Southern Division
Southern Division
Southern Division
SOUTHERN DIVISION
CYPRESS (8-3) VS. VALENCIA (8-2-1)
Site, time: Western High, Friday, 7 p.m.
Outlook: The first half of the all-Empire League semifinals is a matchup of two Empire teams that did not play each other during the regular season. Their game scheduled for late October was canceled because of the area's wildfires and resulting poor air quality. Cypress finished fourth in the league and went into the playoffs as an at-large team. The Centurions upset second-seeded Laguna Hills, 30-26, in the first round of the playoffs and beat Anaheim, 22-14, in the second round. Cypress advanced to the Southern semifinals last year, and lost to Anaheim. Cypress receiver/kicker Ryan Saumur is third in county scoring with 171 points. He has kicked 42 extra points and seven field goals, and has 54 receptions for 940 yards and five touchdowns. Quarterback Mike Vanderipe has thrown for 1,490 yards and 12 touchdowns. Valencia finished in a three-way tie, with Kennedy and Pacifica, for first in the Empire League. In the playoffs, the third-seeded Tigers beat Savanna, 58-28, in the first round and Irvine, 38-14, in the second round. Tigers senior running back Wes Fletcher has rushed for 1,478 yards and 19 touchdowns, and his 5,506 career yards is a school record. The winner plays in the Southern championship game Dec. 7 at a site to be determined.
PACIFICA (9-2) VS. KENNEDY (8-3)
Site, time: Western High, Saturday, 7 p.m.
Outlook: These Empire League teams met in a league game Nov. 1, when Pacifica beat the Fighting Irish, 27-14. In that game, Pacifica's Tyler Ortiz scored three touchdowns, two on receptions and another on an interception. The Mariners had a 24-0 lead at halftime. Pacifica and Kennedy were part of a three-way tie, with Valencia, for the league championship. In the playoffs, Pacifica beat Costa Mesa, 34-0, in the first round and top-seeded Western, 14-12, in the second round. Ortiz has 53 receptions for 870 yards. The Mariners' Raymond Huizar is the county's No. 7 passer with 2,137 yards and 17 touchdowns. Kennedy, the Southern defending champion, has won six of its past seven games. The Fighting Irish have won both of their playoff games by shutout, 34-0 over Santiago in the first round, and 21-0 over fourth-seeded University in the second round. Kennedy's three losses are to teams that are a combined 27-7. Quarterback Zach Emde has passed for 1,703 yards and 15 touchdowns for Kennedy. The winner plays in the Southern championship game Dec. 7 at a site to be determined.
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Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com
