As we enter the final week of the season, I thought it would be a good idea go over what likely needs to happen to determine the automatic spots for the upcoming playoffs.
ALMONT LEAGUE
Area teams: Montebello (5-4, 4-0), Schurr (3-6, 2-2)
Notes: The Oilers and Spartans are both in; Montebello as league champs and Schurr as the third-place team.
ANGELUS LEAGUE
Area team: St. Paul (4-5, 1-3)
Notes: St. Paul is alive for third place and the league’s final playoff spot. The Swordsmen need to beat Harvard-Westlake and hope for first-place St. Francis to beat Salesian. That would put St. Paul, Harvard-Westlake and Salesian all tied for third, which would be settled by a coin flip.
DEL RIO LEAGUE
Area teams: El Rancho (7-2, 4-0), La Serna (7-2, 3-1) California (5-4, 2-2), Whittier (4-5, 1-3), Santa Fe (2-7, 1-3), Pioneer (1-8, 1-3)
Notes: El Rancho is league champ and the No. 1 playoff team and La Serna has No. 2 locked up. Cal can secure No. 3 by beating Pioneer. The Titans can take the final playoff spot with a win over Cal and a losses by Santa Fe to El Rancho and Whittier to La Serna. A coin flip would be needed if Pioneer beats Cal and either Santa Fe beats El Rancho or Whittier beats La Serna, or both.
FREEWAY LEAGUE
Area teams: La Habra (6-3, 4-0), Sonora (6-3, 1-3)
Notes: La Habra has clinched the league title and the league’s top playoff spot. Sonora is eliminated. The Raiders can tie for third, but lose the tiebreaker with losses to Fullerton and Troy.
OLYMPIC LEAGUE
Area team: Whittier Christian (1-8, 1-2)
Notes: The Heralds, who play first-place Maranatha, can finish no better than third place and are eliminated.
SOUTH CATHOLIC LEAGUE
Area team: Cantwell Sacred Heart (7-2, 1-1)
Note: Cantwell, after losing last week to Verbum Dei, needs to win to make the playoffs. They can get the No. 1 spot with a win at Bishop Montgomery and a loss by Verbum Dei to St. Bernard. There would be a three-way tie and coin flip with a Cantwell win and a Verbum Dei win. Cantwell is eliminated with a loss. The Cardinal could still receive one of four at-large spots for the Northwest Division.
SUBURBAN LEAGUE
Area team: La Mirada (8-1, 5-0)
Notes: The Matadores host Norwalk on Friday for the league title. The loser is in at second place.