The move away from the ubiquitous and arcane “Power Ratings” to those offered by Max Preps and Cal Preps.com, preferred by the coaches, did not evoke the usual shouts of “We wuz robbed,” but still was painful to Scripps Ranch.
The Falcons, who moved to the City League from the Eastern this season, are the only team with a winning record not in the playoff field of 68 teams of 11-man and 8-man football.
Coach Marlon Gardinera’s squad posted a 6-4 record, its first winning season since 2013, but the two computer services were not impressed.
CalPreps.com churned out a 1.3 rating for Scripps, which put it below playoff teams Rancho Buena Vista (3.6) and El Capitan (4.8). Max Preps rated the Falcons 486th in the state, while RBV was 450th and El Capitan 428th.
Hilltop is in the the Division IV playoffs despite a Cal Preps.com rating of minus 2. But as a league champion (Metro South Bay), the Lancers get the privilege.
Galling perhaps to Scripps Ranch is that RBV (4-6) and El Capitan (3-7) had poorer won-loss records.
Who you played can be just as important as your record—the timeless “strength of schedule” argument.
Torrey Pines, from the Avocado League, the section’s strongest this year, has a 59.1 Cal Preps rating and Cathedral, from the weaker Western loop, is at 56.1. Torrey Pines is 13th in the state, according to Max Preps, and Cathedral 17th.
FILLER UP
The rubber will hit the road this week.
Some of the longest trips in the San Diego Section await teams.
San Diego Southwest is separated by 125 miles from Calexico Vincent Memorial, a mostly freeway journey that should be covered in one hour, fifty minutes,
Classical is 139 miles from Calexico, a probable two-hour, four-minute ride for the visiting Bulldogs.
West Hills to Imperial is 108 miles, Calipatria to Blythe 98 miles, and Borrego Springs to Foothills Christian, 77.
From North to South, El Camino is 59 miles from Steele Canyon.
2018 CHAMPIONS
| LEAGUE | TEAM | LAST SEASON | 2017 CHAMP |
| Avocado | Torrey Pines | Third | Mission Hills |
| Citrus | Borrego Springs | Tie, third | Julian |
| City | San Diego | First, Central | University City |
| Central | Serra | Fourth, City | San Diego |
| Coastal | Santa Fe Christian | Second | The Bishop’s |
| Eastern | Christian | Second | Lincoln |
| Grossmont Hills | Granite Hills, Helix
Steele Canyon |
*See below | Helix |
| Grossmont Valley | Monte Vista | Second | Granite Hills |
| Imperial Valley | El Centro Central | Second | El Centro Southwest |
| Manzanita | Mountain Empire | Third | Calexico Vincent Memorial |
| Metro Mesa | Eastlake | Second | Otay Ranch |
| Metro Pacific | Castle Park | Fourth | Montgomery |
| Metro South Bay | Hilltop | First | Hilltop |
| Ocean | Foothills Christian | Second | Calvin Christian |
| Pacific | Tri-City Christian | ^Second | Maranatha |
| Palomar | Poway | Tie, fifth | Ramona |
| Valley | Valley Center | First | Valley Center |
| Western | Cathedral | Fourth | St. Augustine |
- *Helix was first and Steele Canyon third in Grossmont Hills League. Granite Hills was first in Grossmont Valley.
^ Tri-City Christian had same, 3-1 record but Maranatha won head-to-head meeting.
LONG WAIT FOR SOME
Most of this season’s 18 league winners are familiar with the elation that is part of the ride. All but 5 had at least one championship since 2013.
Manzanita League Mountain Empire’s last undisputed title was in 2000, although the Redhawks tied for first with Holtville and Calipatria in 2012. Poway had not been in the Palomar League throne room since 2012.
Grossmont Valley titlist Monte Vista’s most recent first was as a member of the Grossmont South League in 2004. It’s been since 2009 for the Imperial Valley League’s El Centro Central.
Avocado winner Torrey Pines hasn’t celebrated since it won the 2010 Palomar League championship.
El Centro Southwest, 14-1 a year ago and undefeated until the state Division 4-A title game, a 45-41 loss to Milpitas, fell to 4-6 and is out. Julian, winner of the Citrus League in 2017, also is out of the four-team, 8-man playoffs.
HAIL, TORREY PINES
Torrey Pines took the lead with 22 first-place votes in the San Diego Union-Tribune poll for Week 1 and the Falcons maintained and finished the regular-season polling with 24 first-place votes.
There will be a final poll released following the last game.
Week 11 Union-Tribune poll
Rank Team Record Points Previous
| 1. | Torrey Pines (24) | 9-0 | 294 | 1 |
| 2. | Cathedral | 9-1 | 276 | 2 |
| 3. | San Marcos | 8-1 | 221 | 3 |
| 4. | Eastlake | 9-1 | 202 | 6 |
| 5. | Carlsbad | 6-3 | 193 | 6 |
| 6. | Helix | 6-4 | 113 | 3 |
| 7. | St. Augustine | 7-3 | 104 | 8 |
| 8. | Steele Canyon | 8-2 | 78 | NR |
| 9. | La Costa Canyon | 6-3 | 60 | 7 |
| 10.. | Granite Hills | 9-1 | 47 | 10 |
Others: Poway (8-2, 24 points), Christian (9-1, 19), Madison (6-4, 5), Mira Mesa (7-2, 5), El Centro Central (10-0, 4), Rancho Bernardo (7-3, 3), Lincoln (6-4 with 2 forfeit losses, 2), Mission Hills (3-6, 1), Monte Vista (9-01, 1).
Voting panel: 30 sportswriters, sportscasters, and officials from throughout the County.
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- John Maffei, The San Diego Union Jim Lindgren, Rick Hoff, Terry Monahan, Don Norcross, Tom Saxe, Union-Tribune correspondents
- Paul Rudy, Brandon Stone, KUSI Chl. 51
- Adam Paul, ECpreps.com
- Ramon Scott, EastCountySports.com
- Bodie DeSilva, sandiegopreps.com
- Ted Mendenhall, Tyler Quellman, The Mighty 1090
- Steve Brand, San Diego Hall of Champions
- Troy Hirsch, Fox 5, San Diego
- Rick Smith, PartletonSports.com
- Jerry Schniepp, John Labeta, Ron Marquez, Carlton Hoggard, CIF San Diego Section
- Joe Heinz, Coordinator, Athletics, Sweetwater School District
- Raymond Brown, sdfootball.net
- Montell Allen, MBA Sports/San Diego Friday Night Lights Magazine
- Bob Petinak, Fox 1360 Radio
- John Kentera, Brandon Suprenant, 97.3 FM The Fan
- Steve (Biff) Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM
- Jim Arnaiz, Mike Dolan, John Carroll, San Diego Section Tournament Directors.
CAL-HI SPORTS
Torrey Pines remained at No. 12 and Cathedral at No. 13 in the newsletter’s weekly top 50 rankings. Eastlake also stayed in the same place at No. 40 and Carlsbad got into the spirit with its first appearance, at No. 45.
Helix, La Costa Canyon, and San Marcos are on the bubble.
