The CIF Southern Section unveiled its flag football playoff brackets on Friday afternoon, with teams across Southern California finding out who they’ll face in Tuesday’s first round.
Three teams from the Moore League and three teams from the Hub City League were selected for the postseason, broken down below by division.
Division 1
Moore League champion Long Beach Poly (12-8) is the only local team in Division 1, where they’ll hit the road to face Mission Viejo (16-6) in round one. The Jackrabbits went a perfect 8-0 in league play this season, and won their last seven games of the year headed into the postseason. A stark turnaround from their pre-league schedule, which saw them start out 0-6 against a grueling schedule.
On the flip side, the Diablos started the year 11-0 before South Coast League play started. Mission has lost five of its last eight games, including three in a row to conclude the regular season.
The winner will face either No. 2 seed Redondo Union or San Marcos in Saturday’s second round.
Division 2
The Millikan Rams (12-6) get a home game in round one, hosting Alta Loma (12-6) from the Hacienda League. The Rams have won playoff games in each of the last two seasons, and will look to get over the hump and into the quarterfinals this time around. It was an up-and-down season for Millikan, but tough competition during non-league play should have them ready for the rigors of the postseason.
Alta Loma had an eight-game winning streak this season before losing three of their last five. The Lions were the second-place team out of the Hacienda League.
Either Santa Barbara or Villa Park will await the winner in round two.
Division 3
A trio of local teams are in the D3 bracket, starting with Moore League No. 3 seed Lakewood (8-12) who will be on the road to face Quartz Hill (17-2-1) in their playoff opener. The Lancers closed the year with a 12-7 win over Wilson to clinch third place, and they get a tough matchup against the Royals on the road.
Quartz Hill went 14-0 in the Golden League this season, and lost just twice–once against powerhouse St. Joseph and once at Millikan. Lakewood went 1-1 against their league rivals this season, so based on those results they should have confidence they can pull the upset. If Lakewood can knock off the Royals, a rematch with Wilson could await in round two.
Wilson (16-8) earned an at-large bid into the playoffs and will get to host Chino Hills (12-8-1) on Tuesday evening. The young Bruins improved greatly this season, and have the talent to make teams nervous in the playoffs. Wilson also has an impressive 9-2 record at home this season.
The Chino Hills Huskies are the No. 3 seed out of the Baseline League, and were just 5-4 in road games. Looking at common opponents, Chino Hills lost 14-7 to a Paramount team that Wilson defeated 47-0 a few weeks later.
Hub City League champion Compton will take its perfect 19-0 record into the postseason, hosting Los Altos (12-5) in their playoff opener. The Tarbabes made a run to the CIF quarterfinals last season by winning a pair of games in the Division 4 bracket, and will take the step up to D3.
The Los Altos Conquerors are the No. 3 seed from the Hacienda League. They lost three of their last five games heading into the postseason.
The winner of the Compton-Los Altos matchup will play either Patriot or Bishop Montgomery in round two.
Division 5
Two more teams from the Hub City League are in D5. The Cabrillo Jaguars (9-6) are back in the playoffs after a one-year hiatus and in search of their first ever postseason victory. They’ll travel to play La Quinta of La Quinta (9-6) in the first round.
The Blackhawks are the top seed from the Desert Valley League and are on a five-game winning streak headed into the playoffs. The winner of the matchup will advance to play either Eastside or Ontario next Saturday.
Lastly, Compton Early College (11-10) was the No. 3 team from the Hub City League to earn a postseason berth. The Rising Phoenix will travel to play top-seeded Tustin (13-6) in round one. The winner will play either Arlington or Santa Fe in round two.
CLICK HERE to see the full brackets on the CIF website
All games are scheduled for a 5 p.m. start unless otherwise noted on the bracket.
