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

If you want to see county teams do their thing, this is the division for you. With No. 1 Kaiser destroying people and No. 2 Serrano being, well, Serrano, we could have an all-county championship game.

First Round
No. 1 Kaiser over Apple Valley
Beaumont over Granite Hills
Victor Valley over Norte Vista
No. 4 Elsinore over Oak Hills
No. 3 Heritage over Silverado
Summit over West Valley
Ridgecrest Burroughs over Citrus Hill
No. 2 Serrano over Temescal Canyon

Quarterfinals
Kaiser over Beaumont
Elsinore over Victor Valley
Summit over Heritage
Serrano over Burroughs

Semifinals
Kaiser over Elsinore
Serrano over Summit

Championship
Kaiser over Serrano

On to the Central Division, where county teams have been shut out of the seedings. Is there any that are capable of making a run though. Rancho Verde is the no-brainer No. 1 and has the most talent in the division, but the playoffs have been their undoing in recent years. So I could see one of the Desert Valley teams taking charge here.

First Round
No. 1 Rancho Verde over Garey
San Gorgonio over Palm Desert
Chino over Carter
No. 4 La Quinta over Valley View
No. 3 Arlington over Montclair
Cajon over Coachella Valley
Colton over Colony
No. 2 Palm Springs over La Sierra

Quarterfinals
Rancho Verde over San Gorgonio
La Quinta over Chino
Arlington over Cajon
Palm Springs over Colton

Semifinals
La Quinta over Rancho Verde
Arlington over Palm Springs

Championship
La Quinta over Arlington

Before I get into the first-round predictions this week, I’ll do my annual predictions for each of the four divisions in the county and expose myself to ridicule and scorn. I’m starting with the Inland Division, which I think can be renamed the Centennial Division. I’m just not seeing any other possibilities.

First Round
No. 1 Corona Centennial over Yucaipa
Chaparral over Upland
Redlands East Valley over Etiwanda
No. 4 Chino Hills over Corona
No. 3 Rancho Cucamonga over Murrieta Valley
Roosevelt over Claremont
Norco over Redlands
No. 2 Vista Murrieta over Charter Oak

Quarterfinals
Centennial over Chaparral
REV over Chino Hills
Rancho Cucamonga over Roosevelt
Vista Murrieta over Norco

Semifinals
Centennial over REV
Vista Murrieta over Rancho Cucamonga

Championship
Centennial over Vista Murrieta

It’s late and I’ve been terrible in the NFL playoffs, so I’m not going to mince words.

Indianapolis (-5) over New Orleans. For those of you who want a score, let’s say Indy 34, New Orleans 24.

Nice final week got me before .500. Was going to write more on these picks, but it’s late and I just want to get them in.

CINCINNATI (-2.5) over N.Y. Jets
Philadelphia (+3.5) over DALLAS
NEW ENGLAND (-3) over Baltimore
ARIZONA (even) over Green Bay

Week: 9-5-2
Overall: 127-124-4

So close to .500 I can feel it. And I also left these in the drafts folder.

BUFFALO (-8) over Indianapolis
CAROLINA (-9) over New Orleans
Jacksonville (+2) over CLEVELAND
DETROIT (+3) over Chicago
New England (+7) over HOUSTON
Pittsburgh (-3) over MIAMI
MINNESOTA (-8) over N.Y. Giants
San Francisco (-8) over ST. LOUIS
Atlanta (-2) over TAMPA BAY
Philadelphia (+3) over DALLAS
ARIZONA (-3) over Green Bay
Kansas City (+10) over DENVER
OAKLAND (+10) over Baltimore
SAN DIEGO (-3) over Washington
Tennessee (-6) over SEATTLE
Cincinnati (+10) over N.Y. JETS

Week: 9-7
Overall: 118-119-2

Taking time out of Christmas in Houston to do these up. Hopefully I get a little holiday luck going.

San Diego (+2) over TENNESSEEE
GREEN BAY (-14) over Seattle
Oakland (+3) over CLEVELAND
Kansas City (+13.5) over CINCINNATI
ATLANTA (-9) over Buffalo
MIAMI (-3) over Houston
Carolina (+7) over N.Y. GIANTS
NEW ORLEANS (-14) over Tampa Bay
Jacksonville (+8) over NEW ENGLAND
PITTSBURGH (-2.5) over Baltimore
PHILADELPHIA (-7) over Denver
ARIZONA (-14) over St. Louis
Detroit (+12.5) over SAN FRANCISCO
N.Y. Jets (+5.5) over INDIANAPOLIS
WASHINGTON (+6.5) over Dallas
CHICAGO (+7) over Minnesota

Week: 6-9-1
Overall: 109-112-2

Back to .500 after a pretty good week. Let’s get this done.

Indianapolis (-3) over JACKSONVILLE
NEW ORLEANS (-7.5) over Dallas
Green Bay (+1.5) over PITTSBURGH
TENNESSEE (no line) over Miami
BUFFALO (+7) over New England
Arizona (-12) over DETROIT
PHILADELPHIA (-7.5) over San Francisco
N.Y. JETS (no line) over Atlanta
Chicago (+11) over BALTIMORE
KANSAS CITY (-2) over Cleveland
Houston (no line) over ST. LOUIS
SAN DIEGO (-6.5) over Cincinnati
DENVER (-14) over Oakland
SEATTLE (-6.5) over Tampa Bay
CAROLINA (+9) over Minnesota
WASHINGTON (+3) over N.Y. Giants

Week: 10-6
Overall: 103-103-1

Fell back a bit this week. Oh well.

Pittsburgh (-9.5) over CLEVELAND
INDIANAPOLIS (-7) over Denver
Cincinnati (+6.5) over MINNESOTA
N.Y. Jets (-3) over TAMPA BAY
KANSAS CITY (+1) over Buffalo
Green Bay (-3) over CHICAGO
ATLANTA (+10.5) over New Orleans
BALTIMORE (-13.5) over Detroit
Miami (+3) over JACKSONVILLE
Carolina (+13.5) over NEW ENGLAND
HOUSTON (-6.5) over Seattle
TENNESSEE (-13) over St. Louis
OAKLAND (+1) over Washington
San Diego (+3) over DALLAS
N.Y. GIANTS (-1) over Philadelphia
Arizona (-3.5) over SAN FRANCISCO

Week: 7-9
Overall: 93-97-1