's team isn't about to rest on its laurels. "We have a long road ahead of us," he said. That road might be a little tougher than expected as starting QB Max Reza is out for the rest of the season after being hospitalized last week with a broken rib and internal bleeding. Stepping in is sophomore Zach Ortiz, who led Cypress past Pacifica in last week's first-place showdown. "It was our best game of the year," Fenton said of how is team rallied around the loss of its leader. Ortiz has taken a good number of snaps this season, completing 77 percent of his passes, so he's not going into the playoffs ice-cold. "We have lots of confidence in Zack," said Fenton. Cypress still has weapons like Akeeli Muhammad, who ran for 253 yards and five touchdowns last week, Taylor Coe and Jared Cohen. On defense, the Centurions have allowed just 28 points over the past three games. LB Vince Perry has been a stalwart there, with 102 tackles. That defense better be ready for Canyon, which finished in a three-way tie for first in the Century League and received the league's third playoff entry. The Comanches, who like to mix up their offense, averaged 214 yards rushing, led by RB Jared Gobert (971 yards on 111 carries, 7 TDs). "They will run an offense we didn't get to see on film," Fenton said. "We'll have to make some quick adjustments."
Valley Christian (7-3) at Rosemead (8-2), 7 p.m.
The Crusaders went all the way to the semifinals last year, and coach Erick Streelman that might be harder to do this season. "I think, overall, the division is tougher," he said. "We lost some good teams like Bishop Diego and Santa Clara, but they added the Valle Vista League with teams like Northview. It's deeper, but I kind of feel it's anybody's ball game." Valley Christian comes into the playoffs having lost two of its last three and a disappointing third-place finish in the Olympic League. "We had a little slide there the last couple of weeks," Streelman said. "We had a couple off-days. We have to get past that now." So getting a tough draw like the Mission Valley champs won't be easy. But the Panthers' smash-mouth style of play, which rolled up 392 points on offense behind QB Angel Alejandra and 1,000-yard RB Tra Sumler, seems to suit the Crusaders. Howe well they play defense will likely be the key. "Our guys actually tend to be better with stuff like that. Counters and misdirection tend to hurt us more," Streelman said. "We have been defensively pretty solid, with the exception of three games, the three games we lost. If the defense from the seven games we won shows up, we have a chance for sure." V.C. counters with a balanced offense that still will rely heavily on QB Kyle Cameron (1,899 yards, 16 TDs). WR Jason DeKruyf has come on strong as of late, with 21 of his 49 catches (for 550 yards and 6 TDs) coming the last two games. Streelman is hoping last year's playoff run can help the team repeat its success this year. "I feel the seniors can draw from that experience," he said. "We can use that on Friday... knowing in the back of their minds that they've been here before."
Games at 7:30 p.m. unless noted
Santa Monica (8-2) at Warren (7-3), 7 p.m.
Warren won its first SGVL title since 1992, and what do they get as a reward: a first-round game against Santa Monica, a team that was among the top in the Western Division rankings most of the season. "I thought we had a chance at a better draw," said Warren coach Chris Benadom. "They are a good team. They were No. 1 in the division most of they year, but they lost two games and finished as the No. 3 in the (Ocean League). It's a pretty tough draw for us." The Bears love to run the ball with RB Jesse Callier (1,971 yards, 24 TDs), but that would seem to play into Santa Monica's hands. The two games they lost were to teams with spread offenses. It will be up to Warren to mix it up with QB Sam Bettencourt and WR Bailey Cowins, who hooked up 49 times for 638 yards and nine TDs.
Downey (5-5) at Culver City (7-3), 7 p.m.
This might be a first-round playoff game, but for all intents and purposes, the Vikings have been in playoff mode for three weeks now. After a 1-2 start in the SGVL, Downey needed big wins over front-runners Warren and Gahr to have any shot at the postseason. Obviously, the Vikings got them and take on the No. 3-seeded Centaturs. "I always said that my kids have lots of heart," said Downey coach Will Capps, whose team went 3-7 and missed the playoffs last year. "We might not be the best team, but we have lots of heart. We knew we had to have both games for a chance at the playoffs. We've had a really, really great last two weeks." Now the Vikings will look to keep it rolling against the Ocean League champs, who average about 34 points per game in their spread offense led by QB Marquel Carter. Capps sees Culver City much like Gahr, a team Downey defeated 31-23 last week. The Vikings have found success as of late with long, time-consuming drives led by QB Steven Cervantes (1,622 yards passing), FB Joseph Ortiz and WR/RB Keith Holland (690 yards receiving, 384 yards rushing, 9 total TDs). That has helped the defense stay off the field, enabling the likes DB/LB Jeremiah Higgins and CB Joseph Wheeler to be fresher and make plays.
Peninsula (5-5) vs. Lynwood (7-2-1) at Lynwood MS
The only way Knights coach Mark Williams could be happier this week is if his team was 100-percent healthy. He likes the way his team is playing heading into the playoffs and he believes the first-round game is very winnable - on a couple of accounts. "We should do well," he said, noting how his second-place team from the SGVL got a better draw than league champ Warren. "I think we can make a run. If we play defense and run the ball, I think we can make a deep run in the playoffs." The defense, which as the best in the SGVL with 144 total points allowed, is led by co-league defensive MVP Deshawn Foxx and David Haley, both LBs who led the team in tackles. The Knights' RB duo of Isam Pegues (639 yards, 5 TDs) and Kevin Ayers (773 yards, 14 TDs) has done a good job handling the load since Vachel Samuels and Arkiest Jones went down with injuries. Lywnood averages 252 yards per game on the ground. Michael Allen is a game-breaker at WR. "They have to come through," Williams said of the offensive trio. "If they do, we should have a nice little run."
Bishop Amat (7-3) vs. Poly (10-0) at Veterans Stadium, 7 p.m.
Considering Bishop Amat owns a victory over Orange Lutheran, it seems kind of unfair that the top-seeded Moore League-champion Jackrabbits would have to face the Lancers in the first round of the CIF-SSPac-5 Division playoffs. Then again ... "If you think about it, who else do you match us up with," Poly coach Raul Lara said. Bishop Amat is an at-large team from the Serra League. "That's how tough the Pac-5 is," said Lara, who said he has no complaints about the pairings in the Pac-5, of which the Jackrabbits are defending champions. This first-round game is a classic example of the strength of CIF's most loaded division, and Lara welcomes that. "We knew when they first created the divsion, I was happy because now you don't have so many teams ducking and hiding," he
said. "It's saying, 'Let's see if you are the best.' Some of those teams would dominate in the lower levels. Now you are in the best division. For us, it's fun and it's great and we'll just see what happens." Bishop Amat defeated Orange Lutheran 47-39 on Sept. 12. The
Lancers also beat Crespi - a good team that did not make the Pac-5 playoffs - 22-21 on Nov. 7. "We were at the game when they beat Orange Lutheran, so they were pretty imrpressive then," Lara said. "They got some good athletes on that team and they have a pretty good scheme. Defensively, they have some athletic guys we need to make sure we take care of." The Lancers are led by running back Deshawn Gaisie (168 carries, 900 yards, 14 TDs) and quarterback Jerry McClanahan. He has passed for 1,003 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions on 86 of 135 (63 percent). Bishop Amat, however, has not faced a defense like Poly's. The Jackrabbits, led by ends Iuta Tepa and Eli Edwards and linebacker George Daily-Lyles, have allowed only 7.1 points per game. Offensively, run-oriented Poly is averaging 31.1 points. Running backs Melvin Richardson (992 yards, 15 TDs) and Daveon Barner (942 yards, 6 TDs) are averaging 8.2 and 7.2 yards per carry, respectively.
Jordan (7-3) vs. Mater Dei (7-3) at Santa Ana Stadium.
The Panthers are the No. 2 seed from the Moore League, the Monarchs No. 2 from the Trinity League. Both teams finished the regular season with defeats - Jordan to Poly and Mater Dei to Orange Luthern. Another commonality is that the teams depend a lot on their respective quarterbacks. USC-bound senior Matt Barkley has led the Monarchs and junior John Timu has paced the Panthers. But they are very different players. Barkley - at 6-foot-4, 221 pounds, is a prototypical quarterback in that he is big, strong and possesses a dynamite arm. Timu - at 6-1, 195, is a bit smaller and does not have Barkley's arm or numbers. But he plays with a giant heart. Barkley has completed 57 percent (158 of 275) of his passes for 2,502 yards, 21 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He has five receivers with 20 or more receptions, Ario Winston leading the way with 45 for 772 yards and four touchdowns. To top it off, the Monarhcs have a terrific running back in Jaron Hytche (990 yards, 21 TDs). "I think we really need to - if they are going to score - make them do it after a long drive and not give up one-play scores like Poly had against us,"
Jordan coach Scott Meyer said. The Panthers are allowing 16.2 points per game after giving up 29 to Poly last Friday. But Meyer believes this may be his defense's toughest test. "Poly has a great running game," Meyer said. "Mater Dei has a running game, but they also have Barkley back there at quarterback." Mater Dei has averaged 39 points on offense, but the Monarchs have given up 23.2 points per game. That means Timu and his multitude of receivers and running backs should be able to point some points on the board. Timu has passed for 1,236 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushed for 533 yards and four touchdowns. Tyaries Francis leads with 26 receptions for 336 yards and three touchdowns, Brendan Hardman has 25 catches for 284 yards and three touchdowns. Strong safety Taniela Maka, linebacker Princeton Fuimaono and Timu, who also plays defensive back, will need to be solid.
Lakewood (4-6) vs. Servite (7-3) at Cerritos College
The Lancers forfeited four victories for using a player who was academically ineligible; they are really 8-2 on the field. So as good as the Friars are - they finished in a three-way tie in the Trinity League with Mater Dei and Orange Lutheran but are the league's No. 1 Pac-5 entry - they will have their hands full with the Lancers. Lakewood started league 1-2 and finished 4-2 and in a tie for second with Compton and Jordan. The Lancers enter as the league's No. 3 team, but they are playing outstandingly. Leading the way has been quarterback Jesse Scroggins and his host of fine receivers, as well as running back Jerry Stone. Stone has been back for two games since again becoming academically eligible, and he hasn't missed a beat. He has rushed for 301 yards and three touchdowns in those two games, giving him 913 yards and 13 touchdowns in just six games. Scroggins has passed for 1,944 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions on 137 of 247 (55 percent). His leading receiver is Kevin Anderson, with 38 catches for 588 yards and nine touchdowns. Servite is led on the ground by Gregory Portis, who has 1,343 yards and 11 touchdowns on 174 carries (7.7 avg.) "He's a ballplayer," Lakewood coach Thadd MacNeal said of Portis, who is listed as 5-6, 160 pounds. "He's small, but he's quick and you have to find him. We are going to have our hands full. If they beat us up front, we don't deserve it." Servite quarterback Cody Fajardo is 112 of 175 (64 percent) for 1,369 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. "He does a good job of executing their offense and when he has to throw, he is accurate," MacNeal said. MacNeal also said that Servite "plays good team defense." So does Lakewood, which has allowed just 16.1 points per game. The Lancers are led by Arizona-bound linebacker Trevor Erno (97 tackles, 5 sacks), lineman Talia Crichton (65 tackles, 12 sacks) and back Dion Bailey (8 interceptions).
Compton (7-2) at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (10-0)
The Tarbabes were 7-0 overall and 4-0 in Moore League play and then ran into Poly and Lakewood, losing by respective scores of 40-13 and 41-13. After the loss to Lakewood last Friday, Compton coach Calvin Bryant said his team had a lot of work to do this week in practice. Unfortunately for the Tarbabes, they are right back in the fire in a big way. Not only is Notre Dame undefeated, the Knights are the No. 2 seed in the Pac-5. Notre Dame has been an offensive machine, averaging 40.3 points. Junior quarterback Ryan Kasdorf has thrown for 2,930 yards, 32 touchdowns and only five interceptions while completing 70 percent (149 of 212) of his passes. His top receiver has been James Flynn (44 receptions, 990 yards, 16 TDs). Also, junior Kenny Boggs has rushed for 814 yards and six touchdowns on 118 carries (6.9 avg.) for the Serra League-champion Knights.
Compton's bread and butter has been its Double Wing T. But that has been slowed considerably the past two weeks. To top it off, the Tarbabes' best back - James McConico III - was knocked out cold against Lakewood while blocking for Gerald Dill. Compton coach Calvin Bryant said Thursday he didn't know if McConico will play. The Tarbabes will have back strong safety Chris Metcalf, who had to sit out last week's loss to Lakewood after being ejected a week earlier in the loss to Poly. Metcalf figures to be a key in helping slow down the Knights' passing game. But Bryant said he will focus on the run as well. "We gotta go out there and try and play solid defense and try and hold onto the football on offense," Bryant said. On the surface it might seem the Tarbabes are heavy underdogs. But Bryant is not looking at it like that. "We're a good team, too," he said. "We do have a good chance. It can be anybody's night."
- Robert Morales
Los Alamitos (8-2) at Tesoro (10-0)
While the game is hyped a bit as Barnes vs. Barnes - longtime Los Al coach John Barnes going against son Brian Barnes' outfit from Tesoro - the coaches won't have as much of an impact on the game as their star quarterbacks. The Griffins' Clark Evans is arguably the best in the area. He has thrown for 1,944 yards and 25 TDs, and rushed for another 820 yards and 11 TDs. Titans QB Robbie Picazo, a drop-back passer who doesn't run much, is right there, with 2,094 yards and 26 TDs. Both teams have a pair of standout wideouts - Paul Richardson, who recently verbally committed to UCLA, (675 yards, 9 TDs) and Darryl Jenkins (916 yards, 8 TDs) for Los Al, which tied for first in the Sunset League but fell to No. 3 after a coin flip, and Preston King (922 yards, 9 TDs) and Brett Gudim (716 yards, 12 TDs) for Tesoro, which is seeded third after going unbeaten en route to the South Coast League title. It should be a high-scoring affair.
1 Poly (10-0)
Friday vs. Bishop Amat
2 Serra (10-0)
Friday vs. Templeton
3 Los Alamitos (8-2)
Friday vs. Tesoro
4 Narbonne (9-1)
Thursday vs. Washington
5 San Pedro (9-1)
Thursday vs. Sylmar
6 Jordan (7-3)
Friday vs. Mater Dei
7 Lakewood (4-6)
Friday vs. Servite
8 Compton (7-2)
Friday vs. S.O. Notre Dame
9. Carson (5-5)
Thursday vs. Venice
10 St. John Bosco (7-3)
End of season
Division IV or Division VI. It doesn't seem to matter to Cerritos.
The Dons, who won back-to-back CIF-SS Division VI titles, are in the finals for the third consecutive season, this time in Division IV, after defeating top-seeded Arroyo Grande, 12-10, at UC Santa Barbara.
Pete Sirihanyakorn scored five goals, and PJ Gabaryeron, Jason Lee and Chat-Thai Duangjai each added a pair to pace the Cerritos, which finally beat the Eagles after two previous losses to them.
The No. 5-seeded Dons (23-9) will face No. 3-seeded Malibu in the CIF title game Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Woollett Aquatic Center.
"We're excited," Cerritos coach Paul Park said. "We came out and showed lots of heart. Our experience showed up today."
The Dons took it to Arroyo Grande (27-4) for the start, taking a quick 4-0 lead. But the Eagles rallied and tied it at 9-all in the fourth quarter. After a timeout, Duangjai scored the go-ahead goal with 3:40 left, and Sirihanyakorn and Gabayeron also tallied to protect the lead.
The Los Alamitos High boys water polo team was right where it wanted to be Wednesday evening, in front of a sizeable crowd at the Woollett Aquatic Center in Irvine and just one game away from the CIF Southern Section Division I championship game.
It didn't feel that way after an 11-4 loss to nemesis El Toro. In fact, it felt a lot more like the start of the season than the end.
"We lacked execution," Griffins coach Dave Carlson said. "We didn't execute what he practiced. At the same time, El Toro looked awesome. El Toro was on fire, and what you saw was a drubbing."
That said, Carlson is taking full blame for the Griffins' third loss in as many games against the Chargers. The other two games were much closer, with Los Al losing them by a total of three goals.
"The offense was a mess," Carlson said, noting his team's failure to find the open man and when they did the errant passes. "That's the responsibility of the coach. As the coach, you need to have all that cleaned up (by this time of the year)."
Carlson might take a step or two back from those feelings when he watches the tape of the game. What he will see is some very good looks at the cage by his players, some bad luck and some good goalkeeping by the Chargers' Tommy O'Connell.
By halftime, No. 2-seeded El Toro (29-2), on a pair of goals by Nick Rascon and Jeff Zaccaro and another by Dalton Stokas, built a 5-1 lead. Minus the not-so-minor detail of the score, the game seemed a lot closer.
Joe Ferretti scored the lone goal for No. 3-seeded Los Alamitos (25-6) in the first quarter. But the Griffins really came to life in the second, although they failed to score. They rang the ball off the post or crossbar three times, and O'Connell finished the first 14 minutes with seven saves, including a point-blank stop on Ferretti that went of his head.
Forrest Watkins got Los Al within 5-2 just 15 seconds into the third quarter, and the Griffins seemed to have a chance to come back. But El Toro went on a 4-1 run to end the quarter with a practically insurmountable 9-3 lead.
With Rascon collecting his fourth goal of the game and Griffin White his third, the Chargers led 11-3 late in the fourth quarter. Los Al's Austin Trinkle scored his second of the game with 1:07 left to make it 11-4.
Despite the setback, it's likely not the end of the season for the Griffins, who will probably receive a spot in the upcoming CIF-SS Masters Tournament. That didn't seem to matter much.
"The guys had a goal to win the division," said Carlson. "We are the defending Masters champion, but the senior class ... they have never won a division title. The goal wasn't fulfilled and I'm sorry about that."
The CIF State Girls Volleyball Playoffs will be bracketed this weekend and begin early next week, and likely without a local team.
Wilson, which has been among the top-ranked teams in the CIF-SS, state and nation all year, was beaten by Santa Margarita on Tuesday in the semifinals. The Bruins still have a shot - although rather long - at the state playoffs. In all reality, with the way state is being run this year, only the teams in the Division I-AA and Division I-A finals will be awarded berths.
Los Alamitos still has a chance; the Griffins play top-seeded Mira Costa tonight in a semifinal and will need a little luck to get past that team.
CIF FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
Southern Section
First Round
Games at 7:30 p.m. unless noted
Thursday
Southern Division
Norwalk at Garden Grove, 7 p.m.
Friday
Pac-5 Division
Bishop Amat vs. Poly at Veterans Stadium, 7 p.m.
Lakewood vs. Servite at Cerritos College
Los Alamitos at Tesoro
Jordan vs. Mater Dei at Santa Ana Stadium
Compton at S.O. Notre Dame
Western Division
Santa Monica at Warren, 7 p.m.
Peninsula vs. Lynwood at Lynwood MS
Downey at Culver City. 7 p.m.
Southern Division
Artesia at Laguna Hills
S.A. Calvary Chapel vs. Mayfair at Bellflower HS
La Mirada at Corona del Mar at Newport Harbor HS
Southwest Division
Anaheim Canyon vs. Cypress at Western HS, 7 p.m.
Southeast Division
Bell Gardens at Charter Oak, 7 p.m.
Mid-Valley Division
Valley Christian at Rosemead
Northeast Division
St. Anthony at Rio Hondo Prep
Northwest Division
Templeton at Serra
Carpinteria vs. Verbum Dei at Centennial HS, 7 p.m.
Eight-Man Division I
Second Round
Avalon at Santa Clarita Christian
L.A. City Section
First Round
Thursday at 7 p.m. unless noted
City Division
Washington at Narbonne
Banning at Crenshaw
Carson at Venice
Sylmar at San Pedro
Invitational Division
South East at Arleta
Huntington Park at Lincoln
Jefferson at Roosevelt
There was good news on the L.A. City Section football front Friday, as some sort of compromise was made between it and the Coliseum, ensuring that this year's Championship Division will be once again played at the historic stadium.
The game will be played Dec. 13 at 1 p.m.
However, as part of the compromise, the City's Invitational final will be played Dec. 12 at East L.A. College at 7 p.m.
Apparently that was as good a deal as the City Section could work out.
Finances were the biggest part of the problem between the two sides, and all involved have no idea what next year might bring. It'll probably be an ongoing issue, until the Coliseum regularly caves in, the title games are moved, or the City Section comes up with a lot of cash on an annual basis.
Hopefully, the games aren't moved. One of the City's best traditions is holding the football finals at the Coliseum.
With this being the 10th and final week of the regular season, there are several big games with league championship and playoff implications.
Poly vs. Jordan for the Moore League title: No contest! Jackrabbits in landslide decision.
Lakewood vs. Compton: The Lancers are back a full strength; the Tarbabes aren't.
St. John Bosco vs. Servite: The winner takes third in the Trinity League and the loser falls into the at-large playoff pool in the Pac-5. Sorry to say it, but it would appear that the Braves will be on the outside looking in once again.
Narbonne vs. Carson for the Marine Leauge title: Should be one of the better games of the week. Despite its barely .500 record, Carson is pretty good, but Narbonne seems to be more balanced all the way around.
Cypress vs. G.G. Pacfica for the Empire League title: The Centurions are on a roll, and their defense will be key to winning tonight.
San Gabriel Valley League: Just going to bunch all three games - Dominguez vs. Warren, Gahr vs. Downey, Lynwood vs. Paramount - into one take here since a 5-way tie for first is very possible if not probable. Lywnood should win and if Dominguez and Downey win, voila - logjam. On a hunch, Dominguez beats Warren and Gahr tops Downey. Still a mess, not matter what. Lots of coin flippin' here.
Valley Christian vs. Paraclete for Olympic League title: The Crusaders could very well take a share of the pie, but their loss a couple weeks back to L.A. Baptist leaves a big question mark. Takin' Paraclete, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see these two meet again in the CIF finals.
Here is the P-T's football Top 10 heading into the final week of the regular season.
1 Poly (9-0)
Friday vs. Jordan
2 Serra (9-0)
Friday at Cathedral
3 Los Alamitos (8-1)
Thursday vs. Newport Harbor
4 St. John Bosco (7-2)
Friday vs. Servite
5 Compton (7-1)
Friday vs. Lakewood
6 Narbonne (8-1)
Friday at Carson
7 San Pedro (8-1)
Friday at Gardena
8 Jordan (7-2)
Friday vs. Poly
9 Lakewood (3-6*)
Friday at Compton
10. Carson (5-4)
Friday vs. Gardena
* - forfeited four wins
The L.A. City Section football championships have been played at the L.A. Coliseum for as long as I can remember. Actually, the last time the title games were played elsewhere was 1996.
But because of costs to rent out the stadium, City Sections officials are looking for a backup plan if they can't reach a deal for the Dec. 13 games.
"We're not sure if it's going to work out," Assistant City Commissioner John Aguirre told the Daily Breeze. "We don't have the funds to afford the Coliseum. Unless someone steps in and is willing to donate it, we'll look for an alternate venue."
El Camino College, East L.A. College and L.A. Southwest College are three of the most talked-about possibilities.
It would be a real shame for those players in the City Section not to play in a venue such as the Coliseum. I know from my days working preps in South-Central that the kids really, really look forward to it.
One might think, as I do, that the Coliseum is just wasting away 300 out of 352 days of the year. Why not cut the City Section a bargain and help out the community a bit. It's the right thing to do.
Wednesday begins the early college signing period. If you or one of your athletes is signing a national letter-of-intent, please send the information, along with a contact, number to dave.werstine@presstelegram so that we can include it.
The Wilson baseball program is hosting its seventh annual Step up to the Plate for
Bruins Baseball Silent Live Auction Casino Night fundraiser on Friday.
The event will be held at the Recreation Park Golf Course between 6 p.m. and midnight. The $45 per-person donation includes hors d'ourves and a $100 casino chip.
For reservations or more information, contact Phyllis Perkins at PBP@ix.netcom.com or Andy Hall at ahall@lbschools.net.
