San Diego Section football: Breaking down the 2023 playoff brackets
Here's an overview of the CIF San Diego Section football playoffs (Division 1 through Division 4) that get started on Friday across San Diego.
DIVISION 1 PLAYOFFS (Bracket)
SLEEPER PICK
Seven-seed San Marcos has heated up down the stretch, winning five in a row as they enter the postseason. The Knights captured the Palomar League title with a dominant defensive effort over Del Norte last week and will start their run by hosting Poway. San Marcos welcomed back quarterback Kreet Makihele from injury two weeks ago after he missed more than a month and boast a defense that averages more that four sacks per game.
BEST FIRST ROUND GAME
(9) Madison at (8) Mater Dei Catholic
The Warhawks and Crusaders and will face off for only the third time since 2007 with each of the previous two coming in the postseason. For the second straight season, Mater Dei Catholic enters the playoffs on a long winning streak following a winless stretch to the season. The reigning Division 1 champions will be looking for their third straight CIF championship.
Madison closed out the regular season with a shutout of University City following a stretch of six losses in seven games. The Warhawks, who played in the Open Division playoffs last season, will begin the bracket looking for their CIF title since 2016.
CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION
(1) Torrey Pines over (7) San Marcos
The Falcons have been one of the section's best stories this season, winning seven of their final eight games after an 0-2 start. Torrey Pines has showcased a defense that held both Carlsbad and Mission Hills to their season low point totals. They finished off a 27-17 win over rival La Costa Canyon last week to secure second place in the Avocado League and will be looking for their first CIF title since 2003.
DIVISION 2 PLAYOFFS (Bracket)
SLEEPER PICK
Five-seed Point Loma has been one of the section's better rushing teams this season, averaging more than 220 yards per game on the ground. Few teams in the postseason have a player like Point Loma senior Brady Allen who is a top contributor on both sides of the ball. He's tossed 13 touchdown passes, rushed for eight touchdowns, caught two touchdowns and also has four interceptions on defense. Two of the Pointers losses this season came against teams in this bracket, La Jolla and Rancho Bernardo, while their other two losses were against Division 1 playoff teams Mater Dei Catholic and Madison.
BEST FIRST ROUND GAME
(10) Brawley vs. (7) Bishop's at La Jolla HS
Brawley and Bishop's will matchup on Friday for the first time on a football field. The Knights closed out their league title last week with a shutout against Santa Fe Christian while the Wildcats fell short in the Imperial Valley League, losing to Central 14-7. Both teams average more than 30 points per game with the Knights often choosing to attack through the air via the arm of sophomore quarterback Cash Herrera. He's connected with junior receiver Ian Browne 55 times with 13 resulting in touchdowns.
The Wildcats feature a balanced attack led by junior quarterback Matthew Gutierrez. He's tossed 24 touchdowns and has scored eight times on the ground while junior Matthew Moreno is one of three players to carry the ball more than 50 times this season. He leads with an average of over eight yards per carry.
CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION
(3) La Jolla over (1) Del Norte
Since losing to Rancho Bernardo in the fourth week of the season, La Jolla has not lost. The Vikings have found a rhythm offensively, resulting in them putting 45 points ore more on the board in five straight games. A possible semifinal game would give the Vikings a rematch against the Broncos on their quest to reach the CIF championship for the third time since 2019.
DIVISION 3 PLAYOFFS (Bracket)
SLEEPER PICK
Six-seed La Jolla Country Day won seven games during the regular season with a huge year from Navy commit Jaden Mangini. He tossed 15 touchdowns and scored 12 times on the ground for the third place finishers in the Coastal League. The Torreys will open their playoff run against Morse before a possible trip to face a West Hills team that has surpassed the 14-point mark three times this season.
BEST FIRST ROUND GAME
(10) Valley Center at (7) Imperial
Valley Center and Imperial will face off on Friday just over a month after the two teams played a 25-22 overtime game. The Tigers won that game at home, helping them secure another home game in the rematch. Valley Center proceeded to win four straight after the loss to Imperial, finishing in a three-way tie for first place in the Valley League.
CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION
(1) Mission Bay over (2) Fallbrook
Mission Bay has continued their upward trajectory in season four under head coach Greg Tate. The top-seeded Buccaneers dropped two straight games to close out the regular season but now have a bye week to regroup. They'll be looking for their first CIF title since 2009 and could have the chance to do it against a Fallbrook team that eliminated them in 2022.
DIVISION 4 PLAYOFFS (Bracket)
SLEEPER PICK
Six-seed Bonita Vista opened the season 4-1 before alternating wins and losses over their final five games. The Barons have leaned on a dominant rushing attack led by senior Caden Ada-Tannehill. He's seven yards away from the 1,000-yard mark to open the postseason and has the ability to lead the Barons past Coronado and beyond.
BEST FIRST ROUND GAME
The Cougars and Bulldogs enter Friday's matchup having combined to lose 11 of their past 12 games. Calexico featured an efficient offense early in the season during their 4-0 start but have managed more than 14 points just once over their past six games. Escondido has also struggled offensively in the second half of the season, though their experience having taken on playoff teams in higher divisions should pay off in both the short term and long term.
CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION
(1) Mount Miguel over (3) Westview
Outside of a hiccup against Bishop's midseason, Mount Miguel has been amongst the most dominant teams on both sides of the ball this season. The Matadors, under first year head coach Verlain Betofe, are averaging 45 points per game and have posted four shutouts. Expect Mount Miguel to make their way through the bracket for their first CIF title since 1960.
(Feature photo by Steven Silva)
-- Bodie De Silva | bodie@scorebooklive.com | @sbliveca
