CIF Southern Section football playoffs; Top 10 openers to watch

Check out the 10 best matchups in the opening round of the playoffs Friday night

Author:
Tarek Fattal, SBLive Sports
Publish date:
Oct 30, 2023 11:02 PM EDT

The CIF Southern Section high school football playoffs are here. The first round of action begins Friday (Nov. 3) in Divisions 2 through 14.

The Division 1 playoffs begin Nov. 10.

Here are the Top 10 most compelling matchups in the opening round of the playoffs.

Upland at Los Alamitos, D2

Upland (8-2) made noise at the end of the regular season when it knocked off Rancho Cucamonga to earn a share of the Baseline League title. The Scots have 18 takeaways this season, 13 of which are interceptions. Senior QB Noah Sandoval and senior RB Trent Dailey (13 TDs) lead the offense.

Los Alamitos' (8-2) only losses are to Servite and Mission Viejo. The Griffins, led by junior QB Alonzo Esparza and RB Anthony League, have won five straight heading into the postseason.

Valencia at Servite, D2

The Vikings (9-1) are on the road with breakout QB Jackson Askins, who's tallied 22 total TDs this season (17 passing). Valencia's only loss is to Rancho Cucamonga, 22-20.

Servite (5-5) is a much-improved squad from the Trinity League which also lost to Rancho Cucamonga this season, by a score of 34-31.

Valencia coach Larry Muir has been at the helm since 2005. Servite head coach Chris Reinert is in his first year.

Bishop Amat at Gardena Serra, D2

It's a Mission League rematch.

Serra (7-3) beat Amat (4-6) 48-28 earlier this season in La Puente, but this game is in Gardena.

Bishop Amat earned a third-place spot out of the Mission League by going 3-2, including a Week 10 win over Notre Dame to earn an automatic playoff berth.

Serra is loaded with talent, led by standout wide receiver Zacharyus Williams and RB Cincere Rhaney. The Cavs' only losses are to Orange Lutheran, Sierra Canyon and Long Beach Poly.

Mission Viejo vs Long Beach Poly September 1, 2023 Photo-Heston Quan24

Inglewood at Chaminade, D3

This is a 2022 Division 2 semifinal rematch that Inglewood won 41-38 in overtime.

Inglewood (7-2) has been sliding under the radar this season after getting to the CIF-SS Division 2 final last year. The Sentinels are now in Division 3 with a real chance to make noise with senior QB Damon Wrighster and go-to wideout Terrell Bradshaw. Junior Venilaite Wolfgramm leads Inglewood with 123 tackles.

Chaminade (5-5) is led by QB Seth Shigg, who has nine TD passes and seven rushing TDs.

St. Francis at San Juan Hills, D3

St. Francis (8-2) is led by dual-threat QB John Sanders, who has 20 TD passes and eight rushing TDs this season. Senior Preston Jernegan is a great two-way player for the Golden Knights - the team's leading receiver and second-best tackler.

San Juan Hills (9-1) is the No. 1 seed in Division 3 for a reason. Sophomore QB Timmy Herr, senior running back Sullivan Land and wideout Jason Robinson Jr. make up a core of the offense that's scoring 37 points per game.

Moorpark at Yorba Linda, D4

Moorpark (9-1) has had one of the best two-year turnarounds you'll ever see. In 2021, the Musketeers went 1-9, last year they went 6-4, and now they're 9-1 heading into the post season thanks to the great play of running back Luke Cochran, who's ran for 1,317 yards and 26 TDs.

Yorba Linda (7-3) has junior QB Holden Nagin and running back Chase Jones. Nagin has tossed for 22 TDs and thrown just four INTs. Jones has 18 rushing TDs.

Northview at Bonita, D5

Northview (8-2) gets into the playoffs by way of an at-large berth after faltering at the end of the season to Diamond Ranch, which put the Vikings into a three-way tie for first place in the four-team Valle Vista League. The tie-breaking coin flip put Northview in third place.

Now, they have to take on Bonita (8-2) for a second time this season. Northview beat Bonita on the road 14-13 on Sept. 28.

Bonita is 4-1 at home. Northview is 4-1 on the road. Something has to t give.

Long Beach Jordan at Chino High, D7

LB Jordan (7-3) could be dangerous down in Division 7. The Panthers are lead by junior QB Jarret Nielsen, who’s up to 3,126 yards passing and 27 TDs — averaging 312 yards per game with his arm. Jordan has three wideouts with over 600 yards receiving.

Chino (10-0) was in Division 11 last year and in Division 9 in 2021. Going up to Division 7 is a big leap up for the Cowboys. Don’t be surprised if the No. 1 team in the Division goes down.

Charter Oak at North Torrance, D8

All eyes will be on Charter Oak (2-8) in Division 8. The Chargers were waiting on pins and needles waiting to hear their name called on Sunday’s Bracket Breakdown — and it did. There’s a feeling that Charter Oak played such a tough schedule, there might not be anything in the Division it hasn’t seen before.

North Torrance (7-3) went 5-0 in the Pioneer League and has a freshman at QB in Boogie Anetema, who’s tossed 22 TDs this season.

Miller at Grace Brethren, D13

The best story in Division 13 is Grace Brethren (7-3). The Lancers were a powerhouse for years before it all seemingly disappeared over night after the 2019 season. The program had to restart as an 8-man program for two seasons before turning to 11-man in 2023.

In the first year back, and navigating a freelance schedule, Grace Brethren has earned its way back into the postseason with half a team that’s never played tackle football, let alone 11-man football.