High School Football Playoff Brackets Locked for Southern California

The CIF Southern Section finalized its football playoff brackets on Sunday, determining the opening matchups for 28 teams across multiple divisions. The schedule creates immediate challenges for several high-profile programs while offering byes to the top Open Division teams until Nov. 13.

First round games for Divisions 2 through 14 are set for Friday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. for all listed contests. Open Division teams will wait one week before their first games, which are designated for Nov. 13.

The most prominent contest in the top tier pits 8-1 Mission Viejo against 10-0 Sierra Canyon. In Division 10, 9-1 Royal travels to face 10-0 Nogales. Several other strong teams face tough road assignments, including 8-2 Hart at 9-1 Quartz Hill in Division 4 and 7-3 Lancaster at 4-6 Laguna Beach in Division 6.

Several matchups remain undecided regarding their specific venues. Chaminade and Corona del Mar will play in Division 2, while Harvard Westlake and Rio Hondo Prep will meet in Division 8. Both sites are currently marked as to be determined.

The brackets place several teams with modest records against higher-seeded opponents. In Division 5, 3-7 Oaks Christian faces 9-1 Temecula Valley. In Division 3, 4-6 Murrieta Vista hosts 9-1 Crespi. The full slate includes 28 games spread across twelve divisions, with specific dates and times confirmed by the section's officials.

The release of these brackets concludes the regular season wait period for participating schools. Coaches and players now have fixed dates for their postseason debut, with the majority of action taking place on Friday evenings or the following weekend for the top division.