TODAY’S FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES

CITY SECTION FINAL

Venice (13-0) vs. Carson (10-3) at Coliseum,

8 p.m.

The old powerhouse meets the new when Carson, arguably the section’s most storied program with 10 major-division titles to its credit, takes on Venice, which plays in its first final after reaching the semifinals last season. Venice Coach Angelo Gasca insists the unfamiliar setting will not be a factor. Having lost to the Gondoliers, 34-14, in Week 1, Carson will be the underdog and needs a big performance from its defense against Venice’s cadre of breakaway threats. “Their skill players are as good as any in the state,” Carson Coach John Aguirre said. A side story is Venice quarterback Beau Davis playing against his old team after leaving the Colts during last season’s playoffs. Venice, armed with a victory over Southern Section Division I finalist Loyola, is trying to certify its status as one of the Southland’s top teams this season.

-- Eric Stephens

SOUTHERN SECTION FINALS

DIVISION I: Los Angeles Loyola (10-3) vs. Long Beach Poly (11-2) at Home Depot Center, Carson, 7:30 p.m.

Loyola will not be intimidated by top-seeded Poly in a rematch of the 2000 title game won by Poly, 16-13, in overtime. The second-seeded Cubs, seeking their fifth title and first since 1990, are still riding high after an epic goal-line stand last week in which they kept the high-powered Los Alamitos offense from scoring four times inside the two-yard line. Poly’s defense also has excelled recently, giving up a combined seven points the last two games, including a shutout of Huntington Beach Edison. The Jackrabbits, attempting to win their fourth title in five years and fifth in seven, are hungry for hardware after being shut out of the title game last season. “We lost something last year,” Poly Coach Raul Lara said, “and we want to take it back.” The game will be televised live by Channel 9.

-- Ben Bolch

DIVISION IV: Westlake Village Westlake (13-0) vs. Ventura St. Bonaventure (13-0) at Moorpark College, 7:30 p.m.

Finding a weakness on either team in this Division IV rematch of last year’s final is difficult. Two of the top coaches in Ventura County, Jim Benkert and Jon Mack, will be matching coaching wits. For Mack, he must decide whether to blitz Westlake quarterback Rudy Carpenter and hope that super quick cornerback Terrail Lambert can cover 6-foot-4 Michael Stuart by himself. For Benkert, he must come up with a plan to contain St. Bonaventure’s Matt Lee, who has rushed for 2,022 yards and scored 35 touchdowns. Both teams are used to scoring on big plays, and the game’s outcome could come down to which team does best in third-down situations. The winner can stake a claim as one of the top five teams in Southern California.

-- Eric Sondheimer

DIVISION V: Norco (12-1) vs. Riverside North (14-0) at Temescal Canyon HS, 7:30 p.m.

If top-seeded Riverside North jumps to an early lead -- and it almost always does -- it won’t take Norco out of its game plan. Third-seeded Norco will run the ball all night long, and for good reason. Over the last six games, all victories against playoff teams, Toby Gerhart has rushed for 327, 403, 312, 285, 374 and 325 yards and scored 24 touchdowns. Four of those victories have come on the last play. North, which won the title two years ago but lost in triple-overtime last season to Corona Centennial, has one of the most prolific offenses in the Southland, averaging 44.3 points behind quarterback Dion Morton (2,162 yards, 63.6%, 30 touchdowns, 5 interceptions), running back Josh Barnett (2,027 yards, 34 touchdowns), and wing back Damon Morton (59 receptions, 24 yards per catch, 17 touchdowns). North has yet to be challenged in the fourth quarter, but if its defense can’t stop Gerhart and it comes down to making a play in crunch time, the advantage could swing Norco’s way.

-- Martin Henderson

DIVISION VII: Covina South Hills (12-1) vs. San Gabriel (11-2) at Covina District Field, 7:30 p.m.

South Hills, the defending champion, gives up only 10 points a game and has been impenetrable in the playoffs with three consecutive shutouts to reach the final. Defensive back Martin Garcia and linebacker Mike Acosta each have more than 100 tackles and defensive end Tobi Umodu has been a menace with 14 sacks. Twin defensive backs Jeremy and Bryan Payton have combined for 10 interceptions. San Gabriel counters with a high-powered passing offense. Quarterback Frankie Bernard has passed for 3,545 yards and 36 touchdowns with receivers Juan Magallon and Joseph Park both over 1,000 yards. The Matadors are also riding an emotional wave set off by the return of linebacker Kevin Harris, who was shot seven times at a party less than two months ago but has played the last four games.

-- Peter Yoon

DIVISION IX: La Habra (10-3) vs. Anaheim Western (12-1) at Cal State Fullerton, 7 p.m.

La Habra is back in the title game for the third time in the last four seasons, while the Pioneers are making their first appearance in school history. Western is doing something it hasn’t done in the past and that’s winning games on defense. The Pioneers held Fountain Valley Los Amigos running back Anthony Matagi to about 90 yards below his game average last week but will face a completely different challenge in stopping the passing game of the Highlanders. La Habra quarterback Daniel Morales has had 53 touchdown passes over the last two seasons. Lurking in the secondary will be Western safety Brian Williams, who has 10 interceptions this season.

-- Dan Arritt

DIVISION X: Inglewood Morningside (12-1) at Lompoc (11-2), 7:30 p.m.

A dream season ends tonight for Morningside, which quickly reached the four-win plateau for the first time in 10 years and now is back in the Division X final for the first time since 1991. The Monarchs feature a two-pronged running attack of Heliki Fifita (1,217 yards, 18 touchdowns) and Lafayette Fletcher (1,237 yards, 17 touchdowns), who complement mobile quarterback Funaki Mateaki (73.6% completions, 1,132 yards and seven touchdowns). Defense played a key role in Morningside’s 20-17 semifinal victory over Santa Maria St. Joseph -- a pair of second-half interceptions and a fumble recovery for a touchdown were the biggest plays of the game. But the Monarch defense will face its greatest test yet against a Lompoc team that scored 40 points -- just below its playoff average of 40.7 points -- against Gardena Serra in a seven-point semifinal victory. The defending-champion Braves have rolled off 10 consecutive victories since losing two of their first three games.

-- Elia Powers