La Serna routs Corona del Mar for Division 4 title: CIF Southern Section live football championship roundup (11/24/2023)
Seven of the 14 CIF Southern Section football championships were decided on Friday, and the other seven are yet to be played on Saturday.
Here's a quick look at the seven CIFSS title games from Friday night – Divisions 1, 4, 8, 9, 11, 13, and 14. Check back on Saturday night and Sunday as we update the roundup with Saturday's results and more of the sights and sounds from championship weekend.
DIVISION 1: MATER DEI 35, ST. JOHN BOSCO 7
No comebacks. No last-second score. No walk-off moment. No heroic drive. No goal line stand. None of that.
Instead, the fall was filled with dominating performances — one from each side.
Mater Dei won the one that mattered at the LA Memorial Coliseum when it beat St. John Bosco 35-7 in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 final in front of 11,622 Friday night.
“It feels outstanding,” Mater Dei coach Frank McManus said from the championship podium after the game. “We had a great week of preparation. We came out with a great game plan.”
See rest of story and photo gallery on links below:
DIVISION 2: Mission Viejo vs. Servite (Sat.)
DIVISION 3: St. Bonaventure vs. Warren (Sat.)
DIVISION 4: La Serna 49, Corona del Mar 29
La Serna stormed its way to a Division 4 championship in a game that was much more lopsided than the final score would indicate.
Lancers running back Owen George ran for 174 yards and four touchdowns, with all four touchdowns coming in the first half, after which they led 35-9. CJ Ceron threw a touchdown pass and ran for a touchdown from nearly midfield to put the game away in the fourth quarter.
DIVISION 5: Newbury Park vs. Orange Vista (Sat.)
DIVISION 6: Simi Valley vs. Mira Costa (Sat.)
DIVISION 7: Mayfair vs. El Dorado (Sat.)
DIVISION 8: Jurupa Hills 21, Charter Oak 14
While this game was a tale of two halves, the team that won the first half – Jurupa Hills – managed to hang on for dear life and beat Charter Oak 21-14 for a Division 8 championship.
After two rushing touchdowns from Damien Ortiz, Jurupa Hills scored its third and final touchdown about halfway through the second quarter on a Michael Ephraim scoop-and-score. That was all the Spartans would get, but it was all they needed, as it put them up 21-0. When Charter Oak came roaring back in the second half, it was Ephraim who made another game-winning play, picking off the Chargers in the end zone up one score with 22 seconds left to effectively end the game.
DIVISION 9: Rio Hondo Prep 29, Santa Monica 27
With an enrollment of roughly 100 students, Rio Hondo Prep took down Santa Monica High School – with a student body nearly 30 times larger – in instant classic for a D9 title. Running back Ryan Penunuri led the Kares with a 171 yards rushing.
DIVISION 10: West Covina vs. Torrance
DIVISION 11: Ramona 38, Riverside Poly 17
A couple of familiar foes met in the Riverside-themed Division 11 title game. Ramona picked up its second win of the year over Riverside Poly, winning 38-17 after defeating the Bears 35-28 on Sep. 15.
DIVISION 12: Cerritos vs. Yucca Valley (Sat.)
DIVISION 13: St. Monica 28, Walnut 21
In what might've been the best game of Friday night, St. Monica held for four downs at its own one-yard line following a muffed punt to hold off Walnut in Division 13.
DIVISION 14: Bell Gardens 27, Lynwood 14
Sophomore running back Daniel Tovar was the star of the Division 14 finals, running for 195 yards, all four of Bell Gardens' touchdowns, and a two-point conversion in a 27-14 win over Lynwood. Bell Gardens led by just one score with three minutes left until Isaiah Flores recorded an interception and Tovar punched in the dagger.
– Lance Smith | lance@scorebooklive.com | @sbliveca
