OCVarsity breaks down the East Valley Division playoff bracket:
Top four seeds: 1. Grace Brethren; 2. Saddleback Valley Christian; 3. Calvary Murrieta; 4. Brethren Christian
Championship game: Location to be determined, Saturday, Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m.
Last year’s champion: St. Margaret’s, def. Grace Brethren, 34-21
THE TEAMS
(in order of how they appear on the bracket)
Grace Brethren (10-0): The Lancers defense allowed 37 points … all season. Grace Brethren posted eight shutouts in 10 regular season games. Flat out dominant.
Mary Star (6-4): The Stars received an at-large bid and enter the postseason coming off of a 35-point loss to St. Anthony.
Desert (7-3): Scorpions quarterback Ed Escobar has thrown 30 touchdown passes this season.
Santa Clarita Christian (7-3): The second place finishers from the San Joaquin league beat Fairmont Prep, 53-40, to earn the league’s final guaranteed playoff spot.
St. Monica (9-1): Since losing its opener to Maranatha, 44-0, the Mariners have reeled off nine straight wins.
Rancho Christian (7-3): Former Orange Lutheran and Canyon High coach Jim Kunau is now the head man for the Eagles football program.
Brethren Christian (9-1): Jordan Leonard finished the regular season as Orange County’s leading rusher, putting up 2,200 yards in his first 10 outings.
Sherman Indian (2-7): The Braves only two wins of the season came down the stretch in weeks 9 and 10.
Calvary Murrieta (10-0): The Warriors defense posted three shutouts in its final four outings, and limited opponents to under eight points a game over the course of the season.
Vasquez (8-2): The Mustangs outscored their final two league opponents by a combined 106-18 margin.
Crean Lutheran (7-3): The Saints snapped St. Margaret’s 38-game league winning streak two weeks ago, but failed to capture the outright Academy League title in Week 10 when it fell to Brethren Christian, 51-36.
St. Anthony (6-4): The Saints have been in every game they’ve played this season. Their final two losses of the season, for instance, came by a collective three points.
Hamilton (6-4): The Bobcats lost to the Webb Schools, 42-11, this season. St. Margaret’s – their first round opponent – beat the Webb Schools, 55-13, two weeks later.
St. Margaret’s (8-2): Don’t forget about the defending champs. The Tartans received an at-large bid, but with George Krantz and Nick Shanks leading the way, St. Margaret’s is plenty capable of repeating as East Valley champs.
Saddleback Valley Christian (10-0): The Warriors scored 40 points or more in nine of their 10 regular season outings. They’ve only had one game decided by single digits.
Santa Paula (5-5): The Cardinals actually allowed more points (243) this season than it scored (226).
