Saddleback-Bolsa Grande Get Head Start in Playoffs

Saddleback High School will get a 24-hour head start on the 25 Orange County schools participating in the Southern Section playoffs when the Roadrunners play host to Bolsa Grande on Thursday night in Santa Ana Stadium.

Saddleback, co-champion of the Sea View League, was seeded second in the Central Conference playoffs. Newport Harbor shared the league title with Saddleback and was seeded No. 1. The Sailors play host to Magnolia Friday night on Davidson Field.

Foothill and El Modena, the champion and runner-up of the Century League, were seeded second and fourth in the Southern Conference. The schools have won three of the past four conference titles. El Modena plays Paramount in Fred Kelly Stadium, and Foothill faces Esperanza on Tustin’s Northrup Field Friday night.

Edison, winners of two Big Five Conference titles, is the only county team seeded in the large school division. The Chargers are No. 3 and open play Friday night against Alemany in Costa Mesa’s LeBard Stadium.

The county playoff schedule, with all games beginning at 7:30:

Big Five Conference: Marina (6-3-1) at San Gorgonio (7-3), Alemany (7-3) vs. Edison (8-2) in LeBard Stadium, Servite (8-2) at Long Beach Millikan (5-4), Westminster (6-4) vs. Riverside Poly (10-0) at UC Riverside and St. John Bosco (5-5) vs. Mater Dei (7-3) in Santa Ana Stadium.

Southern Conference: Santa Ana (6-4) at Lynwood (9-1), Rowland (7-2-1) vs. Pacifica (7-3) in Bolsa Grande Stadium, Los Altos (7-2-1) at Capistrano Valley (8-1-1), Paramount (7-3) vs. El Modena (9-1) in Fred Kelly Stadium, West Covina (7-2) vs. El Toro (7-3) in Mission Viejo Stadium, Los Alamitos (9-1) vs. Cerritos (7-3) in Hanford Rants Stadium, Mission Viejo (8-1-1) at Nogales (8-2) and Esperanza (5-5) vs. Foothill (8-2) on Northrup Field.

Central Conference: Magnolia (7-3) vs. Newport Harbor (8-2) on Davidson Field, La Mirada (8-2) vs. Troy (6-4) in Fullerton District Stadium, Sonora (4-6) vs. Western (7-2-1) in Handel Stadium, Woodbridge (6-3-1) vs. La Quinta (8-2) in Garden Grove Stadium, Brea-Olinda (5-5) at La Habra (8-2), Los Amigos (5-4-1) at Artesia (7-3), Norwalk (5-4-1) vs. Valencia (8-2) in Bradford Stadium and Bolsa Grande (6-4) vs. Saddleback (9-1) in Santa Ana Stadium, Thursday night.