No Moaning This Year As Field Takes Shape : Football: With an expanded 16-team format, much of the sting has gone from the selection and seeding of the San Diego Section tournament field.

What’s this? A San Diego Section football seeding meeting without dissension, angry coaches or controversy?

Well, yes. For the first time ever, the section allowed 16 teams into the playoffs, up from the 12 that have gone the past several years. While the format received only mixed reviews when it was approved, the feedback at the seeding meeting was quite positive.

All the borderline teams that in years past got shoved aside, got in this year. Hey, even a last-place team made it.

Not much to argue about here.

Neither was their any bickering on the choice of the top four seeds. In the 3-A, Rancho Buena Vista (7-3, 7-0 for first place in the Palomar) got the first seed; Morse (8-2, 5-0 in the City Eastern) was No. 2; Chula Vista (9-0-1, 6-0-1 in the Metro) got No. 3 and Helix (7-1-1, 4-0 in the Grossmont) was seeded fourth.

In the 2-A, El Camino (9-1, 6-0 in the Avocado) earned the top seed; Grossmont (9-0-1, 4-0 in the Grossmont) was No. 2; Kearny (9-1, 5-0 in the City Western) took the third seed and Crawford (8-2, 4-1 in the City Central) was seeded fourth.

In the 3-A’s first round to be played Friday and Saturday, Rancho draws, Patrick Henry (4-6, 1-4), which finished tied for last in the City Eastern. Morse will play Bonita Vista (5-4-1, 4-3 in the Metro), Chula Vista gets Vista (4-6, 3-4 in the Palomar) and Helix hosts Orange Glen (5-5, 3-4 in the Palomar).

All of those games will be played Friday at 7:30, and all except the Morse-Bonita Vista contest will be played on the seeded team’s field. Morse, which does not have lights, elected to play at Southwestern College, an odd choice considering Southwestern, which sits right across the street from Bonita Vista, is the Barons’ home field.

Now about Patrick Henry. It should be noted that the Patriots finished in a three-way tie for last place in the Eastern with Madison (4-6 overall) and Serra (3-7 overall), and, in fact, lost to Serra, 18-13, on Thursday.

In the 2-A, El Camino plays Valhalla (4-5-1, 2-2), Grossmont hosts San Marcos (3-6, 2-4 in the Avocado), Kearny gets St. Augustine (6-4, 3-2 in the Central) and Crawford goes up against Ramona (6-4, 3-3 in the Avocado).

All but two of those 2-A games are scheduled for Friday at 7:30 at the seeded team’s home field. The exceptions: Kearny will play at Mesa College and Crawford will play at Patrick Henry.

The only 2-A school that made a bid to be included but was not was La Jolla (3-6-1, 1-4 in the Western). In the 3-A, Fallbrook (3-7, 3-4 in the Palomar) and Poway (4-6, 2-5 in the Palomar) were denied.