Ties Have Exposed a Flaw in City’s Playoff Formula

A lot more was at stake for Sylmar High football players Friday night than neighborhood bragging rights in their Valley Mission League finale against San Fernando.

Had Sylmar (7-3, 4-1 in league play) lost, it might have been the last game for the Spartans this season, Coach Jeff Engilman said.

A loss would have dropped Sylmar to third place in the league and could have relegated the Spartans to a playoff berth in the City Invitational, not the City Championship.

“Our kids had voted and we weren’t going to [play in the Invitational]. Our kids believe they are a 4-A team, not a 3-A team,” Engilman said, using former City Division distinctions.

Since Sylmar routed San Fernando, 31-6, and created a three-way tie with Kennedy and San Fernando for first place, we’ll never know if the Spartans would have stuck to their pledge.

As it turned out, Sylmar is the highest seeded Valley team in the Championship at No. 6.

While the scenario of perennially strong Sylmar ending up in the Invitational seemed ludicrous, it wasn’t unfounded.

Because it was predetermined that first-place teams would be placed in the Championship, even those that finished in a tie, the seeding committee’s hands were virtually tied.

Four of the City’s eight leagues had teams tie for first place, including two leagues that had three-way ties. The only second-place teams in the Championship are San Pedro and Dorsey.

So while Canoga Park (6-4, 4-1) and North Hollywood (5-5, 4-1), Sunset Six League co-champions, were thrust into the Championship for the first time, Banning (5-4, 3-2) ended up in the Invitational.

Banning finished third in the Marine League, the City’s toughest, after losing by a touchdown to Carson (8-2, 5-0), top-seeded in the Championship.

Banning was in a situation similar to Sylmar’s. Had Banning defeated Carson, there would have been a three-way tie for first place in the Marine League. Then second-place Dorsey of the Coliseum League would have fallen into the Invitational because there would have been 16 teams finishing first or tied for first.

Let’s go back to the drawing board, Interscholastic Athletics Committee, because this won’t do.

Granting Canoga Park or North Hollywood Championship berths is like relegating Banning or Dorsey to the Invitational. It’s like throwing meat to hungry wolves.

Bon appetit!

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Records are falling steadily at Saugus.

While quarterback David Parker has set school records for season and career passing yards and touchdowns, the team got in on the action in Saugus’ 21-13 victory over Valencia on Friday night.

Coach Ron Hilton was “almost positive” the Centurions (8-2) matched or broke the school season record for victories set in 1978.

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The game came back in bits and pieces for quarterback Matt Cassel of Chatsworth, who suffered a concussion Friday night in the fourth quarter of the Chancellors’ 23-13 victory over El Camino Real.

While in the emergency room, Cassel couldn’t remember the hit that sit him there, although he could recall other plays in the game. Which was an improvement from two hours earlier.

“When he was on the sidelines, he couldn’t remember anything about the game,” said Barbara Cassel, Matt’s mother.

Cassel will be reexamined by a doctor on Monday and expects to be cleared for Chatsworth’s game against Eagle Rock on Thursday in the first round of the Invitational.

“He thinks he’s playing,” Barbara Cassel said. “But I don’t know.”

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Manuel White of Valencia continues to push former region standouts down the state list for career yards rushing.

A week after passing Eliel Swinton of Montclair Prep on the state’s top 10 list, White eclipsed Russell White of Crespi with a 140-yard performance against Saugus.

Now Justin Fargas of Notre Dame is in White’s viewfinder.

White, who ranks No. 7 in the state for career yards rushing, on Friday became the third player from the region to reach 6,000 yards.

With 6,087 yards, White is 265 yards behind No. 5 Fargas and 528 yards behind No. 4 George Keiaho of Buena.

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CITY CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

First-Round Pairings

All games Thursday, 7 p.m

* No. 16 North Hollywood (5-5) at No. 1 Carson (8-2)

* No. 9 Granada Hills (8-2) at No. 8 San Fernando (9-1)

* No. 12 Cleveland (6-4) at No. 5 Dorsey (8-2)

* No. 13 Roosevelt (7-3) at No. 4 Westchester (9-1)

* No. 14 Bell (6-3-1) at No. 3 Crenshaw (8-2)

* No. 11 Kennedy (7-3) at No. 6 Sylmar (7-3)

* No. 10 Taft (5-5) at No. 7 San Pedro (8-2)

* No. 15 Canoga Park (6-4) at No. 2 Franklin (10-0)

CITY INVITATIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

First-Round Pairings

All games Thursday, 7 p.m

* No. 16 El Camino Real (4-6) at No. 1 Banning (5-4)

* No. 9 Marshall (6-4) at No. 8 Poly (5-4)

* No. 12 South Gate (5-4-1) at No. 5 Venice (7-3)

* No. 13 Manual Arts (5-5) at No. 4 Reseda (7-3)

* No. 14 Jefferson (3-6-1) at No. 3 Gardena (6-3-1)

* No. 11 Narbonne (5-5) at No. 6 Monroe (6-4)

* No. 10 Eagle Rock (8-2) at No. 7 Chatsworth (3-7)

* No. 15 Locke (4-6) at No. 2 Palisades (8-2)

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