OCVarsity’s Steve Fryer makes five predictions about the Pac-5 Division playoffs:
1. Which four teams make it to the Pac-5 semifinals? St. John Bosco, Crespi, Centennial of Corona and JSerra.
St. John Bosco: The Braves have the talent. Just as important, they also have the swagger. Look for them to make it two Pac-5 titles in a row.
Crespi: The Celts, coached by former Servite coach Troy Thomas, had some great battles in the Mission League. Yes, the Trinity League is the division’s premier league but that Mission League is strong, too and gets a team playoff-ready.
Centennial of Corona: The class of the Inland Empire has beaten some good teams like Long Beach Poly, Orange Lutheran and Valencia of Valencia. The Huskies, playing in the Pac-5 Division for the first time, have been playing at a Pac-5 level for many years. To get to the semifinals, Centennial would have to beat the Mater Dei-Westlake winner … and Mater Dei beat Centennial by 20 points on Aug. 30.
JSerra: Going 4-1 gives the Lions the confidence to match its talent. They would probably have to beat Bishop Amat to get to the semifinals.
2. Which team wins the Pac-5 title? St. John Bosco
When you go 5-0 in the Trinity League you’re ready for the playoffs. The Braves give up points – Trinity League opponents averaged 34 points a game against them. But no team in the division seems capable of matching touchdowns with the Josh Rosen–Sean McGrew led offense.
3. Which team will be the “surprise team” in the Pac-5 playoffs? Crespi
The division seems Trinity-centric in ways, with five of the league’s six teams in the playoffs. But the Mission League is strong too, with five its seven teams in the CalHiSports.com state top 25. As he showed at Servite, Celts coach Troy Thomas knows how to get teams ready for a big game.
4. Which player will be the postseason MVP in the Pac-5? Sean McGrew, St. John Bosco running back.
He is cat-quick and stronger than his 5-foot-6, 164-pound frame might suggest. McGrew, a junior, a good receiver out of the backfield for quarterback Josh Rosen and is a terrific kick returner.
5. Which O.C. team shouldn’t be overlooked in the Pac-5? Mater Dei.
The Monarchs are set up to play two teams they defeated earlier this season: Westlake, which they play in the first round, and potential second-round opponent Centennial of Corona.
And, since this is the Pac-5 Division, we’ll give Steve Fryer a bonus prediction:
Which O.C. player shouldn’t be overlooked in the Pac-5 Division? Nick Robinson, JSerra quarterback.
Robinson isn’t setting any records. He’s just the type of winner and leader who can push a team deep into the playoffs.
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Make sure you check back on OCVarsity.com on Wednesday to see Steve Fryer’s predictions for all of the divisions that include O.C. playoff teams.
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