It would not feel right if Garden Grove wasn’t playing in the CIF-SS football semifinals this week.
For the fourth year in a row, and for the sixth time in seven seasons, Garden Grove has advanced to a semifinal. Garden Grove (10-2) plays host to Brea Olinda (7-5) in a Southern Division semifinal Friday.
The Argonauts won the Southern Division championship last year. They beat Rancho Alamitos, 35-0, in the final.
Garden Grove lost to Corona del Mar in Southern Division finals in 2012 and ’13 after being eliminated in the first round in ’11. The Argos won the Southern Division title in ’10 after losing in the ’09 final.
Over seven seasons, including this one, Garden Grove is 20-4 in the playoffs.
TIED AT THE TOP
For the first time this season, and for one of the few times ever, two teams are tied for No. 1 in the Orange County football top 10.
Mater Dei and Mission Viejo each got five No. 1 votes and five No. 2 votes on the ballots submitted by the 10 media members who vote on the county top 10.
Mater Dei had been alone at No. 1 for the first several weeks before the Monarchs’ loss to JSerra knocked them off of the perch. Mission Viejo had been No. 1 the past few weeks.
HISTORY LESSON
We reported, based upon information received, that Villa Park is 12-0 for the first time since 1968. A few ex-Spartans sent emails that stated otherwise. Even a couple of those emails were slightly inaccurate.
Villa Park’s first above-.500 finish was in 1972, when the Spartans went 7-2. Their ’73 team was 11-0 when it lost in the CIF-Southern Section semifinals.
Villa Park won its first CIF-SS football championship in 1977 when the Ted Mullen-coached Spartans beat Los Alamitos, 21-0, in the Southern Conference final. They were 10-3 that year.
The Spartans’ other 12-win season was in 1976, when they finished 12-2 and were CIF-SS 3A runner-up.
The Spartans were 11-0 in 2003 and ’11 before losing in the playoffs. So it looks like this is the first Villa Park 12-0 football team ever.
TURNOVERS
At this time of the season, mistakes are costlier than at any other time.
El Modena has had only one turnover while forcing opponents to commit seven in these playoffs. That’s one crucial reason the Vanguards are in the Southern Division semifinals.
NEW BARNES?
People still might answer “Coarch Barnes” when asked about who is running the football program at Los Alamitos.
John Barnes announced last week that he is retiring as coach at Los Alamitos. Barnes’ son Brian has been on the coaching staff at Los Alamitos for a few years. He has head coaching experience at Estancia and Los Alamitos.
TWICE AS GOOD?
Last year, Mission Viejo won its four West Valley Division playoff games by an average margin of 14 points en route to winning the division championship.
Through two rounds this year, the Diablos’ average margin of victory is 28 points.
HONORARY MEMBER?
Centennial of Corona’s schedule practically make the Huskies a Trinity League team.
In last year’s Pac-5 Division playoffs, the Huskies beat Trinity team Mater Dei in the second round and the league’s St. John Bosco in the final. This year, Centennial beat the Trinity’s Orange Lutheran in the second round and plays Mater Dei in the semifinals Friday at Santa Ana Stadium.
Centennial also played Orange Lutheran in a nonleague game this year and played Mater Dei in 2014 in a nonleague game.
Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com
