Thirteen Long Beach Area Teams Enter CIF Football Playoffs

Thirteen schools from the Long Beach area secured spots in the CIF Southern Section football playoffs after brackets were released Sunday morning. The teams are scattered across 14 divisions, facing first-round opponents this Friday and next Friday.

Long Beach Poly, with a 6-4 record, is the No. 15 seed in Division 3. This placement puts them just two spots above the bottom of the bracket. The Jackrabbits will play at No. 2 seed Norco, which has a 7-3 record, this Friday. Poly has won its last four games, shutting out all four Moore League opponents by a combined score of 199-0. First-year coach Travon Patterson said the team will treat the game like any other and focus on playing Poly football one game at a time.

Bellflower, ranked No. 2 in Division 8 with a 7-3 record, will host Valley Christian on Friday. This is the only all-local first-round game in the area. Valley Christian, with a 6-3-1 record, is coming off a 71-68 loss to Heritage Christian. Their senior quarterback, Graham Lunzer, recorded 573 yards of total offense and nine touchdowns in that game. Bellflower coach Keith Miller described the matchup as tough but expressed confidence in his team's ability to stay healthy and make a run at the title.

St. John Bosco, the No. 4 seed in Division 1, received a first-round bye after finishing third in the Trinity League. They will host Orange Lutheran in the quarterfinals on Nov. 13. The Braves beat the Lancers 28-14 in league play on Oct. 9, avenging a 20-19 loss from the previous season's playoffs.

Compton, a 9-1 team and Hub City League champion, will host Ramona in Division 9. The Tarbabes are on a four-game winning streak with a combined margin of 183-26. Senior running back Edward Rivera, who is committed to Sacramento State, scored 28 touchdowns and has 1,503 yards of total offense this season. Coach Calvin Bryant noted that Ramona is a fired-up team that reached the championship game last year.

Other local teams include Paramount, who are 9-1 and playing at No. 1 San Dimas in Division 7. Downey, with a 6-4 record, will host Newbury Park in Division 4. La Mirada, La Cañada, Millikan, Gahr, Dominguez, Artesia, and Centennial also have first-round matchups scheduled for Friday, Nov. 6, and Friday, Nov. 13, across Divisions 7 through 14.