SOUTHERN SECTION FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PREVIEWS : Seedings Don’t Follow Form After Century’s Turnaround

It all would have worked out fine, except Century High’s football team had to come along and mess up the Southern Section Division VIII pairings.

Century, a team that was 0-3-1 and headed nowhere six weeks ago, enters its first-round game with Temple City with a 5-4-1 record and seeded third in the division.

The Centurions, the Pacific Coast League co-champions with Trabuco Hills, have won four consecutive games and five of their last six, including:

--A 21-20 victory over fourth-seeded Trabuco Hills, which would eventually make the Centurions the league’s top entry into the playoffs.

--A 30-28 victory last week over Laguna Hills, last year’s Division VII champion, that clinched the league title.

In doing so, Century, in its third season at the varsity level, has qualified for the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Centurions will try for their first playoff victory Friday night.

Many coaches could make a strong argument for Trabuco Hills (9-1) being top-seeded instead of Riverside La Sierra (9-1). The Mustangs were top-ranked in the division all season and were co-champions of their league with Century at 4-1.

But the loss to Century left Trabuco Hills as the league’s No. 2 entry into the playoffs, and therefore it had to be seeded behind the Centurions, who have three more losses than the Mustangs.

“I’m glad that the Southern Section took a look at Century and seeded them,” Laguna Hills Steve Bresnahan said. “I’m glad they (section officials) discounted the first few games they played.”

Laguna Hills has one of the toughest first-round games in the division, playing at Artesia (6-4), the Suburban League champion.

“We’re going in as a third-place team, so we can’t have too many complaints about (the draw),” Bresnahan said. “I felt worse about our draw last year, and we were co-champs in the league.”

Bresnahan said the Hawks will need to stop Artesia quarterback Aaron Flowers, the son of Pioneers Coach Norm Flowers. Aaron Flowers has passed for 2,400 yards and 27 touchdowns, with 15 interceptions.

“I saw Flowers against Righetti last year and I thought he was exceptional,” Bresnahan said. “He’s as good as some of the quarterbacks we’ve seen. I would put him there with (Trabuco Hills’) Pat Barnes and (Estancia’s) Matt Johner in ability. It will be a challenge for us.”

Trabuco Hills plays host to Riverside Notre Dame (6-4) in the first round. School officials declared running back Buford Brown, Notre Dame’s top player, academically ineligible last week.

Century is preparing for its game against Temple City (5-5), the third-place team from the Rio Hondo League.

A month ago, Century Coach Bill Brown figured his team would be watching playoff games, not playing in one.

Opponents outscored Century, 74-7, in the first four games, which included losses to El Dorado, La Mirada, and Playa del Rey St. Bernard, and a 7-7 tie with Los Amigos.

“Even when we were 0-3-1, our kids still played hard,” Brown said. “We were averaging 5 1/2 turnovers a game, and we weren’t getting any of them back. The kids could’ve closed the tent right then, but they didn’t.”

The turnaround came in the fifth week, when Brown switched to a three-back offense that featured quarterback Ricky Odoardi and running back Julio Garcia.

Century cut down on turnovers, committing only one in the last four games. Brown also benched some players for missing practice, and the team began taking the season more seriously.

“We played some smash-mouth football,” Brown said. “It has been interesting to see how the kids have responded to things. We had some disciplinary problems early, but we sat them down. We finally got our act together.”

Division VIII at a Glance

Last year’s champion--Temecula Valley.

Top teams--Century (5-4-1), Laguna Hills (8-2), Riverside La Sierra (9-1), Trabuco Hills (9-1), San Marino (7-2).

Dark horses--Artesia (6-4), La Mirada (6-4) and Gardena Serra (6-2-2).

Top players--Gabriel Anguiano, wide receiver, Artesia; Pat Barnes, quarterback, Trabuco Hills; Dan Ciska, running back/linebacker, Laguna Hills; Aaron Flowers, quarterback, Artesia; Kenny Fredieu, running back, Serra; Cordell Graham, wide receiver, Trabuco Hills; Z-Ukoni Hodges, running back, Pasadena Blair; Mike Moschetti, quarterback, La Mirada; Joseph O’Reilly, linebacker, Serra; Chad Peare, linebacker, Trabuco Hills; Justin Vedder, quarterback, Laguna Hills; Brian Weck, running back, Yucaipa.

Best draw--Century. Despite a 5-4-1 record, the Centurions are seeded third and open at home against Temple City (5-5). The Centurions get the winner of the Yucaipa (7-3) and Santa Monica St. Monica (6-4).

Worst draw--Laguna Hills and Trabuco Hills. Laguna Hills plays at Artesia (6-4) in the first round; Trabuco Hills, top-ranked in the division all season, is seeded fourth and plays host to Riverside Notre Dame (6-4) in the first round.

Notes--Laguna Hills at Artesia is the best first-round game. Artesia’s offensive line has improved after giving up 31 sacks earlier this season, including six in one game and seven in another. But Flowers, who has passed for 2,900 yards and 27 touchdowns, has been sacked only eight times in five league games. . . . Serra gained 3,857 yards total offense in its first nine games, including 2,935 yards rushing. . . . Top-seeded La Sierra has not given up a rushing touchdown in 30 quarters, and the Eagles had allowed only 45 points through their first eight games. . . . Barnes sat out Trabuco Hills’ season finale against Laguna Beach with a broken finger on his left (non-throwing) hand, which he suffered against Estancia the previous week. He should be ready for the playoffs.