Thom Simmons Anita Fopma Director of Communications Assistant to the Director [email protected] [email protected] CALIFORNIA INTERSCHOLASTIC FEDERATION - SOUTHERN SECTION 10932 Pine St. Los Alamitos, CA 90720 (562) 493-9500 (562) 493-6266 - Fax www.cifss.org MEDIAMEDIA RELEASERELEASE PRESS RELEASE #15 - REVISED TELEFAXED/EMAILED P.M. DECEMBER 2, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: THOM SIMMONS 2013 CIF SOUTHERN SECTION-FORD FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS, presented by FARMERS ON TAP FRIDAY AND SATURDAY; 13 DIVISIONAL TITLES TO BE AWARDED LOS ALAMITOS — Thirteen divisional winners will be crowned champions this weekend in the 2013 CIF Southern Section-Ford Football Championships, presented by Farmers, scheduled for sites spanning from the desert to the sea. Championship football competition among CIF-SS member schools dates back to 1914. This year’s 100th edition features 13 schools that appeared in championship games last year. The 13 divisional finals are sponsored by The Southern California Ford Dealers Association; Farmers Insurance; Spaulding; Sports Authority; Fox Sports West and Prep Zone; Jack-in-the-Box; Flame Broiler; Del Taco, California Classified School Employees Association; Gatorade; Rawlings; Maxpreps.com; Southern California PGA; J&L Custom Jackets and Patches; KAP-7 Water Polo Balls; California Correctional Peace Officers Association; TLC Sportswear; The United States Tennis Association, Los Angeles Angels, Woman’s Southern California Golf Association, Wilson Tennis, H&L Corporation, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the LA84 Foundation. CENTRAL DIVISION Heritage (12-1) at Rancho Verde (12-1), Saturday, December 7, 7:00 p.m. LIVE on Fox Sports Prep Zone The two top-seeded teams that seemed to be on a collision course all season will tangle in the Central Division Championship. No. 2 seeded Heritage, Champions of the Sunbelt League, has a balanced offense and defense as they have allowed an average of 17 points per game while running up an average of 40 points per game in the playoffs. The Patriots are looking for title number one in their second finals appearance - MORE- PR #15 - 11-MAN FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS 2-2-2 CENTRAL DIVISION (Cont.): in three years. The Patriots lost to Summit in the 2011 Eastern Division Final, 24-17 on their home turf. Heritage made their way through the playoffs by beating Arlington (21-7) in the first round and La Quinta of La Quinta (42-12) in the second, before dispatching Colony, 57-31 in the semi-finals. Head coach Kraig Broach’s squad is led by senior running back Limihai Hifo on offense and junior linebacker Christian Decker-Weible on defense. Top-seeded Rancho Verde, champions of the Inland Valley League, seeks the school’s second sectional title in their fifth finals appearance. Last season Rancho Verde dropped a 28-21 heartbreaker to Kaiser in the Central Division title game at home. The Mustangs won the Central Division title in 2011 with a 35-16 defeat of Palm Springs at Palm Springs High School, but lost their two other finals appearances in 1998 and three seasons ago. In 1998 they lost the Division V final to Norco, 42-21 and in 2010 suffered a 17-7 defeat to Colton in the Central Division final at home. Junior quarterback Sheriron Jones leads the offense. Coach Pete Duffy’s high-octane offense was also a force in their playoff wins over Colton (52-3), Elsinore (42-7) and Kaiser (35-3). EASTERN DIVISION – Citrus Hill (12-1) at Norte Vista (5-8), Friday, December 6, 7:00 p.m. LIVE on Fox Sports Prep Zone The Eastern Division title game features a pair of outstanding programs in a battle of quality programs. Citrus Hill, champions of the Mountain Pass League, is the division’s third-seeded team. The Hawks, coached by Eric Zomalt, topped Ramona (61-7) in the first round; got past Apple Valley (24-20) in the second round; then took care of Moreno Valley in the semifinals (60-10). Citrus Hill is hoping to hang the school’s fourth CIF-SS Football Championship banner in their second-consecutive finals appearance. The Hawks defeated San Jacinto, 28-6 for the 2007 East Valley Division title at San Jacinto High School. They took a 31-27 victory in the Eastern title game over Barstow in 2008. Last year they defeated Serrano, 38-24 for the same title at home. Senior quarterback Brett Hollingsworth is the Hawks leader on offense, while senior linebacker Christopher Schumm leads the defense. Unseeded Norte Vista likes to win with offense as they have averaged nearly 40 points per game in the playoffs. The River Valley League Champion Braves are also looking for title number No.1 in their second finals appearance. They dropped the 1976 AA Division title, 34-6 to Antelope Valley. Norte Vista made their way through the playoffs by beating Silverado (31-10) in the first round and 4th seeded Oak Hills (47-38) in the second, before upsetting No. 1 seeded San Gorgonio, 38-37 in the semifinals. Head coach Ken Batdorf’s squad is led by senior quarterback Michael Hedlund when they have the ball and his twin brother senior linebacker Kevin Hedlund when they don’t. EAST VALLEY DIVISION – St. Margaret’s (12-1) at Jurupa Hills (11-2), Decemebr 7, 7:00 p.m. LIVE on Fox Sports West Prep Zone The two top-seeds meet up in the East Valley Division championship tilt. High-powered St. Margaret’s, the No. 2 seed and Champions of the Academy League, is looking for its sixth CIF-SS championship in football and first in four years. It would be their fifth playing 11- Man football as the Tartans claimed an 8-Man title in 1989. In 2006 St. Margaret’s defeated Maranatha, 21-10 for their first 11-Man title. In 2007 the Tartans defeated Brentwood, 37-6 for their second- consecutive title. In 2008 St. Margaret’s defeated Twentynine Palms, 17-3 to make it three-in-a-row and to break the Orange County consecutive victories record at 42 (they won their first game of 2009 to stretch that mark to 43 games before losing in week 2). They went on to defeat Hamilton Union, 59- 7 for the 2008 CIF State Small Schools Bowl Championship. In 2009 the Tartans held on in the rain to defeat Ontario Christian, 12-6 at Ontario Christian High School to make it four-in-a-row. Head Coach - MORE- PR #15 - 11-MAN FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS 3-3-3 EAST VALLEY DIVISION (Cont.): Rod Baltau’s squad has defeated Twentynine Palms (49-6) and Rim of the World (27-26) before taking care of No. 3 seeded Big Bear in the semifinals (35-28). Senior quarterback Josh Davis leads the offense. Jurupa Hills is the Champion of the Mountain Valley League. The Spartans, coached by Edward McMillon, topped Arrowhead Christian (55-41) in the first round; took care of Shadow Hills (26-0) in the second round; then won a nail-bitter versus fourth-seeded and previously unbeaten Western Christian in the semifinals (40-39). The Spartans are hoping to hang the school’s first CIF-SS Football Championship banner in the school’s history. Junior quarterback Damion Wright leads the offense and senior linebacker Tyler Drake leads the defense. INLAND DIVISION – Vista Murrieta (12-1) at Centennial/Corona (10-3), Friday, December 6, 8:00 p.m. LIVE on Fox Sports Primeticket The Inland Division final features another meeting of divisional top-seeds and a rematch for the fourth consecutive year of the previous season’s championships. Top-seeded Vista Murrieta was Champion of the Southwestern League. The high-powered Broncos, coached by Coley Candaele, look to claim their second section title in their fifth-consecutive title appearance. Candaele makes his seventh appearance in a finals game as a head coach. In 1998 he took his alma mater Carpinteria to the Division XI title game (they lost to St. Monica) and in 2002 Carpinteria claimed the Division XI title. The Broncos lost in two consecutive divisional finals games. In 2009 they suffered a 13-7 defeat to league rival Chaparral at Vista Murrieta. In 2010 Centennial made it two-in-a-row for the Broncos with a 45-21 set-back. In 2011 the Broncos broke through with a 35-28 title win over Centennial. Last year it was another disappointment at the hands of Huskies as Centennial claimed a 30-28 barnburner over the Broncos at Vista Murrieta. Vista Murrieta took playoff victories over Los Osos (57-14) in the first round; Charter Oak (52-7) in the second round; and Norco (56-19) in the semifinals. The Broncos high powered offense has outscored their opponents 165-40 in the playoffs. Vista Murrieta is led by senior quarterback Coltin Gearhart and senior defensive back Randy Beggs. Second-seeded Centennial was Champion of the Big VIII League. The extremely successful Huskies, coached by Matt Logan, look to claim their eighth section title in 13 years. The Huskies defeated Vista Murrieta last season, 30-28 to avenge their defeat at the hands of the Broncos the year before, 35-28. Centennial also defeated Vista Murrieta in 2010, 45-21. Centennial defeated Chaparral, 23-17 at Chaparral in the 2008 Inland title game. The Huskies defeated Santiago of Corona in the 2007 Inland Division Championship contest, 42-7 at the Home Depot Center. Prior to those victories, Centennial claimed titles in 2004 (Division V), 49-35 over Norco at Norte Vista High School; 2002 (Division V) against J.W. North, 57-55 at Norte Vista; and 2000 (Division V) versus Elsinore, 27-18 at Elsinore. In 1996 the Huskies lost to Alta Loma in the Division IV title game, 26-16 at the University of Redlands.