CIF-SS PAC-5 DIVISION PLAYOFFS

Friday’s first-round game

LONG BEACH MILLIKAN (6-4) VS. EDISON (10-0)

Site, time: Orange Coast College, 7:30 p.m.

Outlook: Edison returns to the playoffs after the Chargers were knocked out last year by a coin flip. They stayed away from any coin flip this year, as Edison went 5-0 in the Sunset League to take the league championship. Edison has beaten seven teams that are in the Pac-5 playoffs — Sunset League rivals Fountain Valley, Los Alamitos and Newport Harbor, Trinity League teams Mater Dei and Servite, Dana Hills of the South Coast League and Long Beach Wilson of the Moore League. Chargers quarterback Matt Viles, a county offensive player of the year candidate, has completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,173 yards, the second-highest total in Orange County, and 32 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. Jeff Trojan is the leading receiver, with 40 receptions for 578 yards and four touchdowns. Edison linebacker Jordan Zumwalt committed to Stanford, but recently received a scholarship offer from USC. Millikan finished fourth in the seven-team Moore League. The Rams went 3-3 in the league. They played one Orange County team, Fountain Valley, which beat them, 38-19. Millikan quarterback Alden Darby is the Rams’ leading rusher, with 702 yards and 6 a carry.

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CIF-SS PAC-5 DIVISION PLAYOFFS

Friday’s first-round game

ORANGE LUTHERAN (6-4) VS. DANA HILLS (8-2)

Site, time: Dana Hills High, 7:30 p.m.

Outlook: Lutheran has had an injury-filled, bumpy road to the playoffs. But the Lancers were good enough to finish second in the Trinity League with a 4-1 record. They lost to Servite in league, and lost to other good teams like Redlands East Valley in nonleague. Mike Markovsky has been solid at quarterback, as a replacement for injured starter Bobby Wheatley. Markovsky has completed 60 percent of his throws for 597 yards, but his touchdowns-interceptions ratio is not great, with five touchdowns and five interceptions. Running back Damani Wilson is averaging 103 yards a game. Lutheran advanced to this division’s semifinals last season. Dana Hills finished second in the South Coast League, with a 4-1 league record. The Dolphins lost only to top-seeded Edison and second-seeded Mission Viejo. Quarterback Josh Dean has completed 60 percent of his passes for 1,530 yards and 14 touchdowns with four interceptions. Chris Kearney has 54 catches for 577 yards and five touchdowns. Brandon Howe leads the running game, with 702 yards and five touchdowns. Dana Hills did not make the playoffs last year.

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CIF-SS PAC-5 DIVISION PLAYOFFS

Friday’s first-round game

MATER DEI (6-4) VS. BISHOP AMAT OF LA PUENTE (9-1)

Site, time: Bishop Amat High, 7:30 p.m.

Outlook: These schools were rivals for years in the Angelus League and briefly in the Serra League. Mater Dei needed a victory in the regular-season’s final week, to make the playoffs, and got it by beating St. John Bosco of Bellflower to finish third in the Trinity League. Mater Dei has made the playoffs every year since 1988. The Monarchs were eliminated in the second round last season by Tesoro. Mater Dei junior quarterback Max Wittek has improved steadily since taking over the starting job early in nonleague. He has passed for 1,579 yards and nine touchdowns, with a 57.7 completion percentage. Leading rusher Jordan Allen is out with an injury, but Corbin Anderson has filled in just fine and the Monarchs as a team averaged 11 yards a carry against Bosco. Receiver Victor Blackwell is averaging 22 yards a catch and 132 yards receiving a game. Amat tied with Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks for the Serra League championship, and is the league’s No. 1 playoff representative because it beat Notre Dame last week. The Lancers’ loss was to Crespi of Encino in a league game. Amat quarterback Jerry McClanahan has completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,488 yards and seven touchdowns. Jay Anderson has rushed for 1,010 yards.

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CIF-SS PAC-5 DIVISION PLAYOFFS

Friday’s first-round game

NEWPORT HARBOR (6-4) VS. LAKEWOOD (9-1)

Site, time: Lakewood High, 7 p.m.

Outlook: Newport Harbor finished in a three-way tie for second place in the Sunset League with a 3-2 league record. Coin flips made Harbor the league’s No. 4 playoff representative and the Sailors had to qualify as the division’s at-large team. Their four losses were to teams that are a combined 34-6. Harbor quarterback Austin Rios has thrown for 914 yards and 10 touchdowns, and has completed 59 percent of his throws. Cedric Whitaker has rushed for 683 yards and six touchdowns. Receiver/linebacker Cecil Whiteside, who committed to Cal, has been selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Game in January. Lakewood went 6-0 in the Moore League. The Lancers, seeded fourth, are led by outstanding quarterback Jesse Scroggins, who committed to USC. He has thrown for 1,805 yards and 28 touchdowns with only four interceptions and has completed 62 percent of his passes. His top target is Kevin Anderson, who has 33 receptions for 618 yards and 10 touchdowns. Harbor was not in the playoffs last year. Lakewood was, and lost to Servite in overtime in the first round.

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Friday’s first-round game

SAN CLEMENTE (6-4) VS. SERVITE (9-1)

Site, time: Cerritos College, 7:30 p.m.

Outlook: San Clemente finished third in the South Coast League with a 3-2 league record. Their league losses were to Mission Viejo and Dana Hills. Tritons quarterback Chase Rettig has thrown for 1,632 yards and 18 touchdowns with 11 interceptions, and has completed 61 percent of his passes. Dominick Ela has 50 receptions for 622 yards and six touchdowns. Fourth-seeded Servite went 5-0 in the Trinity League to take the league championship. Its only loss was to Edison. Servite goes into the playoffs a bit shorthanded. Standout defensive lineman Kirifi Taula won’t play because of a broken arm (he might be back if the Friars advance to the second round) and another top defensive lineman, Troy Niklas, also a good tight end, cannot play yet because of a recent concussion. But nose guard David Perez is back, and that’s good news for Servite. Servite quarterback Cody Farjardo has had a county player-of-the-year type of season, with a team-leading 601 yards rushing (7 yards a carry), completing 72 percent of his passes with 1,647 yards and 14 touchdowns against only two interceptions.

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CIF-SS PAC-5 DIVISION PLAYOFFS

Friday’s first-round game

LONG BEACH POLY (5-5) VS. LOS ALAMITOS (8-2)

Site, time: Veterans Stadium/Long Beach, 7:30 p.m.

Outlook: It is rare that Poly goes into the playoffs as a second-place, .500 team. But that’s what the Pac-5 defending champion Jackrabbits are. All of their losses, though, are to playoff teams — Servite, St. Bonaventure of Ventura, Oceanside, Lakewood and Millikan. Starting quarterback Dylan Lagarde left the team in October, and transferred to Los Alamitos. Lagarde had some struggles early at Los Al, but played well in the Griffins’ 31-22 victory over Fountain Valley last week, when he was 14 for 21, for 172 yards. Junior running back Nick Richardson has been outstanding every week. He has rushed for 1,733 yards, the fourth-highest figure in the county, and 15 touchdowns. Richardson has averaged 173 yards a game. Receiver Shaquille Richardson has 34 receptions for 580 yards and five touchdowns. Los Al’s defense is allowing only 11 points a game. The Griffins finished in a three-way tie for second in the Sunset League, with a 3-2 league record, and postseason coin flips made them the league’s No. 2 playoff representative. They lost to Tesoro in the first round last year.

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CIF-SS PAC-5 DIVISION PLAYOFFS

Friday’s first-round game

FOUNTAIN VALLEY (8-2) VS. NOTRE DAME OF SHERMAN OAKS (8-2)

Site, time: Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks High, 7 p.m.

Outlook: Fountain Valley was undefeated going into Week 9. Then came back-to-back losses to Edison and Los Alamitos to conclude the regular season. Barons senior Kyle Middlebrooks is the county’s sixth-leading rusher, with 1,602 yards and 20 touchdowns. He is averaging 160 yards rushing a game. Dominic Ragland has passed for 1,368 yards and 13 touchdowns, completing 60.3 percent of his passes. Fountain Valley’s Ryan Steadman has 31 receptions for 544 yards and six touchdowns. Notre Dame tied with Bishop Amat for the Serra League championship, but lost to Amat in the final week of the regular season, a loss which made the Knights the No. 2 playoff team from the Serra. Their other loss was to Moorpark. Standout senior quarterback Ryan Kasdorf has completed 65 percent of his passes for 2,042 yards and 13 touchdowns with seven interceptions. Kenneth Boggs has rushed for 1,035 yards and 15 touchdowns, and Tyler Thomas has 55 receptions for 694 yards.

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CIF-SS PAC-5 DIVISION PLAYOFFS

Friday’s first-round game

LONG BEACH WILSON (6-4) VS. MISSION VIEJO (10-0)

Site, time: Mission Viejo High, 7:30 p.m.

Outlook: Wilson finished tied with Long Beach Poly for second in the Moore League, and is the league’s No. 3 playoff representative. The Bruins have played two Orange County teams, Edison and Los Alamitos, and lost to both by a lot. Ezell Ruffin has rushed for 634 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Bruins. Quarterback Brett Harper has passed for 1,141 yards and 12 touchdowns with three interceptions. Second-seeded Mission Viejo went 5-0 in the South Coast League to win the league championship. The Diablos won league games by an average margin of 42 points. Dallin McEwen has been a consistent quarterback, with a 62.4 completion percentage, 1,572 passing yards and 20 touchdowns against only six interceptions. Exavier Edwards-Ford has rushed for 709 yards, and 7 a carry, with 19 touchdowns. Joey Branker has 41 receptions for 992 yards and 11 touchdowns. Mission Viejo lost to Lakewood in the second round last year.

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