Now that most leagues have begun league play, it’s a good time to review this season’s changes in leagues and playoff divisions.
The only county teams in the elite Pac-5 Division for the playoffs are Trinity League schools JSerra, Mater Dei, Orange Lutheran, Santa Margarita and Servite.
The five-team South Coast League is in the West Valley Division. So is the Sunset League, which was in the Southwest Division the past two seasons. The other three West Valley leagues are the Baseline (led by Chino Hills, Upland), Foothill (Valencia of Valencia, Hart of Newhall) and Southwestern (Vista Murrieta) leagues.
The Pacific Coast League moved from the Southern Division, which Corona del Mar has won the past couple of years, to the Southwest Division. Also in the Southwest are the Crestview, Empire, Freeway and Sea View leagues.
The Crestview is a new, four-team league that includes Esperanza, Foothill, Villa Park and Yorba Linda. The five-team Sea View League has a new look, with San Clemente and Trabuco Hills having replaced Dana Hills and San Juan Hills there; Dana Hills and San Juan Hills took the place of San Clemente and Trabuco Hills in the South Coast League.
Taking the Pacific Coast League’s place in the Southern Division is a new league, the North Hills League that has Brea Olinda, Canyon El Dorado and El Modena in it. The other Southern Division leagues again are the Garden Grove, Golden West, Orange and Orange Coast leagues.
The Academy and San Joaquin leagues of most of the county’s smaller private schools are in the East Valley Division. Whittier Christian is the only county team in the Olympic League and the Northwest Division.
The top two finishers in four- and five-team leagues receive automatic playoff berths. The top three finishers in six-team leagues receive automatic playoff berths. The number of at-large berths available for non-automatic qualifiers: two in the Pac-5 Division; two in the West Valley; three in the Southwest; two in the Southern; four in the East Valley’ and four in the Northwest.
Teams do not need to have .500-or-better overall records to qualify for at-large berth consideration.
FAN OF THE WEEK
That would be a JSerra supporter who quieted down an obnoxious fan of JSerra.
The obnoxious guy, who ignored Santa Margarita principal Ray Dunne’s pregame prayer that requested proper behavior from all, was shouting negative observations and criticisms at everyone on the field.
Another JSerra father approached him and said he should set a better example for the many JSerra students nearby.
We’ve got a saying here – “Be Loud, Be Proud, Be Positive” – and congratulations to the JSerra dad who has the correct priorities.
BETTER THAN THE RECORD
Dana Hills is 1-6 overall and 0-1 in the South Coast League. The nonleague win was via forfeit over Villa Park, which beat Dana Hills on the field so on the field the Dolphins are 0-7. But take a look at this: Dana Hills’ opponents are a combined 34-9 on the field.
The Dolphins would have a couple of wins if their coaches pursued an easier schedule.
FRYER’S O.C. TOP 25
Here is how I rank county football teams 1-25: 1. Mater Dei (5-1) 2. JSserra (6-0); 3. Servite (4-2); 4. Santa Margarita (4-2); 5. Orange Lutheran (4-2); 6. Tesoro (6-1); 7. Mission Viejo (5-2); 8. Corona del Mar (5-1); 9. Los Alamitos (5-1); 10. San Clemente (6-1); 11. Edison (4-2); 12. El Toro (5-2); 13. La Habra (3-3); 14. Trabuco Hills (3-3); 15. Villa Park (4-2); 16. Newport Harbor (3-3); 17. Cypress (5-1); 18. Troy (5-1); 19. Valencia (5-1); 20. Fountain Valley (4-2); 21. Buena Park (5-10); 22. Fullerton (3-3); 23. Capistrano Valley (5-2); 24. Foothill (4-2); 25. Woodbridge (4-2).
FRYER’S EXPLANATION
Two items that are looked at when evaluating football teams: quickness on defense; and physicality in the fourth quarter.
Against Santa Margarita, JSerra was superior in both categories over Servite when the Friars were viewed playing Edison.
THIS WEEK
Games that will influence races for league championships and playoff berths are all over the schedule, including:
Mater Dei vs. Servite at Cerritos College, Friday: The top two teams in the county rankings square off again in a Trinity League matchup. Mater Dei has a 34-17-2 lead in the series and has beaten the Friars the past two seasons after Servite had won the game in 2009, ’10 and ’11.
Mission Viejo at Tesoro, Friday: Mission Viejo has beaten the Titans five years in a row in South Coast League games by the average margin of 26 points. Tesoro has been the better team this season.
Orange Lutheran vs. Santa Margarita at Saddleback College, Friday: The loser will be 0-2 in the Trinity League with Mater Dei and St. John Bosco yet to be played.
Brethren Christian at St. Margaret’s, Friday: St. Margaret’s is No. 1 in the East Valley Division and is winning by an average margin of 34 points. Brethren could be the Tartans’ top challenge in the Academy League.
Sonora vs. Troy at Fullerton High, Friday: The Freeway League is at its highest quality, in terms of depth, in many years. Sonora is 6-0 overall, 1-0 in league. Troy is 5-1, 1-0.
Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com
