Mater Dei to Open Football Season as No. 1 in Division I

Mater Dei, which returns 11 starters from last season’s 10-2 team, will open the 1996 football season as the top-ranked team in Southern Section Division I.

Joining Mater Dei in the Division I top 10 are No. 3 Edison, No. 6 Capistrano Valley and No. 7 Esperanza.

Other highly ranked county teams include Servite and El Toro, Nos. 1 and 2 in Division V; and Laguna Hills, ranked third in Division VIII.

A total of 23 county schools are sprinkled among the 12 section divisions of 11-man football.

Division I--1. Mater Dei, 2. Los Angeles Loyola, 3. Edison, 4. Fontana, 5. Long Beach Poly, 6. Capistrano Valley, 7. Esperanza, 8. Rialto Eisenhower, 9. Bellflower St. John Bosco, 10. La Puente Bishop Amat.

Division V--1. Servite, 2. El Toro, 3. Western, 4. Kennedy, 5. Santa Margarita, Corona del Mar, 6. Tustin, 7. Foothill, 8. Villa Park, 9. Irvine, 10. Brea Olinda.

Division VIII--1. Covina, 2. La Mirada, 3. Laguna Hills. 4. Pacifica, 5. Sunny Hills, 6. Aliso Niguel, 7. Troy, 8. Los Amigos, 9. Lakewood Mayfair, 10. West Covina South Hills.

Division X--1. Carpinteria, 2. Calabasas, 3. Cerritos Valley Christian, 4. Ojai Nordoff, 5. Ventura St. Bonaventure, 6. Orange Lutheran, 7. Playa Del Rey St. Bernard, 8. Moorpark, 9. Brethren Christian, 10. Santa Barbara Bishop Diego.

Division XII--1. Redlands Arrowhead Christian, 2. Mammoth Lake Mammoth, 3. L.A. Brentwood, 4. Anza Hamilton, 5. Boron, 6. Pasadena Poly, 7. Bloomington Christian, 8. St. Margaret’s, 9. Temecula Linfield, 10. Trona.

8-Man Small--1. Arcadia Rio Hondo Prep, 2. Antelope Valley Christian, 3. Heritage Christian, 4. Wildomar California Lutheran, 5. Harbor City Gateway Christian.