SOUTHERN SECTION FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PREVIEWS : Tough Competition Makes It Anybody’s Guess

Terry Henigan, Irvine High School football coach, shrugged and made his opinion on the Southern Section Division IV playoffs quite clear.

“We’re playing a third-place team and they beat their league champion by 20 points,” Henigan said. “So there it is.”

No one is safe in the Division IV playoffs, not even the so-called elite.

Irvine enters the playoffs seeded No. 2. Its reward was a matchup with Chino, the third-place team from the Baseline League. Chino stomped league champion Glendora, 42-21, this season.

“It’s a tough division,” Foothill Coach Tom Meiss said. “There are some third-place teams that have a good chance at winning it. Everybody seems to look at their first-round draw and feel like they have been shot in the foot.”

True, Irvine wasn’t the only team to get a tough draw. The division is littered with them.

* Newport Harbor, ranked fifth, plays a solid La Verne Damien team at Damien. If the Sailors win, they will probably face No. 1-seeded Riverside Rubidoux.

* Orange, Century League champion, faces Moreno Valley Canyon Springs (8-2). The Cougars lost games to No. 1 Rubidoux and No. 4 Riverside Poly.

* Glendora plays a Santa Margarita team that lost only two games, to Irvine and Newport Harbor.

“I look at this division and I feel like I’m barely holding on,” El Modena Coach Bill Backstrom said. “And we haven’t even played a game yet.”

To win the title, a team will have to be sharp from the start.

The safe bet is Rubidoux, which has been consistent all season.

The Falcons have a strong running game, led by Jasper Williams, who has more than 800 yards rushing. They also have a defense that has allowed only 96 points.

However, they gave up 61 of those points in the last two games--a 35-34 overtime victory over Riverside Poly and a 28-27 squeaker against Arlington.

“We’re No. 1, but I think we have a big task ahead of us,” Rubidoux Coach Wayne Cochrun said. “There are teams in this division that can give us real problems because they throw the ball.”

If the Falcons stumble, then Irvine and Poly become favorites.

The Vaqueros were undefeated in the Sea View League, considered the toughest in the division. They have a solid running back in Scott Seal (1,476 yards) and a fierce defense that has four shutouts.

Poly is a one-dimensional team, but it does that dimension rather well. Fullback Rusty MacNamara has gained more than 1,300 yards and scored 18 touchdowns. Halfback Anthony Richardson has gained more than 700 yards.

“Our strength is our offensive line,” Poly Coach Mike Churchill said. “We’re gaining a ton of yards.”

Still, Churchill is uncomfortable with being considered a favorite.

“I don’t know if being a seeded team is the best thing,” he said. “The at-large team has a better record then some of the second-place teams in other divisions.”

That would be Corona del Mar, which finished fourth in the Sea View League. The Sea Kings play No. 4-seeded West Hills Chaminade in the first round.

“I certainly wouldn’t want to face Corona del Mar right away,” Cochrun said. “They look as tough as any league champion.”

In this division, they all do.

Division IV at a Glance

Defending champion--Baldwin Park has moved to Division III.

Top teams--Riverside Rubidoux (10-0), Irvine (9-1), Riverside Poly (8-2), West Hills Chaminade (8-2).

Dark horse--Santa Margarita (8-2).

Top players--Alex Brown, running back, Chino; John Coleman, tackle, Riverside Poly; Stanley Cook, running back, La Verne Damien; Brad Finneran, wide receiver, Santa Margarita; Brian Finneran, wide receiver, Santa Margarita; Justin Giovonnettone, running back, Chaminade; Sean Gully, tackle, Irvine; Ryan Holmes, linebacker, El Modena; Ryan Jones, linebacker, Irvine; Sammy Knight, defensive back, Rubidoux; Eric Krebs, linebacker, Orange; Randy Leaphart, tackle, Riverside Poly; Rusty McNamara, running back, Riverside Poly; Sean O’Brien, quarterback, Santa Margarita; Chris Quinn, linebacker, Corona del Mar; Beau Ralphs, defensive tackle, Newport Harbor; Scott Seal, running back, Irvine; Wade Tift, running back, Newport Harbor; J.R. Walz, running back, Corona del Mar; Jasper Williams, running back, Rubidoux; Ernie Wilson, running back, El Modena; Steve Wielandt, quarterback, Foothill; Jaime Worthem, running back, Orange.

Best draw--Santa Margarita. The Eagles get the weakest first-place team in the first round, then would probably get a fourth-seeded Riverside Poly.

Worst draw--Newport Harbor (8-2). The Sailors go to Damien, one of the tougher places to play. If they win, they get No. 1 seeded Rubidoux.

Notes--Irvine is the defending Division II champion. . . . Seal is sixth on the Orange County career rushing chart. He has gained 4,037 yards, 127 behind No. 5 Myron White (Santa Ana Valley). Seal has 1,476 yards this season. . . . Knight is the brother of former USC running back Ryan Knight, who gained 2,620 yards for Rubidoux in 1983. . . . The difference between Rubidoux and Riverside Poly in the Ivy League was one point; Rubidoux won, 35-34, in overtime.