THIS WEEK’S TOP GAMES

No. 19 Los Alamitos (8-2) at No. 6 Rancho Santa Margarita Tesoro (10-0)

Tonight, 7:30

It will be a family affair in this first-round Pac-5 Division playoff game matching Tesoro Coach Brian Barnes against his father, longtime Los Alamitos Coach John Barnes. Not that the coaches see it that way. “It’s not about me versus my dad, it’s about Tesoro versus Los Alamitos,” Brian Barnes said. “We may call plays and coach kids, but the kids are the ones who have to go play.” Both teams have big-time quarterbacks, with Tesoro’s Robbie Picazo engineering victories over Mission Viejo and San Clemente and Los Alamitos’ Clark Evans leading the Griffins to within two plays of an undefeated regular season. Tesoro wants to show it belongs among the Pac-5 elite after a first-round loss to Santa Ana Mater Dei last year in its first year in the highest playoff division.

The pick: Tesoro.

No. 16 Los Angeles Loyola (6-4) at No. 9 Mission Viejo (9-1)

Tonight, 7:30

The last time Loyola faced a high-powered passing attack, things didn’t go so well for the Cubs. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame quarterback Ryan Kasdorf shredded Loyola’s defense for 275 yards and four touchdowns earlier this month. Now the Cubs must contend with Mission Viejo quarterback Allan Bridgford, who shattered Mark Sanchez’s school record with 35 touchdown passes and 2,544 yards. Of course, the Diablos have to stop potent running back Anthony Barr.

The pick: Mission Viejo.

No. 11 Anaheim Servite (7-3) vs. Lakewood (4-6)

Tonight at Cerritos College, 7:30

Don’t be fooled by Lakewood’s record. The Lancers forfeited four victories for using ineligible running back Jerry Stone, who has rushed for 301 yards in two games since regaining his eligibility. Lakewood is undefeated in the six games this season in which Stone has played. “He just makes us pretty explosive and brings a real toughness to all our guys,” Lakewood Coach Thadd MacNeal said. Servite has its own powerful running back in Greg Portis, who had 232 yards and four touchdowns last week during the Friars’ 48-31 victory over Bellflower St. John Bosco.

The pick: Servite.

Corona Santiago (6-4) vs. Redlands East Valley (9-1)

Tonight at University of Redlands, 7:30

This matchup has a familiar feel to it. Last year, Santiago was 7-4 when it faced 12-0 Redlands East Valley in an Inland Division semifinal. The Sharks won, 25-10, and they again enter this game as the more battle-tested team after having tied for third place in the rough-and-tumble Big VIII League. “In order to be successful in the playoffs, you have to play the best-quality opponents you can throughout the entire season to get your kids ready for the finality of the playoffs and have that kind of pressure week in and week out,” Santiago Coach Steve Mitchell said.

The pick: Santiago.

Westlake Village Westlake (6-4) at Oxnard (10-0)

Tonight, 7:30

To play a weak schedule or not to play a weak schedule? The answer might be found in this Northern Division first-round playoff game. While Westlake opened the season with three playoff-bound teams, Oxnard’s first four nonleague opponents finished with losing records. The Yellowjackets went undefeated and gave up only 17 points in five Pacific View League games, but what does it mean? “They have not played anywhere near the schedule we’ve played, but on the other hand they’re 10-0 and they have to take their schedule as it comes,” Westlake Coach Jim Benkert said. “They’ve blown out the people they’ve played in most cases.” Westlake pulled out three-point playoff victories over Oxnard in 2002 and 2006. Warriors quarterback Ben Conlin is questionable because of a shoulder injury.

The pick: Oxnard.

-- Ben Bolch