Golden League teams are dominating in the postseason
Every November, a team from the Golden League is making a deep football playoff run. This year, its not just one team, but three. Highland in Division 8, Palmdale in Division 10 and Quartz Hill in Division 12 are all preparing for semifinal games Friday.
“When the pairings came out, I looked and thought our league has a chance to win three CIF championship,” Highland coach Richard Lear said.
Highland (10-2) will travel to Serrano (9-3) after beating California 44-22 in last week’s quarterfinal. Running back Brandon Johnson ran for 263 yards and five touchdowns.
Palmdale (9-3) plays host to Northview (6-4) after beating Covina 58-13 behind the 224 yards and four touchdowns of running back Anthony Woods.
“He’s a stud, man, he’s the best back we’ve seen all year,” said Covina coach Dale Ziola of Woods.
Quartz Hill (6-4) will host No. 2-seeded Woodbridge (57) after its 41-34 win over Pasadena Poly last week. Ashtin Dupleasis ran for 188 yards and three scores. Wideout Tevaughn Graham had 139 yards receiving with two touchdowns.
Highland is the defending
CIF Southern Section Division 9 champion from 2019. The Bulldogs were the Division 10 runner-up in 2018. Lear knows a thing or two about the postseason, and thinks the new Calpreps.com playoff system has undervalued the Golden League, which is based in the Antelope Valley, roughly 100 miles north of Los Angeles.
“The league is not getting enough credit, clearly.” Lear said. “But, you just play the games where you get placed, I guess.”
No.16-seed Highland made news in the opening round when they knocked off top-seeded Muir in the opening round 40-7.
The last two postseasons, Highland has been able to benefit from the weather in Palmdale this time of the year. The nights get very cold and windy, and sometimes snow will fall. The Division 9 championship against North Torrance was played in the snow. Lear said the weather has been very nice, to his surprise. So, it might not be as much as an advantage as its been in the past.
West Valley, Valley Mission League teams still alive
The Golden League isn’t the only local league with three teams still alive this postseason. The Valley Mission League has four teams, and the West Valley League will see three teams compete in the City Section semifinals this Friday in separate divisions.
The Valley Mission League is highlighted by No. 3-seeded Reseda in Division I, which will travel to No. 3 Venice Friday. Canoga Park will take on No.1 Dorsey on the road in the other D-I semifinal. San Fernando and Panorama City will face off in the Division III semifinal.
From the West Valley League, Birmingham Charter will travel to No. 1 Banning in the Open Division. El Camino Real will host Westchester in Division II, and Taft will take on Narbonne at home in Division III.
No. 1-seeded Alemany and No. 2-seeded Sierra Canyon (7-4) will play in the CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinals Friday, which means we’re one step closer to a game the San Fernando Valley has wanted for four years, since coach Casey Clausen took over the Warriors.
Sierra Canyon’s Jason Jones scored six touchdowns in the Trailblazers 48-23 quarterfinal road win over Vista Murrieta, and will now host Orange Lutheran (8-4) at Pierce College Friday night.
Alemany (9-3) ran all over Bishop Amat for the second time this season en route to a 54-38 win last week. Floyd Chalk was at it again, running for 297 yards and five touchdowns. The Warriors will now play at Inglewood (11-0) Friday.