MaxPreps preseason California Regional Bowl Game matchups

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The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) changed its state championship format in 2015, allowing all 51 section champions to qualify for the state playoffs. As a result, the state held 25 regional playoff games (one play-in) and crowned 13 state champions.

The CIF will continue the format in 2016, giving MaxPreps the opportunity to make some preseason predictions regarding which teams will qualify for the Open Division championship game and the 25 other regional playoff contests.

The CIF format calls for an Open Division state playoff game matching the best team in the north against the best team in the south. In the 12 other divisions, two teams from the north will face each other in one regional while two teams in the south will meet in the other to determine which two teams will meet for the division championship.

Along with divisions 1-AA, 1-A, 2-AA, 2-A, 3-AA, 3-A, 4-AA, 4-A, 5-AA, 5-A and 6-AA, there will be an Open Division for schools with enrollment under 1,250 students.

MaxPreps determines its regional matchup predictions based on the MaxPreps Computer Rankings presented by the Army National Guard. Care is also taken to avoid regional matchups between teams from the same section when possible. The team's record from last year and its preseason computer ranking are included in the preseason regional matchups.

The initial Open Division matchup finds De La Salle (Concord), last year's Open Division champion, matched up with Mater Dei (Santa Ana).

Open Division

North
North Coast Section I – De La Salle (Concord), 13-1, 66.3

South
Southern 1 – Mater Dei (Santa Ana), 10-3, 85.8

1-AA Division

North
Sac-Joaquin Section II – Del Oro (Loomis), 10-6, 63.0
Central Section Open 1 – Serra (San Mateo), 6-4, 52.5

South
Southern 5 – Calabasas, 13-2, 60.2
San Diego Section Open – St. Augustine (San Diego), 10-3, 57.2

1-A Division

North
Sac-Joaquin Section I – Folsom, 14-1, 57.6
Central Coast Section Open 2 – Saint Francis (Mountain View), 12-3, 47.4

South
Los Angeles City Section II – Hawkins (Los Angeles), 8-1-1, 56.1
Southern 2 – Oaks Christian (Westlake Village), 11-1, 55.3

2-AA Division

North
Central Coast Section Open 2 Runner-up – Oak Grove (San Jose), 11-3, 45.1
Central Section I – Bullard (Fresno), 9-3, 40.8

South
Southern Section 3 – La Mirada, 13-3, 51.0
San Diego Section 2 – Mater Dei Catholic (Chula Vista), 14-1, 45.9

2-A Division

North
Central Coast Section Open 1 Runner-up – Bellarmine College Prep (San Jose), 13-2, 43.6
Northern Section II – Pleasant Valley (Chico), 12-1, 40.5

South
Los Angeles City Section I – Narbonne (Harbor City), 14-2, 44.2
Southern Section 6 – Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach), 10-3, 38.7

3-AA Division

North
Central Section III – Hanford, 14-1, 37.2
Sac-Joaquin Section IV – Sierra (Manteca), 10-5, 33.6

South
Central Section II – Ridgeview (Bakersfield), 13-1, 37.9
San Diego Section 1 – Eastlake (Chula Vista), 5-6, 33.3

3-A Division

North
Central Coast Section Open 3 – Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton), 11-4, 33.3
North Coast Section 3 – Marin Catholic (Kentfield), 12-2, 31.4

South
Southern Section 7 – Pacifica (Oxnard), 8-4, 29.3
Central Section IV – Chavez (Delano), 10-2, 23.5

Open Division (under 1,250)

North
Sac-Joaquin Section III – Central Catholic (Modesto), 16-0, 47.4
North Coast Section 4 – Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa), 11-3, 35.5

South
Southern Section 4 – Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth), 14-1, 47.2
Southern Section 9 – Notre Dame (Riverside), 14-1, 36.8

4-AA Division

North
North Coast Section 2 – Concord, 10-4, 29.8
Sac-Joaquin Section V – Sonora, 12-2, 21.0

South
Southern Section 8 – Chino, 9-3, 27.8
San Diego Section 3 – Bishop's (La Jolla), 8-5, 21.5

4-A Division

North
North Coast Section 5- Berean Christian (Walnut Creek), 11-2, 21.8
Central Section V – Immanuel (Reedley), 11-3, 19.0

South
Southern Section 10 – Mission Prep (San Luis Obispo), 8-3, 14.1
Southern Section 12 – Rancho Mirage, 9-3, 12.4

5-AA Division

North
Sac-Joaquin Section VI – Bradshaw Christian (Sacramento), 12-2, 16.0
Northern Section III – Sutter, 9-5, 15.2

South
Southern Section 11 – Ramona (Riverside), 8-3, 11.0
Southern Section 13 – Rancho Christian (Temecula), 8-4, 0.0

5-A Division

North
Northern Section IV – East Nicolaus (Nicolaus), 13-2, 13.3
Oakland Section – McClymonds (Oakland), 12-1, 5.3

South
Los Angeles City Section III – Hollywood (Los Angeles), 12-2, -2.3
San Diego Section 4 – La Jolla Country Day, 8-4, 11.3

6-AA Division

North
Northern Section V – Fall River (McArthur), 10-1, -6.7

North Play-In Game
Sac-Joaquin Section VII – Stone Ridge Christian (Merced), 12-2, -7.5
San Francisco – Mission (San Francisco), 9-4, -12.6

South
Central Section VI – Kennedy (Delano), 10-4, -2.5
San Diego Section 5 – Maranatha Christian (San Diego), 7-4, -14.2