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All-CIF Football East Valley Division
Offensive Player of the Year: Tyler Stewart, Sierra Canyon, 12, QB.
Defensive Player of the Year: Brian Tucker, Sierra Canyon, 11 LB
Coach of the Year: Jon Ellinghouse, Sierra Canyon

OFFENSE
Running back:
Xavier Menifield, Sierra Canyon, 11
Ryan Davis, Paraclete, 12
Brandon Gonzalez, Bishop Diego, 12
Jacob Taylor, Rim of the World, 11
Mike Salas, Ontario Christian, 12.
Quarterback:
Nolan Tisdale, Bishop Diego, 12.
Offensive line:
Andrew Terry, Sierra Canyon, 12
Nate Karn, Grace Brethren, 12
Richard Anhauser, Aquinas, 12
Alex Waller, St Margaret's, 11
Zack Black, Rim of the World, 11
Jose Servin, Big Bear, 12
Iazayah Felton, Twentynine Palms, 12
Receiver:
Jake Gilliland, Grace Brethren, 12
Byron Manzo, St Margaret's, 12
Mark Urtz, Ontario Christian, 12
Christian Guzman, Desert Hot Springs, 12
Tight end:
Alec Bogh, Citrus Valley, 12
Utility:
Sam Kwock, Bishop Diego, 12
Kicker:
Christian Dirksen, Ontario Christian, 11

DEFENSE
Defensive back:
James Regan, Paraclete, 12
Danny Jordan, Sierra Canyon, 12
Daniel Young, Rubidoux, 11
Austin Dubuque, Big Bear, 12
Caleb McClure, Ontario Christian, 12
Matt Dueñes, St Margaret's, 12
Garret Swanky, Brentwood, 11
Defensive line:
Patrick McGowan, Sierra Canyon, 12
Tom Renick, Bishop Diego, 12
Jose Sanchez, Rubidoux, 12
Neil Hamel, Linfield Christian, 12
Dustin Drai, Campbell Hall, 12
Linebacker:
Bryan Rodgers, Paraclete, 11
Chris FuiFui, Twentynine Palms, 12
William Young, Sierra Canyon, 12
Matthew Spoelstra, Citrus Valley, 11
Morgan Cole, Twentynine Palms, 11
Reggie Prince, Sierra Canyon, 12.
Utility:
Zakk Planz, Big Bear, 12.
Punter:
Jon Gencarella, St Margaret's, 12.

Got this from the Paraclete media and scouting coordinator of all places.

All-CIF OFFENSE

Offensive MVP: Cameron Carvalho, Sr - Paraclete

Backs

Dillon Pretzinger, Sr - Rimof the World
Taylor Ross, Sr - Sage Hill
Burell Handy, Jr - Aquinas
Roosevelt Davis, Sr - Paraclete
Chris Fui Fui, Jr - 29 Palms
Max Leffler, Sr - Grace Brethren
Tyler Stewart, Jr - Sierra Canyon

Lineman

Rex Seaman, Sr - Big Bear
T.J. Danner, Sr - Sage Hill
Jacob Grant, Sr - Paraclete
Michael Ceja, Sr - Brentwood
Dustin Le, Sr - Riverside Notre Dame
Patrick Blaylock, Sr - Linfield Christian
Josh McPeck, Sr - Aquinas
Jose Sanchez, Jr - Rubidoux

Receivers

Jack Gilliland, Jr - Grace Brethren
James Murayama, Sr - St.Margaret's
Austin Gravatt, Sr - Riverside Notre Dame
Shane Harrison, Sr - Sierra Canyon
Greg Oliva, Sr - Brentwood

Kicker

Brennan Smith, Sr - St.Margaret's

Utility

Austin McBroom, Sr - Campbell Hall

ALL-CIF DEFENSE

Defensive MVP: Darian Thompson, Sr - Paraclete

Defensive Backs

Shaquille Gilbert, Sr - Aquinas
Davis Edwards, Sr - St.Margaret's
Braydon Maish, Jr - Paraclete
Julian Brooks, Jr - Sierra Canyon
Daniel Young, So - Rubidoux
Christian Guzman, Jr - Desert Hot Springs

Linemen

Bryan Flores, Sr - St. Margaret's
Lavonte Barnett, Sr - Paraclete
William Pretty, So - Paraclete
Andre Gonzalez, Sr - Paraclete
Max Figueroa, Sr - Rubidoux
Ben Duncan, Sr - Riverside Notre Dame
Austin Dubuque, Jr - Big Bear
Tuvalu Melei, Sr - 29 Palms

Linebackers

Jonathan Tovar, Sr - Paraclete
Caleb Nickels, Sr - Sierra Canyon
Damian Arnaiz, Sr -Riverside Notre Dame
George Bon-Toman, Sr - Yucca Valley
Deacon Dobbs, Sr - Grace Brethren

Punter

Trevor Ballo, Sr - Yucca Valley

Utility

Zack Williams, Sr - Aquinas

After how I did last week, picking incorrectly in both semifinals in the Central and Eastern Division, I'm pretty sure no one wants the endorsement of this blog. But they are going to get it.

CENTRAL DIVISION
Colton at Rancho Verde
The Yellowjackets played an instant classic last week to get to their first final in 29 years, outpointing Cajon 42-41 in overtime on Randy Valdez's leaping 35-yard, 3rd-and-20 touchdown reception. But Colton has itself a task in front of it. Rancho Verde seems to be beating all of the ghosts of its previous playoff flameouts into submission, scoring 161 points in three games coming into this one. I think Colton will test the Mustangs for a while, but Rancho Verde is a bit too deep for the Yellowjackets.
Rancho Verde 35, Colton 21

EASTERN DIVISION
Summit at Elsinore
Besides Yucca Valley's first-round victory over Aquinas in the East Valley Division, Elsinore's victory at Kaiser last week might have been the biggest surprise of the playoffs to date. Summit's win at Serrano last week wasn't shocking, but it was an impressive upset. Can Summit hold up to Elsinore's physicality and make some big plays with Devon Blackmon and Montigo Alford. I'm going yes. I'll take the SkyHawks to win the school's first-ever CIF title in any sport.
Summit 28, Elsinore 22

EAST VALLEY DIVISION
Paraclete 35, Sierra Canyon 30

INLAND DIVISION
Vista Murrieta at Corona Centennial
These teams aren't in our coverage area, but this game should be a dandy. The Inland Valley's best pushed these two top seeds hard last week, with Rancho Cucamonga taking Vista Murrieta to overtime before falling 35-28 and Chino Hills entering the fourth quarter only down 28-23 to top-seeded Centennial before losing 42-23. I was at the Chino Hills-Centennial game last week and was extremely impressed by Centennial's fearless, quick-strike offense. They'll be too much for the Broncos in my opinion.
Centennial 48, Vista Murrieta 27

Some real good matchups this week, as you'd expect at this stage in the playoffs.

INLAND DIVISION

Corona Centennial at Chino Hills
No. 1 Centennial is known for the explosive offense, but Chino Hills has been putting up some gaudy totals in the playoffs, throwing up 70 on Corona and 45 on Etiwanda to get to this point. Can the No. 4-seeded Huskies keep up with Centennial and pull the shocker? Upland did have some success, but I think Centennial will wear down Chino Hills in the second half like it did the Highlanders.
Corona Centennial 49, Chino Hills 30

Rancho Cucamonga at Vista Murrieta
If there's one thing teams can do in the Inland Division, it's score points by the truckload. Both of these teams were ballin last week, with No. 3 Rancho hitting up Roosevelt for 51 points and No. 2 Vista Murrieta putting up 48 in waxing Norco. I really like what Rancho Cucamonga has done, but I think the Cougars may be a year away from winning this game. I like the seeds to hold and the Broncos to win a doozy.
Vista Murrieta 38, Rancho Cucamonga 28

CENTRAL DIVISION

La Quinta 27, Rancho Verde 24
Have to stick with my pre--playoff pick here, though Rancho Verde's 49-3 win over a red-hot San Gorgonio team definitely turned some heads.

Cajon at Colton
This is where I'll be Saturday and quite frankly, I can't wait. Cajon won the first matchup in October, winning 29-20 at Colton, but the Yellowjackets will have star RB Tyler Ervin back. Colton's offense has exploded the last two weeks, combining for 89 points. Cajon quarterback Thomas Carter exploded last week too, looking like Vince Young in the 2006 Rose Bowl (sorry USC fans) in the win over Arlington. Been hemming and hawing on this one, but I'll go with Cajon and its 9-game win streak.
Cajon 28, Colton 27

EASTERN DIVISION

Elsinore at Kaiser
The No. 4 seeded Tigers will come in unafraid and try to match top-seeded Kaiser punch-for-punch. Not sure that is the best way to face the Cats, who have pummeled every opponent in their path, with the Apple Valley schools being their latest two victims. Have a hard time imagining Elsinore being able to hold up for a full four quarters.
Kaiser 36, Elsinore 14

Summit at Serrano
While I'm happy to be at Cajon-Colony, it sucks that I can't clone myself and go to this one as well. Summit has probably the most explosive combo of offensive players in the county in Devon Blackmon and Montigo Alford, but has a tough test ahead of it with Serrano's physical, brawling defense. The SkyHawks went punch to punch with Kaiser better than anyone else has, but a Saturday night in frigid Snowline Stadium is a bit too much to overcome.
Serrano 23, Summit 14

EAST VALLEY DIVISION

Paraclete 38, St. Margaret's 20

Sierra Canyon at Yucca Valley
Can the Yucca Valley Cinderella ride continue for one more week? The Trojans have been the feel-good story of the playoffs, upsetting No. 2 seeded Aquinas in the first round and toppling Mountain Valley League champ Rubidoux last week. But their defense will be tested by a potent Sierra Canyon passing attack that allows the Trailblazers to score 40.6 points per game. I picked the Trojans last week, but I feel the run ends here.
Sierra Canyon 28, Yucca Valley 12

Saturday is going to be a huge day, as four county teams will be playing, including two county-county games.

INLAND DIVISION
Corona Centennial at Chino Hills (Friday)
Rancho Cucamonga at Vista Murrieta (Saturday)

CENTRAL DIVISION
Rancho Verde at La Quinta (Friday)
Cajon at Colton (Saturday)

EASTERN DIVISION
Elsinore at Kaiser (Friday)
Summit at Serrano (Saturday)

EAST VALLEY DIVISION
St. Margaret's at Paraclete (Friday)
Sierra Canyon at Yucca Valley (Saturday)

Just got back in town from Thanksgiving and will get these done real quick before heading out to Ramona High School for Cajon-Arlington.

Inland Division

Corona Centennial at Upland
In the battle between defending CIF champions last week, Upland took down Chaparral to help the Baseline League to a 3-0 mark. While that victory was impressive, Centennial is a different, more potent beast. Upland will score some, but not nearly enough to keep up.
Centennial 52, Upland 21

Chino Hills at Etiwanda
Can the Eagles pull off another upset? The Etiwanda defense stepped up huge in the win at Redlands East Valley, but Chino Hills just put up 10 touchdowns on Corona. The Huskies are humming on that side of the ball and should win a shootout.
Chino Hills 45, Etiwanda 35

Rancho Cucamonga at Roosevelt
The Cougars are playoff-savvy and looked good against Murrieta Valley, while Roosevelt had to scratch and claw against Claremont. Look for Rancho to keep the Baseline contingent alive.
Rancho Cucamonga 34, Roosevelt 28

Vista Murrieta 41, Norco 27

Central Division

Rancho Verde at San Gorgonio
Rancho Verde is the top seed in the bracket, but they had to scratch and claw to get past the Spartans in week one. And that's before San G caught fire with its current seven-game win streak. I still like Rancho Verde though.
Rancho Verde 29, San Gorgonio 21

La Quinta at Chino
This is easily the toughest test that 11-0 Chino has had to face this year, as La Quinta is perennially among the top teams in whatever division it is playing in. Chino has been quite the story, but I'm not sure it's fully prepared for this.
La Quinta 28, Chino 22

Cajon at Arlington
The second-hottest team in the county goes against a red-hot player, as the Cowboys' 8-game winning streak will be tested by Arlington and their star RB Superiorr Reid, who has 32 touchdowns. Cajon is good but I like Arlington's smashmouth style.
Arlington 35, Cajon 24

Palm Springs at Colton
While both of these teams put up ridiculous point totals last week, I think we'll see some defense in this one. Both of these teams are stout on that side of the ball, though I feel Palm Springs has a bit more oomph.
Palm Springs 20, Colton 14

Eastern Division

Kaiser at Granite Hills
The Cats have apparently declared war on the city of Apple Valley, as they took out Apple Valley High last week. Granite Hills is scrappy, but they don't have the firepower to challenge Kaiser.
Kaiser 36, Granite Hills 6

Victor Valley at Elsinore
The Jackrabbits resurgence continued last week with another last-minute win, this time against Norte Vista. But Elsinore on the road is a tough task and I'm not sure if the Jackrabbits will be able to wave their magic wand again.
Elsinore 28, Victor Valley 24

Heritage at Summit
Heritage has been impressive this year, running off 11 wins to grab the No. 3 seed. But player for player, Summit might be the most talented team. I like the SkyHawks to come through with a mild upset.
Summit 30, Heritage 27

Serrano at Ridgecrest Burroughs
Going up to Ridgecrest is a tough task for anyone. But if there's any team that can handle it, its' the Diamondbacks. The Serrano D is playing at a high level, which should be the difference.
Serrano 17, Burroughs 9

East Valley Division

Paraclete 42, Grace Brethren 24

St. Margaret's at Big Bear
This has already been played, with St. Margaret's prevailing 17-6.

Twentynine Palms at Sierra Canyon
The Wildcats were impressive in rolling over Sage Hill, but going out to the San Fernando Valley from the High Desert is a lot to ask. Sierra Canyon will pull away late in this one.
Sierra Canyon 34, Twentynine Palms 16

Rubidoux at Yucca Valley
The Trojans pulled off the shocker of the playoffs, heading to San Bernardino and shocking No. 2 Aquinas. Now they face a Rubidoux team that they tied in September. I think Cinderella has another dance after this one.
Yucca Valley 20, Rubidoux 18

Last but not least is the East Valley. Let them play in the snow is all I have to say leading in.

No. 1 Paraclete 30, Desert Hot Springs 20

Notre Dame 23, Grace Brethren 21

Linfield Christian at Big Bear
Snow or no snow, this should be a fun one on Saturday. The Bears have their option offense working at a level that hasn't been seen since the days of Kriss Proctor, as Zakk Planz has Big Bear executing at a high level. Linfield Christian has playoff experience, winning the Northeast Division last year, but I don't see their move up being as smooth as St. Margaret's was.
Big Bear 28, Linfield Christian 18

No. 4 St. Margaret's 27, Campbell Hall 21

No. 3 Sierra Canyon 38, Bishop Diego 14

Sage Hill at Twentynine Palms
The key question in this game is Twentynine Palms' resiliency. The Wildcats had a chance for their fourth straight De Anza League title slip out of their grasp last week with a loss to Big Bear at home and now face a Sage Hill team with an effective running attack. 29 Palms is capable of a run, making the East Valley finals two years ago, but I see this run ending sooner rather than later.
Sage Hill 20, Twentynine Palms 14

Brentwood 28, Rubidoux 26

Yucca Valley at No. 2 Aquinas
The Falcons are the hottest team in the division to date, winning nine in a row thanks to the efforts of a balanced rushing attack led by junior RB Burrell Handy. Yucca Valley profitted from a credible nonleague schedule and a tough league to make it into the playoffs, but this is a tough haul for the Trojans, as the Falcons are clicking on all cylinders.
Aquinas 35, Yucca Valley 12

St. Margaret's has been the bully in this division the last two years, taking out county teams in the title game both times (Twentynine Palms in 2008 and Ontario Christian last year). Can someone else crash the party?

First Round
No. 1 Paraclete over Desert Hot Springs
Riverside Notre Dame over Grace Brethren
Big Bear over Linfield Christian
No. 4 St. Margaret's over Campbell Hall
No. 3 Sierra Canyon over Bishop Diego
Sage Hill over Twentynine Palms
Brentwood over Rubidoux
No. 2 Aquinas over Yucca Valley

Quarterfinals
Paraclete over Notre Dame
St. Margaret's over Big Bear
Sierra Canyon over Sage Hill
Aquinas over Brentwood

Semifinals
St. Margaret's over Paraclete
Aquinas over Sierra Canyon

Championship
Aquinas over St. Margaret's

Aquinas' nine-game winning streak paid dividends in the East Valley pairings, as the Falcons picked up the No. 2 seed Sunday. The De Anza and Alpha Leagues cleaned up the at-large berths, with Desert Hot Springs and Yucca Valley getting berths from the De Anza to go along with automatic qualifiers Big Bear and Desert Hot Springs.

Desert Hot Springs (7-3) at No. 1 Paraclete (9-1)
Riverside Notre Dame (7-3) at Grace Brethren (7-3)
Linfield Christian (6-4) at Big Bear (8-2)
Campbell Hall (7-3) at No. 4 St. Margaret's (7-3)
Bishop Diego (5-5) at No. 3 Sierra Canyon (9-1)
Sage Hill (8-2) at Twentynine Palms (7-3)
Brentwood (8-2) at Rubidoux (7-2-1)
Yucca Valley (5-4-1) at No. 2 Aquinas (9-1)

Upland and REV move their way up in the Inland Division in the most significant news from the polls.

INLAND DIVISION
(previous ranking)
1. (2) Vista Murrieta (1-0)
2. (3) Corona Centennial (1-0)
3. (5) Upland (2-0)
4. (6) Norco (1-0)
5. (7) Redlands East Valley (1-0)
6. (1) Chaparral (0-1)
7. (4) Chino Hills (1-1)
8. (9) Rancho Cucamonga (2-0)
9. (10) Charter Oak (1-1)
10. (8) Redlands (1-0-1)
Others receiving votes: Glendora (2-0) Roosevelt (1-0); South Hills (1-0); Los Osos (2-0); Corona (1-0); Riverside Poly (1-0); Yucaipa (1-0); Ayala (2-0); Damien (1-0).

Here they are a day late.

CENTRAL DIVISION
1. Palm Springs   (1-0)
2. Colton   (0-0) 
3. Rancho Verde   (1-0)
4. Arlington   (0-0) 
5. Chaffey   (1-0)
6. La Quinta/LQ   (0-0) 
7. Colony   (0-1)
8. La Sierra   (0-0)  
9. Palm Desert   (0-1)
10. Rialto   (1-0)
OTHERS: Valley View (0-0), Cajon (0-1),Arroyo Valley (0-0), San Bernardino (0-0), Gorgonio (0-0)

EASTERN DIVISION
1. Serrano (1-0)
2. Summit (1-0)
3. Kaiser (0-0)
4. Elsinore (1-0)
5. Citrus Hill (1-0)
6. Burroughs/Ridgecrest (1-0)
7. Oak Hills (0-0) 
8. Silverado (0-1)
9. Temescal Canyon (0-0)
10. Apple Valley (1-0)
OTHERS: Tahquitz (1-0),; Norte Vista (0-0).  

EAST VALLEY DIVISION
1. St. Margaret's (1-0)
2. Rim of the World (0-0) 
3. Sierra Canyon (1-0)
4. Twentynine Palms (1-0)
5. Linfield Christian (1-0)
6. Notre Dame/Riverside (1-0)
7. Paraclete (0-1)
8. Ontario Christian (0-1)
9. Bishop Diego (0-0)
10. Banning (0-0) 
OTHERS: Aquinas (0-1), Campbell Hall (1-0), Sage Hill (1-0), Big Bear (1-0), Brentwood (1-0), Calvary Chap/Downey (1-0), Desert Hot Springs (1-0).

INLAND DIVISION
1. Chaparral (0-0)
2. Vista Murrieta (0-0) 
3. Centennial/Corona (0-0)
4. Chino Hills (1-0)
5. Upland (1-0)
6. Norco (0-0)  
7. Redlands East Valley (0-0)
8. Redlands (1-0)
9. Rancho Cucamonga (1-0)
10. Charter Oak (0-1)
OTHERS: Roosevelt (0-0), South Hills (0-0), Los Osos (1-0), Glendora (1-0).

Meant to post these earlier. My apologies.

INLAND DIVISION
1. Chaparral (Southwestern)
2. Vista Murrieta (Southwestern)
3. Corona Centennial (Big VIII)
4. Chino Hills (Sierra)
5. Charter Oak (Sierra)
6. Upland (Baseline)
7. Norco (Big VIII)
8. Redlands East Valley (Citrus Belt)
9. Redlands (Citrus Belt)
10. Rancho Cucamonga (Baseline)
Others receiving votes: Roosevelt (Big VIII); Murrieta Valley (Southwestern); South Hills (Sierra); Los Osos (Baseline); A.B. Miller (Citrus Belt); Corona Santiago (Big VIII).

CENTRAL DIVISION
1. Palm Springs (Desert Valley)
2. Colton (San Andreas)
3. Rancho Verde (Inland Valley)
4. Arlington (Inland Valley)
5. Chaffey (Mt. Baldy)
6. La Quinta/La Quinta (Desert Valley)
7. Colony (Mt. Baldy)
8. Cajon (San Andreas)
9. Palm Desert (Desert Valley)
10. Moreno Valley (Inland Valley)
Others receiving votes: Valley View (Inland Valley); La Sierra (Inland Valley); Canyon Springs (Inland Valley); Arroyo Valley (San Andreas); Carter (San Andreas); Indio (Desert Valley).

EASTERN DIVISION
1. Serrano (Mojave River)
2. Summit (Sunkist)
3. Kaiser (Sunkist)
4. Silverado (Desert Sky)
5. Elsinore (Sunbelt)
6. Citrus Hill (Mountain Pass)
7. Burroughs/Ridgecrest (Desert Sky)
8. Oak Hills (Mojave River)
9. Barstow (Desert Sky)
10. Temescal Canyon (Sunbelt)
Others receiving votes: Notre Vista (Sunkist); West Valley (Mountain Pass); Apple Valley (Mojave River); Paloma Valley( Sunbelt); Beaumont (Mountain Pass); Granite Hills (Desert Sky).

EAST VALLEY DIVISION
1. St. Margaret's (Academy)
2. Rim of the World (Mountain Valley)
3. Sierra Canyon (Alpha)
4. Paraclete (Alpha)
5. Aquinas (Ambassador)
6. Ontario Christian (Ambassador)
7. Twentynine Palms (De Anza)
8. Linfield Christian (Ambassador)
9. Notre Dame/Riverside (Mountain Valley)
10. Bishop Diego (Frontier)
Others receiving votes: Banning (Mountain Valley); Campbell Hall (Alpha); Grace Brethren (Frontier); Sage Hill (Academy): Big Bear; Rubidoux (Mountain Valley).

A quick cheat sheet of what it will look like the next two years.

Football playoff divisions for 2010 and 2011

CENTRAL DIVISION (one at-large)
Mt. Baldy (4 teams)
San Andreas (4 teams)
Desert Valley (3 teams)
Inland Valley (4 teams)

EASTERN DIVISION (one at-large)
Desert Sky (3 teams)
Mojave River (3 teams)
Sunkist (3 teams)
Mountain Pass (3 teams)
Sunbelt (3 teams)

EAST VALLEY DIVISION (four at-large)
Ambassador (2 teams)
De Anza (2 teams)
Mountain Valley (2 teams)
Academy (2 teams)
Alpha (2 teams)
Frontier (2 teams)

INLAND DIVISION (zero at-large)
Baseline (3 teams)
Citrus Belt (3 teams)
Sierra (3 teams)
Big 8 (4 teams)
Southwestern (3 teams)

An expansion of what I blogged about last night in reference to the new football realignments. Got a hold of some coaches on the topic. This will also run in the Sun and Bulletin tomorrow.

The playoff alignments for various sports, including football, for the 2010-2012 seasons were released by the CIF-SS offices Monday, with some interesting changes in football.

The Baseline and Sierra Leagues, which were in the Central Division the last two years, will swap back into the Inland Division to play against the Citrus Belt League, the Big 8 and the Southwestern Leagues. The Inland Valley League will swap out, moving back to the Central Division with the expanded San Andreas and Mt. Baldy Leagues and the Desert Valley League, which moves up from the Eastern Division. The Sunbelt League switches places with the Desert Valley, moving into the Eastern Division.

These changes will make life tough on the Baseline League, which ripped up the Central Division in both seasons in it. Three of the four semifinalists during the last two years were Baseline teams, with the Central Division title game being an all-Baseline affair (Rancho Cucamonga over Upland in 2008 and Upland over Los Osos in 2009) both seasons.

Another change that will impact the Baseline is the zero at-large entries in the Inland Division. Considering that the Central champion this past year, Upland, was an at-large entry from the Baseline, a brutal league will become even more cutthroat.

Got swamped yesterday and didn't release this one. Sorry guys. As you would expected, St. Margaret's dominated the superlatives, with RB John Muryama, LB Michael Schmall and head coach Harry Welch sweeping the Offensive POY, Defensive POY and Coach of the Year, respectively.

Well, we are down to the nitty gritty here. The Central and Inland Divisions have blown up on me, leaving Serrano and St. Margaret's as my only chances to predict champions (though with St. Margaret's, getting that prediction right is akin to pick the Lakers to win the Pacific Division). Let's see how we do in the final week.

Central Division
Los Osos vs. Upland
Really tough game to figure out. On one side you have the Grizzlies, who have won seven games in a row and are exploding scoreboards with their point totals. No brainer pick, right? Not exactly. The last team they lost to was, drumroll please, Upland, and in shutout fashion no less. The Highlanders can choke out even the most explosive offenses, giving up only 27 points in three playoff games.
So do you go with the hot team? Or with the adage of defense wins championships? I'm going with the second, as Upland will finish the job this year after losing in the finals last season.
Upland 17, Los Osos 13

Eastern Division
Serrano at Palm Springs
I proceeded to pick against Palm Springs last week in their matchup with Kaiser, only to see the Cardinals destroy the Cats 41-0. I also caught some guff about it from Palm Springs coach Steve Fabian. Either he's got some moles in San Bernardino County or we have some readers in the Low Desert. Either way, I'm going back to the well. I picked Serrano when the playoffs started and nothing since has convinced me to back off that pick. If anything, watching them score 49 points against Norte Vista reaffirmed my faith in the Diamondbacks.
Serrano 27, Palm Springs 21

East Valley Division
St. Margaret's at Ontario Christian
The Knights have been an awesome story. Veteran coach Laing Stevens comes back from retirement and does his thing, getting Ontario Christian back to the finals unexpectedly. It's not like the Knights are getting lucky either, as they just blasted Grace Brethren 45-0 last week. OC is peaking and looking good. However, St. Margaret's is the gold standard of small-school football. Three CIF titles in a row and a state championship speak for themselves and while I expect OC to come out swinging, I think the fairy-tale run comes just short.
St. Margaret's 26, Ontario Christian 14

And just because I can...
Inland Division
Vista Murrieta 38, Temecula Chaparral 31

Well, I got one of the four semifinalists right in the East Valley - both from my pre-playoff predictions and from my predictions last week. So don't be going to Vegas and betting large on this.

St. Margaret's 38, Bishop 12

Ontario Christian at Simi Valley Grace Brethren
Twice I've picked both of these teams to lose in the playoffs. Twice they've made me look dumb. So where do I go from here? I figure the third time is the charm and with that charm, I'm taking the Knights. Although Ontario Christian fans probably want me to take Grace Brethren, I've been convinced that the Knights' "spunk" is legit. I mean, they've rubbed out De Anza champ Twentynine Palms and No. 2 seed Maranatha. OC will take this too.
Ontario Christian 30, Grace Brethren 26

As far as the Inland Division, technically the Sun has no stake left after REV and Redlands were eliminated last week. But for the sake of seeing things through, I'll offer my predictions here. I'm thinking an all-Big VIII final quite frankly.

Corona Centennial 31, Temecula Chaparral 17

Norco 38, Vista Murrieta 27

Whiffed on a couple of the games featuring local teams last week, so I have some explaining to do to the likes of Aquinas and Ontario Christian, respectively.

Aquinas at No. 1 San Juan Capistrano St. Margaret's
Note for next year - don't pick against Aquinas at home in the playoffs. The Falcons dusted Sierra Canyon, making me look pretty dumb. And for good reason. However, they are on the road against the defending CIF and small-school state champions. I have to pick against Aquinas again here. Sorry fellas.
St. Margaret's 27, Aquinas 13

Fillmore 34, Bishop 18

Simi Valley Grace Brethren at Oak Hills
The Bulldogs redeemed my trust last week, ekeing past No. 3 seeded Kern Valley 21-19 to continue their historic run as a first-year school. Now they get another first - their inaugural home playoff game. Oak Hills is straight rolling and I'm not a huge believer in Grace Brethren. Plus, gotta keep my sleeper alive.
Oak Hills 38, Grace Brethren 27

No. 2 Pasadena Maranatha at Ontario Christian
All of a sudden, the Knights have become a tough out. They took Aquinas to the wire in the regular season finale two weeks ago and pulled the upset against a hot Twentynine Palms team on the road in the first round last week. However, OC is at home and they have a very explosive Maranatha team to face. I see the Knights' recent run of spunk coming to an end.
Maranatha 35, Ontario Christian 21

Here is where you'll be going to digest the turkey, stuffing, apple pie and shopping Friday night. A lot of these times may change to 7 p.m.

CENTRAL DIVISION
No. 1 Colton at Rancho Cucamonga, 7:30 p.m.
No. 4 Los Osos at Chaffey, 7:30 p.m.
Etiwanda at Chino Hills, 7:30 p.m.
No. 2 Colony at Upland, 7:30 p.m.

EASTERN DIVISION
Palm Springs at Summit, 7:30 p.m.
Kaiser at No. 4 Rim of the World, 7:30 p.m.
Riverside Norte Vista at Apple Valley, 7:30 p.m.
La Quinta at No. 2 Serrano, 7:30 p.m.

EAST VALLEY DIVISION
Aquinas at No. 1 San Juan Capistrano St. Margaret's, 7:30 p.m.
No. 4 Fillmore at Bishop, 7:30 p.m.
Simi Valley Grace Brethren at Oak Hills, 7:30 p.m.
No. 2 Pasadena Maranatha at Ontario Christian, 7:30 p.m.

INLAND DIVISION
No. 1 Redlands East Valley at Temecula Chaparral, 7:30 p.m.
Corona Centennial at No. 4 Moreno Valley Rancho Verde, 7:30 p.m.
No. 3 Norco at Riverside Arlington, 7:30 p.m.
No. 2 Vista Murrieta at Redlands, 7:30 p.m.

St. Margaret's ruled this division with an iron fist last year, taking out 40% of the De Anza League en route to the division and, eventually, the small-school state title. Can anyone take them out this time around?

No. 1 St. Margaret's 38, Santa Paula 6

Chatsworth Sierra Canyon at Aquinas
This is basically a coinflip, as Sierra Canyon was second in the Alpha League with an 8-2 record while Aquinas won its third straight Christian League title in thrilling fashion over Ontario Christian. It's been a bit of an up-and-down ride for the Falcons thus far this season and I'm not quite sure if they'll be able to outfight Sierra Canyon.
Sierra Canyon 27, Aquinas 20

Los Angeles Brentwood 31, Bishop 14

Yucca Valley at No. 4 Fillmore
Yucca Valley doesn't have a pretty record, but it does have another berth in the East Valley playoffs. The Trojans opened some eyes in the playoffs a year ago, winning their first-round game and giving St. Margaret's a struggle in the second round, but I have a hard time seeing them repeating that trick this year.
Fillmore 33, Yucca Valley 13

Oak Hills at No. 3 Kern Valley
Oak Hills isn't your typical first-year program - or your typical at-large freelance cannon fodder squad. The Bulldogs are 8-2 and have some pretty big wins, so they won't be intimidated by a 9-1 Kern Valley squad. And quite frankly, I think Oak Hills is too young to realize that it shouldn't be doing this well. I smell an "upset".
Oak Hills 38, Kern Valley 27

Newport Beach Sage Hill 23, Simi Valley Grace Brethren 21

Ontario Christian at Twentynine Palms
How quickly can the Knights recover from their heartbreaking loss to Aquinas? That's the million-dollar question for Ontario Christian, as Twentynine Palms has been a Christian League-killer over the past few seasons. The Wildcats are surging, winning six in a row and went to the finals a year ago. I don't see Ontario Christian doing well here.
Twentynine Palms 34, Ontario Christian 13

No. 2 Pasadena Maranatha 40, Lebec Frazier Mountain 7

QUARTERFINALS
St. Margaret's over Sierra Canyon
Brentwood over Fillmore
Oak Hills over Sage Hill
Maranatha over Twentynine Palms

SEMIFINALS
St. Margaret's over Brentwood
Maranatha over Oak Hills

Championship
St. Margaret's over Maranatha

The fourth and final goes to the smallest division, the East Valley. I'll be honest, I haven't had a chance to see these teams play, so there will be some more speculation in here than normal. I'm sure you guys can handle it.

The matchups:

Santa Paula (6-4) at No. 1 St. Margaret's (9-1)
Sierra Canyon (8-2) at Aquinas (6-3)
Bishop (5-4) at Brentwood (8-2)
Yucca Valley (3-7) at No. 4 Fillmore (7-3)
Oak Hills (8-2) at No. 3 Kern Valley (9-1)
Grace Brethren (5-5) at Sage Hill (7-3)
Ontario Christian (4-6) at Twentynine Palms (6-4)
Frazier Mountain (7-3) at No. 2 Pasadena Maranatha (8-2)

My initial impression is that St. Margaret's should have this division on tilt. They rolled to a CIF and state title a year ago and have a good draw to do the same thing. Aquinas could give them a test in round two, but the Falcons haven't done so well against the upper-level teams in the division, losing to teams like Oak Hills and Twentynine Palms. I see St. Margaret's rolling until the final.

I also see Oak Hills being a bracket buster. Being a brand-new school without a league, the Bulldogs weren't given much slack by the selection committee, having to face No. 9 Kern Valley. But Oak Hills has sparkled all year and has proven it can play with playoff-caliber teams, already having defeated Aquinas and Laguna Beach this year. Oak Hills has one of the more talented squads in this bracket - it's whether it can overcome its youth that will tell the tale.

I also like Twentynine Palms in the bottom half of the bracket. The Wildcats made it to the championship game last year and have won six straight games after starting out 0-4 against a nonleague schedule made of primarily larger schools. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if Twentynine Palms took out Maranatha in the second round.

Twentynine Palms dominates the locals here.

Superlatives
Offensive Player of the Year - David Mothander, QB, Sr., San Juan Capistrano St. Margaret's
Co-Defensive Players of the Year - Alex Brolick, DB, Sr., St. Margaret's and Jeremy Baileys, DL, Sr., St. Margaret's
Coach of the Year - Harry Welch, St. Margaret's

Offense
QB - Josh Amster, Sr., Brentwood
QB - Drew Blumberg, Sr., Bishop
QB - Max Moreno, Sr., Santa Paula
QB - Kevin Ramay, Sr., Huntington Beach Grace Brethren
QB - Matt Schilz, Sr., Pasadena Maranatha
QB - Tyler Stirewalt, Sr., Aquinas
QB - Terrence Wells, Sr., Desert
RB - Jared Demoss, Sr., Twentynine Palms
RB - John Murayama, Jr., St. Margaret's
WR - John Carpenter, Jr., St. Margaret's
WR - Terrell Cornell, Jr., Maranatha
WR - Montreal Harris, Sr., Twentynine Palms
WR - Jim Jones, Jr., Aquinas
TE - Justin Hale, Sr., Malibu
OL - Jeff Askin, Jr., St. Margaret's
OL - David Esquivel, Sr., Fillmore
OL - Weston Mudge, Sr., Desert Hot Springs
OL - Elvis Percy, Sr., Twentynine Palms
OL - Andrew Rodriguez, Sr., Big Bear
OL - Colfax Selby, Sr., St. Margaret's
OL - Chase Smith, Sr., St. Margaret's
OL - Josh Villalobos, Sr., Desert
K - Zach Oliver, Sr., Ontario Christian

Defense
DL - James Batin, Sr., Yucca Valley
DL - A.J. Cabello, Sr., Arrowhead Christian
DL - Charlie James, Sr., Brentwood
DL - Jimmy Lohan, Jr., Ontario Christian
DL - Rusty Tausaga, Sr., Twentynine Palms
DL - Freddie Valencia, Jr., St. Margaret's
LB - Colin Cadarette, Sr., Brentwood
LB - Rob Caldwell, Jr., Twentynine Palms
LB - Joe Camacho, Jr., Santa Paula
LB - Austin Cole, Jr., Twentynine Palms
LB - Anthony Erickson, Sr., Yucca Valley
LB - Jake Henderson, Jr., Aquinas
LB - Logan Markely, Jr., North Hollywood Campbell Hall
LB - Michael Schmall, So., St. Margaret's
DB - Chris Adams, Jr., St. Margaret's
DB - Tim Berry, Sr., Bishop
DB - Niel Christensen, Sr., Twentynine Palms
DB - David Jacquez, Jr., Yucca Valley
DB - Willy Kelsey, Sr., Big Bear
P - Joshua Soles, Sr., Big Bear

Doing this a little early, as I'm off doing the holiday thing for the next two days. Not a bad week last week, though its fair to say that I screwed up games involving public schools in the Redlands Metropolitan Area.

CENTRAL DIVISION

Paloma Valley at No. 1 Rancho Cucamonga
So my upset special wasn't special. Actually, my real upset special was Glendora, but it's all good. Paloma Valley did well, but they'll have their hands full with Rancho, which received quite a scare last week for Colton. Look for Greg Watson and the Rancho passing attack to carry their big fourth quarter over.
Rancho Cucamonga 33, Paloma Valley 20

No. 4 Cajon at Ayala
I was at the Cajon-Etiwanda game last week and it was a hum-dinger, as both teams played their hearts out. The win was big for the Cowboys' psyche, just because they don't have to hear the 'Well, you are just a product of the SAL' talk as much. What they will have to deal with is a darn good Ayala team that can come at you in waves. I picked Ayala before the playoffs and am sticking with that.
Ayala 30, Cajon 27

Glendora at Upland
The jaw-dropping score of the week definitely came from Glendora, which destroyed No. 3 Hemet West Valley. I'll pat my back because I predicted an upset, but I didn't expect the beatdown that took place. Upland beat down Chaffey, which was expected, and plays the Tartans for the third time since last November. Each team has one, and I'm predicting Upland to win the rubber match.
Upland 34, Glendora 28

No. 2 Los Osos at Chino Hills
Richard Brehaut used his legs more than his arm to lead the Grizzlies to victory last week. That's nice, but that ain't going to fly against Chino Hills. The Huskies bulldozed San Gorgonio 52-14 thanks to a monster day from RB A.J. Johnson. Chino Hills keeps plugging along to little fan fare (despite Fowler's exemplary article) and will do so again, "upsetting" Los Osos.
Chino Hills 27, Los Osos 21

EASTERN DIVISION

No. 1 Perris Citrus Hill 36, Palm Desert 25

Serrano at Banning
I'm not going to lie, Banning's win over Kaiser shocked me. I did not see that coming. I guess i should get to know more about Banning, but I don't think they are going to knock off another Eastern power. Serrano trounced La Quinta behind junior RB Dionza Bradford and could very well be the dark horse in this bracket. The Banning story is a good one, but one that will end.
Serrano 28, Banning 14

No. 3 Palm Springs at Barstow
The Aztecs are another one of those teams that doesn't get hype but wins. They can throw three RBs at you in the double-wing and have some massive hombres blocking. But Palm Springs is red-hot and this is pretty much what they do. After whipping Summit, Palm Springs will have its way with Barstow late.
Palm Springs 23, Barstow 16

No. 2 Hesperia at Silverado
Don't look now but the Hawks, who started 0-6, are amazingly still alive and quite a threat behind QB Jemeryn Jenkins. Jenkins is a ridiculous talent, slicing and dicing Patriot for 406 yards last week. However, Hesperia put on a clinic against Notre Dame, barely breaking a sweat in winning 55-27. The rested Scorpions have a little too much sting.
Hesperia 31, Silverado 19

EAST VALLEY DIVISION

No. 1 St. Margaret's at Yucca Valley
Yucca Valley has been an awesome story, recovering from several tattered years to win a De Anza League co-championship and a playoff game. It's a great job Tim Connavo is doing out there. However, this isn't going to be pretty. St. Margaret's hasn't been challenged all year and Yucca, for all their strengths, don't have the ability to.
St. Margaret's 41, Yucca Valley 16

Pasadena Maranatha at Big Bear
The Bears made me look smart, which is hard to do, coming up with the brassy 33-32 upset over No. 4 Santa Paula. It's been a tough year at Big Bear, but you know the Bears will growl at playoff time. I'll be up the hill to watch them take on Maranatha, which is just annoying to type. So I'll predict. I am tempted to take the Bears, but I picked the other team (see what I did there?) last week. Can't change now.
Maranatha 24, Big Bear 20

No. 3 Aquinas at Twentynine Palms
I kind of wish I was at this game Friday, because this one is going to be a war. Aquinas has been rolling over fools this year behind QB Tyler Stirewalt and his merry band of skill-position playmakers, but the Falcons' only loss came to Twentynine Palms - a team that put 63 up on Brethren Christian last week. I expect the Palms to be jumping, but Aquinas to exact revenge.
Aquinas 28, Twentynine Palms 26

No. 2 Brentwood 27, Fillmore 13

INLAND DIVISION

No. 1 Corona Centennial 42, Vista Murrieta 10

No. 4 Miller at Murrieta Valley
The Rebels looked awesome on offense in their 48-21 victory over Roosevelt, gaining well over 500 yards and looking like the juggernaut unit it was last year under A.J. Springer. yeah, Juan Flores and David Dash next year could be mad scary. However, the defense has showed some signs of slippage lately, which won't be helped by Murrieta Valley. I have the Rebels losing a heartbreaker on the road, similar to their loss to Chaparral last year.
Murrieta Valley 28, Miller 23

Redlands East Valley at No. 3 Temecula Chaparral
After impaling the Santiago Sharks, REV looks to take out a Chaparral team that's been hell on the CBL in recent years. The Pumas took out REV two years ago and Miller this year, meaning they have run up quite a tab. The REV offense has erupted lately, but I don't see them evening the bill this week. I will be at the game though to see if I'm wrong and to see if Lindsay Soto is there. I can always hope.
Chaparral 23, Redlands East Valley 19

Norco 27, Riverside North 17

Last week: 26-6. Overall: 232-54-4.

This is what we got. All games are preliminarily set for Friday at 7:30 p.m.

CENTRAL DIVISION
Paloma Valley at No. 1 Rancho Cucamonga
No. 4 Cajon at Ayala
Glendora at Upland
No. 2 Los Osos at Chino Hills

EASTERN DIVISION
No. 1 Perris Citrus Hill at Palm Desert
Serrano at Banning
No. 3 Palm Springs at Barstow
No. 2 Hesperia at Silverado

EAST VALLEY DIVISION
No. 1 St. Margaret's at Yucca Valley
Maranatha at Big Bear
No. 3 Aquinas at Twentynine Palms
No. 2 Brentwood at Fillmore

INLAND DIVISION
No. 1 Corona Centennial at Vista Murrieta
No. 4 Miller at Murrieta Valley
Redlands East Valley at No. 3 Chaparral
Riverside North at Norco

According to the CIF, all of Friday's playoff games are to start at 7:30 p.m. unless noted. Well, there are plenty of games to be noted involving area teams that are moving to 7 p.m.

Games being played at 7 p.m. include the following:

Roosevelt at Miller (Inland Division)
Etiwanda at Cajon (Central Division)
Riverside Notre Dame at Hesperia (Eastern Division)
Summit at Palm Springs (Eastern Division)
Silverado vs. Riverside Patriot at Rubidoux HS (Eastern Division)
Yucca Valley at Bishop (East Valley Division)
Ontario Christian at Pasadena Maranatha (East Valley Division)

All other games are at 7:30 as of right now.

Here's a big glumping of high school football games. Enjoy.

CIF-SS FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
First-round matchups (all games on Friday)

CENTRAL DIVISION
Colton (6-3-1) at Rancho Cucamonga (9-0-1); Ontario (6-4) at Menifee Paloma Valley (7-3); Colony (5-5) at Ayala (8-2); Etiwanda (5-5) at Cajon (9-1); Glendora (7-3) at Hemet West Valley (9-1); Upland (8-2) at Chaffey (8-2); San Gorgonio (6-4) at Chino Hills (9-1); Wildomar Elsinore (5-5) at Los Osos (8-2).

EASTERN DIVISION
Rim of the World (6-4) at Perris Citrus Hill (10-0); Palm Desert (8-2) at Ridgecrest Burroughs (6-4); La Quinta (4-6) at Serrano (7-3); Banning (6-4) at Kaiser (6-3-1); Summit (8-2) at Palm Springs (7-3); Barstow (7-3) at San Jacinto (7-2-1); Silverado (3-7) at Riverside Patriot (7-3); Riverside Notre Dame (6-4) at Hesperia (10-0).

EAST VALLEY DIVISION
North Hollywood Campbell Hall (5-5) at San Juan Capistrano St. Margaret's (10-0); Yucca Valley (6-4) at Bishop (5-4); Ontario Christian (5-5) at Pasadena Maranatha (9-1); Big Bear (6-3-1) at Santa Paula (8-2); Kern Valley (5-5) at Aquinas (9-1); Huntington Beach Brethren Christian (4-6) at Twentynine Palms (7-3); Edwards AFB Desert (7-3) at Fillmore (8-2); Arrowhead Christian (6-4) at Brentwood (9-1).

INLAND DIVISION
Yucaipa (5-5) at Corona Centennial (10-0); Vista Murrieta (8-2) at Moreno Valley (7-3); Riverside Arlington (5-5) at Murrieta Valley (7-3); Roosevelt (6-4) at Miller (10-0); Moreno Valley Vista del Lago (5-5) at Temecula Chaparral (9-1); Corona Santiago (6-4) at Redlands East Valley (9-1); Redlands (5-5) at Riverside North (6-4); Norco (6-4) at Moreno Valley Rancho Verde (10-0).

MID-VALLEY DIVISION
El Monte (5-5) at Monrovia (8-2); Duarte (5-5) at Los Angeles Baptist (6-4); Cerritos Valley Christian (7-3) at Rosemead (8-2); Baldwin Park Sierra Vista (4-6) at San Dimas (9-1); City of Industry Workman (5-4) at Covina Northview (8-2); San Marino (8-2) at Paraclete (7-3); El Monte Arroyo (3-7) at Temple City (5-4-1); Covina (4-6) at Azusa (9-1).

SOUTHEAST DIVISION
Bell Gardens (5-5) at Covina Charter Oak (9-0-1); Whittier California (8-2) at Crescenta Valley (8-2); San Gabriel (5-5) at Whittier La Serna (9-1); Burbank Burroughs (7-3) at Rowland Heights Rowland (8-2); Diamond Ranch (4-6) at Pasadena Muir (9-1); West Covina South Hills (8-2) at Montebello Schurr (7-3); Bonita (7-3) at West Covina (8-2); Burbank (5-5) at Santa Fe (9-1).

PAC-5 DIVISION
La Puente Bishop Amat at Long Beach Poly; San Clemente at Anaheim Esperanza; Los Angeles Loyola at Mission Viejo; Lakewood at Anaheim Servite; Los Alamitos at Rancho Santa Margarita Tesoro; Long Beach Jordan at Santa Ana Mater Dei; Orange Lutheran at Fountain Valley; Compton at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

WESTERN DIVISION
Redondo Union at Palmdale; West Hills Chaminade at Beverly Hills; San Monica at Downey Warren; Lancaster Eastside at Manhattan Beach Mira Costa; La Canada St. Francis at Quartz Hill; Palos Verdes Peninsula at Lynwood; Downey at Culver City; Palmdale Highland at Mission Hills Alemany

NORTHERN DIVISION
Newbury Park at Ventura St. Bonaventure; Oxnard Pacifica at Paso Robles; Santa Maria Righetti at Saugus; Santa Barbara at Thousand Oaks; Westlake at Oxnard; Ventura at Valencia; Newhall Hart at Atascadero; Camarillo at Moorpark.

SOUTHWEST DIVISION
Garden Grove Pacifica at Santa Ana Foothill; Anaheim Magnolia at Tustin; Anaheim Canyon at Cypress; Santa Ana Valley at Fullerton; Fullerton Sunny Hills at Anaheim Western; Trabuco Hills at Placentia Valencia; Huntington Beach at Placentia El Dorado; Anaheim at La Habra.

SOUTHERN DIVISION
Artesia at Laguna Hills; Garden Grove Santiago at Costa Mesa; Norwalk at Garden Grove; Irvine at Westminster; Santa Ana Calvary Chapel at Lakewood Mayfair; Santa Ana Segerstrom at Fountain Valley Los Amigos; Laguna Beach at Santa Ana; La Mirada at Corona Del Mar.

NORTHWEST DIVISION
South Torrance at Westlake Village Oaks Christian; Los Angeles Cathedral at Santa Maria Pioneer Valley; Torrance Bishop Montgomery at North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake; Morro Bay at North Torrance; Montebello Cantwell-Sacred Heart at Santa Maria St. Joseph; El Segundo at Oxnard Santa Clara; Carpinteria at Los Angeles Verbum Dei; Templeton at Gardena Serra

NORTHEAST DIVISION
Mojave at San Juan Capistrano Saddleback Valley Christian; Webb at Silver Valley; Banning Twin Pines at Panorama City St. Genevieve; La Canada Flintridge Prep at Riverside Christian; Mammoth at Temecula Linfield Christian; Burbank Bellarmine-Jefferson at Anaheim Fairmont Prep; Long Beach St. Anthony at Arcadia Rio Hondo Prep; Inglewood Amino Leadership at Boron

The CIF-Southern Section football playoff brackets were released a few hours ago. Definitely some interesting things going on in the pairings. Here are some early observations on the brackets, which can be downloaded from www.cifss.org.

Central Division
- Rancho Cucamonga wasn't done any favors. Although the 9-0-1 Cougars were awarded the No. 1 seed, they got paired up with Colton in the first round. The Yellowjackets may not be as good as they usually are, but that double-wing offense is a headache to defend. Los Osos, on the other hand, got the No. 2 seed and is hosting Elsinore out of the Sunbelt League. If it wins, it'll face the Chino Hills-San Gorgonio winner.

- Chaffey also should be a little perturbed, as the Mt. Baldy League champions get the pleasure of hosting Upland, the third-place team in the Baseline League. It will be tough for the Tigers to match up with that firepower.

- Chino Hills-San G is a rematch of a game played on Oct. 3 at San G, won 42-20 by Chino Hills. Needless to say, tough draw for the Spartans.

- Cajon, the SAL champ, gets wild-card Etiwanda in the first round. The Cowboys were the No. 4 seed but will be tested by an explosive Eagles team. Ayala, the Sierra No. 1 seed, also gets a tough draw by hosting two-time defending division champion Colony.

Eastern Division
- Hesperia has a pretty favorable draw. As expected, the Scorpions got the No. 2 seed in the division behind Citrus Hill and draws Riverside Notre Dame in the first round. It'll get the Silverado at Patriot winner in the quarterfinals if it wins. The other league champion on its side of the bracket - Palm Springs - was 7-3 in a mediocre Desert Valley League.

- Rim of the World has a rough matchup, having to face No. 1 seed Perris Citrus Hill and its star RB Deonte Cooper. Ridgecrest Burroughs wasn't done many favors either, as it hosts Palm Desert - which was ranked near the top of the division rankings all year.

- Kaiser gets Banning in the first round and has a very intriguing second-round matchup if it wins, as it will face the La Quinta at Serrano winner.

East Valley Division
- Aquinas gets the No. 3 seed and hosts Kern Valley in the first round. Should it win, it could have a tasty rematch with Twentynine Palms, which dealt the Falcons their only loss. There's also potential for a Big Bear-Ontario Christian rematch in the second round.

- Arrowhead Christian and Big Bear qualify as at-larges and have tough first round matchups, as the Eagles play at No. 2 seed Brentwood while the Bears head to Santa Paula.

Inland Division
- Miller gets the No. 4 seed and hosts Roosevelt, which is making its first playoff appearance in school history.

- Lots of revenge possibilities. Redlands East Valley is on the same side of the bracket with Redlands, and the Wildcats get a chance to avenge their loss to Corona Santiago in the Inland semifinals a year ago. If Redlands wins at Riverside North and Norco wins at Moreno Valley Rancho Verde, a rematch of their overtime semifinal two years ago would happen.

- Rancho Verde, the No. 2 seed, got a tough first-round matchup with a seasoned Norco squad and isn't done any favors in round two, having to face Redlands or two-time Eastern Division champ North.

- Yucaipa gets the unenviable task of facing Corona Centennial. That could get ugly quick.