Southern Division
UPPER
No. 1 Garden Grove (10-0/Garden Grove 1) vs. Bellflower (3-7/Suburban 4)
Garden Grove arguably plays in one of the weakest leagues in the division, while Bellflower plays in probably the strongest. That said, GG will beat the Bucs. But it's nearly impossible for GG to get to the finals.
No. 8 Laguna Beach (5-5/Orange Coast 1) vs. Beckman (6-3-1/Pacific Coast 3)
Neither team has a snowball's chance... at winning the division. I'll take the league champ in this round.
No. 5 Irvine (7-3/Pacific Coast 2) vs. Westminster (6-4/Golden West 2)
Obviously one of the more even first-round matchups. Taking Irvine, which will be gone after the second round.
No. 4 Norwalk (9-1/Suburban 1) vs. Rancho Alamitos (6-4/Garden Grove 3)
Norwalk ran all the way to the semis last year, the first time the program did much of anything in the CIF playoffs since, well, I was in high school. The Lancers, despite being the No. 4 seed, can make a case for being the best team in the division. Can you say blowout.
LOWER
No. 3 Laguna Hills (8-2/Pacific Coast 1) vs. Estancia (6-4/Orange Coast 3)
The defending champs will certainly get by this first-round matchup and meet - guess who? - in the second round.
No. 6 Segerstrom (6-4/Golden West 1) vs. Mayfair (4-6/Suburban 3)
Mayfair might not be what it was last year, but it is plenty good enough to record the "upset." The Monsoons played a monster schedule for a team in this division, not to mention playing in the toughest league. A rematch from last year's final with Laguna Hills awaits.
No. 7 Santiago (8-2/Garden Grove 2) vs. Costa Mesa (6-4/Orange Coast 2)
See Irvine-Westminster. Taking Santiago.
No. 2 La Mirada (9-1/Suburban 1) vs. Santa Ana (7-3/Golden West 3)
Suburban League champion La Mirada has rebounded from disappoinint 2008 season and is one of the favorites to win the title. It won't get interesting for the Mats until the semis, where either Mayfair or LH await. Rematch from wild Suburban League showdown with Norwalk is on the horizon.
* -- Coming Tuesday: Western Division Predictions
Everyone keeps talking about how the suburban league is the toughest league in the division but the current champ is from the pacific, as far as i am concerned its anyone of the usual suspects except now la mirada is in the mix
THE SUBURBAN LEAGUE IS BY FAR THE TOUGHEST LEAGUE IN THE DIVISION THIS SEASON. THE PAST IS THE PAST FOR A REASON WHO CARES WHERE LAST YEARS CHAMPION CAME FROM THIS YEARS CHAMPION WILL BE FROM THE SUBURBAN LEAGUE AND IT WILL COMEFORM THE NLMUSD. BOTTOM LINE THE SEMIFINALS WILL BE GARDEN GROVE VS. NORWLAK AND LA MIRADA VS. LAGUNA HILLS. FROM THEIR WE WILL SEE HOW THIS ONE TURNS OUT.