Bloated playoff fields, minimal competition in some instances, such as three games to determine a winner, doesn’t diminish the team accomplishment.
So Hats Off to the eighteen San Diego Section league champions.
It’s been awhile for a few.
La Costa Canyon hasn’t claimed a title since 2011, Hoover and Oceanside since 2014, three others since 2016, and one since 2018.
Horizon Prep won its first in the seven-season school history.
| LEAGUE | TEAM | WON-LOSS | OVERALL | LAST |
| Avocado | La Costa Canyon | 4-0 | 10-0 | 2011 |
| Central | Hoover | 3-1* | 6-4 | 2014 |
| City | Christian | 4-0 | 8-2 | 2022 |
| Coastal | Santa Fe Christian | 3-1* | 9-1 | 2021 |
| Desert | Holtville | 3-0 | 10-0 | 2023 |
| Eastern | Scripps Ranch | 4-0 | 9-1 | 2023 |
| Grossmont Hills | Granite Hills | 4-0 | 8-2 | 2023 |
| Grossmont Valley | El Capitan | 5-0 | 6-3 | 2022 |
| Imperial Valley | Brawley | 4-0 | 9-1 | 2021 |
| Manzanita | Horizon Prep | 5-0 | 5-2 | + |
| Metro Mesa | Mater Dei | 4-0 | 7-3 | 2023 |
| Metro Pacific | Mar Vista | 3-0 | 4-6 | 2016 |
| Metro South Bay | Montgomery | 3-0 | 7-3 | 2022 |
| Ocean | St. Joseph | 2-0 | 8-1 | 2016 |
| Pacific | Classical | 3-0 | 6-4 | 2016 |
| Palomar | San Marcos | 5-0 | 9-1 | 2023 |
| Sunset | Tri-City | 3-1* | 6-4 | 2018 |
| Valley | Oceanside | 6-0 | 7-3 | 2014** |
| Western | Lincoln | 4-0 | 8-2 | 2023 |
*Hoover, Santa Fe Christian, Tri-City tied but won head-to-head matchups.
+First championship.
**Tied with San Marcos, Valley Center.
EAGLES SOAR
Granite Hills’ 90-46 victory over Grossmont was the eighth highest score by one team in County history.
The Eagles jumped to a 28-6 first quarter lead, then were staggered by a 28-13 Foothillers second quarter, leaving the halftime score at 41-34.
Coach Kellan Cobbs’ Eagles blew open the game with a 35-12 third quarter and finished with a relatively tame 14-0 final period.
| YEAR | TEAM | OPPONENT | SCORE |
| 1920 | San Diego | Army-Navy | 130-7 |
| 1929 | Coronado | Sweetwater | 108-0 |
| 1922 | San Diego | Army-Navy | 106-6 |
| 1917 | Coronado | Sweetwater | 105-0 |
| 1913 | San Diego | Venice | 100-0 |
| 1928 | St. Augustine | L.A. St. Agnes | 98-0 |
| 1958 | Ramona | Mountain Empire | 95-0 |
MAFFEI FEELS IT
John Maffei’s The San Diego Union Week 10 poll (the last until a final poll at end of season):
Points awarded on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. *First-place votes. Previous ranking in (italics).
Bold indicates latest. NR–Not ranked. MaxPreps‘ and Cal-Hi Sports‘ are state rankings.
| RANK | TEAM/RECORD | POINTS | MAXPREPS | CALPREPS.COM | CAL-HI SPORTS |
| 1. | Lincoln (8-2) 30* | 300 (1) | 13 (11) | 59.2 (59.9) | 14 (13) |
| 2. | La Costa Canyon (10-0) | 263 (2) | 22 (26) | 49.9 (47.7) | 19 (21) |
| 3. | Cathedral (8-2) | 252 (3) | 30 (29) | 46.9 (46.7) | 25 (29) |
| 4. | Granite Hills (8-2) | 192 (4) | 68 (68) | 35.8 (34.5) | 32 (35) |
| 5. | Mission Hills (8-2) | 187 (5) | 48 (51) | 40.3 (39.3) | 35 (38) |
| 6. | San Marcos (9-1) | 157 (6) | 56 (58) | 38.1 (37.3) | 45 (45) |
| 7. | Carlsbad (7-3) | 96 (7) | 59 (71) | 37.8 (34.3) | NR (NR) |
| 8. | Mount Miguel (8-2) | 90 (8) | 110 (116) | 26.8 (25.2) | On Bubble (Bubble) |
| 9. | Rancho Bernardo (8-2) | 47 (10) | 111 (112) | 26.8 (24) | NR |
| 10. | Scripps Ranch (9-1) | 25 (9) | 156 (147) | 20.5 (20.8) | NR |
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES
El Camino (6-4, 13 points), University City (9-1, 3), Brawley (9-1, 4), Santa Fe Christian (9-1, 3), Christian (8-2, 3), Oceanside (7-3, 2), Holtville (10-0, 1).
VOTING PANEL
Twenty-nine sportswriters, sportscasters, administrators from San Diego County, plus Max Preps.com.
- John Maffei (San Diego Union-Tribune).
- Don Norcross, Steve Brand, Rick Hoff, Kevin Farmer (Union-Tribune Freelance contributors).
- Joe Heinz, Todd Cassen, Ron Marquez (CIF San Diego Section).
- Brandon Stone, Allison Edmonds, John Carroll, Chase Izidor (KUSI, Channel 51).
- Rick Smith (partletonsports.com).
- Braden Suprenant (97.3-FM The Fan).
- Christian Pedersen (San Diego Sports Association).
- Tom Helmantoler, (Southern Conference advisor).
- Rex Johnson, Bruce Ward (CIF Advisory Committee).
- Mike Dolan, Joe Evangelist (San Diego Coaching Legends).
- Raymond Brown (sdfootball.net).
- Bodie DeSilva, John Kentera, Steve (Biff) Dolan, Dennis Ackerman, Eric Williams, Thomas Gutierrez, Tom Ronco, Adam Paul (Freelance contributors).
