San Diego Section Open Division playoffs begin this week with a most-asked question making the rounds from Solana Beach to this side of Camp Pendleton.
Can fourth seed Santa Fe Christian, a beast among so-called lower level teams, match up against top-seeded, big boy Carlsbad in one semifinals game (2 Cathedral takes on 3 Mission Hills in the other)?
Santa Fe Christian (11-0) and Patrick Henry (11-0) are the San Diego Section’s two remaining undefeated teams. Carlsbad is 9-1, losing only to rival La Costa Canyon, 37-21.
Santa Fe is no stranger to big shots, having defeated Helix, 38-6, in the opening game.
Coaches Jon Wallace of the Eagles and Thadd MacNeal of Carlsbad will bring outstanding records to the fray along with enough followers who might disdain I-5 traffic for the old Pacific Coast Highway 101. Â The schools are 14 miles apart.
Wallace’s 114-44 and .722 winning percentage is topped only among active coaches by the .728 of El Centro Central’s David Pena (83-31) and Holtville’s Jason Turner (67-25).
Wallace joined the Eagles’ staff in 2004 and became head coach in 2013 on the campus that was the site of San Diego Military Academy until Santa Fe Christian was introduced in 1977.
MacNeal, a 1989 graduate of Carlsbad came home to succeed the retiring Bob McAllister in 2011 and is 123-55 (.691) since. He was head coach at Lakewood in the Southern Section from 2005-10, posting a 41-19 (.683) record and is 164-52 (.690) overall.
SOME UPSETS
Favorites (lower number seeds) won 19 of 24 first-round playoff games. There was a 5-12 surprise when, 4-7 Olympian beat fifth-ranked Bonita Vista (6-5), 28-21, in Division V.
Scripps Ranch (2-9), an 11 seed in D-III thumped number 6 Eastlake, 31-17. Â Sixth-seeded El Camino (2-9) won at No. 11 Grossmont (7-4), 29-26.
The 9-2 Eastlake Titans had a crushing finish to what was a curious season. The Titans’ other loss was a stunning, 42-7 blowout to Mater Dei, which has rebounded from 0-6 to 5-6.
Division I teams also are in opening rounds. D-II through VI-AA teed up last week. Season results for all teams and playoff pairings can be accessed by visiting the home page. Open the Football menu, search Teams, and select the 2026 link.
