Who else but the Spartans will represent the North. De La Salle has participated in each of the previous four CIF Bowl Championship Games - the only school to do so - and was the Open Division champion last year. De La Salle still has to get past California (San Ramon) in the North Coast Section Division I championship game, but the Spartans have already defeated California earlier this year (31-17) and has not lost a North Coast Section championship game, or game for that matter, since 1991.
Graphics by Bryce Escobar.
Photos captured by MaxPreps Photographers
Mission Viejo has the much tougher assignment because it must first get past Servite, the defending Division II state champion, as well as Centennial (Corona), which could be selected if it wins the Inland Division championship. Hard to pick against a Pac-5 Division champion, especially one that will be undefeated with the potential win over the Friars. Simply, the Pac-5 winner's road to a title will be considerably tougher than that of Centennial. A De La Salle-Mission Viejo matchup is appealing because it would be a rematch between two teams that faced each other during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. The Diablos won both of those tight outings, becoming one of just three teams (Don Bosco Prep and Clovis West are the other two) to defeat the Spartans twice in the past two decades. A first-ever meeting between private-school powers Servite and De La Salle would also be dreamy.
