Is your team in the CIF Southern Section football playoffs?
If it is, you came to the right place, because OCVarsity has a preview for that game — in fact, OCVarsity has a preview for all 44 of the first-round playoff games that involve an Orange County team.
Dan Albano, Steve Fryer, Michael Huntley and David Delgado have put together a complete look at the local games taking place Thursday and Friday.
Click here to check out Fryer’s previews and predictions for the top five games in the first round.
The other previews are shown below by division.
DIVISION 2
Palos Verdes (10-0) at Mission Viejo (7-3), Friday, 7 p.m.: Click here to see Fryer’s preview and prediction for this game.
Upland (8-2) vs. Los Alamitos (8-2) at Westminster High, Friday, 7 p.m.: Click here to see Fryer’s preview and prediction for this game.
Edison (6-4) at Rancho Cucamonga (9-1), Friday, 7 p.m.: The Chargers will attempt to join La Habra as the only county teams to knock off a No. 1 seed in the first round of the new playoff system. (La Habra did it in 2021.) Edison junior quarterback Save Niumata returned last week from a three-game absence but the offense struggled in a 21-10 loss to Los Alamitos. The Sunset League runner-up will need to get running back Julius Gillick (1,486 yards, 15 TDs) back on track and lean on linebacker Hoi Hansen (county-leading 144 tackles) to help anchor the defense.
Palos Verdes (10-0) at Mission Viejo (7-3), Friday, 7 p.m.: The fourth-seeded Diablos are in Division 2 for the first time since they won it in 2015 en route to a state title and 16-0 record under former coach Bob Johnson. Since a 20-10 loss to San Clemente on Oct. 13, Mission Viejo has outscored its two opponents 88-6. Quarterbacks Luke Fahey and Draiden Trudeau have combined for eight touchdown passes and no interceptions while junior cornerback Dijon Lee Jr. has become more involved in the offense with nine receptions for 79 yards and two scores.
Valencia of Valencia (9-1) vs. Servite (5-5) at Cerritos College, Friday, 7 p.m.: The seventh-seeded Friars are looking to bounce back quickly after a 49-0 loss against JSerra last week. Servite aims to cut down on the turnovers after committing four in Week 10 and sustain longer drives to help its defense with field position. The Friars have good options to accomplish both goals in quarterback Leo Hannan (64 percent completion rate) and running back Quaid Carr (three straight 100-yard rushing games).
–Dan Albano
DIVISION 3
Warren (8-2) at Tustin (10-0), Friday, 7 p.m.: Click here to see Fryer’s preview and prediction for this game.
St. Francis (8-2) at San Juan Hills (9-1), Friday, 7 p.m.: San Juan Hills finished second to Trabuco Hills in the Sea View League. The Stallions beat Orange County Top 25 teams El Modena, Newport Harbor and Tesoro. San Juan Hills sophomore quarterback Timmy Herr has passed for 1,723 yards and 16 touchdowns and has rushed for 451 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Millikan (7-3) vs. Villa Park (9-1) at El Modena High, Friday, 7 p.m.: Villa Park shared the Crestview League championship with Foothill and Yorba Linda. The Spartans’ only loss was to Foothill 22-21. Villa Park senior running back Carter Christie has rushed for 968 yards and 13 touchdowns and is averaging 9 yards a carry.
–Steve Fryer
DIVISION 4
Trabuco Hills (7-3) at Newport Harbor (5-5), Friday, 7 p.m.: Click here to see Fryer’s preview and prediction for this game.
Paraclete (7-3) vs. Corona del Mar (5-5) at Newport Harbor High, Thursday, 7 p.m.: The fourth-seeded Sea Kings recovered from a narrow loss to rival Newport Harbor to defeat Huntington Beach 42-28 last week en route to landing an at-large berth. Corona del Mar’s offense showed balance as Boise State commit Kaleb Annett matched his season-high with four TD passes while the ground attack gained 145 yards on 22 carries. The defense, led by linebacker Christian Brooks, produced four sacks and two interceptions, a positive sign for a program that hasn’t lost a first-round playoff game since 2004.
Moorpark (9-1) at Yorba Linda (7-3), Friday, 7 p.m.: The eighth-seeded Mustangs showed a well-rounded effort in Week 10 that could lead to another postseason run. In a 45-29 victory against Foothill, the reigning Division 3 champion continued to move the ball well with running back Chase Jones (1,092 yards, 18 TDs for season) and quarterback Holden Nagin (22 TDs), stuffed the Knights’ ground attack and received a field goal before half by Bradley Staveley. The Crestview League co-champion will add standout Dylan Gardner, who missed the Week 10 game due to injury, to the mix Friday, Mustangs coach Jeff Bailey said.
Downey (8-2) at Capistrano Valley (7-3), Friday, 7 p.m.: The sixth-seeded Cougars, an at-large team from the South Coast League, are hosting their first playoff game since the Division 3 semifinals in 2018. The Cougars went 0-3 in the rugged South Coast League but have developed junior dual-threat QB Tommy Acosta (1,407 yards passing, 825 rushing) to lead the offense. UC Davis-committed linebacker Jackson Sievers (132 tackles, seven sacks) anchors a defense that will need continued contributions from linemen Andrew Herrera and Ryan Isenhart.
–Dan Albano
DIVISION 5
Aquinas (7-3) vs. Foothill (6-4) at Tustin High, Thursday, 7 p.m.: Foothill shared the Crestview League championship with Villa Park and Yorba Linda. The Knights handed Villa Park its only loss. Foothill senior quarterback Nicholas Miali has passed for 1,981 yards and 19 touchdowns and senior running back Aaron Mitchell has rushed for 1,149 yards and 19 touchdowns.
El Modena (6-4) at Thousand Oaks (7-3), Friday, 7 p.m.: El Modena went 3-0 in the North Hills League to capture the league championship. Junior quarterback Xzavior Guess has thrown for 1,806 yards and 10 touchdowns and has rushed for 602 yards and 18 touchdowns. El Modena junior defensive lineman Shane Whitehill has a team-high 65 tackles.
Western (9-1) at Colony (7-3), Friday, 7 p.m.: Western went 5-0 in the Orange League to win the league championship. The Pioneers have won nine in a row since a season-opening loss to Los Alamitos. Western senior quarterback Anthony Luna is second in county passing yardage with 2,773 and has thrown 40 touchdown passes.
–Steve Fryer
DIVISION 6
Laguna Hills (9-1) at Murrieta Mesa (4-6), Friday, 7 p.m.: Laguna Hills finished second in the Pacific Coast League to Dana Hills, the only team to beat the Hawks. Laguna Hills senior linebackers Tyler Guzman and Ryder Simmons were All-CIF last year. The Hawks were Division 7 champions last season.
West Ranch (7-3) at La Habra (6-4), Friday, 7 p.m.: La Habra tied with Sonora and Troy for the Freeway League championship. Highlanders junior defensive back Gabriel Jimenez has 105 tackles, 52 of those solo tackles. Eight of the teams La Habra has played this season are in the playoffs.
Rio Mesa (7-3) vs. Cypress (6-4) at Western High, Friday, 7 p.m.: Cypress finished second to Tustin in the Empire League. Centurions senior quarterback Aidan Houston has passed for 1,442 yards and has rushed for a team-high 632 yards. Senior linebacker Rocco Burdett has 105 tackles of which 80 are solo tackles.
–Steve Fryer
Dana Hills (8-2) at Ontario Christian (8-2), Friday, 7 p.m.: The Dolphins captured their first outright league title in school history last week in the Pacific Coast and enter as the No. 16 seed. They’ve averaged 47 points the past two games behind emerging sophomore quarterback Jace Lowe (eight TDs in Week 9-10) and the dynamic receiver duo of Noah Kucera (50 catches for 784 yards) and Chase Berry (10 receptions in Week 9-10). The key for Dana Hills will be receiving strong efforts on defense from linebackers Dominic Barto and Cooper Walsh and ends Mitchell Hill and Nate DePierro.
Glendora (6-4) at Huntington Beach (4-6), Friday, 7 p.m.: The eighth-seeded Oilers are playing host to a playoff game for the first time since their CIF Division 6 title season of 2013, also the last year they won a postseason game. Huntington Beach features freshman QB Brady Edmunds (1,786 yards 18 TDs) but is a senior-dominated squad. Running back Tyler Young leads the team with 927 rushing yards, Hunter Gray and Musashi Ray have combined for 65 receptions and Brandon Soleau has racked up 90 tackles.
Crean Lutheran (7-3) vs. Hart (7-3) at College of the Canyons, Friday, 7 p.m.: The Saints placed third in the Empire League to grab the No. 12 seed in Division 6, which is two divisions higher than they played last season. Freshman Caden Jones starred at quarterback last week, completing 18 of 24 passes for 148 yards and three TDs in a 39-6 win against visiting Kennedy. Crean Lutheran’s defense, led by linebacker Carter Jones (125 tackles) and safety Ben Byszewski (six INTs), has been solid in holding opponents to about 15.8 points per game.
–Dan Albano
DIVISION 7
El Dorado (5-5) at Laguna Beach (9-1), Friday, 7 p.m.: Click here to see Fryer’s preview and prediction for this game.
DIVISION 8
Fountain Valley (3-7) at Brentwood (8-2), Friday, 7 p.m.: Fountain Valley went 0-5 in the Sunset League but qualified as an at-large team. The Barons beat two playoff teams, Freeway League co-champion Troy and Bellflower. Fountain Valley senior quarterback Noa Banua has passed for 1,724 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Lawndale (5-4) at Aliso Niguel (6-3), Friday, 7 p.m.: Aliso Niguel finished third in the four-team Sea View League and qualified for the playoffs as an at-large team. The Wolverines won five in a row before losing three of their final four regular-season games. Aliso senior running back Luke Jones has rushed for 729 yards and eight touchdowns.
Jurupa Hills (4-6) at Irvine (7-3), Friday, 7 p.m.: Irvine won the championship of the Pacific Hills League with a 3-0 league record. Two of the Vaqueros’ losses were to league champions, Dana Hills and Trabuco Hills, and the other loss was to 9-1 Laguna Hills. Irvine junior running back Brandon Figueroa has rushed for 995 yards and 13 touchdowns.
–Steve Fryer
DIVISION 9
St. Margaret’s (6-4) at Rio Hondo Prep (9-1), Friday, 7 p.m.: St. Margaret’s shared the Orange Coast League championship this season with Santa Ana and Orange. University of Chicago commit Max Ruff averages 228 yards passing per game this season with 28 touchdown passes. Battle Gideons leads the defense with 100 tackles and 13 for a loss.
Orange (6-4) at Diamond Bar (4-6), Friday, 7 p.m.: Orange won its last four games of the season including a 14-0 win over Santa Ana to capture a share of its third consecutive league championship. Sacramento State commit Ardwon Morris leads the Southern Section in rushing yards with 2,147 and 26 touchdowns. Quarterback Hype Grand is also a running threat with 562 yards and seven touchdowns and Wesley Lundell is an emerging sophomore receiver.
Marina (6-4) at Vista del Lago (7-3), Friday, 7 p.m.: Marina was the Big 4 League champion this season and is on a four-game winning streak. Anthony Fabian ran for 185 yards with two touchdowns against Garden Grove and 138 yards with three touchdowns in the league title game against Segerstrom. Junior center Emitt Been leads the offensive line and lefty Garrett Hunnicutt is a dual-threat quarterback.
Sonora (8-2) at Rancho Mirage (7-2), Friday, 7 p.m.: Sonora won a share of its first Freeway League championship since 1994 this season. Anthony Abad is one of the leading rushers in the county with 1,175 yards with 16 touchdowns. Sonora’s defense has forced 20 turnovers this season and Gabriel Bagdonoff leads the group with 85 tackles.
Santa Ana (7-3) at Santa Monica (6-4), Friday, 7 p.m.: Santa Ana won a share of the Orange Coast League title but ended the season on a sour note with a 14-0 loss to Orange. Charles Hughes has 1,051 yards rushing with 20 touchdowns. Sergio Torres averages 161 passing yards per game with 17 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
Monrovia (6-3) vs. Troy (6-4) at Fullerton High, Friday, 7 p.m.: Troy beat La Habra earlier this season to win a share of its first Freeway League championship since 2006. Vander Ploog has 920 yards receiving with 12 touchdowns and Declan Healey has over 1,200 yards of offense with 19 touchdowns. Troy’s offense is very balanced with 189 passing yards per game and 208 rushing yards per game.
–Michael Huntley
DIVISION 10
Segerstrom (6-4) vs. Torrance (6-4) at Zamperini Stadium, Friday, 7 p.m.: Segerstrom spreads the ball around so effectively that while the team averages 229 rushing yards per game, no individual averages over 78. Isaiah Valdivia is the team’s biggest playmaker on offense along with Ayden Morales. Mokey Leuma leads the defense with 72 tackles and Gilbert Peralta has a team-high six sacks.
Brea Olinda (5-5) at Elsinore (5-5), Friday, 7 p.m.: Brea Olinda was overmatched in the Crestview League against teams in much higher playoff divisions. Nathan Aceves has 1,057 rushing yards with 12 touchdowns this season for the Wildcats. Josh Patton led the Brea defense with eight tackles and two for a loss last week in its loss to Foothill.
Beckman (8-2) vs. Capistrano Valley Christian (8-1) at Tesoro High, Friday, 7 p.m.: Austin Shepard is a good quarterback for Beckman with 22 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He has three quality targets in CJ Bertoni, Sean O’Rourke and Dominic Thompson. Drexel Gibson has four sacks for Beckman’s defense and Bertoni has three sacks with two forced fumbles. Capistrano Valley Christian has the third-leading passer in the county in Nate Richie who has 2,359 yards with 30 touchdowns. Max Krosky is the second leading receiver in the county with 991 yards and a county-high 16 touchdowns. JP Synnott has over 1,300 yards of offense with 16 touchdowns.
Crescenta Valley (7-3) vs. Kennedy (6-4) at Glover Stadium, Friday, 7 p.m.: Kennedy was the fifth-place team in the Empire League but earned an at-large spot due to its 5-0 start to the season. Junior quarterback Devin Almazan completed 68 percent of his passes for 183 yards per game with 20 touchdowns. Rocco Street leads the Fighting Irish in rushing and interceptions on defense.
–Michael Huntley
DIVISION 11
Riverside Poly (4-6) vs. Esperanza (6-4) at Yorba Linda High, Thursday, 7 p.m.: Esperanza is in the playoffs for the first time since 2019 when it won the Division 13 championship. Aaron Forsgren has the third-most rushing yards in the county with 1,499 yards and 18 touchdowns. Esperanza head coach JP Presley was the head coach at Orange Lutheran and led the Lancers to four playoff appearances from 2016-2019.
Westminster (7-3) at Schurr (9-1), Friday, 7 p.m.: Westminster has two playmaking running backs in Ezekiel Cedillo and Jason Guzman. Benny Burns has 20 passing touchdowns and just five interceptions for the Lions. Cedillo also leads the defense in tackles (77), sacks (6) and forced fumbles (2).
–Michael Huntley
DIVISION 12
Arroyo Valley (8-2) at Buena Park (5-5), Friday, 7 p.m.: Buena Park is in the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and had a 22-game losing streak just a year ago. Jaden Moore ran for 1,002 yards with 12 touchdowns this season to lead the offense. Anthony Irons has six interceptions to lead the defense and is the team’s leading receiver.
–Michael Huntley
DIVISION 13
Los Amigos (6-4) at San Gabriel (6-4), Friday, 7 p.m.: Los Amigos earned a share of the Garden Grove League championship for the second consecutive season. Maysen Navarro had three touchdown passes in Week 10 against Santiago and Rocco Rivera is the team’s top rusher. The Lobos are on a four-game winning streak.
Santa Ana Valley (5-5) at St. Monica Prep (7-3), Friday, 7 p.m.: Santa Ana Valley is the second-place representative from the Orange League for the second consecutive season. Damian Rolldan is the team’s leading rusher and Diego Quiroz is a scoring threat as well. Julian Pimentel was one of the best receivers in the Orange League this season.
Baldwin Park (3-7) at Estancia (6-4), Friday, 7 p.m.: Riley Witte is a dual-threat quarterback who threw for 13 touchdowns this season and ran for eight. Estancia’s defense forced 25 turnovers this season with seven coming from interceptions. Ryan Carrasco had 83 tackles, 3.5 sacks and four forced fumbles to lead the defense.
–Michael Huntley
DIVISION 14
Rancho Alamitos (7-3) at Santa Rosa Academy (6-4), Friday, 7 p.m.: Rancho Alamitos earned a share of the Garden Grove League title by winning its final three league games after losing to co-champs Los Amigos. The Vaqueros rely primarily on the run so backfield mates Jesus Diego and Cruz Gonzalez will need big games. Freshman Osvaldo Ramos could be an X factor in the passing game for QB Henry Garcia.
Bolsa Grande (6-4) at Ocean View (5-5), Friday, 7 p.m.: Bolsa Grande secured its first winning season since 1987 with a victory over La Quinta in the regular-season finale. The Matadors will need their quarterback Ethan Nguyen to continue his stellar play (6 total TDs last week) if they look to get a road playoff win. Bolsa Grande lost in the second round of the Division 14 playoffs last season to eventual champions Whittier Christian. Ocean View defeated the Matadors back in September, 34-7. The Seahawks secured an at-large playoff spot a year after going 2-8. First-year coach Daniel Hernandez will lean on running backs Jayden Trujillo and William Pardue IV and also QB Frankie Armenta and Oswaldo Lozano to lead the offense.
Anaheim (5-5) at Hawthorne (4-6), Friday, 7 p.m.: The Colonists are making their first postseason appearance since 2021, when they advanced to the semifinals before falling to Arlington. Anaheim quarterback MJ Fernandez and wide receiver Jason Garrett will look to wreak havoc on opposing secondaries. The duo has connected for eight touchdowns this season.
Duarte (6-4) at Whittier Christian (6-4), Friday, 7 p.m.: No. 2 seed Whittier Christian, the defending Division 14 champion, begins its quest to repeat with a home game against Duarte. The Heralds offense is led by quarterback Caleb Mer and running back Jake Martinez. Martinez, a senior, has rushed for 1,085 yards and 16 touchdowns this season. If Whittier Christian advances, it could face Lynwood next, the team it beat in the finals last season.
–David Delgado
