Tustin Has Little Drawing Power in Pairings

Tustin, you have a problem.

The Tillers may have finished the regular season on a roll, with seven consecutive victories and the Golden West League title, but they emerged as big losers Sunday when the Southern Section football playoff pairings were released.

Tustin, seeded third in Division VI, received a difficult draw--a first-round game against Foothill, the same team that gave the Tillers fits in the season opener and has dramatically improved since.

“It’s a tough first-round game for us because it’s against a cross-town rival, plus they’re playing extremely well,” Tustin Coach Myron Miller said.

Foothill (5-5) defeated previously unbeaten Villa Park Friday as it continued its turnaround from a 2-8 season in 1999.

In their Sept. 8 game against Tustin (9-1), the Knights lost, 6-0, after reserve Tiller quarterback Brian Judd scrambled 49 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. The rematch could be just as dramatic--and could feature a different outcome.

Two of the biggest winners in the Division I pairings were Mater Dei and Servite.

The Monarchs (8-2) were ranked fourth in the section poll last week, which meant a possible semifinal matchup against top-seeded Long Beach Poly. But Esperanza (4-1), which knocked off Edison Thursday to win its first Sunset League title since 1997, was seeded fourth and drew the Jackrabbits (10-0) in its half of the draw.

The unseeded Monarchs, who beat Bellflower St. John Bosco on Friday to finish second in the Serra League and earn an automatic playoff berth, will host Long Beach Jordan (8-2) in the first round and could meet third-seeded Rialto Eisenhower (9-1) and second-seeded Loyola (9-1)--opponents that are far more palatable than Long Beach Poly--in the next two rounds. The Monarchs have already beaten the Cubs, 24-21, this season.

“I came to the conclusion that I wasn’t going to worry about what bracket we were in or who we were playing,” Mater Dei Coach Bruce Rollinson said. “We wiped the slate clean and we felt our first playoff game began Friday. This will be just another playoff game.”

Servite (7-3), which finished third in the four-team Serra League, received a wild card and gets a rematch with Edison (8-2) in the first round. The Friars feel they should have beaten the Chargers in Week 5, but turnovers and mistakes proved costly in a 35-33 loss.

“It’s tough to beat a good team twice in the same season,” Edison Coach Dave White said. “I’m sure Servite is excited to get another shot.”

Serra League champion Santa Margarita, meanwhile, should be depressed about its draw. The Eagles (8-2) have what should be an easy first-round opponent in Fontana Miller (5-5) but could face Esperanza in the quarterfinals and Long Beach Poly in the semifinals.

La Habra Coach Frank Mazzotta Jr. had few worries Sunday. He expressed concern last week about whether his team was overlooked in the Division IX section poll. But it turned out he had nothing to worry about as the Highlanders (9-1) were seeded fourth and drew a first-round game against defending division champion La Verne Bonita (5-5).

The Bearcats, who lost powerful running back DeAndre Belin to transfer, shouldn’t give La Habra much of a challenge.

Then there’s poor little Capistrano Valley Christian. The Eagles (7-3) won the Academy League and should breeze past Twin Pines (4-4) in a Division XIII first-round game. Then comes the second round, and a matchup against San Bernardino Aquinas, the second seed. Turns out the teams already met once this season, and Aquinas won, 60-14.

“We were hoping to stay away from them until a little later in the draw,” Capistrano Valley Christian Coach Keith Patefield said. “They’re very good.”

A little too good, it appears.