As expected, national and local No. 1 St. John Bosco drew the No. 1 seed in the CIF-Southern Section football playoffs that begin Nov. 2.

The Trinity League champion Braves’ (10-0) first round opponent is Serra of Gardena (5-5), a Mission League at-large selection for the 16-team D-1 bracket. Altogether, 13 divisions will see champions crowned when finals are held Nov. 23 and 24, followed by state championship playoffs.

The D-1 bracket also includes defending national champion and Trinity League runner-up Mater Dei (8-2), which will meet Valencia (7-3), the Foothill League champion, in the first round. The Monarchs are in the same end of the bracket as undefeated Centennial of Corona (10-0), which plays Orange Lutheran (5-5).

Other first round D-1 games involving Catholic schools include Bishop Amat (9-1, Mission No. 1) vs. Mission Viejo (9-1); J.Serra (8-2) vs. Long Beach Poly (8-2); and Chaminade (4-6) vs. Oaks Christian (10-0).

The other brackets include these games involving Catholic schools:

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  • D-2: Cathedral (8-2, Angelus League champ) vs. Alemany (6-4); Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks (7-3) vs. La Habra (7-3); St. Francis (6-4) vs. Calabasas (8-2).
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  • D-3: Paraclete (4-6) vs. Charter Oak (2-8).
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  • D-4: St. Bonaventure (6-4) vs. Grace Brethren (8-2); Bishop Diego (4-6) vs. Saugus (7-3).
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  • D-5: St. Paul (9-1, Del Rey champ) vs. Corona (4-6).
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  • D-12: Mary Star (7-3) vs. Linfield Christian (9-1).
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  • D-13: St. Bernard (8-2, Santa Fe champ) vs. California Military (5-4); Bishop Montgomery (8-2, Camino Real champ) vs. Garey (8-2)
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Boys’ water polo

Mater Dei, Loyola and Santa Margarita are among the eight teams in the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs that begin Nov. 1. Loyola (20-6) and Santa Margarita (17-6) play each other, while Trinity League champ Mater Dei (18-8) plays Oaks Christian (17-9).

In Division 2, Baseline League champion Damien (21-7) plays a first-round match Oct. 31 against a wild-card winner to be determined. First-round D-3 games involving Catholic schools on Oct. 30 include Servite (17-9) vs. Troy (15-11), and Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks (19-7) vs. Montebello (7-11). And in D-7, Cathedral (12-9) plays Moreno Valley (19-9).

Girls’ golf

Seniors Khameryn Utu of Mater Dei and Kiara Boggs of Santa Margarita each placed among the top 36 in the CIF-SS Southern Regional Girls’ Individual Golf Championships, held Oct. 24 at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills. Utu tied for fifth with a three-over par 75, while Boggs fired a 78, good for 19th.

The top 72 finishers (36 each from the Southern and Northern Regionals) now compete in the CIF-SS Individual Finals slated Nov. 1 at River Ridge Golf Club in Oxnard, concurrently with the CIF/WSCGA Team Qualifier. Earlier last week, Bishop Diego’s Grace Hay and Liana Brown of Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks qualified for the Individual Finals from the Northern Regional.

Mike Nelson is the former editor of The Tidings (predecessor of Angelus News).

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