You could hear the gasps of shock from the North County denizens who worship at the shrine of the Mission Hills Grizzlies.

St. Augustine ran away from coach Tim Hauser’s team, 48-14,  as Elijah Preston rushed for 236 yards and three touchdowns before a crowd of about 6,000 at Mesa College in the San Diego Section Open Division playoff semifinals

Although the Grizzlies and their 11-0 record ranked 10th among state’s top 25 as selected by Cal-Hi Sports and whose weekly successes dominated the local media landscape, the Saints were favored, based on the generally unpopular San Diego Section rating system.

The Saints were toughened by a nonleague schedule that included top 25-ranked Los Angeles Loyola and Vista Murrieta and they faced Catholic rival Cathedral in the Eastern League.

Mission Hills ‘ record was achieved against so-so North County  competition and an intersectional schedule that included less-than spectacular L.A. Crenshaw and Long Beach Millikan.

Helix lost an opening game to Scottsdale Chaparral, which went 9-3 in Arizona, and was denied another opportunity when Upland (8-4) pulled out of a second intersectional because of a scheduling conflict.

22^ND CHAMPIONSHIP TRIP

The Highlanders, 8-13 in title games since the San Diego Section was formed in 1960, will be favored when they take on the Saints in the championship Saturday night at Southwestern College.

Scots coach Troy Starr is 1-3 in the final game but went all the way in Division II and won a state championship, 35-24, over Loomis Del Oro in 2011.

St. Augustine is 4-7 in championship games and coach Richard Sanchez is 2-1, having won in D-II in 2013 and D-I in 2014.

‘BAY BOUNCE BACK

Willie Matson’s Mission Bay Buccaneers, 8-0 to start the season, had been left for dead following losses of 41-0 to Point Loma in Week 9 and 64-7 to Madison in Week 10.

The Pacific Beach eleven won its first playoff and followed with  a taut, 31-28 victory over Valley Center in the semifinals to  find themselves in the D-III finals against Bonita Vista.

BARONS RISE IN 49^TH SEASON

Bonita Vista, leading, 49-7, had to play only until 6:51 was left in the third quarter when officials halted play and declared a forfeit by the Imperial Tigers.

According to Union-Tribune correspondent Don Norcross, several Imperial players left their bench area and fights began near the Bonita Vista bench. A CIF representative said officials have the discretion at that point to end the game.

Coach Chris Thompson, a longtime assistant at Mira Mesa, is building a program at Bonita Vista, which opened in 1967 and which has experienced more losing seasons than winning.

The Barons’ 10-2 record, after a 5-6 mark in Thompson’s first season in 2014, is their best since the 2005 club was 10-2.

Thompson touted Greg Bell as the best running back in the San Diego Section (better than Helix’ Nate Stinson or St. Augustine’s Elijah Preston?) and Bell backed up his coach.

Imperial wouldn’t argue with Thompson’s assessment.

Bell had 302 yards rushing and scored on runs of 2, 87, 55, and 9 yards.

It was a long ride home for Imperial, which saw snowflakes dropping on I-8 as it headed over the Laguna Mountains.

WEEK 14 REVIEW?

I was in Connecticut for Thanksgiving with my Eastern family: daughter, son-in-law, two grandsons, and mother-in-law,  had no wi-fi access and didn’t post a review from the quarterfinals.  Meanwhile, Christmas will be here with youngest daughter, son-in-law, and two grandsons.

Greetings of the season to all.

QUICK KICKS

Mt. Carmel, which ousted top seed Valhalla, 27-14,  and Rancho Bernardo, only six miles away, will roll in the dirt in D-II…the Sundevils and Valhalla were joined at birth…each school opened in 1975…La Jolla Country Day and Coronado will have at it in D-V and The Bishop’s meets Mater Dei in  D-IV…Calvin Christian of Escondido won the so-called Commissioner’s Cup by putting it to The Rock of Point Loma, 68-8, for the eight-man title…Helix’ 42-14 victory over Cathedral was signaled when quarterback Michael Austin ran a 55-yard quarterback keeper for a touchdown on the Highlanders’ first play…St. Augustine sophomore JR Justice collaborated with St. Augustine teammate Jacob Baker on an 89-yard scoring play in the Saints’ Week 14, quarterfinals win over Eastlake…Justice, son of former major league baseball slugger Dave Justice, will succeed Rodney Thompson at quarterback when Thompson graduates after the 2016 season…most dramatic play of Week 14 was a 47-yard, field goal by Kevin Boermeester with 0.18 remaining to give Cathedral a 24-21 win over Carlsbad…

Idleness breeds contempt or a drop in the ratings.

Mission Hills has fallen from ninth to 11th in Cal-Hi Sports’ state top 25, partly because the Grizzlies drew a bye in the first round of the San Diego Section playoffs last week.

Also byed last week, Helix remained 12th.  Cathedral  and St. Augustine  are on the bubble after they, too, sat out.

Under Cal Hi’s nomenclature, there are no Open division ratings, but begin with Division I and with 15 teams rated.

Mission Hills is 10th and Helix 12th in D-I.  St. Augustine is fifth and Cathedral 12th in D-II followed by  one-the-bubble Valhalla.

Ten teams are rated in D-III-V, with Bonita Vista (III), Santa Fe Christian (IV), and La Jolla Country Day (V) on the bubble.

The San Diego Section playoffs increase in interest this week after a first round in which there were few surprises and the clearing process of washing out bad teams began.

Forty-six  teams in six divisions are still alive, with 23 games scheduled.

Helix-Madison (Open), San Marcos-Oceanside (I), and Christian-Valhalla (II) match  No. 8 seeds versus No. 1 seeds in each division but probably have the most marquee value.

Does Madison, which could contend for a state championship if it were left in its natural D-IV environment, have a shot against the fast, savvy Highlanders?

Westview (5)-at Mt. Carmel (4) promises an old-fashioned, roll-in-the-dirt, backyard brawl in D-II.  The schools are very close geographically.

Imperial (5)-Santa Fe Christian (4) has a distinct intersectional flavor in D-III.  So does Calexico Vincent Memorial (3)-Crawford (2) in D-5, with the Imperial Valley schools making the long trek over the mountains.

The Rock takes on Calvin Christian for the D-VI championship.

HERE COMES BASKETBALL

Foothills Christian is sixth and St. Augustine 17th in Cal-Hi’s preseason top 35. Torrey Pines  and Cathedral are in the “just missed” category.

Foothills, with 6-foot, 9-inch nationally recognized T.J. Leaf, was 25-7 last season.  So was St. Augustine, which returns its entire starting five.

QUICK KICKS

Fallbrook writer David Willauer reminds that Warriors under Kyle Williams were 2-9 in ’13,  6-4 in ’14, and  now are 7-4 after a  7-3 win over 5-6 Hilltop in first round of D-III…the seventh-seeded Warriors visit second-seeded Mission Bay (8-2) this week…

 

 Hoover principal Floyd Johnson was going to hold the line.

His school was the technical host for the annual game with San Diego High in Balboa Stadium and after the throngs of recent years Johnson vowed to close sales “when the 27,000^th ticket is sold.”

Johnson said that he did not want to revisit the “turmoil” attendant to the September city schools’ carnival that drew an overflow turnout estimated at 30,000.

Johnson also cited the “din and confusion” in the over-crowded facility when the San Diego Naval Air and Camp Pendleton battled in a military game that drew service personnel in droves.

Balboa Stadium had a listed capacity variously reported as from 23,500 to 25,000.

Since there were few if any reserved seats, more than one rump often occupied those spaces, not to mention aisles, concourses, and sidelines at a carnival or San Diego-Hoover game.

HILLTOPPERS FANS’ FAVORITES
An item in the Evening Tribune reported that six San Diego High home games drew 103,964 fans, including a paid total of 94,937.

That meant that the Hillers averaged more than 17,000 for games against Phoenix Union, Los Angeles Loyola, Pasadena Muir, Compton, Hoover, and Los Angeles Cathedral.

A game against Pasadena in the Rose Bowl represented the other end of the spectrum.  Only 200 persons showed on a rainy, windy, muddy afternoon as San Diego won its Coast League opener, 26-6.

ANOTHER HUGE TURNOUT

There were approximately 27,000 on hand for the most competitive San Diego-Hoover game in several years.

The Cardinals, led by the triumvirate of halfback Bob Miller, quarterback Jack Anders, and future college all-America end Bill McColl, manfully struggled to keep pace with the fast, attacking Hilltoppers.

Hoover trailed only 12-0 at the end of three quarters.

But that 12-minute period ended with the Cardinals stalling at San Diego’s five-yard line and the Hillers quickly responded.

Ted Ritchey ran 31 yards for a touchdown as San Diego whipped through 95 yards in 3 plays for an 18-0 lead that became 25-0.

A last-gasp attempt for a Hoover touchdown resulted in a pass in the end zone just beyond the outstretched arms of McColl, who sank to his hands and knees in exhaustion as the game ended.

San Diego’s Ernie (Spider) Smith, who defended against McColl from his defensive back position throughout, hurried over, reaching out to McColl.

HILLERS USE CARDINALS’ PLOY

It was suggested that San Diego should give a bow to Hoover coach Lee Bogle, whose end-around play with McColl passing gave San Diego some trouble.

Bill Bailey installed the maneuver and end Ernie Smith passed three times, twice resulting in touchdowns of 35 and 47 yards to Ted Ritchey in the Hilltoppers’ 14-6, semifinals playoff victory over Pomona.

TRUE GRID

Hoover had 12 first downs to six and attempted an unusual total of 35 passes, completing 12 for 158 yards, while San Diego outrushed the Cardinals, 204-65…Pomona, noting its inadequate stadium capacity, actually suggested the second-round playoff be played at San Diego…wiser heads prevailed and the Red Devils erected temporary bleachers…a crowd of 6,500 showed for the Hillers’ victory, which was not satisfying to outgoing coach Bill Bailey…”Our tackling (on a field soft from recent rain) was terrible,” said Bailey…”This week we’re going back to the beginning and learn to play football all over again, from the fundamentals right on up.”…rain forced Santa Monica and South Pasadena to move to Alhambra in an attempt to save the Rose Bowl turf from additional damage…Santa Monica advanced with a 26-13 victory…Grossmont also had a lack of seating but 6,000 jammed the Foothillers’ park on Homecoming Day as Art Preston ran for four touchdowns in a 39-0 rout of Coronado….

 

 

 

Although about two-touchdown underdogs, coach Bill Bailey’s San Diego Hilltoppers took a 12-0 lead into the fourth quarter of the Southern California championship game.

It would not be enough.  The Hillers sustained a third consecutive loss in the finals, following defeats of the 1925 and 1933 clubs.

Favored Santa Monica rallied for a 13-12 victory before 26,601 persons in the Los Angeles Coliseum in what press box observers agreed was a brilliantly played contest between outstanding teams.

Bailey’s final game as the Hilltoppers’ coach turned on two blocked point-after attempts that opened a door through which Samohi wedged for the winning touchdown with 1:20 remaining.

HORN APLENTY

Until then the Hillers’ gritty defense had checked the Vikings and Dick Horn, the nation’s No. 1 high school quarterback.

Horn had completed 101 of 162 passes for 2,009 yards and 24 touchdowns as Santa Monica scored 413 points, at least 4 touchdowns every game, and  won its first 11.

The Stanford-bound signal caller was just  5 for 18 for 108 yards and one touchdown with  three interceptions against the Hillers’ adjusted 5-3-3 defense.

San Diego dug in and held the lead for 46 ½ minutes despite a huge, final yardage advantage for the winners, who had 17 first downs to 4 and outgained their opponents, 328-165.

Ted Ritchey ran 44 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter and Ernie Smith returned one of Horn’s passes 26 yards for a score as San Diego built a 12-0 halftime advantage.

Historian Tebb Kusserow, a former Santa Monica High player and head coach, pointed out that San Diego coach Bill Bailey switched his usual 5-3-3 defense and utilized a 4-4-3, dropping end Ernie Smith into the secondary as a fourth defensive back.

“The Vikings’ bread-and-butter play was the quick slant (96 Q) to Ike Jones,” said Kusserow.   “Ernie Smith was positioned to take it away and shadowed Jones all day, effectively putting (Jones) in double coverage.”

The ploy was successful in controlling Horn’s passing,  but the Hillers’ four-man front opened a door, said Kusserow:

“Samohi was able, almost too late, to prosecute the run and (hit their) backside receivers.”

Horn finally marshaled an 88-yard, third-quarter  drive and got Santa Monica on the board with a 30-yard pass to Lynn Wallace on the first play of the fourth quarter.

A Ritchey fumble recovered by Chuck Steiner put Santa Monica in business again and the Vikings nudged 38 yards in nine plays to Bobo Lewis’ winning, one-yard push.

San Diego still had time.

Joe  Brown returned the kickoff 55 yards to the Vikings’ 37.  Ritchey advanced the ball to the 17, but the Hillers were penalized to the 32-yard line.

Ernie Smith then appeared open in the end zone but two Santa Monica defenders broke up Neale Henderson’s pass.

The gun sounded before San Diego could run another play.

The beaten Hillers soon began the three-hour bus ride back down U.S. 101, terribly disappointed and saying good bye to the coach who posted a 34-7 record in five seasons and had revitalized one of Southern California’s storied programs.

Bailey became head coach at San Diego Junior College and was replaced by assistant Duane Maley, a 1940 San Diego graduate who played at USC and would  continue what became the greatest era in school history.

CALLING ALL CARS!

From the Nov. 12, 1947 The San Diego Union:

“They tossed away all the storybook finishes and produced a new one of their own yesterday as Grossmont High School put over a post-game touchdown to defeat Sweetwater High, 18-13, in a wild Metropolitan League football fracas before nearly 5,000 Armistice Day customers….

“The finish of the game came amid confusion, some fist-swinging on the part of spectators, a mad stampede on the playing field that necessitated the calling of police, and the handing down of a delicate decision by the officials….”

In order:

–Sweetwater trailed, 12-6. Grossmont was driving to another, clinching touchdown with less than three minutes to play.

–Sweetwater’s Kenny Burns intercepted a pass by Art Preston and raced 90 yards to a tying touchdown.

–A “pass conversion”, Jim Miller to “Squeaky” Staffen, gave Sweetwater a 13-12 lead.

–Grossmont appeared dead after the Red Devils intercepted another pass following the kickoff.

–Sweetwater could not run out the clock and gave up the ball on downs at its 46-yard line.

–The Red Devils’ surrender of possession would spark a protest in which Sweetwater coach Lloyd Bishop stormed that his team was given three downs and not four by the officials.

–Head linesman Raleigh Holt was adamant that the decision to turn the ball over to Grossmont was correct, pointing out that confusion was possible after Sweetwater had been penalized for delay of game “several times” during the drive.”

–Time running out, Grossmont was on Sweetwater’s 40-yard line.  Art Preston threw a long, incomplete, fourth-down pass to Ellis Craddock.

–Ball game?

–Field judge Mike Morrow ruled pass interference on Sweetwater at the Red Devils’ 11-yard line.

–Spectators, not seeing Morrow drop his flag, believed the game was over and swarmed the gridiron.

–The honest Sweetwater game timer ruled that Preston‘s pass was in the air when the timekeeper’s pistol fired to signal end of game.

–The game could not conclude on a defensive foul. Grossmont was given an additional play.

–National City Police with patrol vehicles were forced to clear the field of spectators.

–A semblance of order was restored.

–Sweetwater partisans were shocked and then enraged when Preston began a running play to his right, then stopped and passed across the field to Craddock, alone in the end zone.

–Craddock caught Preston’s pass for the winning touchdown and the Foothillers exited, quickly, to their buses.

–Police remained on site until the field and stands were clear.

–Newspaper telephone operators were flooded with calls from the South Bay.

–The Metropolitan League’s “board of directors” and representatives of all member teams met on Saturday, four days later,  at the San Diego YMCA.

–The bosses were there to  address a formal letter of protest  from Sweetwater principal F.M. Chase to league president Dave Austin, principal at La Jolla.

(The meeting took place the day after Point Loma blanked a flat and dispirited Red Devils team, 19-0, for Sweetwater’s second loss in less than a week).

–Metro bosses upheld the Grossmont victory by a vote of 3-2.

SWEETWATER BEEF DENIED

Prez. Austin declared that “there was insufficient evidence to sustain the protest.”

–The vote was after officials failed to approve a motion that game officials had erred and had allowed Sweetwater only three downs in the disputed series that preceded Grossmont’s winning touchdown.

–The motion failed by a vote of three “no” and two “yes”.  Four voters abstained.

–Taken into consideration was the submitted evidence of a radio broadcast of the game and written statements by game officials (including linesman Holt), coaches and sports writers assigned to the contest.

–Possibly sensing additional protests or forthcoming legal action, the board announced “termination of its responsibility in the matter.”

LONG REGULAR SEASON

The Grossmont victory over Sweetwater, in the 30^th renewal of a rivalry that began in 1920, came in a season in which the Foothillers would not compete for a Southern California minor division championship despite an overall,  9-1-1 record.

The playoffs began Nov. 29, before the Metropolitan League had completed its eight-game schedule, effectively eliminating the suburban circuit from the postseason.

San Diego High played only seven regular-season games,  but most Metro clubs played at least 9 and some 10 or 11.  Coronado finished with an overall record of 6-4-1.

Grossmont dropped a 31-13 decision to Hoover in what amounted to a postseason game among the County’s second and third best teams.

FRUIT OR VEGETABLE?

That’s a question often posed about the avocado, sometimes while enjoying a guacamole dip.

It’s a fruit and probably the  most identified symbol of Fallbrook, the North San Diego County enclave that is an unofficial home to the native tree of Mexico.

U.S. 395 winds through the Avocado groves near the community, which was enjoying a postwar boom in football.

Coach Fred Stone’s Fallbrook High squad, 7-1 in 1946, raced to eight consecutive victories and the Southern Prep League championship this season.

The Warriors lost the first  “Avocado Bowl” contest, sponsored by the local Quarterback Club,  14-7, to Torrance on Thanksgiving Day.

Two days later the tired and undermanned Warriors fell to Laguna Beach, 20-6, in the Southern Section minor division playoffs, but their 15-3 record over two seasons was in sharp relief to Fallbrook’s short gridiron history.

The school opened with 20 students in 1893 and didn’t field a team until 1937.

WHAT’S THE SCORE?

Results of games often (usually) were unreported in San Diego newspapers but available information revealed only 12 Fallbrook victories in the eight seasons before the school of less than 250 students found success.

This year’s team was fired offensively by all-Southern California selection Glen Crawford, who scored at least 10 touchdowns, and backfield running mate Morris (Dude) Hedrick.

Despite the postwar boom, Stone stepped down after the season and Fallbrook would enter into another period of mediocrity.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

Convair’s XC-99, the world’s largest airplane, made its second flight Dec. 3 and was airborne over the San Diego area from 12:05 p.m. until 2:45 p.m. carrying a larger takeoff load than on its maiden flight 10 days earlier.

BALBOA FACELIFT

City playgrounds bosses announced plans to construct new restrooms, new concession stands, and a new press box for Balboa Stadium.

MOST PRODUCTIVE

A Guernsey cow from Lakeside set a record for milk and butterfat production. “Natalie” produced 11,600 pounds of milk and 675 pounds of butterfat, highest total ever in the Herd Improvement Division of the American Guernsey Cattle Club.

CARNIVAL ATMOSPHERE

New rules were in force at the ninth annual City Schools’ carnival, played before an overflow, standing-room crowd estimated at a hyperbolized 30,000 to 32,000 in Balboa Stadium.

There were kickoffs at the start of each, 15-minute quarter. In the past, when teams left the field, the new teams played from where the ball had last been spotted.

The East of San Diego, La Jolla, and Kearny defeated the West of Hoover, Point Loma, and outsider Sweetwater of the Metropolitan League, 12-6.

St. Augustine, coached by former Hoover standout Chuck Coover, was outscored, 12-0, in one quarter by Santa Monica St. Monica in the Southland Catholic League carnival at Hollywood’s Gilmore Stadium.

Not to be left out, Brown Military Academy took part in the Imperial Valley League carnival in El Centro.

EVERY DAY BUT SUNDAY?

Writer Ken Bojens suggested that, with so many high school, college, and military teams fielding teams, the crowded Balboa Stadium schedule could use a break.

Bojens suggested San Diego preps use the stadium on all other week nights than Friday, as was being done in San Francisco, according to Bojens.

The Union columnist must have been thinking ahead.

A few weeks later the Southern Section playoffs began and San Diego was scheduled to play Saturday night in the Stadium against Los Angeles Cathedral.

The Hilltoppers agreed to move their game to Friday night to allow San Diego State and Santa Barbara State on the stadium turf Saturday  night.

To accommodate all, San Diego JC and East Los Angeles JC agreed to move their Metropolitan Conference game from Saturday afternoon to Friday afternoon.

GO FIGURE

The upset of the season came when Chula Vista defeated big and established Point Loma in the Spartans second-ever game, 15-7, on a 95-yard pass interception return by Terry Shaw.

Point Loma had just scored a major surprise of its own, defeating Hoover, 18-13.

BALBOA TOO SMALL?

Big crowds at the football carnival, Hoover-San Diego, and any of the numerous military facilities’  games prompted another  suggestion by Ken Bojens:

“It might be a good idea for city fathers to begin looking to the near future and formulating plans to enlarge Balboa Stadium,” said Bojens.  “By the end of the season there will have been a half-dozen turnaway crowds.”

Balboa Stadium would be made larger 14 years later, from its original 23,500 seats to 34,500, when the Chargers moved South from Los Angeles.

HONORS

Hoover end Bill McColl and San Diego tackle Bob Van Doren made the all-Southern California first team.  Fallbrook halfback Glen Crawford earned second-team honors and San Diego halfback Ted Ritchey was on the third team.

The 6-foot, 4 inch, 210-pound McColl, one of the city’s all-time great athletes, also was all-Southern California in basketball and baseball and competed in track, went on to become a collegiate all-America at Stanford University, and played nine seasons in the NFL for the Chicago Bears.

TRUE GRID

Gene Earl, who covered the high school beat for The San Diego Union, took the field and played right end for the St. Augustine alumni in its year-end game against the Saints’ varsity…card stunts were brought back after a wartime lapse, according to Jerry Brucker of the Evening Tribune,  and were presented by the San Diego cheering section at halftime…the cards featured a blue San Diego High castle on white background in addition to displays honoring San Diego and Hoover…Hoover and Muir kicked off at the unusual time of 5:45 p.m. in the Pasadena Rose Bowl…the Cardinals and Mustangs had argued over game sites before agreement was reached…Brown Military coach Eddie Olds was on the roster of the Green Bay Packers of the NFL in 1946 and then hooked on with the San  Diego Bombers of the Pacific Coast League…the Breitbard Athletic Foundation and auto agency Guarantee Chevrolet footed the bill to film the San Diego-Hoover game that would be shown to Monday morning quarterbacks and at school assemblies…Hoover’s Bob Miller, who scored 120 points, topped only by the 132 of Grossmont’s Art Preston, was on fire against Northern opponents…Miller had five touchdowns in a 38-15 win over San Bernardino and 4  in a 44-18 rout of Long Beach Poly…Martin Perry, who manned virtually every educational position in the Escondido school district, including head football coach at the high school from 1917-21 (while simultaneously serving as principal) announced his retirement after 30 years’ service….

 

The regular season is finished, playoffs are about to begin, and who claimed league championships?

AVOCADO EAST                                                                                                               Mission Hills.  It’s time to retire the trophy.  Grizzlies have won or tied for championship six consecutive seasons.

AVOCADO WEST                                                                                                     Carlsbad.  It’s the Lancers’ first  since 2006, a year they won the San Diego Section D-I crown.

CITRUS (EIGHT-MAN)                                                                                                      Ocean View.  Third title in last four years in this or the Sunset League .

CITY                                                                                                                                    Christian Patriots are 32-4 overall and 10-0 in league play in Central or City League since 2013.

CENTRAL                                                                                                                            Kearny‘s first since they were in the Central in 2011.  Komets moved to the Western in 2012 and had a rough patch, 3-23, before moving back.

COASTAL                                                                                                                          Santa Fe Christian. First for Eagles since 2012 and first for third-year coach Jon Wallace.

EASTERN                                                                                                                           St. Augustine has won the East four times in coach Richard Sanchez’ seven seasons.

GROSSMONT VALLEY                                                                                                      Granite Hills alums who were there in 1988 now are in their mid-40s.  Eagles claimed first title since they were part of Grossmont AAA League 27 years ago.

GROSSMONT HILLS                                                                                                      Helix has taken High(landers) road  13 times in the last 20 years, for four different coaches, Jim Arnaiz, Gordon Woods, Donnie Van Hook, and Troy Starr.

IMPERIAL VALLEY                                                                                                       Imperial, two seasons later still trying to absorb the graduation of superstar Royce Freeman, finished first for the first time since 2013 season and for third time in last six.

MANZANITA                                                                                                               The change of scenery agreed with  Crawford, with two Manzie titles in three years and 23-10 overall after going 10-68 in Central from 2005-13.

METROPOLITAN MESA                                                                                              Former Scripps Ranch assistant Chris Thompson has Bonita Vista rising, from 3-8 and 5-6 to this season’s 8-2.

METROPOLITAN PACIFIC                                                                                         Castle Park earned a first first-place finish since 2008.                                                                                                                                                                                          METROPOLITAN  SOUTH BAY                                                                                  Mater Dei would be 10-0 and in position take a shot at school-record 13-0 of 2003 squad except for dreaded administrative glitch and forfeiture of one victory.

OCEAN (EIGHT-MAN)                                                                                                   A first  since 2009 when Calvin Christian of North Escondido was in D-V Southern League and the second since Crusaders started football in 2007.  They tied with Calvary Christian San Diego, each with 2-1 league record, but Calvin beat the Royal Knights  head-to-head, 44-16.

PALOMAR                                                                                                                        Coach Tristan McCoy’s Rancho Bernardo Broncos make it two in a row after going 2-19 in 2012 and ’13.

PACIFIC                                                                                                                           Tri-City  Christian of Vista is back in driver’s seat since winning in 2010 and ’11.

VALLEY                                                                                                                        Fallbrook, San Pasqual, and Valley Center took turns beating each other and arrived at the finish line, each with  3-1 league record.

WESTERN                                                                                                                      Madison has blown up the league, beating closest pursuers Point Loma and Mission Bay, 48-0 and 64-7. Rick Jackson’s Warhawks have won 108 games and 11 championships in 11 seasons, one in Harbor, five in Central, and five in Western.