High School Football: Central Section Playoff Primer
Here’s a look at the Central Section playoff brackets:
Division I
Top seeds: 1. Edison (9-1), 2. Liberty (8-2), 3. Bakersfield (8-2), 4. Clovis North (7-3)
Tulare County impact: None. El Diamante (4-6, 2-4) didn’t advance to the playoffs.
Key player: Hunter Swearingen, Edison. Edison has an elite playmaker in receiver Tyler Horton (offers from California, Washington State, Fresno State, Boise State), and running back Khai Williams is one of the better go-to backs in the section. However, the Tigers’ title hopes are probably pinned to Swearingen’s ability to make sure those players get the ball in open spaces. The senior quarterback has had his moments of excellence, but when the Tigers’ offense struggles, those ills could usually be traced back to Swearingen’s performance.
The skinny: Can this bracket’s winner earn a spot in the CIF Southern California Division I regional game? Bakersfield, the defending CIF State Division I bowl champion, was in great position to be awarded a second straight regional invite last week, but Friday’s loss to Liberty may have crippled those chances. Outlook isn’t very good at this point. You have to figure the Southern Section Division III or IV champion along with the top champion from the San Diego Section. Still, this should be a very entertaining bracket — the top four seeds all have an equal chance of winning.
Times-Delta/Advance-Register bracket science: The gap in talent and proficiency between the first four seeds is miniscule. Don’t see any dark horses emerging from this bracket. Clovis North has the two most coveted recruits in the Central Section in defensive tackle Jacob Daniel (No. 14 recruit in the state by Rivals.com, USC commit) and running back Bolu Olorunfunmi (No. 63 recuit in the state by Rivals, UCLA commit), but Daniel has been hampered by a knee injury. If Clovis North is able to field a lineup with its star players, watch out. There should be a pair of semifinal games (Edison vs. Clovis North and Liberty vs. Bakersfield) that would be worthy of being top-tier championship games in most seasons. Have to give the edge to Liberty. The Patriots have a tendency to take it up a couple of notches in games that are considered toss-ups or where they’re the underdogs.
Division II
Top seeds: 1. Ridgeview (9-1), 2. Lemoore (10-0), 3. Dinuba (9-1), 4. Sanger (7-3)
Tulare County impact: No. 3 Dinuba has a credible chance to win this bracket, its first year in Division II after winning the Division III championship last season. The Emperors’ primary strengths (ground game and strong defense) are long-time staples of teams that win championships at this level. Dinuba’s top offensive playmaker is senior running back Michael Wright (1,459 yards, 18 TDs). The Emperors have kept five of their last six opponents to 14 points or less. No. 7 Redwood (5-5) has the offensive wherewithal to make a long run. Concern with the Rangers is their defensive prowess against quality teams. No. 8 Tulare Union (6-4) is back in Division II after spending the last four seasons as a Division I team. From 2004-09, Tulare Union played in three Division II title games (won in 2008, lost in 2005 and 2007), played in another semifinal (2009) and made another quarterfinal appearance (2004). Redskins may be a year away from being considered a top title contender, though. Porterville (4-6) is the No. 12 seed, but will have to play without star running Isaiah Jones against No. 5 San Joaquin Memorial on Friday. Jones was ejected from last week’s game against Monache for arguing with an official, and is suspended for this week’s contest.
Key player: Sheldon Croney, Ridgeview. Tulare Union’s Romello Harris (leads the Central Section in rushing and total touchdowns) may be a more coveted college football recruit, but the senior running back is the primary force in Ridgeview’s offense. The Garces transfer holds scholarship offers from eight schools including Fresno State, Oregon State and Boise State. Croney has nearly 1,500 yards rushing and 21 rushing touchdowns.
The skinny: Ridgeview is the clear favorite. The Wolf Pack are ranked No. 6 in this week’s Cal-Hi Sports’ poll for the CIF Southern California Division II bowl poll, Lemoore, the bracket’s No. 2 seed, is No. 10 in the same poll. Ridgeview has an explosive offense, averaging 43 points per game. Lemoore has a good-looking record, but is rather fortunate that it doesn’t have two blemishes — the Tigers scored in the closing seconds of a 28-24 win over Monache, and edged El Diamante 21-20 in overtime when the Miners’ two-point conversion attempt failed. Dinuba may have the defense that can slow down Ridgeview enough to pull off the upset.
Times-Delta/Advance-Register bracket science: Can Redwood and Tulare Union cause some havoc in this bracket? On paper, yes. But inconsistent results from both teams suggest that it is going to difficult for the Rangers and Redskins to pull off quarterfinal upsets. Dinuba’s hopes of advancing to the Division II title game in its first year — where a third straight Central Section title game against Ridgeview possibly looms (both teams met in the 2012 and 2013 Division III championship games) — probably hinges on an effective offensive attack against a Lemoore defense that has done a fantastic job of setting up its offense with quality scoring chance after quality scoring chance. Have to consider a Lemoore-Dinuba semifinal a toss-up at this point.
Division III
Top seeds: 1. Hanford (9-1), 2. Mission Oak (8-2), 3. Madera (7-3), 4. Tulare Western (7-3)
Tulare County impact: Mission Oak is in a familiar spot as the No. 2 seed of a bracket — the Hawks were the No. 2 seed in Division IV in 2011 and 2012, and was No. 1 in Division IV last year. Hawks are hungry for the school’s first Central Section championship in any sport, especially after coughing up a late lead to Bakersfield Christian in last year’s Division IV final. Hawks have the best defense in the bracket. Question is, can the Hawk offense produce enough points over the final two rounds? Tulare Western would be considered a viable title contender if senior quarterback Kobe Portillo was able to play. Portillo suffered a shoulder injury in the Mustangs’ Bell Game loss to Tulare Union. Without Portillo, don’t know if the Mustangs have enough offensive scoring power to get by No. 5 Bakersfield Christian (6-4) next week.
Key player: Le’Andre Jefferson, Mission Oak. The Hawks’ two-way senior stalwart is a solid cornerback, but his biggest contribution to the Hawks is on offense as he ranks among Central Section leaders with 23 total touchdowns. He has an incredible knack of scoring touchdowns that go for at least 40 yards. If opposing teams are able to curb that type of big-play proficiency from Jefferson, you have to wonder if the Hawks have enough offense to win this bracket. If Jefferson is celebrating his touchdowns with teammates on a regular basis, you have to like the Hawks’ chances to win their first Central Section championship.
The skinny: Hanford is the the deserving No. 1 seed, no argument there. But the Bullpups aren’t an overwhelming powerhouse team. What does separate Hanford from Mission Oak is a more prolific offense (Bullpups are averaging over 40 points per game). We’re going to find out if suffering lopsided losses against Division I and II title contenders translates into valuable experience. No. 3 Madera, which defeated Tulare Western 52-28, got walloped by three fellow County/Metro Athletic Conference teams (Edison, Sanger and San Joaquin Memorial by a combined 139-40 score). The Coyotes appear to be the only significant obstacle in the way between Mission Oak and a spot in the championship game.
Times-Delta/Advance-Register bracket science: Almost all signs point to a Mission Oak-Hanford showdown at Neighbor Bowl on Dec. 5 for the section championship — especially if Tulare Western is unable to field its top lineup. Scores against common opponents suggest that Hanford is at least a slight favorite over Mission Oak. If the same Madera team that defeated Tulare Western shows up in a couple of weeks at Bob Mathias Stadium, a Mission Oak-Hanford title-game matchup is far from a given. Dark horse is Bakersfield Christian. The Eagles have enough top-flight talent to create major headaches for any of the bracket’s top four seeds.
Division IV
Top seeds: 1. Liberty-Madera Ranchos (10-0), 2. CVC (9-1), 3. Cesar Chavez (9-1), 4. Golden West (6-4)
Tulare County impact: There is a distinct possibility that we could have an all-Visalia final between No. 2 CVC and No. 4 Golden West. Both teams have outstanding running games, and the on-field team leadership needed at this time of the year. Cavaliers have a fine running back duo in Macintrye Garbani and Alex te Velde to go with a great defense. Golden West’s play-making trio of Cristian Canales, Eric Sanchez and Sheldon White is the force behind its scoring average of 32.4 points per game. If it wins Friday at No. 8 Kerman, No. 9 Exeter (4-6) will face top-seeded Liberty-Madera Ranchos in the quarterfinals.
Key player: Colton te Velde, CVC. The Cavaliers’ quest for a Central Section crown and a bid to the Southern California Division IV regional game are contingent upon a defensive unit that is able to handle the potent running attacks of Cesar Chavez (averaging 223.2 yards rushing and nearly 3 rushing TDs per game) — CVC’s likely semifinal opponent — and Liberty-Madera Ranchos (305 yards rushing per game and nearly 5 rushing TDs per game) or Golden West (over 270 yards rushing per game) — have to figure one of those two teams will be CVC’s title-game opponent if the Cavaliers make it to the final. The Cavaliers have an outstanding defensive front led by te Velde, a 6-3, 240-pound senior defensive tackle. Te Velde, the chief run plugger in the Cavaliers’ run defense scheme, has 59 tackles and 11 total tackles for loss.
The skinny: All eyes on CVC. Some may regard Ridgeview as the Central Section’s top bet for a regional invite, but a closer look at the numbers shows that CVC has the best shot if it wins this bracket. CVC is ranked No. 2 in the latest Maxpreps.com poll for the CIF Southern California Division IV bowl bracket, and No. 6 in the Cal-Hi Sports poll. The Cavaliers must win the Division IV title in order to be given final consideration.
Times-Delta/Advance-Register bracket science: CVC and Golden West aren’t the only teams that are capable of steamrolling opponents with their running attacks. The same thing can be said of No. 1 Liberty Madera-Ranchos and No. 3 Cesar Chavez. It may come down to which team can come up with the big plays through the air. And Golden West has shown a penchant for those type of game-changing plays all season. There is a very noticeable gap between the top four seeds and the rest of the bracket. There’s probably a 90-percent-plus likelihood that the final four teams will consist of the top four seeds. But once the postseason reaches the semis, we should having nothing but toss-up matchups. Should be a very interesting final two weeks in this bracket. Might be a partisan pick, but you have to like the chances of CVC facing off against Golden West on Dec. 5.
Division V
Top seeds: 1. Farmersville (9-1), 2. Kern Valley (10-0). 3.Immanuel (7-3), 4. Mendota (7-3)
Tulare County impact: Farmersville is the No. 1 seed, the only Tulare County team to have that designation. No. 12 Woodlake (5-5) visits No. 5 Sierra on Friday, and No. 13 Orosi takes on Mendota. Woodlake won three of its last five games, including a 14-6 decision over East Sequoia League champion Corcoran, the No. 8 seed in this bracket.
Key player: Sam Metcalf, Farmersville. Aztecs senior star quarterback leads the Central Section in yards passing (3,196), touchdown passes (40) and NFL-formula passer rating (128.5). He has shown throughout his career that he can take over a game is he gets into a groove. The Aztecs will need for him to play at an elite level for a shot at the section title in their first year in Division V.
The skinny: Farmersville is the top seed, but Kern Valley is the widely considered the team to beat. Kern Valley cannot host a Central Section playoff game against a non-High Desert League team until 2017 (part of the High Desert League’s deal to switch from the Southern to Central Section). Kern Valley is a well-balanced squad. The Broncs are a little more pass-oriented with their offensive attack that is averaging 36.6 points per game. Kern Valley quarterback Dalton Gallis ranks fourth in the section with 2,578 yards passing (third with 28 TD passes). The Broncs have surrendered just 106 points, and only three opponents scored more than 14 points. Kern Valley is ranked No. 5 in this week’s Cal-Hi Sports poll of the CIF Southern California Division IV bowl bracket.
Times-Delta/Advance-Register bracket science: It should be a high-scoring affair if Farmersville and Kern Valley meet in the title game as projected by their respective seeds. Immanuel and Mendota shouldn’t be dismissed, though, especially third-seeded Immanuel, who dropped a narrow 45-42 decision to Farmersville on Oct. 24. Home-field advantage could be a major factor for Farmersville. The Aztecs have won 13 out of its last 14 home games (loss was to Mission Prep-San Luis Obispo).
Division VI
Top seeds: 1. RFK (7-3), 2. Avenal (7-3), 3. Sierra Pacific (7-3), 4. Riverdale (6-4)
Tulare County impact: None. 2013 Division VI champion Farmersville was promoted to Division V. Strathmore, normally a top contender in this bracket, stayed home for the playoffs with a 4-6 record.
Key player: Rolando Arrona, RFK. Senior running back has rushed for 1,674 yards and 15 touchdowns.
The skinny: There are only six teams, and RFK and Avenal already have spots in the semifinals. It would be a shocker if RFK isn’t in the final. The Thunderbirds went 4-0 against Division VI teams, including a 34-6 win over No. 4 Riverdale.
Times-Delta/Advance-Register bracket science: RFK is the heavy favorite. The Thunderbirds have fared relatively well against quality teams (their three losses were to Bakersfield Christian, Wasco and Cesar Chavez). Most competitive game is a likely rematch in the semis between Avenal and Sierra Pacific (Avenal won 24-21 on Sept. 5).