DIVISION I : Fontana Must Buck No. 1 Jinx

Fontana High School is hands-down, head-and-shoulders above the rest of the Division I playoff field this season, so does this mean the Steelers will win the championship?

Yeah, right.

The history of this division--originally called the Big Five when created in 1977--is that No. 1-seeded teams fare about as well as Alka-Seltzer in water.

Bishop Amat had the misfortune of being seeded the No. 1 team several times this decade and each year couldn’t make it out of the second round.

Last year, Loyola, a team with a great defense and a run-oriented, ball-control offense, was seeded No. 1 in the division and No. 1 in the nation--as ranked by USA Today--and the Cubs never made it past the semifinals.

And this year there is Fontana (10-0), a team with a great defense and a run-oriented, ball-control offense that enters the playoffs as the division’s only undefeated team.

The Steelers may catch a break this year because hard times have hit this division, by reputation the toughest every year. But this season, seven of the 16 playoff teams have four losses or more. The usually tough Angelus, Moore and Sunset leagues, which have produced nine division champions in 12 years, have been less than intimidating.

The Steelers have been nothing short of awesome, averaging 30 points a game and giving up just five.

Running out of a variation of the Delaware Wing-T, Fontana running backs make their way through holes created by a massive offensive line that averages 250 pounds a player. The Steelers pass only about five times a game.

“It’s typical Citrus Belt smash-mouth football,” Fountain Valley Coach Mike Milner said.

But will it work? It did in 1987, when Fontana won it all. But standing in the way this year are the likes of perennial powers Long Beach Poly, Loyola and Bishop Amat.

Poly (8-1) may be the most talented team in the division, with 6-foot-5 tight end Willie McGinest and safety Jason Jones, who many say is better than Mark Carrier, who has gone on to be an All-American at USC.

Bishop Amat (7-3) made it to the finals last season, losing to Fountain Valley. The Lancers have a great offense, averaging nearly 25 points a game, headed by a great athlete in Jeremy Smith, who is used at wide receiver and running back.

Loyola (8-1) doesn’t have the pressure hanging over it of being No. 1 in the nation, and it has a more diversified offense than last year’s one-dimensional running attack. Quarterback Brian Dennis has thrown for 930 yards this season, more than twice what Loyola threw for last year.

Loyola’s defense is still good, allowing other teams an average of just 60 yards rushing a game.

Orange County teams in this division could very well be wiped out in the first round, or make some noise of their own.

Edison is one of the hottest teams in the playoffs, having won five of its last six games. The Chargers’ offense is led by Donnie Smith, a solid quarterback who completed 65% of his passes (126 of 193) for 1,547 yards, and running back Shane Sherman, who rushed for 1,465 yards.

The Edison defense has given up only 18 points in its last three games, something Coach Dave White attributes to switching backup tailback Chip Anderson and safety James Eidam to defensive ends to give his team more quickness.

“In the last three weeks, we’ve seen a significant drop in opposing passing and rushing statistics,” White said. “The passing yardage has dropped 25% per game and we’re getting more than three sacks per game.

“We start seven juniors, and I think we’re peaking at the right time.”

It was just two seasons ago that another Sunset League team, Fountain Valley, lost its first four games and then got hot, won its last six regular-season games and made it all the way to the Division I final.

“There’s a lot to be said about getting hot at the right time,” Milner said. “I think Edison has a great chance. Sherman is tough and Smith is having a great year.”

Mater Dei gave Loyola a good game in the quarterfinals last season, losing 30-17, and returns the heart of the team in quarterback Danny O’Neil (1,929 yards passing and 18 touchdowns), running back Kealii Clifford (795 yards rushing) and outstanding defensive lineman Ryan Motherway.

The Monarchs have also added an outstanding receiver in Tino Chavez, who has caught 41 passes for 774 yards.

DIVISION I IN A BOXDefending Champion: Fountain Valley

Top Teams: Fontana (10-0) and Long Beach Poly (8-1)

Dark Horses: Edison (8-2) and San Gorgonio (7-3)

Worst Draw: Mater Dei (6-4). The Monarchs must play Redlands (8-2), the No. 2 team out of the division’s best league (Citrus Belt), on the road. If they win, the Monarchs will probably play third-seeded Loyola (8-1), which beat them in the second round of the playoffs last season.

Key Players: Running backs Samita Vaoifi (Fontana), Jeremy Smith (Bishop Amat) and Shane Sherman (Edison); quarterback Danny O’Neil (Mater Dei); tight end Willie McGinest (Long Beach Poly).

Noteworthy: This may be the weakest this division--originally called the Big Five--has been since it was created in 1977. Seven of the 16 playoff teams have records of 6-4 or worse.