Southern Section Football : Many League Titles, Playoff Spots at Stake This Weekend

With one week remaining in the regular season, 73 of 144 playoff berths remain unfilled in the nine Southern Section 11-man football conferences. Nearly 200 of 335 teams playing this weekend still have chances to make the playoffs, beginning Nov. 21.

In the eight conferences made up of five leagues, the first three teams in each league automatically qualify. In the ninth conference, the six-league Inland, the first two teams from each league are assured playoff spots.

One at-large team is also named in each conference, except the Inland, where four are picked, to fill out the 16-team brackets.

Playoff berths will not be the only focal point this weekend, however. There also are five games in which both teams are undefeated in league play.

Friday night, La Puente Bishop Amat, The Times’ No. 1-ranked team, plays host to Santa Fe Springs St. Paul in the Angelus League; Long Beach Poly is at Long Beach Millikan in the Moore League, Westminster La Quinta plays Garden Grove Bolsa Grande at Garden Grove High in the Garden Grove League , and Ontario Christian is at Cerritos Valley Christian in the Olympic League.

Saturday afternoon, Pasadena Muir and Pasadena will play at the Rose Bowl in the Pacific League title game.

Here is a capsule look at each conference, by league. Games are Friday night unless indicated:

BIG FIVE CONFERENCE: ANGELUS--St. Paul (4-0) plays at Bishop Amat (4-0) for the title. Santa Ana Mater Dei (2-2) meets Anaheim Servite (2-2) tonight at Santa Ana Stadium for third place. CITRUS BELT--Fontana (6-0), Colton (5-1) and Rialto Eisenhower (5-1) have already qualified for the playoffs. Eisenhower is at Colton. DEL REY--Bellflower St. John Bosco (4-0) and Encino Crespi (3-1) are playoff-bound. Loyola needs a win at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (0-4) to clinch the third playoff spot. MOORE--Long Beach Poly (4-0) plays at Millikan (4-0) for the title. Long Beach Jordan (2-2) needs at least a tie against visiting Compton (0-4) to advance. SUNSET--Only Huntington Beach Ocean View (0-4) is out of the playoff picture. Huntington Beach Edison (3-1) plays Huntington Beach (1-3) at Orange Coast College tonight. Westminster (2-2) meets Ocean View at Huntington Beach High and Huntington Beach Marina (4-0) is at Fountain Valley (2-2).

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE: CENTURY--Santa Ana (4-0) has qualified for the playoffs. If Orange El Modena (2-2) upsets Tustin Foothill (3-1) at Tustin High, look for a three-way tie for second with Anaheim Canyon (2-2), which plays Villa Park (0-4) at El Modena High. EMPIRE--Anaheim Loara (5-0-1), Los Alamitos (5-1) and Anaheim Esperanza (4-1-1) will all advance. OCEAN--Beverly Hills (3-0-1) and Santa Monica (3-0-1) are in. Hawthorne (3-1) needs at least a tie at Santa Monica to avoid a possible tie for third with Culver City (2-2), which plays host to Beverly Hills. SAN GABRIEL VALLEY--A win by Lynwood (4-0-1) at Paramount (5-0), will earn the Knights their sixth straight league title. Compton Dominguez (3-1-2) is the third qualifier. SOUTH COAST--El Toro (4-0) needs a win at Mission Viejo (3-1) to win title outright. Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley (3-1) is the third qualifier.

COASTAL CONFERENCE: BAY--Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills and South Torrance, all 3-1, have clinched playoff berths. CHANNEL--Oxnard (6-0) and Ventura (4-1-1) are playoff-bound. Goleta Dos Pueblos (3-2-1) needs a win against Oxnard Rio Mesa (2-4) at San Marcos High to beat out Santa Barbara (3-3), which plays host to Santa Barbara San Marcos (2-4). GOLDEN--Lancaster Antelope Valley (4-0), Canyon Country Canyon (3-1) and Palmdale (3-1) have all qualified. Palmdale is at Canyon. MARMONTE--Thousand Oaks (5-0) is in and plays host to Camarillo (3-2) tonight. Other games to determine remaining two playoff berths: Simi Valley (0-5) vs. Oxnard Channel Islands (3-1-1) at Hueneme High on Saturday night and Westlake Village Westlake (3-2) vs. Newbury Park (2-2-1) at Thousand Oaks High. PACIFIC--Muir (4-0) and Pasadena (4-0) play at the Rose Bowl Saturday for the title. Arcadia (2-2) needs a win against Glendale Hoover at Glendale High to be sure of third place.

EASTERN CONFERENCE: BASELINE--La Verne Damien (6-0) is the league champion and plays host to Chaffey (0-6). Winner of Glendora (4-2)-Claremont (4-2) game at Citrus College will also advance, along with Upland (4-2), if it beats visiting Chino Don Lugo (2-4). IVY--Ramona (6-0) plays at Hemet (5-1) for the league title. Palm Springs (4-2) must defeat visiting Perris (3-3) to avoid probable three-way tie for third with Riverside Arlington (3-3), which plays Corona (0-6) at Ramona High. SIERRA--League champion Hacienda Heights Los Altos (4-0) plays host to La Puente Nogales (2-2), Diamond Bar (2-2) is at Rowland Heights Rowland (2-2) and Hacienda Heights Wilson (2-2) plays Covina Charter Oak (0-4) at Covina District Stadium in games to decide second and third. VALLE VISTA--Covina Northview (6-0) and Covina South Hills (5-1) are in. Walnut (3-3) plays Covina (4-2) at Covina District Stadium tonight to determine third qualifier. WHITMONT--Bell Gardens (6-0), Pico Rivera El Rancho (5-1) and Whittier La Serna (5-1) have qualified. El Rancho plays La Serna at California High tonight.

NORTHWESTERN CONFERENCE: CAMINO REAL--Gardena Serra (6-0) and Verbum Dei (5-1) are in. Downey Pius X (4-2) needs a win against visiting Long Beach St. Anthony (3-3) to be sure of third playoff berth. Murphy (3-2-1), which plays Serra at Los Angeles City College, has an outside chance to finish third. FOOTHILL--Newhall Hart (4-0), assured of at least a share of the title, plays Montebello Schurr (3-1) at Montebello High, and Burbank (2-2) is at Burbank Burroughs (3-1) in games to determine the second and third qualifiers. NORTHERN--Lompoc (4-0) is the league champion. Santa Maria (2-1) needs a win against visiting Santa Maria Righetti (1-2) to avoid probable three-way tie for second. PIONEER--Redondo (3-1) is at Rancho Palos Verdes Miraleste (2-1-1) Friday afternoon, and Morningside (2-1-1) is at Lawndale Leuzinger (3-0-1) to determine top three spots. RIO HONDO--Temple City (4-0) and Monrovia (3-1) have qualified. A La Canada (2-2) win against visiting San Marino (1-3) would give the Spartans the third playoff berth.

CENTRAL CONFERENCE: FREEWAY--Winner of the Fullerton (3-1)-Fullerton Sunny Hills (3-1) game at Buena Park High will advance. Buena Park (0-4) plays Anaheim Troy (2-2) at Fullerton, and La Habra Sonora (1-3) is at La Habra (3-1). League will probably provide at-large berth. GARDEN GROVE--Westminster La Quinta (4-0) plays Garden Grove Bolsa Grande (4-0) at Garden Grove High for the title. Saturday Garden Grove Los Amigos (2-2) is at Garden Grove (2-2) in the battle for third. ORANGE--Placentia Valencia (4-0) is in, and Anaheim (3-1) needs at least a tie with visiting Brea-Olinda to avoid possible three-way tie with Western (2-2), which plays Anaheim Magnolia (0-4) at Anaheim High tonight. SEA VIEW--Tustin (4-0), which plays Irvine University (2-2) at Irvine High, has qualified, and Santa Ana Saddleback (3-1), which plays Costa Mesa Estancia (0-4) at Newport Harbor High, should have no trouble advancing. Corona del Mar (1-3) is at Newport Harbor (2-2) in third game. SUBURBAN--Artesia (4-0), which is at Lakewood Mayfair (1-2), and La Mirada (3-1), which plays host to Bellflower (1-2-1), have qualified. Norwalk Glenn (1-2-1) is at Norwalk (1-3) in final game.

DESERT-MOUNTAIN CONFERENCE: FRONTIER--The winner of the Agoura (2-1)-Oxnard Santa Clara (2-1) game at Oxnard will share the title with Calabasas (3-1), which plays Oak Park in a nonleague game. A win by Ojai Nordhoff (1-2) over host Santa Paula (0-3) could create a tie for third. LOS PADRES--Atascadero (3-1) has qualified and Santa Maria St. Joseph (2-1) will qualify with at least a tie at Morro Bay (0-3). Paso Robles (1-2) needs a win at Atascadero to tie Lompoc Cabrillo (2-2) and remain in the playoff picture. PACIFIC COAST--Costa Mesa (2-2) is at Orange (3-1) tonight and Irvine Woodbridge (2-2) is at Laguna Beach (3-1) in games to determine three playoff teams. SANTA FE--North Hollywood Harvard (5-0), Burbank Bell-Jeff (5-1) and Canoga Park Chaminade (4-1) have qualified. Chaminade plays Harvard at Pierce College. SUNKIST--Bloomington (5-0) has qualified. Riverside La Sierra (4-1) needs a win at Riverside Notre Dame (3-2) to avoid a possible three-way tie for second with Riverside Norte Vista (3-2), which plays Temecula Valley (1-4) at Riverside City College.

SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE: DESERT VALLEYS--El Centro Central (4-0) plays for the title at Brawley (3-1). Indio (3-1) needs at least at tie at Thermal Coachella Valley (2-2) to be sure of the third playoff spot. HACIENDA--Pomona Ganesha (5-0) plays title game at Montclair (4-1). Chino (3-2) and Pomona Garey (3-2) will play for third place at Mt. San Antonio College. MISSION VALLEY--El Monte (3-1) plays for a share of the title at El Monte Arroyo (4-0). Duarte (2-2) is at Rosemead (3-1) in the battle for third. MONTVIEW--Baldwin Park (4-0) and Covina Gladstone (3-1) will advance. San Dimas (2-2) must have a win against Azusa (1-2-1) tonight at Cerritos College to finish third. SAN ANDREAS--San Bernardino Cajon (6-0) and Victorville Victor Valley (5-1) have qualified. San Bernardino (4-2), which is at Cajon, and Barstow (4-2), which plays host to Hesperia (2-4), are in a fight for third.

INLAND CONFERENCE: ALPHA--Sierra Madre Maranatha (5-1), which plays Sepulveda Los Angeles Baptist (2-4) at Monroe High, and Covina Western Christian (5-1), which meets Pasadena Marshall Fundamental (4-2) at Pasadena City College, both must win to ensure playoff spots. Van Nuys Montclair Prep (4-2) faces Sun Valley Village Christian (3-3) at Granada Hills Kennedy High. All games are Saturday night. DE ANZA--Beaumont and winner of Big Bear (5-1) at San Jacinto (5-1) game will qualify. Loser should also advance as an at-large team. DESERT-INYO LARGE--Bishop (4-0), which is at Lancaster Paraclete (2-2), has qualified and Tehachapi (3-1) will qualify. Paraclete and Lake Isabella Kern Valley (2-2) contend for the at-larges spots. DESERT-INYO SMALL--Trona (2-1) must beat visiting Boron (3-0) to be sure of playoff berth. Mammoth (2-1), also in contention for the playoffs, is at Rosamond (1-2). OLYMPIC--Ontario Christian (4-0) and Cerritos Valley Christian (4-0) will both advance and play for the title at Valley Christian. Whittier Christian (2-2) is at Bretheren (2-2) in a game for third place. TRI-VALLEY--Carpinteria (5-0), which plays host to Santa Barbara Bishop Diego (3-2), has qualified. Santa Ynez (4-1) needs a win at Fillmore (3-2) to be sure of making the playoffs.

FREE LANCE: Capistrano Valley Christian (7-2) should make the playoffs.