The CIF-Southern Section football playoffs begin tonight with 20 Catholic school teams vying for titles in eight divisions.
Altogether, 25 Catholic school teams qualified for the playoffs in nine of the 14 CIF-SS divisions. The eight-team Division 1 playoffs begin Nov. 15 with five more Catholic teams seeking the championship captured each of the last two years by Mater Dei, and by St. John Bosco the year before that.
The most recent non-D-1 titles won by Catholic schools were in 2017, by Paraclete (D-5) and Bishop Diego (D-6), and the previous year by Paraclete (D-6) and St. Anthony (D-10). All have since moved up to tougher divisions and are in the playoff hunt this fall.
Divisions 2 to 14 are 16-team brackets and commence playoff action Nov. 8, as follows:
D-2: Santa Margarita (3-7) at Sierra Canyon (9-1); Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks (6-4) at Vista Murrieta (7-3); Chaminade (5-5) at Norco (8-2); Serra (6-4) at Rancho Verde (9-1).
D-3: St. Francis (8-2) at Cajon (8-2); Tesoro (8-2) at Cathedral (5-5); Alemany (7-2) at Paraclete (t6-4).
D-4: Loyola (3-6) at Palos Verdes (8-2); Damien (5-5) at Camarillo (9-1).
D-5: Bishop Diego (5-5) at Culver City (10-0); El Modena (5-5) at St. Paul (9-1); St. Bonaventure (5-5) at Oxnard (9-1).
D-6: Dos Pueblos (3-7) at Crespi (6-4).
D-9: La Salle (6-4) at San Dimas (9-1); Newport Harbor (7-3) at St. Anthony (5-5).
D-13: Rim of the World (7-3) at Cantwell Sacred Heart (7-3); Santa Monica (6-4) at St. Bernard (4-5).
D-14: Santiago/Garden Grove (6-4) at St. Pius X-St. Matthias (9-0); Fairmont Prep (6-4) at Mary Star (8-2).
The Division 1 playoff schedule on Nov. 15: No. 8 Bishop Amat (9-1) at No. 1 Mater Dei (10-0); No. 7 Calabasas (8-2) at No. 2 St. John Bosco (9-1); No. 6 J.Serra (6-4) at No. 3 Centennial/Corona (8-2); No. 5 Servite (7-3) at No. 4 Mission Viejo (10-0).
Eight-Man Football: Playoff action begins tonight, with Santa Clara (5-1) at Chadwick (8-1) in Division 1. On Nov. 9, St. Michael’s Prep (6-4) hosts California School of the Deaf (4-4) in a Division 2 game.
