_________________
_________________
_________________
_________________
By Loren Kopff
Sports Editor | Follow X
November 13, 2025
The new system that slots football teams into divisions based off ratings that the CIF-Southern Section put into place several years ago, which has been expanded to every team from all sports, has received its share of positive and negative feedback. Teams that were undefeated or league champions are no longer guaranteed a home game, unlike the past when it was a given.
Just in the first round of the football playoffs last Thursday-Saturday, top-seeded teams from Division 2-14 went 8-5 as did second-seeded teams while third-seeded teams went 11-2 and fourth-seeded teams won 10 of 13 games. Teams that were seeded fifth through eighth went a combined 33-19 while home teams won 70 of the 104 first round matchups.
And if you’re still wondering about competitive equity, 42 games were decided by one possession and 16 were decided by two possessions.
Of local interest, undefeated Norwalk High lost to third-seeded Warren High 17-7 in Division 9 action while fifth-seeded La Mirada High dropped a 41-21 decision to Beckman High at home. Get set for more of the unexpected.
DIVISION 9
#9 Cerritos High (9-2) @ #16 Ramona High (9-2)-From the Santa Clara River Valley to the Inland Empire, Cerritos has been the road warriors the first two weeks of the postseason. Two seasons ago, the Dons knocked off Fillmore High in the first round before winning three more games and capturing the Division 12 championship. Last Friday, Cerritos got past the Flashes again, on the road, in a 16-7 victory. Could history repeat itself?
After going 2-11 in the playoffs from 1977-2022, Cerritos has won five of its last eight postseason games. Junior running back Sam Reeves rushed 12 times for 40 yards and scored the lone touchdown for the 605 League champions while senior Mateo Arencibia booted three field goals, including one in the third quarter for the only points either team scored in the second half.
Senior quarterback Justin Sagun completed 10 of 18 passes for 106 yards and rushed eight times for 48 yards, but it was the defense that stole the show. For the fourth straight game, the Dons have allowed a touchdown or less and in the last six games, the black and yellow have not yielded more than 20 points. Senior Bailey Crawford had a pair of sacks and seven tackles against Fillmore.
Riverside-based Ramona upset top-seeded Silverado High 21-14 last Friday as the Rams scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns. Quarterback Jesus Gonzalez completed half of his 24 passes for 222 yards and threw a pair of touchdowns while being intercepted twice. Lorenzo Sims led the rushing attack with 82 yards on 18 carries and Ramona piled up 335 offensive yards to 166 from Silverado.
This will be a tough one for Cerritos as Ramona, which finished in third place in the River Valley League and began the season with five straight wins, has topped 30 points half a dozen times while the Rams defense has allowed led than 15 points in the last three games, five out of the last seven games and seven times this season. If anything, defense should be the deciding factor in the first meeting between the teams.
A Cerritos win means the Dons will host either fifth-seeded Hesperia High or fourth-seeded Norte Vista in the semifinals.
Prediction: Cerritos 24, Ramona 21
HMG-Community News Game of the Week
#3 Warren (4-7) @ #6 Valley Christian High (8-3)-A pair of first quarter touchdowns from junior quarterback Graham Lunzer propelled V.C. to a 26-9 win over Chino High last Friday night. It was the first playoff victory for the Defenders since doubling up Hueneme High 28-14 in a 2022 semifinal contest.
Lunzer was on fire against the Cowboys, completing five of his six passes for 114 yards while junior Liam Sweeney was six of 11 for 92 yards and two touchdowns. While the running game was stymied, gaining 26 yards on 25 carries, senior wide receiver Oliver Boateng was nearly a one man show, hauling in seven passes for 164 yards and three touchdowns. Senior Max Douglas caught the other touchdown, a 26-yarder for his only catch of the game.
Lunzer eclipsed the 2,000-yard mark and is probably the most prolific passer in V.C. history, if not one of the best. He has thrown for 23 touchdowns and rushed for another 14 as he is also the team’s leading rusher with 519 yards on 132 carries. Boateng is his favorite target as he has caught 51 passes for 907 yards and a dozen touchdowns while five other receivers have caught at least 12 passes for at least 126 yards.
As a team, the second place representatives from the Ironwood League and winners of four straight games and seven of the last eight, has totaled 3,468 offensive yards and has scored over 25 points in all eight victories.
After finishing 6-8 last season, Warren stumbled out of the gates this season with five straight losses before defeating La Mirada and Dominguez High in the first two Gateway League games. The Bears have won two straight games and have allowed 29 points in their four wins. Jeremiah Boyette and Julian Padin each caught a touchdown pass against Norwalk.
The Bears finished in third place in the Gateway League that saw them lose to Mayfair High 26-0 and city rival Downey High 40-0. This is the first meeting between the programs.
A win by V.C. will send the Defenders to either 15th-seeded Riverside Poly High or 10th-seeded San Dimas High in the semifinals.
Prediction: V.C. 31, Warren 21
DIVISION 11
#11 Valley View High (6-5) @ #14 Gahr High (7-4)-A pair of upset winners on the road will meet at Dr. Hanford Rants Stadium as Gahr is seeking to get back to a second straight championship game. The Gladiators, who finished in second place in the Mid-Cities League, knocked off previously third-seeded Chaffey High 21-16 in which they held a 21-7 halftime lead. It was the first game for Gahr since Oct. 24 as the final game of the regular season was a forfeit win over Firebaugh High.
Senior quarterback Roman Acosta, senior running back Jaidyn Backus, senior wide receiver Alexander Gutierrez and sophomore Demir Cunningham are the offensive leaders for a team that has scored over 30 points four times.
Valley View took care of sixth-seeded Dominguez High 24-3 last Friday, ending a brief two-game skid in which the third place team from the Sunbelt League was outscored 69-17. The Eagles won their season-opener before losing three straight followed by a four-game winning streak. Valley View has yet to reach 30 points in any game but has allowed over 40 points twice.
Entering the Dominguez game, quarterback Jesse Vega had thrown for 1,297 yards and 13 touchdowns while gaining 655 yards and another 10 touchdowns. Alex Ramirez and Damien Randin have each caught over 30 passes for 500 yards and accounted for 10 of the 14 touchdowns passes thrown.
A Gahr win keeps the Gladiators home for the semifinals against either seventh-seeded Palmdale High or second-seeded South Pasadena High.
Prediction: Gahr 21, Valley View 17
Last week’s predictions: 3-2
Season to date: 44-23
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Fresh off the heels of capturing the program’s first divisional title, Artesia High played in the CIF State Southern California Regionals where it easily swept South East High 25-8, 25-6, 25-9 this past Tuesday in the first round of Division V action. The fifth-seeded Pioneers improved to 15-10 and travelled to fourth-seeded Elsinore High on Nov. 13.
It was the fifth straight sweep by Artesia, while the CIF-Los Angeles City Section’s Division 4 champions had swept its previous four straight opponents, all coming in the playoffs.
After senior outside hitter Djulianne Goze began the match with a block, she served six straight points as junior Haley Robertson had her first three kills.
Senior middle blocker Kristina Palafox ended the set by serving eight straight points as she had a pair of aces while Goze pounded down her first three kills and blocked another attempt. Serving would set the tone in the second set as Goze had six kills and senior setter Isabel Cruz had five aces as the Pioneers bolted out to a 13-0 lead. The set ended with Robertson serving three straight aces followed by a kill from Goze.
The Jaguars took their only lead at 2-1 in the third set before a kill from Robertson and a pair of aced from junior libero Averie Garrison gave the hosts a 4-3 lead. The match would end with Goze serving 10 straight points, including four consecutive aces.
Robertson had 17 kills and five aces while Goze added 15 kills and six aces. Six of the seven starters all had at least one kill in the opening set and six of the seven starters combined to serve 24 aces to go along with 41 kills.
GIRLS TENNIS
Whitney High hosted Temple City High this past Wednesday in the Division 3 semifinals with both programs looking to advance to the divisional finals for the first time. However, the 605 League champions fell short of that goal, falling 11-7 and concluding their season at 18-4.
Fellow league and city rival Cerritos faced St. Joseph High in Division 5 action and also lost a tight match, 10-8. The Dons, who were tied for second place with Oxford Academy in the regular season, wrap up the season at 14-8. Cerritos was looking to go back to the finals for the first time since 2013 and fourth time in school history. The 2012 and 2013 teams won the Division 4 championship while the 2011 team was Division 4 runners-up.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login