The CIF Southern Section football playoff pairings were released on Sunday and the surprise wasn’t that undefeated Charter Oak (10-0) earned the top seed in the Division 3 playoffs, it was the Chargers’ first-round opponent.
Crespi (1-9), which went 0-6 in the Mission League and whose only win was back in August’s season opener over Sylmar, 13-0, was given an at-large berth to the playoffs because in Division 3, 16 of the 18 pool of teams make the postseason.
The two teams left out of the Division 3 playoffs were Serrano (2-8) and Buena Park (1-9). Interestingly, Serrano didn’t turn in an at-large application so it came down to Crespi or Buena Park for the last spot, and Crespi’s strength of schedule won out.
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For Charter Oak, it will take on a team that competes annually against Bishop Amat, Chaminade, Loyola and Serra in the Mission, and even though the Celts are struggling, it comes mostly against a Division 1 schedule.
Charter Oak will host Crespi in the first round on Friday at 7 p.m.
“Our division has a lot of great teams from top to bottom and the records going into the playoffs don’t mean anything,” said Charter Oak coach Lou Farrar, who is chasing his sixth championship at the school. “A lot depends on where you’re health wise, and what league you’re coming from. Our division has a lot of teams from lots of different leagues so you just go one game at a time and play it out.”
There has been some speculation that this could be Farrar’s last season, but if it is, he’s not tipping his hand.
“Every playoff opportunity is outstanding,” Farrar said. “And the latest one you’re chasing is the most important. Our guys are hungry, eager and ready to go. So am I.”
How big was Bishop Amat’s loss in the Mission League championship game on Friday to Chaminade?
The result is Bishop Amat (5-5) will be on the road in the first round of the Division 1 playoffs against third-seed St. John Bosco (8-2), the defending Division 1 and Open Division state champion. Bosco defeated power De La Salle in the state championship last year, 56-33.
St. John Bosco is a top ten ranked team nationally in several publications and finished second in the mighty Trinity League to Mater Dei, the top seed in Division 1.
Damien (6-4) tied for third in the Baseline but earned an at-large berth to the Division 4 playoffs and will be on the road at Paso Robles (5-5). If the Spartans win, they will likely get top-seed Capistrano Valley (10-0) in the second round at home.
Glendora (7-3) beat Ayala in the Palomares League finale to finish second and that earned the Tartans a Division 4 first-round home game at Citrus College against Corona Santiago (7-3).
In Division 5, Los Altos (7-3), which finished third in the Hacienda and advanced to the Division 5 championship last year and lost to Paraclete 21-14, has a tough first-round game on the road at Moorpark (8-2). Calabasas defeated Moorpark 33-21 in Friday’s Camino League championship game.
As expected, South Hills (9-1) earned the top-seed in Division 7 and drew a struggling first-round opponent in Oxnard Pacfica (2-8), which has just two wins. South Hills will host Pacifica Thursday at Covina District.
Also in Division 7 first-round games, Pomona (6-5) will host Don Lugo (8-2); Rio Hondo League champion Monrovia (6-4) will host Yorba Linda (7-3) and Diamond Ranch (7-3) will be on the road at Palmdale (7-3).
In Division 8, Valle Vista league co-champions San Dimas and Northview have tough openers. San Dimas (7-3) is home against Kaiser (7-3) and Northview (7-3) is on the road at Millikan (8-2).
Arroyo (10-0), the Division 12 champion last year, earned the second seed in Division 11 and will host Hillcrest (7-3), a team that finished in a four-way tie for first in the River Valley League. Because of a tiebreaker, Hillcrest had to enter the playoffs as a third-place team.
That could be a tougher than expected first round opponent for the Knights.
Ironically, Covina (8-2), which tied for the Valle Vista league title and lost to Arroyo during the season, has a seemingly easier first-round opponent than the Knights.
Covina will host .500 Victor Valley (5-5) in the first round, a second-place team from the Desert Sky League.
South El Monte (9-3), which finished second to Arroyo in the Mission Valley League, earned the fourth seed in Division 12 and will host El Dorado (5-5) in the first round.
Montview League champion Nogales (9-1) earned the second seed in Division 13 and will face Miramonte league runner up La Puente (6-4) in the first round. Nogales is hosting La Puente on Thursday night.
Also in Division 13, Azusa (5-5) finished second to Nogales in the Montview and will be at Prep league runner-up Rio Hondo Prep (6-3). Workman (4-6) snuck in finishing third in the Montview and will be on the road at Santa Clara (8-2).
