How many Northwest opponents does Oaks Christian need to maul?

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I don’t want to rain on Oaks Christian’s victory celebrations, but somebody has to say something about the elephant that ran across the field Friday night in the the Lions’ Northwest Division final against Nordhoff.

Why is Oaks Christian still playing in the Northwest Division? I know the question regarding the Lions’ league and division placement has been going on for years by coaches and players who’ve had the distinction of playing them on a regular basis, but Oaks Christian’s 52-7 thrashing of Nordhoff was ridiculous and it made for a crummy division final.

‘Obviously, I’m not happy about how things stand in the division,’ said Nordhoff Coach Cliff Farrar after the game. ‘[Oaks Christian] doesn’t belong in our division or league. And I think if you ask the other 14 [playoff] teams, they would agree with me.’

I know I certainly agree with Farrar on this one. In the Northwest Division playoffs this year, the average margin of victory in the 11 non-Oaks Christian playoff games was just over 13 points. The Lions beat postseason opponents by an average of more than 36 points. And during Oaks Christian’s remarkable five-year run -- it’s still a pretty darn impressive achievement -- the Lions have posted a 65-5 overall record and, in 21 postseason games, have defeated opponents by an average 38 points.

If the Lions were doing this for two or even three years, maybe we could just admit they’re a great team. However, this total domination is not likely to stop. And I know the Oaks Christian players are looking for a bigger challenge -- do you really think the Lions enjoyed pummeling Nordhoff into the ground with such commanding ease?

The Southern Section needs to figure something out so dominant programs like Oaks Christian can actually see some postseason competition. Five years of running amok in the division playoffs is too many, and I’m sure the Lions are not only itching for a new challenge but they’re probably sick and tired of guys like me reminding them how overqualified they are.

-- Austin Knoblauch

-- Image from www.maniacworld.com