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  • Brea Olinda coach Rob Perrance is joined by four of...

    Brea Olinda coach Rob Perrance is joined by four of the team's top players - from left, Zach Arnold, Malik Campbell, Brandon Legendre and Nick Drury - during the CIF-SS press conference and luncheon for the teams that made it to the championship football games.

  • La Habra players and Coach Frank Mazzotta during the CIF-SS...

    La Habra players and Coach Frank Mazzotta during the CIF-SS press conference and luncheon for the teams that made it to the championship football games.

  • Players and coaches sit down for a meal during the...

    Players and coaches sit down for a meal during the CIF-SS press conference and luncheon for the teams that made it to the championship football games.

  • Players and coaches sit down for a meal during the...

    Players and coaches sit down for a meal during the CIF-SS press conference and luncheon for the teams that made it to the championship football games.

  • San Clemente coach Jaime Ortiz introduces players he brought to...

    San Clemente coach Jaime Ortiz introduces players he brought to lunch during the CIF-SS press conference and luncheon for the teams that made it to the championship football games.

  • Mission Viejo coach Bob Johnson introduces his players during the...

    Mission Viejo coach Bob Johnson introduces his players during the CIF-SS press conference and luncheon for the teams that made it to the championship football games.

  • San Clemente coach Jaime Ortiz and his players during the...

    San Clemente coach Jaime Ortiz and his players during the CIF-SS press conference and luncheon for the teams that made it to the championship football games.

  • Mission Viejo players pose for a photo during the CIF-SS...

    Mission Viejo players pose for a photo during the CIF-SS press conference and luncheon for the teams that made it to the championship football games.

  • Saddleback Valley Christian players pose for a photo during the...

    Saddleback Valley Christian players pose for a photo during the CIF-SS press conference and luncheon for the teams that made it to the championship football games.

  • Kirk Morrison speaks to players about his time playing football...

    Kirk Morrison speaks to players about his time playing football during the CIF-SS press conference and luncheon for the teams that made it to the championship football games.

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Associate mug of Kenny Connolly, Anaheim reporter.

Date shot: 12/31/2012 . Photo by KATE LUCAS /  ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

LONG BEACH Being two of the first teams to arrive at The Grand Event Center on Monday morning, La Habra coach Frank Mazzotta and San Clemente’s Jaime Ortiz offered up handshakes and swapped a number of laughs before being seated at their designated tables alongside their players and school administrators.

Interactions like that were a common sight throughout the room at the CIF’s annual Football Luncheon, mainly because there’s already a decent amount of familiarity surrounding this week’s batch of championship games.

The West Valley Division final pitting Mission Viejo against Vista Murrieta is a rematch of last year’s finale. The Southern Division game is an all-North Hills League affair featuring Canyon and Brea Olinda.

While La Habra and San Clemente have yet to see one another this season in the Southwest Division, the Tritons are playing their fourth Freeway League opponent in as many weeks this Friday night.

“The Freeway was the No. 1-rated league in our division, and it shows,” Ortiz said. “Buena Park, Sonora, Sunny Hills and La Habra all play some good football in that league. For us with the ability to play every team, it’s been fun. We’ve got to meet a lot of their coaches, and now we’re looking forward to seeing the league champion.”

With hours of game film against mutual opponents, the tape itself will show a pair of teams that pose a number of similar problems for opponents: dual-threat quarterbacks, dynamic rushing attacks and stingy defenses.

“It should be just a great high school football game,” Mazzotta suggested. “Anybody that wants to see a great football game, this is the one to be at.”

The Southern and West Valley Divisions are equally fascinating to break down, especially factoring in the knowledge and respect the finalists have for one another.

“Sometimes when you try to do too much, it ends up taking away from what you do on a whole,” Brea Olinda coach Robb Perrance explained. “You don’t want to over think anything, you just want to make it a game for the kids and let them play ball.”

Though the Wildcats were beaten by Canyon, 26-0, just four weeks ago, neither sideline expects a myriad of new wrinkles from its rival. Identity is what got these teams to this point. Execution will determine the champ.

“I think the challenge is to do the things that you want to do,” Perrance added. “You just got to do them a little better this time around.”

LIVE COVERAGE

The West Valley final between Mission Viejo and Vista Murrieta on Friday will be broadcast live on Fox Sports West at 7:30 p.m.

The Southwest Division final Friday between San Clemente and La Habra will also be broadcast on Fox Sports West, but will not air until 10 p.m.

The Pac-5 final Saturday between St. John Bosco and Centennial of Corona will be shown live at 8 p.m.

There will be live streaming video of all 13 championship games at foxsports.com/west.

Contact the writer: kconnolly@ocregister.com