SOUTHERN SECTION FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : The Best Game May Be Saved for Last : Division II: With Los Alamitos and Huntington Beach in opposite brackets, the unbeaten teams could meet for the title.

Never mind taking it one game at a time. Let’s get down to the one people want to see.

Los Alamitos vs. Huntington Beach.

They are in opposite brackets in the Southern Section Division II playoffs, so the only chance of them playing is in the title game. But it’s the matchup to die for.

The Griffins, the top-seeded team, finished as Orange County’s No. 1 ranked team. The Oilers, the second-seeded team, were the No. 2 team in the county.

Both are undefeated.

“I’ve never seen them in person, only on film,” Los Alamitos quarterback Mike Good said. “But I’ve heard some people question us. They think Huntington Beach would win.”

They are just dripping with anticipation. Which makes two coaches a tad nervous.

“We’re a long way from that game,” Huntington Beach Coach George Pascoe said. “We can’t look ahead like that. But . . . “

But?

” . . . it would be fun.”

Said Los Alamitos Coach John Barnes: “I liked it, because we would be in the championship game. But we have three games to win before we can think about Huntington Beach.”

Forget that. Let’s get a quick jump on the hype.

Who would win? For that, let’s go to the expert, Marina’s Dave Thompson, the only coach who has faced both teams this season.

Dave . . .

“Huntington Beach has a great defense. (Linebacker Tony) Gonzalez is the best I’ve seen since I’ve been in the Sunset League. They have a very strong running game.

“Los Alamitos has a great offense. They have a great running back and a great quarterback. That quarterback does a great job of leading them. Their defense is unbelievable.”

Quit stalling Dave, who would win?

“Los Alamitos. Huntington Beach has some great defensive kids, but Los Alamitos’ defense is unbelievable. They make you work for every single inch.”

The Griffins returned seven starters on defense and it showed. They have seven shutouts and have three consecutive heading into the playoffs.

That defense gets a boost, as defensive back Cory Barnett returns this week. He has missed three games with a broken hand.

“We’re peaking right now,” Good said. “Of course, we’ve been peaking all season.”

The Griffins have outscored opponents, 439-34.

Los Alamitos also has a little experience in these 1 vs. 2 games. The Griffins routed Esperanza, 34-14, in an Empire League game last season. Esperanza was the county’s top-ranked team at the time and the Griffins were No. 2.

“Being No. 1 in the county does mean a lot to us,” Good said. “It would be great for Orange County if we both made it to the title game.”

Huntington Beach can probably match the Griffins defensively. The Oilers have Gonzalez and Nick Ziegler at inside linebacker. Both are fierce.

It was the defense that got the Oilers the Sunset League championship. They gave up seven points to Edison and 10 to Fountain Valley, the league’s second- and third-place teams.

The offense, led by quarterback Levi Schuck (1,421 yards, 18 touchdowns), improved as the season progressed.

“I’ve heard that Gonzalez is a pretty good player and it looks like Schuck has had a pretty good year,” said Good, who has passed for 2,067 and 26 touchdowns.

“They seem pretty similar to us. Their scores have been pretty one-sided lately. I hope we get to play them.”

Well, if they don’t meet in the playoffs, they will next season because Los Alamitos is joining the Sunset League.

But can people wait that long?

Division II at a Glance

Defending champion: Los Alamitos and Esperanza (co-champions).

Top teams: Los Alamitos (10-0), Huntington Beach (10-0), Newhall Hart (9-1), Paramount (10-0).

Dark horse: Edison. The Chargers have not lost since running back Michael Graham transferred from Mater Dei. A second-round matchup with top-seeded Los Alamitos looms.

Top players: Marc Albert (Los Alamitos), linebacker; Curtis Armour (Compton Dominguez), offensive lineman; Todd Belitz (Edison), linebacker; Scott Bertoni (Fountain Valley), quarterback; Enrico Bozman (Los Alamitos), running back; Justin Flagg (Huntington Beach), running back; Michael Fletcher (Paramount), quarterback; Ken Foersch (Fountain Valley), offensive lineman; Dahrin Footman (Esperanza), running back; Tony Gonzalez (Huntington Beach), linebacker/tight end; Mike Good (Los Alamitos), quarterback; Michael Graham (Edison), running back; Javelin Guidry (Gahr), running back; Soren Hallady (Newhall Hart), wide receiver/defensive back; Shaun Haslip (Pasadena Muir), running back; Josh Holland (Huntington Beach), defensive back; Mike Kocioka (Newhall Hart), quarterback; Erik LaCom (Crescenta Valley), running back; Mark Mahone (Newhall Hart), wide receiver; Brad Melsby (Los Alamitos), wide receiver; Alex Molnar (El Dorado), running back; Jason Murrietta (Esperanza), defensive back; Jihad Shakoor (Pasadena Muir), linebacker; Layon Smith (Pasadena Muir), linebacker; Jim Stewart (Esperanza), linebacker; Robert Torres (Los Alamitos), defensive lineman; Rafael Villasenor (Paramount), running back/linebacker; Terry Williams (El Dorado), offensive lineman; Nick Ziegler (Huntington Beach), linebacker.

Best draw: Huntington Beach. Clear sailing into the semifinals.

Worst draw: Los Alamitos. The No. 1 team is faced with an awfully tough game against Edison in the second round.

Notes: Los Alamitos has a 31-game unbeaten streak, with the only blemish a 14-14 tie with Esperanza in last season’s Division II title game. The Griffins avenged that tie with a 49-0 rout of the Aztecs two weeks ago. Los Alamitos seems to have every need to win its third consecutive title. So who’s out there that can beat the Griffins? Well, Hart, for one. The Indians have the offense to test the Griffins’ defense. Quarterback Mike Kocioka has thrown for 2,391 yards and 25 touchdowns. Wide receiver Soren Hallady has 40 receptions for 862 yards and seven touchdowns. The Indians only loss was 15-14 to undefeated Rialto Eisenhower, the second-seeded team in Division I. Fountain Valley is the only other team in the division that has a strong passing game. Los Alamitos devours running teams, as the Griffins are giving up less than 40 yards per game. Paramount returns to prominence this season. The Pirates won the Division III title in 1988, beating Los Alamitos in the final, and the Division II championship in 1989. They also were runners up in 1990. Muir is down a little bit this season, but not out. The Mustangs were the No. 2-seeded team last season, but are unseeded this season. They are led by sophomore running back Shaun Haslip, who has 642 yards rushing. He gained 1,800 yards on the freshman team last season.