Catholic school participation in the CIF-Southern Section football playoffs was cut in half after first round results last weekend, although several of the higher-ranked teams are still alive.
Those would include Trinity League stalwarts St. John Bosco, Mater Dei and J.Serra, each of whom posted lopsided first-round victories Nov. 2. The Braves whitewashed Serra/Gardena 49-0; the Monarchs stopped Valencia 44-6; and the Lions downed Long Beach Poly 42-9. Elsewhere in D-1, Mission Viejo beat Bishop Amat 24-7, and Oaks Christian beat Chaminade 22-7.
The Nov. 9 D-1 quarterfinals: St. John Bosco (11-0) vs. San Clemente (7-4), Mater Dei vs. Mission Viejo (9-1); J.Serra (9-2) vs. Oaks Christian (11-0); Centennial/Corona (10-0) vs. Rancho Cucamonga (7-4).
Other first round action involving Catholic schools included the following:
- D-2: Two Mission League schools from the San Fernando Valley advanced to the quarterfinals with high-scoring wins. Alemany (7-4) outscored Cathedral 40-33, and next plays top-seeded Rancho Verde (11-0), while Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks (8-3) eliminated La Habra 41-34 on a late touchdown run by Cooper Meeks, and will face Los Alamitos (9-1-1). St. Francis lost to Calabasas, 49-7.
- D-3: Paraclete (5-6), last year’s D-5 champion, defeated Charter Oak 38-14, to reach the quarterfinals against Cajon (8-1)..
- D-4: St. Bonaventure was beaten 52-14 by Grace Brethren; Bishop Diego suffered a narrow 38-35 loss to Saugus on a last-second field goal.
- D-5: St. Paul (10-1) overwhelmed Corona 51-0 and meets La Serna (10-1) in the quarterfinals.
- D-12: Mary Star lost 40-0 to Linfield Christian.
- D-13: St. Bernard (9-2) beat California Military 54-14, and next plays Garey (9-2) which edged Bishop Montgomery 49-48, despite five TD passes from the Knights’ Matthew Origel.
- Eight-man: In D-1, Villanova Prep (7-3) beat Thacher 41-14 and plays Chadwick on Nov. 9. In D-2, St. Michael’s Prep (5-4) plays Hesperia Christian (8-1).
Mike Nelson is the former editor of The Tidings (predecessor of Angelus News).
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