Long Beach Poly Tops Division I Playoff Pairings

Long Beach Poly has played in the last three Southern Section Division I football finals.

Not surprisingly, the unbeaten Jackrabbits were selected Sunday as the top-seeded team for the playoffs.

First-round games for 208 teams competing in 13 divisions will be played Friday. Championship games will be played Dec. 8 and 9.

Long Beach Poly (10-0), the Moore League champion, opens the playoffs against Fountain Valley (5-5). Del Rey League champion Loyola (9-1) is the second-seeded team, Citrus Belt League champion Rialto Eisenhower (9-1) is third and Sunset League champion Anaheim Esperanza (9-1) is fourth.

Defending champion Westlake (9-1) is the top-seeded team in Division IV. Other defending champions selected as top-seeded teams are: Hacienda Heights Los Altos (10-0) in Division VII; Ventura St. Bonaventure (10-0) in Division XI; and Pasadena Poly (9-0) in Division XIII.

Other top-seeded teams are Downey (10-0) in Division II; Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (9-0-1) in Division III; Corona Centennial (9-1) in Division V; La Mirada (10-0) in Division VI; La Quinta (9-1) in Division VIII; Anaheim Western (9-1) in Division IX; Inglewood (10-0) in Division X; and Van Nuys Montclair Prep (10-0) in Division XII.

Loyola, trying to win its first Division I title since 1990, plays Rialto (6-4) in the first round. Eisenhower, which last won the championship in 1993, opens against Los Alamitos (8-2). Esperanza, seeking its first Division I title, plays Lakewood (6-4) in a first-round game.

Santa Ana Mater Dei (8-2), which won the 1998 Division I title and shared it last year with Long Beach Poly, plays Long Beach Jordan (8-2) in a first-round game.

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COMPLETE PAIRINGS, D17