Note: Southeast Division predictions on Tuesday.
Fred’s explanation: The biggest game comes in the second round when Monrovia meets Paraclete, and Monrovia will have to beat them on the road. I know I said earlier in the year I would take Paraclete, but they way they lost in their season finale leads me toward Monrovia. I hear Paraclete had five or six fumbles in that loss, but I also believe that Monrovia’s swagger will be good enough, just hope it isn’t snowing up there. Baldwin Park and Arroyo both love their draw, and are probably glad they could get each other in the quarters. This is a toss-up, but I’m leaning toward the Knights and that aerial attack. But neither will get past Monrovia in the semifinals. On the bottom half, the only team that could stop San Dimas is Cerritos Valley Christian in the second round. I don’t know much about them, but they did beat Paraclete, which is scary enough, but I still like the Saints. The weakest pairing of four is Azusa, Covina, Rosemead and San Marino, and I may take some stuff for this, but I like Rosemead to come out of it, and this time lose in a big way in a rematch with San Dimas, a game the Panthers won in last year’s playoffs. A Monrovia-San Dimas championship will be special. The Cats will not run them off the field like they did at home earlier in the year. San Dimas will have learned, adjusted, and will take home a championship trophy, just like baseball, where I picked them to win too, even though everyone picked Bishop Amat to meet Northview in the championship.
Mid-Valley Division Predictions
Top Seeds: 1. Monrovia (10-0), 2. San Dimas (9-1), 3. Azusa (9-1), 4. Arroyo (8-2).
Unseeded Sleepers: Baldwin Park, Rosemead, San Marino, Cerritos Valley Christian
Top Bracket
South El Monte 3-7 (MVL 3) at No. 1 Monrovia 10-0 (Rio Hondo 1)
Paraclete 6-4 (Olympic 2) at La Puente 7-3 (Montview 2)
Gladstone 7-3 (Montview 3) at Baldwin Park 8-2 (Valle Vista 2)
Whittier Christian 7-3 (Olympic 3) at No. 4 Arroyo 8-2 (MVL 1)
Bottom Bracket
Covina 5-4 (Valle Vista 3) at No. 3 Azusa 9-1 (Montview 1)
Rosemead 5-5 (MVL 2) at San Marino 8-2 (Rio Hondo 2)
La Canada 5-4 (Rio Hondo 3) at Cerritos Valley Christian 7-3 (Olympic 1)
Workman 6-4 (Montview 4) at No. 2 San Dimas 9-1 (Valle Vista 1)
Quarterfinals
Top Bracket
Monrovia vs. Paraclete
Baldwin Park vs. Arroyo
Bottom Bracket
Azusa vs. Rosemead
Cerritos Valley Christian vs. San Dimas
Semifinals
Monrovia vs. Arroyo
Rosemead vs. San Dimas
Championship
San Dimas over Monrovia
