Southern and LA City sections begin football playoffs

After 11 weeks of regular season play, the Southern and Los Angeles City sections finally get down to the business of crowning a champion. Believe it or not, we're only two-thirds of the way through the season. It's another five weeks before we know the winner of the State Bowl Championship.

All teams are looking to win the division title first, but there would appear to be bowl bids in the air for some of these teams, notably Centennial in the Inland Division and an undefeated champion from the Pac-5 Division. Those two divisions, along with the Northern and City Division I champions, will be among those considered for the Division I Bowl championship Dec. 17-18 at the Home Depot Center. The best team in the South – and it could be Serra-Gardena from the Western Division (which is eligible for the Division II State Bowl) – will get an opportunity to play for the marquee Open Bowl Championship pitting the top representatives from the North and South.

Right now, Centennial-Corona is the No. 1 team in the state (and No. 2 in the nation) according to the Freeman Ratings. But if you're looking for an unofficial state playoff, the Pac-5 Division, with eight of the state's top 20 teams – including No. 2 Mission Viejo, No. 4 Servite (Anaheim), No. 7 Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita) and No. 8 Alemany (Mission Hills) – is a good place to start.

Click here to view MaxPreps' California football playoff brackets.

Here is a look at the Southland's top divisions.

PAC-5 DIVISION
Defending champion: Servite, a 16-6 winner over Edison
Seeded teams: 1. Mission Viejo (10-0), 2. Servite (10-0), 3. Alemany (10-0), 4. Bishop Amat (La Puente) (9-1)
The second group: 8. Santa Margarita (9-1), 7. Los Alamitos (7-3), 6. Lakewood (9-1), 5. Long Beach Poly (8-2)
At large selection: None
Dark horse: Santa Margarita, which outgained Servite but lost by a touchdown, 17-10, with all its offensive firepower including quarterback Adam Young, wide receiver Logan Sweet and running back Cory Thomson, is well-equipped to play with Mission Viejo in the second round. However, if you want to go with a longshot deep in the bracket, look at San Clemente (8-2), which has a balanced passing and running game and is coming through the No. 3 hole. It won't be easy – the Tritons play at Lakewood in the first round – but they won't see Servite's defense until the semifinals. With athletic quarterback Travis Wilson, San Clemente might have enough offense to outscore their more highly regarded opponents, even Servite.
Noteworthy: Since the formation of the Trinity League in 2006, Mission Viejo is winless in three playoff games against Trinity opponents, including last season when the second-seeded Diablos were beaten in the semifinals by third-seeded Servite, 19-18.
Best first-round game: The state's best division features several outstanding games, including Edison-Santa Margarita, San Clemente-Lakewood, and Los Alamitos-Crespi, but how about the contest between old warhorses Mater Dei (Santa Ana) (6-4) vs. Long Beach Poly at Veterans Stadium. There was a time when that game would be the best game in the entire state. Neither carries the same reputation as it did in the 1990s — they played each other for the section title from 1997-99 — but if wide receiver Victor Blackwell can suit up after reinjuring his shoulder last week, this has the chance to be another terrific meeting between these longtime Southland powers.
Prediction: These teams seem to have been on a collision course all season, so why choose anything different — though both will get at least one serious challenge en route to the finals. Mission Viejo, led by two-way standout Tre Madden, has the best offense in the division and will generate a lot of style points with one-sided victories in the first and semifinal rounds. However, Servite – which has the best defense and special teams in the division – will show once again that it's not the margin of the victory that counts, just the victory.

INLAND DIVISION
Defending champion: Chaparral (Temecula), a 13-7 winner over Vista Murrieta
Seeded teams: 1. Centennial (Corona) (10-0), 2. Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) (9-1), 3. Rancho Cucamonga (9-1), 4. Chino Hills (8-2)
The second group: 8. Upland (7-3), 7. Redlands (7-2-1), 6. Roosevelt (Corona) (8-2), 5. Redlands East Valley (Redlands) (8-2)
At large selection: None
Dark horse: Norco (8-2) finished third in the Big VIII League, and is on the opposite half of the bracket as rival Centennial. Both of the Cougars' losses came without tight end Joshua Long, who was injured in the third game against Upland. If Norco can beat Upland 35-21 and Crenshaw 25-21, it can probably beat Redlands (7-2-1) in the first round, and that could make for a riveting second-round game in which Murrieta Valley will have to earn its money. Last season they played in the semifinals and Vista Murrieta won 34-33.
Noteworthy: Last year's title game between Southwestern rivals Chaparral and Vista Murrieta was the first since 2001 in which Centennial or Norco weren't in the finals. Since 2000, Centennial is undefeated in five championship games, Norco is 2-2. Riverside North also won two titles in the '00s but is no longer in the division.
Best first-round game: Chaparral (4-6) began the season as one of the most highly ranked teams in the state, but a killer nonleague schedule (Oceanside, Servite, Centennial) inflated the loss column and things never panned out for the Pumas the way they hoped. Still, there is talent there and if they learned from their losses they might have something for Upland (7-3), last season's champion from the Central Division.
Prediction: The things that would have to happen for Centennial to not win this championship seem too far-fetched to happen. The Huskies' closest game this season was a 44-13 victory over Mater Dei. Mater Dei. And in that game, Mater Dei scored twice late in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Michael Eubank and running back Barrinton Collins are poised to run right to the Home Depot Center. The only question: Open or Division I?

NORTHERN DIVISION
Defending champion: Westlake (Westlake Village), a 14-10 winner over Moorpark
Seeded teams: 1. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) (8-2), 2. St. Bonaventure (Ventura) (9-1), 3. Westlake (9-1), 4. Valencia (9-1)
The second group: 8. Quartz Hill (8-2), 7. Canyon (Canyon Country) (9-1), 6. Palos Verdes (Palos Verdes Estates) (9-1), 5. Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach) (7-3)
At large selection: Saugus (5-5)
Dark horse: The collective record of the teams that beat Moorpark (5-5) is 43-7, and four of those losses were decided by seven points or less, three by three points or less. The only team to rip the Musketeers was Westlake (31-0) and the Warriors are on the opposite side of the bracket. If it can beat Mira Costa in the first round, Moorpark would host fourth-seeded Valencia in the second.
Noteworthy: The two teams that should be finalists, Westlake and St. Bonaventure, could meet in the semifinals because the team considered the third-best in the Marmonte League, Oaks Christian, won the coin flip to break the three-way tie for first place. St. Bonny beat Westlake 32-31 in two overtimes, Westlake beat Oaks Christian 31-12, and Oaks Christian beat St. Bonny 33-32 in overtime. We thought Quarterback Nick Isham would get a chance to lead Westlake to a second consecutive championship: if he wins in the semifinal it will probably happen.
Best first-round game: Moorpark and Mira Costa features the depth of the Marmonte League – Moorpark is the fifth-place representative – against the first-place team from the Bay League. A lot of Bay League pride is on the line in that one.
Prediction: St. Bonaventure had the division's best body or work, which included a victory over Long Beach Poly in the season opener and Westlake in Game 9. The one time that St. Bonny stubbed its toe against Oaks Christian, it came the week after St. Bonny had played Long Beach Poly. One might have affected the other, and a rematch in the finals would be pure gold. But that semifinal between St. Bonny and Westlake will be pure platinum.  

CITY SECTION DIVISION I
Defending champion: Crenshaw (Los Angeles), a 34-14 winner over Narbonne
Seeded teams: 1. Carson (8-2), 2. Crenshaw (8-2), 3. Venice (Los Angeles) (6-4), 4. Dorsey (Los Angeles) (9-1)
The second group: 8. Garfield (Los Angeles) (6-4), 7. Narbonne (Harbor City) (5-5), 6. San Pedro (San Pedro) (7-3), 5. Taft (Woodland Hills) (7-3)
Dark horse: Among its five losses, Narbonne lost by four points or less to Long Beach Poly, Mira Costa, Carson and San Pedro. A play here and there and coach Manual Douglas' team might be the division's No. 1 team. A potential second-round game against Crenshaw will be huge.
Noteworthy: Before the season began, it was a foregone conclusion that Crenshaw would win the championship. The Cougars still have the best player in De'anthony Thomas, but they've won only two games against teams with winning records, Culver City (6-4) and Dorsey.
Best first-round game: Westchester (Los Angeles) (6-4) at San Pedro pits the No. 2 team from the Western League against the second-place team from the Marine League. It probably gets decided by a touchdown for the opportunity to face Venice.
Prediction: Carson put together a schedule that indicated it wanted to be considered for the State Bowl. The Colts beat Mater Dei and played Mission Viejo and Santa Margarita. They aren't going to play better teams in the division, they have speed and they're physical.