Bowl series draws growing interest

It rained a year ago on the inaugural California state bowl championship games, which Harry Welch called a perfect storm. Not because everyone got wet, but because the realities of the day redefined perceptions of high school football in the state.

Act II gets under way today with no rain in the forecast but reign guaranteed. A tripleheader at the Home Depot Center is highlighted by the Division I game between Concord De La Salle and Corona Centennial, a battle between teams ranked Nos. 1-2 in the state by CalHi- Sports.com.

Welch has been an interested observer. This year, he coached tiny San Juan Capistrano St. Margaret’s to an undefeated season but his team was not selected for the Division III game. Last year, he coached twice-beaten Canyon Country Canyon to a 27-13 upset of De La Salle in the Division I game. The Spartans were ranked No. 1 in the nation at the time by most ranking services.

The upset concluded a day in which Orange Lutheran and quarterback Aaron Corp showcased themselves in a 42-28 victory over Palo Alto in Division II, and Westlake Village Oaks Christian and its heralded quarterback, Jimmy Clausen, faced a fourth-quarter deficit for the first time in three years in a 27-20 overtime victory over Santa Rosa Cardinal Newman.

“Orange Lutheran demonstrated this little Christian school was as good as anyone,” Welch said. “That Oaks Christian would even be tested was national news. They had been written up in Sports Illustrated, USA Today. And to put a cherry on the sundae was De La Salle in the marquee game. It was a perfect storm for football.

“If Oaks Christian had won big and if De La Salle had rolled us, it would have been bad, people would have been very critical. It would have called into question the validity of the whole event.”

The pregame disappointment of not seeing De La Salle vs. Oaks Christian -- teams ranked Nos. 1-2 in the state -- wasn’t such a big deal afterward. Instead, after 79 years of playing without an official state-sanctioned champion, California had a defining moment in its prep sports history.

Last year’s success created more interest this year. The debate over which teams should have received invitations “makes great theater,” Welch said.

The same selection criteria that provided last year’s drama was used this season in picking three teams from Northern California to play three teams from Southern California.

In addition to De La Salle (12-0) vs. Centennial (13-1) at 7:30, the day includes Oceanside (11-1) vs. Novato (13-0) in Division II at 3:30, and Modesto Central Catholic (11-1-1) vs. Ventura St. Bonaventure (13-1) at 11:30 a.m.

Among the notable story lines:

* De La Salle risks tarnishing its image as the state’s premier program if it should lose for the second year in a row.

* Neither Oceanside nor Novato is generally regarded as the best team from its division but one will be crowned a champion nevertheless.

* Career rushing leaders for Stanislaus and Ventura counties, Louis Bland and Darrell Scott, go head-to-head in Division III.

The California Interscholastic Federation’s 10 section commissioners chose these enrollment-based representatives from a group of section champions on the basis of won-loss record, head-to-head competition, common opponents and strength of schedule.

Tonight’s final horn concludes a two-year pilot program, but the games are almost certain to continue.

The Federated Council will vote next month to determine whether to keep the postseason games. If so, it will decide whether to expand the format to five games. CIF Executive Director Marie Ishida said that “everything will be reviewed,” from site location to selection criteria to having a true state championship game.

But Ishida, 60, doesn’t foresee a true state playoff. “Not in my lifetime,” she said.

“Where we are now took a lot of years to get to,” said Ken Gunn, a former football coach and principal at Walnut High who is the event director. “There was also a real strong feeling to preserve section playoffs.

“We didn’t want to do anything that would deter or take away from being a section champion.”

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Times staff writer Mike Terry contributed to this report.

martin.henderson@latimes.com