CIF football playoff pairings announced
IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - Seven teams from across the Imperial Valley heard their names called on Selection Sunday, all hoping to finish their season on a high note and win a CIF Section Championship.
We'll break down all the teams in the field and their journey towards a championship.
The Imperial Valley League champion Brawley Wildcats, coming off a resounding 54-0 shutout victory in the 81st Bell Game, got no favors from the selection committee. Despite finishing with and overall record of 9-1 and unbeaten in their league, Brawley earned the #10 seed in the Division I playoffs. They will travel to San Diego to take on #7 seed Rancho Bernardo (8-2 overall, 4-1 in the Palomar League), a team coached by former San Diego Chargers/Los Angeles Rams safety Eric Weddle. Winner will move on to the quarterfinals to face perennial San Diego powerhouse Carlsbad.
On to Division II, where the Imperial Tigers (9-1 overall, 3-1 in the Imperial Valley League) will also being going on the road as the #9 seed. They will travel to El Cajon ta face #8 seed Christian. The Patriots went undefeated in the San Diego City League and finished with an overall record of 8-2. Winner will face top seeded University City in the quarterfinals.
Division III sees two of the top teams in the Imperial Valley claim high seeds and byes for the first round of the playoffs. The Central Spartans (7-3 overall, 2-2 in the Imperial Valley League) earned the #1 overall seed. They will host the winner of #8 Patrick Henry/#9 Otay Ranch in the quarterfinals. Interesting side note, Otay Ranch already has a win over the Spartans this season (27-20 on September 13). The Holtville Vikings are the #2 seed in the bracket. They completed just their fourth ever undefeated season in school history. They will host the winner of #7 St. Augustine (0-10 this season)/#10 La Jolla Country Day. All three of these teams captured CIF championships last year (St. Augustine in Division I, LJCD in Division III and Holtville in Division 5-AA).
Two teams who battled for the border will now have to battle on the road to keep their seasons alive. Calexico (6-4 overall, 1-3 in the Imperial Valley League) will be the #9 seed in Division IV and travel to #8 seed Montgomery (7-3 overall, Metro-South Bay League Champions). Vincent Memorial (6-4 overall, 1-2 in the Desert League) is the 12th and final seed in Division IV. They will face #5 seed Westview in the first round (3-7 overall, 2-4 in the San Diego Valley League).
Finally, the Calipatria Hornets (7-2 overall, 2-1 in the Desert League) will host their first playoff game since 2016 after claiming the #1 overall seed in Division 5-AA. The Hornets are being led this season by senior Dominic Hawk who has been topping the rushing ranks in San Diego Section all season long. He ranks first in San Diego Section in total touchdowns (28) and fourth in rushing yards (1,459). The Hornets are the #1 seed in Division 5-AA and will have a first round bye. They will host the winner of #4 Maranatha Christian/#5 Victory Christian Academy on November 15.
