For weeks it looked like St. John Bosco and Sierra Canyon were on a course to meet in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship game.
Then Mater Dei came along last week to mess that up, beating St. John Bosco 36-31.
That makes predicting the Division 1 champion more difficult than it already was.
Here we go again, taking a look at each of the CIF-SS football playoff divisions with an emphasis on Orange County angles and, of course, the predictions …
DIVISION 1
Overview: This is an eight-team division with no byes. All teams play first-round games Nov. 14. There are some great-looking matchups, including Santa Margarita (7-3) at Sierra Canyon (10-0) and Mission Viejo (9-1) vs. Mater Dei (7-2) at Santa Ana Stadium. How good is this division? Five Division 1 teams are among the top 12 teams in the MaxPreps.com national rankings, and all eight teams are among the top 72 in the national rankings.
Semifinals: St. John Bosco vs. Sierra Canyon, Mater Dei vs. Corona Centennial.
Champion: Sierra Canyon. Team speed galore, especially where it matters most – on defense.
DIVISION 2
Overview: Orange County is represented by some superb teams in this 16-team division. Undefeated Crean Lutheran (10-0) is here, as is Delta League champion Tustin (8-2) and Bravo League champ Yorba Linda (9-1). Los Alamitos (8-2) lost its final two regular-season games, but the Griffins can rebound in this “new season” of playoffs.
Semifinals: Murrieta Valley vs. Los Alamitos, Vista Murrieta vs. Crean Lutheran.
Champion: Murrieta Valley. The Nighthawks’ loss to Vista Murrieta is a concern … or maybe a needed reality check.
DIVISION 3
Overview: Orange County has a good group here, including Dana Hills and Laguna Beach. Edison (5-5) always seems to be playoff-ready, but the Chargers face dangerous Huntington Beach (8-2) with quarterback Brady Edmunds and receiver Troy Foster in the first round. Capistrano Valley (8-2) has lost only to league champions Crean Lutheran and Tustin.
Semifinals: Bishop Amat vs. Chino Hills, Valencia (the L.A. County one) vs. Edison.
Champion: Bishop Amat, with Valencia the likely final opponent. Bishop Amat beat Valencia in September, Valencia’s only loss.
DIVISION 4
Overview: Villa Park (6-4) is better than it was in September, but might not match up well against first-round opponent Westlake (10-0). El Modena (5-5) vs. La Habra (7-3) is a good intra-Orange County game in the opening round.
Semifinals: Charter Oak vs. Westlake, Oaks Christian vs. Cathedral.
Champion: Westlake. Coach Rich Clausen has a team that was 0-10 last season, but it’s 10-0 coming into the playoffs and is on a path to 14-0.
DIVISION 5
Overview: Orange (6-4) vs. Troy (9-1) in the first round Friday is a terrific Orange County game, with Orange surging and Troy so steady. Aliso Niguel (7-3) is a battle-tested squad.
Semifinals: Torrance vs. Northview, La Serna vs. Rio Hondo Prep.
Champion: La Serna. The Lancers (7-3) have lost to teams that are a combined 26-4 and they beat Edison.
DIVISION 6
Overview: El Toro (6-4), the only Orange County team in this bracket, looked fine offensively but the defense lagged in the Chargers’ 41-24 loss to Troy last week.
Semifinals: Crespi vs. St. Pius X-St. Matthias, Orange Vista vs. Ventura.
Champion: Orange Vista. The Ivy League-champion Coyotes lost to an outstanding Downey team by only one point.
DIVISION 7
Overview: Segerstrom (8-2) is the champion of the Kappa League. The Jaguars gave Iota League champion Troy quite a battle before going down to a 21-13 loss. The 21 points were Troy’s lowest scoring total this season. Segerstrom did lose to Division 7’s No. 1 seed, Palm Springs 38-32, in August.
Semifinals: Hart vs. Barstow, Segerstrom vs. Saugus.
Champion: Hart. Hart beat Saugus in a Foothill League game, and does it again in this division’s final.
DIVISION 8
Overview: Orange County has intriguing candidates here: Marina (6-4), Lambda league champion Beckman (7-3), Fullerton (8-2), Irvine (7-3), which lost to Troy by one point, undefeated Calvary Chapel (10-0) and Brea Olinda (7-3). Fullerton’s win over Sunny Hills a couple of weeks ago raised its profile and Beckman is on a six-game winning streak. Beckman did get a tough first-round draw with an away game against La Mirada.
Semifinals: Marina vs. Beckman, Irvine vs. Brea Olinda.
Champion: Beckman. The Patriots’ offensive balance, with Noah Nam at quarterback and Makhi Czaykowski at running back, gets it done.
DIVISION 9
Overview: No Orange County teams are in this division. But as long as we’ve gone this far …
Semifinals: Silverado vs. Moreno Valley, Warren vs. Corona Santiago.
Champion: Warren. Warren plays in a tough Gateway League that has Downey, Mayfair and La Mirada in it.
DIVISION 10
Overview: Pacifica (7-3) went 5-0 in the Omicron League, including a 20-7 win over Portola in the regular-season finale to win the league championship.
Semifinals: Valley Christian vs. Portola, Pacifica vs. Monrovia.
Champion: Pacifica. Once in a while a CIF-SS final features a rematch of league rivals. Pacifica over Portola in the Division 10 final.
DIVISION 11
Overview: No Orange County teams in this one. Four teams, 25 percent of the field, were sub-.500 in the regular season. One of them is No. 1-seeded St. Anthony (3-7).
Semifinals: St. Anthony vs. Shadow Hills; Chaffey vs. South Pasadena.
Champion: South Pasadena went 4-0 in the Rio Hondo League, including close wins over two good teams, La Cañada and Monrovia. Close wins are character wins.
DIVISION 12
Overview: Tango League champion Costa Mesa (9-1) has won seven in a row since a 29-21 loss to Estancia. The Mustangs are averaging 44 points a game. Ocean View (7-3) has a tough road game at Santa Paula (5-5) to get through in the first round.
Semifinals: Costa Mesa vs. Banning, Ganesha vs. Ocean View.
Champion: Ganesha. The Giants rush for 235 yards a game and developed a passing game once sophomore quarterback Eli Rodriguez became eligible after the sit-out period.
DIVISION 13
Overview: Zeta League champ Saddleback (8-2) has dynamic senior quarterback, Andre Scott, who has thrown for 2,140 yards with 26 touchdowns and only one interception. Rancho Alamitos impressed with a 28-7 win over Ocean View last week in the Sigma League to secure a playoff berth.
Semifinals: Saddleback vs. Buena Park (yes, Roadrunners vs. Coyotes), Kaiser vs. Rancho Alamitos.
Champion: Saddleback. It’s remarkable work how Coach Rob Thompson reconstructed the program.
DIVISION 14
Overview: Orange County is represented by Anaheim (5-5), Bolsa Grande (5-5) and Godinez (5-5) in this group. Four of Anaheim’s losses were to playoff teams. Bolsa Grande beat Santiago 10-7 to get the Tango League’s final playoff berth, and Godinez had lost three in a row before winning its final three games to get into the playoffs.
Semifinals: South El Monte vs. AB Miller, Anaheim vs. Trinity Classical Academy.
Champion: You’ve got to be good at running the ball in the lower divisions. Trinity Classical Academy is averaging 226 rushing yards a game.