There’s Plenty of Room at the Top

It took five weeks to confirm what almost every Southern Section Division I coach suspected at the start of the season.

“I don’t think there’s a runaway team, that’s for sure,” said Long Beach Poly Coach Jerry Jaso, whose team played Mater Dei in the last two championship games. “There were a few years where Mater Dei was dominant or another team was dominant, but that does not appear to be the case this year.

“There’s a whole bunch of teams with a chance to win it.”

Long Beach Poly, La Puente Bishop Amat, Mission Hills Alemany, Santa Fe Springs St. Paul, Los Alamitos and Edison are Division I teams that are undefeated after five games.

They are six of the 34 unbeaten or untied teams in the section’s 13 divisions.

Most schools begin league play this week.

A brief look at the divisions:

DIVISION I

Mater Dei (3-2) lost to Fresno Clovis West and was blown out by Concord De La Salle, but the Monarchs can repeat if they survive a Serra League schedule against Servite (3-2), Santa Margarita (3-2) and Bellflower St. John Bosco (2-3).

Several outstanding sophomores make Long Beach Poly the Moore League favorite. Bishop Amat, Alemany--led by Tennessee-bound quarterback Casey Clausen--St. Paul and gone-but-not-forgotten Loyola (3-2) will slug it out in the Del Rey League. Los Alamitos, Edison and Huntington Beach still have to contend with Esperanza (3-2) in the Sunset League.

Rialto Eisenhower (4-1) plays Fontana (3-2) this week in the first of several big Citrus Belt League games that will also include Fontana A.B. Miller (3-2) and Redlands (3-2).

DIVISION II

Defending division champion Diamond Bar, La Verne Damien and West Covina are 5-0 entering Sierra League play.

So is Bay League power Palos Verdes Peninsula, which plays resurgent Culver City (4-1) Friday with resurgent Lawndale Leuzinger (4-1) still to come.

Chino (4-0-1) and Upland (4-1) are contenders in the Baseline League; Paramount (4-1) and Downey (3-2) top the San Gabriel Valley League; and El Toro, San Clemente and Trabuco Hills, all 3-2, are the teams to beat in the South Coast League.

DIVISION III

Defending champion Newhall Hart (5-0), as usual, is the class of the Foothill League. La Canada St. Francis (5-0) is unbeaten, but must contend with Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (4-1) in the Mission League. Littlerock (4-1) has the best record among Golden League teams, and Crescenta Valley (4-1) and Pasadena Muir (4-1) will probably battle it out again for the Pacific League title.

DIVISION IV

Ventura (5-0) and Ventura Buena (4-1) of the Channel League; Arroyo Grande (5-0), San Luis Obispo (4-1) and Santa Maria Righetti (4-1) of the Northern League; and Westlake (4-1) of the Marmonte League are the favorites to win the division title.

DIVISION V

Defending champion Norco (4-1) suffered a tough loss last week against Eisenhower and will have to get by Corona Centennial (4-1) and Corona (4-1) in the Mountain View League. Paloma Valley (5-0) and Rancho Verde (4-1) are Sunbelt League favorites. Rubidoux (4-1) and Riverside Arlington (3-2) have the best records among Ivy League teams and Alta Loma, Ontario Chaffey, Rancho Cucamonga and Ontario Etiwanda all start Mt. Baldy League play 3-2.

DIVISION VI

Defending division champion Lakewood Mayfair (5-0) must hold off La Mirada (4-1) and Cerritos (4-1) for the Suburban League title. The other four leagues in the division are based in Orange County and feature Santa Ana Valley (4-1) of the Empire League and Newport Harbor (4-0-1) and Woodbridge (4-1) of the Sea View League.

DIVISION IX

La Verne Bonita of the Valle Vista League and Brea Olinda of the Orange League are 5-0, and will have a better shot at a section championship this year than last, when the title game featured two Suburban League teams. This year, the Suburban League is in Division VI, having traded places with the Pacific Coast League. Seven of the other teams ranked in the Southern Section top 10 are from Orange County.

Other divisions and teams to watch:

VII--Whittier California, Whittier Pioneer and Santa Fe Springs Santa Fe all start play in the Del Rio League at 5-0. Covina Charter Oak (5-0) and Hacienda Heights Los Altos (5-0) open Miramonte League play against each other Friday night. . . . VIII--Barstow (5-0), Hesperia Sultana (4-0) and Phelan Serrano (4-1) all are 2-0 in Mojave River League play. Cathedral City opens Desert Valley League play.

X--Morro Bay (5-0) is the only unbeaten and untied team in the division. South Torrance is 4-0-1. . . . XI--Cathedral, Orange Lutheran, Banning and Ventura St. Bonaventure are all 5-0. . . . XII--Edwards Air Force Base Desert, Rosamond and Mojave, all of the High Desert League, are unbeaten. . . . XIII--Claremont Webb is 4-0. Van Nuys Montclair Prep (5-0) is the only unbeaten freelance team.