Citrus Belt League Is Showing Its Strength

When the Southern Section grouped only four leagues instead of the usual five in Division I, it allowed for the selection of four at-large teams to fill out the division’s 16-team playoff bracket.

Each league qualifies its top three teams, with the at-large berths filled by fourth-, fifth- and sixth-place teams, respectively, with the highest winning percentages. Two years ago, the Serra League had all six of its teams make the playoffs. Last year, it qualified five teams.

Barring major upsets, the Citrus Belt League will have five teams in this year’s 16-team field.

The Citrus Belt League, providing Eisenhower (4-5) beats Fontana (1-8) on Friday, will have two teams that qualify for the four at-large berths at .500 or better: Eisenhower and one of three teams currently tied for second place, Fontana Miller (6-2-1), Redlands East Valley (6-2-1) and Redlands (5-4). The odd team out will be the Serra League’s Santa Margarita (4-5), which lost to No. 7 Mater Dei, 7-6, and Bishop Amat, 37-34, and plays Loyola on Friday night at Pierce College.

A Citrus Belt team last won a section championship in 1993, when Rialto Eisenhower hammered Santa Ana Mater Dei, 56-3. Since then, Citrus Belt teams have reached the semifinals only three times, the last coming in 2000.

The Citrus Belt became an eight-team league this season with the addition of Colton (8-1), which clinched the league title, and Yucaipa (3-6). The Moore League has seven teams, while the Serra and Sunset each has six.

“The CBL has improved, in terms of won-loss record,” said Rob Wigod, Southern Section assistant commissioner in charge of football.

“Last year, they didn’t have anyone qualify for an at-large berth, and this year they could have two.”

Citrus Belt teams have a combined 1-3 record against teams that have been ranked in The Times’ top 25. The only victory belongs to Rialto (3-6), a team that won’t qualify for the playoffs but beat defending Division VIII champion Fontana Kaiser (8-1).

Barring losses this week by No. 4 Long Beach Poly (8-1) to Long Beach Wilson (4-5), No. 6 Los Angeles Loyola (8-1) to Santa Margarita (4-5), or No. 3 Los Alamitos (8-1) to Huntington Beach (4-4-1), the Moore, Serra and Sunset leagues will have only two teams among them that did not receive automatic playoff berths but have at least a .500 record -- the loser of Friday’s game between No. 22 La Puente Bishop Amat (5-4) and Bellflower St. John Bosco (5-4), and the loser of Thursday’s game between No. 16 Huntington Beach Edison (6-3) and Anaheim Esperanza (6-3).

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Wildomar Elsinore (4-5, 3-1) took advantage of four turnovers, intercepting two passes by Hemet’s Brandis Dew, in its 17-14 Sunbelt League upset on Friday. Dew threw for two touchdowns, giving him 39 on the season, but the loss puts Hemet, ranked No. 23 last week by The Times, in a sticky situation for the upcoming playoffs.

The Bulldogs (8-1, 3-1) will be the league’s third-place team if they don’t beat rival Hemet West Valley (8-1, 4-0) on Friday. Had it won its final two games, Hemet probably would have been seeded No. 2 in the Division V playoffs.

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Three dots and a cloud of dust: Temecula Great Oak scored 70 points in the first half of its 70-0 victory over San Diego Midway Baptist on Friday. The game was ended at halftime as the first-year Wolfpack became only the second team since 1924 to score at least 70 points in a half. The total ranks fifth in the state and third in the Southern Section. ....

Brandon Gondeck of Sun Valley Poly threw 54 passes and completed 27 for 383 yards and three touchdowns in a 48-34 Sunset Six League loss to North Hollywood.... Martin Ciccolini tied a school record with four interceptions in Encino Crespi’s 68-0 Mission League victory over Rosemead Bosco Tech.... Anthony Sampson carried six times for 218 yards and four touchdowns as Mission Hills Alemany defeated North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake, 41-26, in a Mission League game.