Let debate begin: Centennial vs. Birmingham
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Four games into the season and it’s already time to argue who’s better to represent Southern California in the state Division I bowl game: Corona Centennial or Birmingham. If both teams continue to win, it could get interesting.
Birmingham (3-1), with victories over Long Beach Poly and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, has the best chance to go 13-1, win the City Section title and get immediate consideration. Centennial (3-0) still has to play Mater Dei, Clovis West and lots of tough teams from the Inland Empire.
The one person who could offer a legitimate opinion as to which team is better is Crespi Coach Jeremiah Ross, whose team beat Birmingham, 20-6, but lost to Centennial, 41-20.
‘I think they both have their strengths,’ he said. Asked which team he wouldn’t want to play again, Ross went back and forth again before finally saying, ‘I would go with Centennial because they have a senior quarterback.’
In truth, if Centennial goes unbeaten, it deserves the bowl berth.
But if Birmingham wins out and Centennial gets beat by Mater Dei, it would be tough not to go with Birmingham. Everyone always complains that the City Section teams play weak competition, but the Patriots took on an ambitious schedule and knocked off two of the best in the Southern Section. It’s still a long ways to go, with Birmingham facing Dorsey next week and perhaps Venice down the road, but the Patriots appear to control their own destiny.
- Eric Sondheimer