Football: Lakewood ready for first playoff test

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Lakewood will try for its fifth straight victory tonight as it hosts San Clemente in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division playoffs.

The Lancers (9-1), ranked No. 12 in the Southland by The Times, have reeled off four consecutive wins since a 27-14 setback at the hands of No. 11 Long Beach Poly on October 8. Lakewood finished runner-up to Poly in the Moore League and is coming off a 60-7 trouncing of Long Beach Wilson.

San Clemente (8-2), ranked No. 20 by The Times, finished second in the South Coast League behind No. 1 Mission Viejo, the top-seeded team in the Pac-5. The Tritons lost to Santa Ana Mater Dei, 42-14, on September 24 and to Mission Viejo, 38-24, on October 29.

The Tritons defeated Rancho Santa Margarita Tesoro, 23-6, in their regular season finale last week.

Check back for live blogging when the game starts. Kickoff is about an hour away.

-- Steve Galluzzo