The celebration is over and it’s back to work for local high school football teams who won CIF-Southern Section championships this weekend and are now in CIF State Regional Bowl Game Championships.
The big tweak to the postseason format means that unlike previous seasons when the celebration of a Southern Section championship would last for the rest of a school year, now, it’s less than a day.
San Marino (14-0) beat Charter Oak on Saturday night to win the school’s first CIF championship in football since 1988 found out early Sunday afternoon that it will host Sierra Canyon (14-0) next Saturday night in the small schools division. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.
“I’ve kind of been following them a little bit,” San Marino quarterback Carson Glazier said. “I know that they’re from the division we were previously in. I know they’re a powerhouse in that division. I really don’t know anything about their players as far as schemes go, but it should be interesting.
San Marino completed a perfect traditional season by posting a 45-28 win over Charter Oak in the Central Division championship on Saturday night at Citrus College. A night earlier, Sierra Canyon beat San Dimas, 20-0, to win the Mid-Valley Division.
La Mirada completed a dominant run through the Southeast Division on Saturday night by blowing out La Serna, 45-20. The Matadores enter the state bowl system at 11-3 and were awarded a home game against Oceanside (9-4) in Division III-AA.
“I know just growing up an coaching high school sports, I think they’ve won like 16 or 17 championships,” La Mirada head coach Mike Moschetti said. “They have incredible tradition and I know there have been big-time players who have played there.
“It’s going to be exciting. It’s going to be a short week after playing on Saturday.”
Moschetti isn’t concerned about any hangover effects for his team after such an emotional win over a nearby rival on Saturday.
“We’ve talked about this for two years,” Moschetti said. “For two years, our goal, our dream, every weight we’ve lifted, every sprint we’ve run has been to win a state championship. That’s been our goal. That’s been our dream. There’s no way we’re going to be flat.”
La Habra probably needed and got the most time to come down off its section championship. The Highlanders (13-1) beat San Clemente on the final play of the Southwest Division championship last Friday at Cerritos College.
Next, La Habra visits Camarillo (14-0) on Friday in Division II-AA. Highlanders coach Frank Mazzotta said his coaching staff would use Sunday afternoon and evening getting familiar with Friday’s opponent.
“I know they’re 14-0 and have beaten some really good teams,” Mazzotta said of Camarillo. “The bottom line is we won a championship, so that’s done and you can’t take that away. And we get to be together again another week. How can you beat that?”