And the there were four.
The Daily News area began the CIF Southern Section, divisional football playoffs with
10 participants. Four of them are left, three – La Habra, California and Schurr, of the six that began play in the Southeast Division, and one, St. Paul, still alive in the Western Division.
Friday’s game:
Schurr will host Fullerton at 7 p.m.
It will be the gutty Schurr defense trying to contain Fullerton’s Michael Allain, a 5-10, 165-pound whirlwind who has rushed for 580 yards and eight touchdowns in two playoff games. He burned La Serna for 260 yards and three scores last week.Fullerton, the division’s No. 3 seed, doesn’t pass much, but the Indians haven’t had to with Allain performing in spectacular fashion.
The pick from here:
Roger Murray: You stick with the program you believe in – Schurr
Andrew Campa: Injured RB Edwin Molina is the motivation here – Schurr
Saturday’s games:
La Habra at California, 7 p.m.
This isn’t Goliath vs. David, but it’s hard to imagine anyone having a complete enough package to harness all of La Habra’s weapons. Offense, defense, special teams, running the ball, throwing the ball, catching the ball, punting the ball, kicking the ball, blocking, tackling, physical football, finesse football, and the area’s most interesting, fog-shrouded entry to the field … have I left anything out…?
This is not meant to discourage California from showing up. The Condors have enjoyed a mystical season. Eleven-and-one? Obviously, they’re doing most everything right. Operative word there, “most.” That passing game needs some help, and that may be the key to whether California can keep up with the Highlanders. It will be necessary to sustain possession, which will be necessary to keep La Habra’s offense
off the field, which will be necessary to keep them from running away with the game.
Supermen RBs Matt Urquiza and Jasper Meza can’t keep doing it alone offensively.
Hmmmmmm, or can they? Is it fair to ask them to?
Sometimes it’s just better to be the underdog. Motivation comes more easily.
The pick from here:
Murray – Love ’em both, but La Habra is title-bound – La Habra
Campa – Too much of everything – La Habra.
St. Paul at Gahr, 7:30 p.m.
Defense-dominated St. Paul can’t try to run with the pass-happy, speed-oriented Gladiators, so the Swordsmen defenders must step up one more time to take some pressure off the offense.
There is no question they are capable, but in a game like this the team that makes the fewest mistakes, no fumbles, no ill-timed or foolish, drive-killing penalties, no lack of focus, not even for a split second, most likely will survive to play another week.
The season has been filled with heroes on both sides of the ball. It’s time to ask they be heroic once more, step into the breach once more, dig deep and see what happens.
The pick from here:
Murray – The little engine that could, or make that can – St. Paul
Campa – Not the first time Swordsmen have faced great QB – St. Paul
