Southern Section / Playoff Preview( : Some Showdowns Are Still to Be Played

With just one week remaining in the regular season, there are seven high school football games this weekend matching Southern Section teams that are undefeated in league play.

Topping the list are showdowns Friday night in the San Gabriel Valley League, Cerritos at Lynwood, and the Olympic League, Cerritos Valley Christian at Ontario Christian.

Lynwood and Cerritos are both 6-0 in league play. Lynwood’s only loss this year was to Carson, the top-ranked team in the City, 16-14. Cerritos’ official record is 7-2 but the two losses are forfeits of games won.

Valley Christian and Ontario Christian are both 6-0 in league play and 9-0 overall. Valley Christian, besides being unbeaten and untied, is almost unscored upon. In nine games, the Crusaders have outscored their opponents, 393-7.

In the other showdown games, Montebello Schurr will play Newhall Hart at Montebello High in the Foothill League, Verbum Dei will be at Playa del Rey St. Bernard in the Camino Real League, Covina South Hills and Covina will play at Covina District Stadium in the Valle Vista League, and Brawley will be at El Centro Central in the Desert Valleys League, all Friday night. Chaminade will play at St. Genevieve in the Santa Fe League Saturday night.

There are a dozen other leagues with games involving teams either tied for first or in first and second places, and besides the league titles that will be determined this weekend, 144 playoff berths are at stake.

There are nine playoff conferences made up of five leagues each. The first three teams in each league automatically qualify for the playoffs. One at-large team is then selected in each conference to fill out the 16-team bracket. First-round play will start Nov. 22.

Here is a capsule look, by league, at the playoff picture in each conference. All games are Friday night unless indicated:

BIG FIVE: ANGELUS--Anaheim Servite (3-1) vs. Santa Ana Mater Dei (3-1) at Santa Ana Bowl Thursday night and La Puente Bishop Amat (4-0) at Santa Fe Springs St. Paul (2-2) games will determine playoff teams. St. Paul is a likely at-large choice even if it losses. CITRUS BELT--Riverside Poly (6-0) will play at Fontana (5-1) with the winner guaranteed at least a share of the title with San Bernardino San Gorgonio (5-1). All three are playoff-bound. If Riverside Poly and San Gorgonio win there will be a three-way tie for the title. San Gorgonio would advance as the No. 1 team, Riverside Poly would be No. 2 and Fontana No. 3. DEL REY--Loyola (4-0) has the title won. Crespi (1-3) will be at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (2-2) and La Canada St. Francis (1-3) at Downey St. John Bosco (2-2). All four teams could tie for second. MOORE--Long Beach Millikan (3-1) will play Long Beach Poly (4-0) at Veterans Stadium for a share of the title. Lakewood (3-1) is the third qualifier. SUNSET--Huntington Beach Edison (3-1) will play Huntington Beach Marina (4-0) at Huntington Beach High Thursday night for a share of the title. Westminster (2-2) needs a victory over visiting Huntington Beach Ocean View (1-3) to be sure of a playoff spot.

SOUTHERN: CENTURY--East Tustin Foothill (6-0) will win the title and Orange El Modena (5-1) should finish second. Orange Villa Park (4-2) will play Santa Ana (4-2) at Santa Ana Bowl for the final playoff berth. EMPIRE--If Placentia El Dorado (4-2) beats Los Alamitos (5-1) at Valencia High, Garden Grove Pacifica (5-1), probably will win the title. Winner of Anaheim Loara (4-2)-Anaheim Esperanza (4-2) game at Glover Field Thursday night will share third with El Dorado if El Dorado losses. SAN GABRIEL VALLEY--Cerritos (5-0) will play at Lynwood (5-0) in title game. Paramount (4-2) is assured of third. SIERRA--Rowland Heights Rowland (2-1-1) will play Walnut (0-4) at Mt. San Antonio College Thursday night, Hacienda Heights Wilson (1-3) will be at La Puente Nogales (3-1) and West Covina (3-1) at Hacienda Heights Los Altos (2-1-1) in games to determine the three playoff teams. SOUTH COAST--Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley (4-1-1) has qualified for the playoffs and El Toro (4-2) should have no trouble advancing. Mission Viejo (3-1-1) needs a win against visiting Irvine (2-3) Thursday night to be sure of a playoff spot.

COASTAL: BAY--Santa Monica (4-1) and West Torrance (4-0-1) will qualify along with the winner of the South Torrance (3-1-1) at Redondo Beach Redondo (3-2) game. CHANNEL--Santa Barbara (5-1) has qualified. Winner of Oxnard Rio Mesa (4-2)-Ventura Buena (4-2) game at Ventura High will also advance. Ventura is the probable third qualifier. FOOTHILL--Montebello Schurr (4-0) and Newhall Hart (4-0) will play for title at Montebello High. San Gabriel (2-2) needs a win against visiting Alhambra (1-3) at East Los Angeles College to clinch the third playoff berth. MARMONTE--Simi Valley (4-1) needs a win against Westlake Village Westlake (3-2) at Thousand Oaks High to be sure of gaining at least a tie for the title with Thousand Oaks (4-1), which will play Simi Valley Royal (0-5) at Simi Valley High. Newbury Park (3-2) will play host to Camarillo (1-4) with a three-way tie for second possible. PACIFIC--Pasadena (3-1) will play Pasadena Muir (4-0) Saturday night at the Rose Bowl for a share of the title. Look for Glendale Hoover (2-2) and Arcadia (2-2) to tie for second with Pasadena.

NORTHWESTERN: CAMINO REAL--Verbum Dei (6-0) will play at Playa del Rey St. Bernard (6-0) in the title game. Visiting Long Beach St. Anthony (4-2) needs a win against Montebello Cantwell (0-6) to avoid a tie for third with Gardena Serra (3-3). GOLDEN--Lancaster Antelope Valley (3-1) will play for a share of the title at Canyon Country Canyon (4-0). Winner of the Ridgecrest Burroughs (2-2) at Palmdale (2-2) game will be the third qualifier. LOS PADRES--Lompoc Cabrillo (3-1) has clinched at least a tie for the title and will play a nonleague game at Lompoc. Both teams are 8-1. Santa Maria St. Joseph and Atascadero, both 2-1, should finish tied with Cabrillo. NORTHERN--Lompoc (4-0) is the league champion. Santa Maria (1-2) needs a win at Santa Maria Righetti (2-1) to avoid a probable tie for third with Arroyo Grande (1-2). OCEAN--Hawthorne (4-0) is assured of at share of the title and North Torrance (3-1) will finish at least second. Winner of Culver City (2-2) at Beverly Hills (2-2) game Friday afternoon will be the third qualifer.

EASTERN: BASELINE--Claremont (5-1) should tie for title with the winner of the Upland Damien (5-1) at Upland (5-1) game. Loser of that game will share third with Chino Don Lugo (4-2). IVY--Riverside Ramona (5-1) will play at Norco (6-0) for a share of the title. Riverside Arlington (5-1) is assured of the third playoff spot. RIO HONDO--Temple City (3-1) should gain at least a tie for the title. San Marino (3-1) will play Pasadena Blair (2-2) at Pasadena City College and Monrovia (2-2) at La Canada (2-2) in games to decide remaining two places. VALLE VISTA--Covina South Hills (4-0) will play Covina (4-0) at Covina District Stadium Thursday night for the title. City of Industry Workman (2-2) needs a victory at West Covina Edgewood (1-3) to finish alone in third. WHITMONT--Pico Rivera El Rancho (6-0) and Whittier La Serna (5-1) have qualified. A Whittier (3-3) win at Bell Gardens (4-2) should create a three-way tie for third with Whittier Pioneer (3-3).

CENTRAL: FREEWAY--La Habra (4-0), which will play Fullerton Sunny Hills (2-2) at Buena Park High, has already won the title. Winner of the Fullerton (2-2)-La Habra Sonora (2-2) game at La Habra High should tie for second with Anaheim Troy (2-2). GARDEN GROVE--Westminster La Quinta (4-0) has qualified and Garden Grove Bolsa Grande (3-1) should have little trouble advancing. Winner of Fountain Valley Los Amigos (2-2)-Garden Grove Santiago (2-2) game at Garden Grove High is assured of a playoff spot. ORANGE--Winner of Brea-Olinda (3-1) at Anaheim Western (3-1) game is assured of at least a tie for the title with Placentia Valencia (3-1). The loser will get at least a tie for third with Anaheim Magnolia (2-2). SEA VIEW--Newport Beach Newport Harbor (6-0) and Santa Ana Saddleback (5-1) will advance. Irvine Woodbridge (4-2) needs a least a tie against Irvine University (0-6) at Irvine High to qualify. SUBURBAN--Artesia (3-1) will travel to La Mirada (4-0) in quest of a share of the title. Bellflower (2-2) will be at Artesia Glenn (1-3), and Norwalk (2-2) at Lakewood Mayfair (0-4) in games to sort out the remaining qualifers.

SOUTHEASTERN: DESERT VALLEYS--Brawley (4-0) will play at El Centro Central (4-0) for the title. The teams met earlier in a designated nonleague game and Central won, 31-0. If Thermal Coachella Valley (1-3) wins at Indio (2-2) look for three-way tie for third with Blythe Palo Verde (2-2). HACIENDA--Diamond Bar (6-0) is in. Montclair (5-1) needs at least a tie against visiting Etiwanda (4-2) to avoid a probable three-way tie for second with Pomona Ganesha (4-2). MISSION VALLEY--El Monte Arroyo (3-1) will play at El Monte Mountain View (1-3), Rosemead (3-1) at Rosemead Keppel (2-2), and Duarte (2-2) will play El Monte (1-3) at Arroyo High. All six teams are still in playoff contention. MONTVIEW--Charter Oak (6-0) is the league champion. San Dimas (4-1) will play Azusa (3-2) at Bonita High Thursday night and Baldwin Park (3-2) will meet Covina Gladstone (2-3) at Citrus College to sort out the remaining playoff teams. SAN ANDREAS--Riverside Norte Vista (4-2) will play Riverside La Sierra (5-1) for a share of the championship. Apple Valley (4-2) needs at least a tie against visiting Victorville Victor Valley (2-4) to be sure of qualifying. Winner of San Bernardino Cajon (3-3) at San Bernardino (3-3) game could get a share of third place.

DESERT-MOUNTAIN: FRONTIER--Calabasas (2-2) will be at Oxnard Santa Clara (4-0), and Agoura (3-1) at Ojai Nordhoff (2-2) in games to determine playoff teams. PIONEER--Harvard (3-1) and Leuzinger (3-1) should share the title with Inglewood Morningside (3-1) if Morningside can defeat visiting Rancho Palos Verdes Miraleste (2-2). SANTA FE--Chaminade (4-0) will play at St. Genevieve (4-0) for the title Saturday night. Burbank Bell-Jeff (2-2) needs a win at Cathedral (1-3) Saturday afternoon to gain the final playoff berth. SUNKIST--Lake Elsinore Elsinore (4-0) is in. Yucaipa (3-1) is at Bloomington (2-2) and Riverside Notre Dame (2-2) is at Lake Arrowhead Rim of the World (0-4) in games to determine remaining two qualifers. TRI VALLEY--Carpinteria (3-1) will play visiting Santa Ynez (4-0) for a share of the title. The third qualifer will be the winner of the Moorpark (2-2) at Ventura St. Bonaventure (2-2) game Saturday night.

INLAND: ALPHA--LA Lutheran (4-1) will play at Montclair Prep (5-0) Saturday night for a share of the title. Winner of the Pasadena Marshall Fundamental (2-3) at La Verne Lutheran (2-3) game Saturday afternoon will tie for third with Covina Western Christian (3-3). DE ANZA--Beaumont (5-0) will be at San Bernardino Aquinas (4-1-1) in a key game. Big Bear (4-1-1) and San Jacinto (4-1) should both win. DESERT INYO LARGE--Lancaster Paraclete (4-0) has qualified. Edwards Air Force Base Desert (2-2) needs a win at Tehachapi (3-1) to remain in the playoff picture. Bishop (2-2) is a probable winner. DESERT INYO SMALL--Rosamond (3-0) is in and Trona (2-1) is virtually assured of at least second place. Mammoth (2-2) is the probable third qualifer. OLYMPIC--Cerritos Valley Christian (6-0) will play at Ontario Christian (6-0) in the title game. Paramount Brethren (3-3) will be at Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley Christian (0-6), and Sierra Madre Maranatha (3-3) at Covina Western Christian (2-4) in games to determine the third qualifer.