League leaders continued to plow through (or squeak past) their opponents last weekend, setting up several exciting matchups this week that will decide league football championships and post-season playoff berths as the 2017 regular season draws to a close.
Perhaps the most tantalizing Nov. 3 showdown is the Angelus League clash in La Canada, where unbeaten St. Francis (9-0 overall, 4-0 in league) hosts Cathedral (8-1, 4-0), after each posted impressive wins last week: the Golden Knights, 77-27 over Harvard-Westlake, and the Phantoms, 46-0 over Salesian.
St. Paul defeated La Salle, 34-9, making both teams 3-6 overall and 1-3 in the Angelus League. This week, St. Paul hosts Salesian (1-8, 0-4), with La Salle at Harvard-Westlake (7-2, 2-2).
The Mission League championship will be decided in West Hills, with Chaminade (8-1 overall) hosting Bishop Amat (5-4). Both are 5-0 in league, after Chaminade edged past Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks, 40-35, and Bishop Amat continued its amazing turnaround from an 0-4 start by outscoring Alemany, 42-22.
Serra (5-4, 4-2), a 48-3 winner over Crespi, can strengthen its hold on a playoff berth this week when the Cavaliers host Long Beach Poly in a non-league game. This week’s other Mission League games, also with playoff implications, feature Notre Dame (5-4, 1-4) at Crespi (1-8, 0-5), and Loyola (5-4, 2-3) at Alemany (2-7, 1-4).
Mater Dei rolls on
In the powerful Trinity League, national No. 1-ranked Mater Dei (9-0, 4-0 in league) maintained first place by racing past Orange Lutheran, 51-21, and can win the title outright by beating Servite (6-3, 1-3) at home this Friday.
St. John Bosco (7-2, 3-1) stopped Servite, 42-17, and Santa Margarita (6-3, 2-2) posted a thrilling 36-35 win over J.Serra (7-2, 2-2). This week’s games — which will help determine seeding for teams in a league where all six teams may reach the playoffs — include St. John Bosco at J.Serra, and Orange Lutheran (5-4, 0-4) at Santa Margarita.
The Sante Fe League title is St. Anthony’s to lose, after the Saints grabbed the inside track by beating Mary Star, 43-0, while St. Genevieve beat St. Monica, 44-0. St. Anthony (6-3 overall, 2-0 in league) is at St. Monica (0-9, 0-2) this week, with St. Genevieve (6-2, 1-1) at Mary Star (6-3, 1-1).
In the South Catholic League, Bishop Montgomery’s 27-6 win over Don Bosco Tech and Cantwell-Sacred Heart’s 30-0 win over Verbum Dei created a three-way tie for the lead amongst the Knights, the Cardinals and the Vikings of idle St. Bernard at 2-1. This week, Bishop Montgomery (2-7 overall) is at Cantwell-Sacred Heart (5-4), while St. Bernard (4-5) plays Verbum Dei (4-5, 1-2) in Downey on Nov. 2.
The Gold Coast League offers a splendid finale, as Paraclete hosts Sierra Canyon at Antelope Valley College in a matchup of 8-1 teams, both winners of their respective league divisions (Valley and Ocean). Paraclete, Division 5’s No. 1 team, last week beat McAuliffe, 49-8, its sixth straight one-sided win; Sierra Canyon entered last week as No. 2 in Division 3.
In the Tri-Valley League, Bishop Diego puts its 9-0 record on the line against Grace Brethren (7-2) in a game pitting teams with 2-0 league marks. The Cardinals, No. 1 in Division 6, ran over Nordhoff, 52-0, their fourth straight one-sided shutout, having outscored their opposition 229-0.
And the Frontier League title will be decided Friday when Santa Clara (7-2, 2-0) hosts Carpinteria (6-3, 2-0). Santa Clara downed Malibu, 52-0, last week.
In other league games last weekend:
Marmonte: Oaks Christian 38, St. Bonaventure 0.
Baseline: Rancho Cucamonga 56, Damien 9.
Los Padres: Lompoc 50, St. Joseph/Santa Maria 6.
Academy: Orange Vista 33, St. Pius X-St. Matthias 13.
In Eight-Man Football: Villanova doubled up on Orcutt, 72-36, giving the Wildcats a perfect 9-0 league record and the Mt. Pinos League title. Bellarmine-Jefferson lost to Lighthouse Christian, 50-28, finishing their season 1-6, 1-2 in the Omega League.
Upcoming
This week’s games also include St. Bonaventure at Camarillo (Marmonte League); Etiwanda at Damien (Baseline); Santa Ynez at St. Joseph/Santa Maria (Los Padres); and St. Pius X-St. Matthias at Don Bosco Tech (non-league).