2015: 3 Area Teams To Host State Finals

San Diego Section teams posted a 4-2 record in the Southern California playoffs (a.k.a. State  Bowl Championship Series) last week, the games hewing to a historic trend of strength in the lower divisions.

Local teams will be favored in at least three of the state championship games this week, with all kickoffs Saturday night at 6.

DIVISION III-A

After a 31-30 victory in a game played amid temperatures that dropped to the mid-thirties at Hesperia Oak Hills, Rancho Bernardo will play host to Atherton Sacred Heart, which won the Northern Regional, 56-20 over Oakland McClymonds.

The Sacred Heart Bears closed with a rush to earn the Central Coast Section championship and are on a 10-1 run, 11-3 overall. Coach Tristan McCoy’s Broncos have averaged 36 points in winning their last eight.

Calpreps.com gives the Broncos a 46.4 rating and Sacred Heart 40.8.  The visitors will be traveling about 470 miles, with at least eight hours on the road.

DIVISION IV-AA

Bonita Vista will make a 346-mile journey to the home of the 13-1 Hanford Bullpups, who were beaten by Lemoore, 42-7, in the West Yosemite League title game but came out of the Central Section playoffs and topped Sonora of the Sac-Joaquin Section, 42-18, last week.

Bonita, 12-2, defeated Anaheim Canyon, 24-21, last week and coach Chris Thompson was named San Diego Section coach of the year by a panel working under the auspices of the San Diego Hall of Champions.

The Barons have a Calpreps.com rating of 41.7.  Hanford’s rating is 35.8.

DIVISION V-AA 

The Central Section’s Reedley Immanuel, 11-2 and with independent status, lost a regular-season game to Santa Barbara Bishop Diego, 43-20.

Bishop Diego won a 29-21 decision from Santa Fe Christian, which defeated The Bishop’s, 51-8, which dropped 42-21 and 49-14 decisions to Mater Dei.

It’s a reach but the comparative scores seem to favor Mater Dei, playing at home, with a 13-1 record sullied only by an early-season forfeit to El Capitan.

Calpreps.com gives the Crusaders a 33.8 rating but only 21.1  for the  Eagles, whose travels will take them 330 miles South after they advanced last week with a 31-21 win over Sacramento Bradshaw Christian of the Sac-Joaquin Section.

DIVISION VI-AA

Coronado, 14-0 winner over Los Angeles Belmont, will play host to Nicolaus East Nicolaus of the Northern Section.

East Nicolaus, a school of less than 300 students, is located in Nicolaus, about 25 miles North of Sacramento and 532 miles from Coronado, making the Spartans’ trip the second longest in the playoffs.

(Eureka St. Bernard will motor 698 miles for its D-V battle at San Juan Capistrano Saddleback Valley Christian).

The Spartans have a 12-2 record and have won  their last 10 after beginning 2-2.  They defeated Merced Stone Ridge Christian of the Sac-Joaquin Section, 34-14, in the Northern Regional.

Coronado was 2-3 in Central League play and 3-4 after 7 games but is 7-0 since then and carries a 10-4 record and Calpreps.com rating of 2.  East Nicolaus has a 14.5 rating.

OPEN AND DIVISION  I

Helix took a 28-20 lead into the fourth quarter at Mission Viejo but couldn’t hold on as the host team went ahead with 1:59 to play and won, 32-28.   Oceanside, up and down all season, was ushered out, 36-14, by La Mirada..

TRUE GRID

Helix’ Nate Stinson tied Reggie Bush’s school scoring record at Mission Viejo.  Stinson and Bush each scored 35 touchdowns and 200 points in 13 games, Bush doing it as a junior in 2001…

BASKETBALL

Cathedral’s opened the season  1-2 in the Father Barry Tournament at Carmichael Jesuit…the Dons won their opener, 68-55, from San Francisco St. Ignatius, then bowed 60-57 to  Jesuit and 66-59 to San Jose Archbishop Mitty…Brandon McCoy, who transferred from Morse, had scoring totals of 27, 22, and 8, respectively, for the Dons…Cathedral next will meet Carson City, Nevada, on Tuesday in the opening round of the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas…Foothills Christian, 4-1, and recovering from a 106-86 loss to USA Today No. 3 Chino Hills, is scheduled to be in Houston Tuesday for a game against Katy Cypress Lakes, a free-wheeling Texas team that already is 8-3….