The San Diego Section’s new playoff format is creating some interesting scenarios.
Sixty-four of the section’s 11-person teams qualify for post-season play. What’s different this season is that there are no predetermined divisions.
Teams will be lined up from No. 1 to No. 64 (with allowances for automatic league champion qualifiers) and snipped off division by division. The top four teams, as per the final regular season CalPreps rankings, will comprise the Open Division. The next 12 teams will comprise Division I, followed by increments of 12 teams for Division II, Division III, Division IV and Division V.
Six of eight teams entered in the Division V-AA tier qualify for postseason play. Similarly, the eight-person football bracket is separate from the 11-person bracket.
As the halfway point of the 2024 high school season approaches, something can already be said about what to expect the rest of the season.
Eight teams remain undefeated through Week 5: No. 2 La Costa Canyon (5-0), No. 10 Mt. Miguel (4-0), No. 16 Brawley (4-0), No. 17 Scripps Ranch (4-0), No. 27 University City (4-0), No. 29 Imperial (5-0), No. 33 Holtville (5-0) and No. 44 Army-Navy (4-0).
A glut of 24 teams have one loss, including No. 38 Chula Vista and No. 46 Sweetwater, both at 4-1.
Those teams would seem to step to the front of the line in terms of securing playoff positions wherever they may line up.
Teams that have played tough schedules and haven’t exceled in the win column have corresponding rankings that reflect that and also should be in good standing for postseason berths.
Mater Dei Catholic, for instance, entered last Friday’s game against Mira Mesa with a 0-3 record following setbacks to Granite Hills (56-28), Cathedral Catholic (56-28) and San Marcos (58-14).
The Crusaders picked up their first win of the season, 40-14, against the Marauders and enter this week at No. 18 in the latest CalPreps rankings. Such a ranking would place the defending Metro-Mesa League champions near the top of the Division II field if the playoffs started today.
Isaiah Cook caught touchdown passes of 35 and 34 yards from signal-caller Kartell Purvis (314 passing yards) and returned an interception 35 yards for a third score in the non-league game to hand head coach Rashard Cook his first win as head coach. Purvis also passed 54 yards to Larell Parker for a touchdown to highlight the team’s first win of the season.
Mater Dei Catholic receiver Isaiah Cook – look at him go with his breakaway speed that netted him three touchdowns in the Crusaders’ opening win of the season. Photos by Jon Bigornia
In the middle of the Division II field would be longtime section powerhouse St. Augustine, which enters the week uncharacteristically at 0-5.
No. 4 Granite Hills (3-1) would get a chance to defend its Open Division championship against either No. 1 Lincoln (2-2), No. 2 La Costa Canyon (4-0) or No. 3 Cathedral Catholic (3-1).
No. 10 Mt. Miguel, last year’s Division IV champion, could get a chance to prove itself against Division I competition this season.
The stars could line up for some interesting playoff football, indeed. But what about the fortunes of South County teams?
Overall, they haven’t really made an impact yet in the new system. Luckily, there’s plenty of games left for all the local teams to move up in their respective standings.
Would-be Division III qualifiers include No. 34 Otay Ranch (2-3), No. 35 Eastlake (1-4) and Chula Vista. All would be positioned in the middle to lower end of the bracket.
Sweetwater would be in the middle of the pack among Division IV qualifiers.
Presumably, teams ranked lower than 64th will not qualify for the playoffs (providing they are not league champions).
It appears only the Metro-Pacific League champion will qualify for post-season play if the current rankings are any indicator. Southwest (3-2) sits at No. 67, followed by No. 80 Castle Park (2-3 with one forfeit loss), No. 82 San Ysidro (1-4) and No. 83 Mar Vista (1-4).
In fact, a great many of the Metro Conference’s teams seem to be loaded near the bottom of the rankings. Would-be Division V qualifiers include No. 53 Montgomery (2-3), No. 55 Bonita Vista (1-4), No. 57 Hilltop (1-3) and No. 63 Olympian (1-4).
On the brighter side, Montgomery, Bonita Vista and Hilltop would be positioned for a run at the Division V championship.
Others are still trying to get an invitation to the playoff party.
A crucial Division V-AA pairing looms when the No. 83 Mountain Empire Red Hawks visit No. 86 Victory Christian Academy for a non-league encounter on Friday at 7 p.m. at Bonita Vista High School. VCA is currently seventh-best in the division, needing a win over Mountain Empire, the fifth-best team in the division, to move up in the rankings. A win by the Red Hawks might just be enough to hold onto a playoff berth.
Chula Vista 35, Olympian 0
Chula Vista roared to its fourth consecutive win by derailing host Olympian, 35-0, last Friday behind 259 passing yards and two touchdowns from QB Izaac Baca and 84 rushing yards and one TD from RB La’Darrione Perkins.
“It was a great win for our program,” CVHS head coach Howard Bannister III said. “The defense began the game with a four-down defensive stand from the four-yard line. The offense was the best it’s been all season and Izaac Baca was our player of the game. We love the opportunity to compete against eastside schools. We may have less resources and players ,but our blue-collar kids are tough and proud Spartans.”
Sweetwater 16, Southwest 7
Sweetwater had a chance to improve its standing as well with a 16-7 come-from-behind non-league win over the visiting Southwest Raiders to celebrate the National City school’s 104th homecoming game. The surprising Raiders entered the matchup with a 3-1 record and led 7-0 at halftime before the Red Devils rallied with 16 points in the second half.
Senior Zaryan Crews completed four passes for 60 yards with one touchdown and rushed 22 times for 129 yards with one touchdown. He also scored a two-point safety on defense to have a hand in all three SuHi scores. Abdul Osman had three carries for 15 yards and two receptions for 49 yards and one TD.
The Raiders appeared to carry much of the play both offensively and defensively until starting quarterback Leo Holguin left the game early with an injury. Holguin (5-for-5, 73 yards) connected with senior Jaylen Grcia (two catches, 42 yards) for the game’s opening score in the first quarter.
Otay Ranch 56, Grossmont 20
Otay Ranch galloped to its second consecutive win by flattening the host Grossmont Foothills 56-20. The Mustangs recorded 11 sacks on defense (four by Diego Martinez and three by Mason Sevilla) and two interception returns for touchdowns (Prince Dumuran and D’Angelo Fisher) in the blowout non-league win.
QB A.J. Lopez passed for two scores and rushed for another while Johnnie Welbourne scored one rushing touchdown and one receiving touchdown. Jaidon Castillo (128 rushing yards) and Joey Brinkman also scored on the ground.
South County Football Log
NON-LEAGUE
Thursday, Sept. 19
Pt. Loma 16, Eastlake 0
Friday, Sept. 20
Chula Vista 35, Olympian 0
Sweetwater 16, Southwest 7
Otay Ranch 56, Grossmont 20
Vincent Memorial 35, Bonita Vista 16
Hoover 41, San Yisdro 10
Scripps Ranch defeated Castle Park by forfeit
Coastal Academy 34, Victory Christian Academy 0
San Diego 63, Mar Vista 0
8-Person
Ocean View Christian 7, Julian 6
CalPreps Top 50 Rankings
San Diego Section/Week 5
- Lincoln (2-2), 2. La Costa Canyon (5-0), 3. Cathedral Catholic (4-1), 4. Granite Hills (3-1), 5. Mission Hills (3-1), 6. Carlsbad (4-1), 7. San Marcos (4-1), 8. El Camino (3-1), 9. Rancho Bernardo (4-1), 10. Mt. Miguel (4-0), 11. Del Norte (3-2), 12. La Jolla (4-1), 13. Torrey Pines (2-3), 14. Oceanside (3-2), 15. Helix (2-3), 16. Brawley (4-0), 17. Scripps Ranch (4-0), 18. Mater Dei Catholic (1-3), 19. Poway (3-2), 20. Mt. Carmel (4-1), 21. Central Union (4-1), 22. Santa Fe Christian (3-1), 23. Pt. Loma (2-2), 24. Bishop’s (1-2), 25. La Jolla Country Day (3-2), 26. Madison (1-3), 27, University City (4-0), 28. Patrick Henry (4-1), 29. Imperial (5-0), 30. Valley Center (4-1), 31. Steele Canyon (4-1), 32. Christian (2-2), 33. Holtville (5-0), 34. Otay Ranch (2-3), 35. Eastlake (1-4), 36. St. Augustine (0-5), 37. San Diego (4-1), 38. Chula Vista (4-1), 39. Escondido (2-2), 40. Ramona (1-4) ), 41. San Pasqual (1-4), 42. El Capitan (2-3), 43. Westview (2-3), 44. Army-Navy Academy (4-0), 45. Grossmont (2-2), 46. Sweetwater (4-1), 47. Vincent Memorial (4-1), 48. Mira Mesa (0-4), 49. Santana (3-1), 50. West Hills (2-3)
