City Section playoffs: Week 1 thoughts

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Now that I ‘ve had some time to digest the City playoff seedings, the following thoughts occurred to me:

Biggest mismatch: Whoever plays Birmingham (9-1) in the first two rounds. I’m not sure what’s more impressive, the Patriot’s offense that averaged 40.1 points a game or the Patriot’s defense, featuring defensive end Marquis Johnson pictured left making a tackle against Notre Dame, that has given up only 32 points in its last six games. Kennedy (4-6) gets first crack.

Biggest chip on its shoulder: Narbonne. The Gauchos (9-1) clearly expected higher than a fifth seed. ‘We got screwed. And you can print that,’ Coach Manuel Douglas said after the seeding meeting. Chatsworth (6-4), the 12th seed, will be the first team to feel Narbonne’s wrath -- or pop a balloon of bluster.

Most intriguing opener: Dorsey (7-3) vs. San Pedro (7-3). These traditional powers normally wouldn’t expect to meet until a semifinal or final. But injuries to both teams and, in San Pedro’s case, the tragic shooting death of defensive end Laterian Tasby, have brought them down a notch and has set up a meeting in the first round on Thursday.

First round picks: I like Birmingham, Taft (7-3), Narbonne, Crenshaw (6-4), Venice (9-1), Dorsey, Banning (8-2) and Carson (8-2) to win Thursday and advance to the Nov. 21 quarterfinals.

The City Championship Division’s first-round pairings:

No. 16 Kennedy at No. 1 Birmingham
No. 9 Taft at No. 8 Jordan
No. 13 Sylmar at No. 4 Crenshaw
No. 12 Chatsworth at No. 5 Narbonne
No. 11 San Pedro at No. 6 Dorsey
No. 14 Locke at No. 3 Venice
No. 10 San Fernando at No. 7 Banning
No. 15 Westchester at No. 2 Carson

-- Mike Terry