City Prep Football / Playoff Preview : Granada Hills, San Fernando in Deciding Game

Granada Hills will play at San Fernando Friday night in a Valley League high school football game matching the only two undefeated league teams in the City Section.

Each team has a 3-0 league record. Granada Hills, The Times’ No. 3-ranked team, is 8-0 overall and San Fernando, ranked No. 5, is 6-2.

Despite San Fernando’s two early nonleague losses to San Pedro, 9-3, and, Carson, 20-9, San Fernando appears to have a slight advantage over Granada Hills.

Against three common league opponents San Fernando has outscored its opposition, 98-7, compared to Granada Hills’ 75-21 advantage.

Two other league games Friday night involving first- and second-place teams are Carson (4-0) vs. Dorsey (3-1) at Jackie Robinson Stadium in the Pacific League and Fairfax (4-0) at Palisades (3-1) in the Crosstown League.

With just one week remaining in the regular season, most teams are still in contention for playoff spots.

In the 4-A Division, the first four teams in the Pacific and Valley Leagues qualify for first-round play beginning Nov. 22.

In the 3-A and 2-A Divisions, each made up of three leagues, the first two finishers in each league automatically qualify. Two at-large teams will be named in each division to fill out the eight-team brackets.

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

4-A DIVISION: PACIFIC--Carson (4-0) will play Dorsey (3-1) at Jackie Robinson Stadium, and Banning (3-1) is at Gardena (2-2) in games to determine final placings of the four playoff teams. VALLEY--Granada Hills (3-0) will play at San Fernando (3-0) in the league title-decider. A Cleveland (0-3) win at Kennedy (1-2) would create a three-way time for third with El Camino Real (1-3).

3-A DIVISION: CROSSTOWN--Fairfax (4-0) needs a win at Palisades (3-1) to win the league title outright. Manual Arts (2-2) needs only a tie against visiting Jordan (0-4) Friday afternoon to finish third. FREEWAY--San Pedro (4-0) and the winner of the Locke (3-1) at Franklin (3-1) game Friday afternoon will qualify for the playoffs. SUNSET--Chatsworth (4-0) has qualified and Canoga Park (3-1) needs only a tie against visiting Birmingham (1-3) to advance. A Taft (2-2) win against visiting Van Nuys (0-4) probably will give Taft an at-large berth, barring a Monroe (2-2) upset of Chatsworth.

2-A DIVISION: EASTERN--Bell (4-0) and the winner of the Huntington Park (3-1) at Roosevelt (2-1-1) game will qualify for the playoffs. Jefferson (1-2-1) could share third with Roosevelt. NORTHERN--Lincoln (4-0) has qualified for the playoffs and will be at Marshall (2-1-1) Friday afternoon. Hollywood (1-2-1) will play Vergudo Hills (2-2) at Poly, and Eagle Rock (0-4) will be at Belmont (2-2) with only Eagle Rock out of the playoff picture. PAC 8--Venice (6-0) is in. Westchester (5-1) will play at University (4-2) Friday afternoon, with both teams assured of a playoff berths.