4 Area Teams in CIF Football Semifinals

Whitmont League rivals Whittier and Santa Fe are a game away from a rematch of their regular season meeting as the CIF Southern Section high school football divisional playoffs continue this weekend.

Four area teams have advanced to semifinal games.

Santa Fe (10-2) plays host to Duarte (11-0) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Pioneer High. Whittier (11-1) plays at Valencia High of Placentia (9-3) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The winners will meet in the Division VI title game Dec. 11. Earlier this year, Whittier defeated Santa Fe, 37-22, to win the Whitmont League title.

Whittier has allowed its first two playoff opponents a total of seven points, while averaging more than 33 a game. Santa Fe also has played good defense. The Chiefs defeated Rosemead last week, 16-13.

La Mirada (8-4) has bounced back after losing its regular season finale to Suburban League rival Artesia and will play Riverside La Sierra (11-1) at Riverside City College at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in a Division VIII semifinal. The Matadores, behind the passing of quarterback Mike Moschetti and the running of Ryan Hura, have scored 70 points in their two playoff games.

Despite moving up two notches into a tougher division, Bell Gardens (11-1) has advanced to play at Camarillo (9-3) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in a Division III semifinal. The Lancers have not won a semifinal game since 1983 and have not won a title since the CIF Southern Section went to the current divisional playoff format in 1977.