HIGH SCHOOL SOUTHERN SECTION SEMIFINALS

ALEMANY (9-3) vs. HART (10-2) At College of the Canyons, 7:30 p.m.

Don’t look for a low score in this Division III matchup. Hart is averaging 46.9 points a game; Alemany 32.9. Hart also holds a significant edge with 486.8 yards a game on offense, 125 more than Alemany. Hart quarterback Kyle Boller has thrown for 4,497 yards and has a sterling touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio of 56-3. Hart receiver Jerry Owens is out with a broken leg, but Jared Bazar, Billy Brecht, Shane Lavoie and Chris Ciccone have combined for 163 receptions and 28 touchdowns. Alemany running back De’Andre Scott, slowed by an ankle injury in recent weeks, is still among regional leaders with 1,107 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns. Alemany’s Casey Clausen is one of the few quarterbacks in the same area code as Boller statistically. Clausen, a junior, has thrown for 3,043 yards and 27 touchdowns with 12 interceptions in 89 fewer attempts. The teams faced one common opponent, Loyola, which defeated Hart, 23-22, and Alemany, 60-20.

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SAN LUIS OBISPO (10-2) vs. HUENEME (7-4-1) At Hueneme High, 7:30 p.m.

This game is a matchup of primarily ground-based offenses and solid defenses. San Luis Obispo, which defeated Channel Islands in a first-round game and Ventura last week, has advanced without the services of its single-season rushing record holder, Kani Walker. Walker, out with an ankle injury, has been replaced by Khaled Elmasri, who has 296 yards in two playoff games. Tiger quarterback Matt Crivello has thrown for 1,733 yards. Hueneme is led by wingback Donald Thompson, who has rushed for 1,860 yards and 28 touchdowns and is averaging 8.8 yards a carry. Quarterback Jeff Garcia has thrown for 1,428 yards and 18 touchdowns with seven interceptions. Receiver Keary Colbert is out with a hand injury for the second week in a row.

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HARVARD-WESTLAKE (9-3) vs. LOS ALTOS (10-1) At Pierce College, 7:30 p.m.

Alex Holmes might feel on the smaller side at this Division VII semifinal. The 6-foot-3, 300-pound tight end-linebacker for Harvard-Westlake will see plenty of big bodies on Los Altos’ side of the ball. The top-seeded Conquerors have 6-8, 320-pound offensive tackle Brandon Macias and two big tight ends--6-5, 240-pound Shaun Cody and 6-3, 225-pound Danny Sedano. Joey Gonzalez (5-7, 160) will get most of the carries for Los Altos, whose loss was to Tustin, 14-6. Harvard-Westlake has come on after losing its last two regular-season games. George Witter has rushed for 1,647 yards and 24 touchdowns, though offensive tackle Spencer Torgan is questionable with a sprained knee. Holmes has 39 catches for 818 yards and six touchdowns.

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CATHEDRAL (11-1) vs. PARACLETE (11-1) At Antelope Valley College, 7:30 p.m.

Top-seeded Paraclete, which won the Southern Section Division XI championship last season, has won eight consecutive games since losing to GARCES of the Central Section. As the Spirits aim for another final, this time in Division XII, a formidable foe stands in the way. Cathedral, which suffered only a 39-28 loss to Salesian, has beaten up on opponents with a record-setting spread offense. Quarterback Robert De La Cruz has shredded secondaries, passing for 3,761 yards and a nation-leading 60 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. More than a third of the scoring passes have gone to 6-4 sophomore receiver Earvin Johnson, who has 62 receptions for 1,135 yards and a state-leading 24 touchdowns. Paraclete counters with quarterback Rob Fockaert, who has completed better than 63% of his passes for 1,707 yards and 15 touchdowns with only two interceptions. Teaming with Fockaert are running backs Curtis Brown (923 yards and 11 touchdowns in 155 carries) and Michael Washington (461 yards and six touchdowns in 57 carries).

JUNIOR COLLEGE

MOORPARK (9-1) vs. CHAFFEY (8-2) Southern California Bowl / At Chaffey, 1 p.m.

Nine consecutive victories have directed Moorpark from a season-opening loss to Ventura to an 11th consecutive bowl game. The Raiders are ranked seventh in the state, thanks to a strong running game and a stingy defense. Running backs Carl Richardson and Emory Holmes have combined for more than 2,000 yards. Richardson finished second in the Western State Conference with 1,284 yards and eight touchdowns. Holmes is sixth with 859 yards, despite playing sparingly the first half of the season. Moorpark’s passing attack, guided by sophomore Bryan Spencer, is less explosive. Chaffey’s combination of quarterback Matt Georgia to receiver Keith Dawson has accounted for 10 touchdowns. Georgia has passed for 2,467 yards and 21 touchdowns. Running back Dameon Hunter has rushed for 1,031 yards and 11 touchdowns.

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WEST L.A. (7-3) vs. VENTURA (8-2) Western State Bowl / At Ventura High, 7 p.m.

Ventura’s turnaround from 1-9 a year ago resulted in a bowl-game appearance for the first time since 1989. Defense and running back Travis Rogers, a freshman from Tennessee, have been most responsible for improvement. Rogers’ 1,845 rushing yards are the most in the WSC this season, and the most by a conference player since Moorpark’s Freddie Bradley garnered 1,946 in 1990. The Pirates’ defense ranks first in the WSC and is most difficult against the run, allowing an average of 94 rushing yards a game. Quarterback Brian Shubin has been steady, throwing for 1,169 yards and 12 touchdowns. Quarterback Reggie Haynes passed for 308 yards and two touchdowns in a 48-23 season-ending victory over Santa Monica that earned West L.A. a bowl bid. Haynes has passed for 2,015 yards and 17 touchdowns. Craig Mitchell has 56 receptions for 922 yards and five touchdowns.

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CANYONS (7-3) vs. SAN JACINTO (8-2) McDonald’s Charity Bowl / At Antelope Valley College, 2 p.m.

Canyons adorned its first season since 1981 by squeezing into a bowl game, its first since 1975. The Cougars lost their last two regular-season games and finished fourth in the WSC Northern Division. A bye in the final week allowed for injuries to heal, most significantly the right wrist of quarterback Kevin Carrasco. Canyons’ fast-paced offense, averaging nearly 400 yards a game, revolves around the quick release of Carrasco, who has thrown for 2,657 yards and 19 touchdowns. The Cougars led the WSC in scoring with 368 points. Running back Jason Parks, who led Canyons with 970 rushing yards, is doubtful because of a separated shoulder. Backup George Garcia is hobbled by a sprained ankle. Carrasco will be pitching against an uncertain secondary, one that ranked last in the Foothill Conference in pass defense.