CIF realignment affects small number of fall teams
After advancing to the CIF Southern Section Division VIII championship game in 2016, Burbank High’s football team was moved up to Division VII.
The Bulldogs responded to the challenge by making it to Division VII semifinals in 2017.
Burbank continued its move up the CIF ranks when the CIF Southern Section office released its 2018 fall realignment for football, girls’ tennis, girls’ volleyball and boys’ water polo Thursday afternoon.
For the 2018 campaign, the Bulldogs jumped up two divisions and will reside in Division V.
“We figured that we would move up when they [released] that,” said Burbank coach Adam Colman, whose team went 10-3 and captured the Pacific League championship last season. “That’s what happens when you’re successful, you get moved up in divisions. … We have to be up for whatever challenge is in front of us.”
The postseason realignment was based on a formula that considers playoff performance, wins, margin of victory and strength of schedule in order to promote playoff equality.
Burbank was given the final spot in Division V with a point total of 75.95, finishing just ahead of Gahr (75.80), which occupies the top spot in Division VI.
Burroughs football, which failed to reach the playoffs and had losing records the last two seasons, including a 4-5 showing in 2017, moves down from Division VIII to X.
“That is surprising to me,” first-year Indians coach Rand Holdren said. “I expected us to go down maybe one division, but to go down two divisions is pretty dramatic.
“But when it comes down to it you have got to play the teams that are in front of you.”
While there was substantial movement among the two local football programs, there wer just slight changes for the other fall sports, while many squads experienced no change at all.
In volleyball, Burroughs remains in Division III and Burbank stays in Division IV. However, after getting to the second round of the Division VIII playoffs, Providence will jump up to Division VII. It will be a two-division jump for for Lycee International of Los Angeles, making the move from Division X to Division VIII after capturing the International League championship and advancing to the second round of the playoffs.
The only move in water polo is with Burroughs, which transition from Division III down to Division IV. In 2017, the Indians won the Pacific League championship and got to the second round of the postseason a season after winning the Division V championship in 2016. Burbank stays put in Division VI.
There was no change involving the tennis programs , as Burbank, despite a quarterfinal run last year, stays in Division II, Burroughs remains in Division III and Providence is in Division V.
Twitter: @jefftsports
