2025 Football Week 14: Championship Game Coaches, At a Glance

This is perhaps the finest pair of Open Division and Division I championship game matchups  since the San Diego Section was formed in 1960. Mainly because of the four coaches leading their teams, veterans who have stood the test of time and turn out winners annually,  as their records attest in the table below.

Championship week for the Open and D-I, II, III, IV, and V divisions begins with the Open Tuesday evening, Nov. 25, at Southwestern College with Cathedral facing Carlsbad.

Lincoln and Granite Hills play for the D-I title Saturday, Nov. 29, at Southwestern. Other  championship games are Nov. 28.

Maranatha (12-1) defeated Blythe Palo Verde Valley (8-5), 24-12, for the V-AA title and St. Joseph (10-1) topped Borrego Springs (8-2), 68-13, in D-VI.

OPEN DIVISION/DIVISION I

*Includes coaches with at least 100 victories.

NAME SCHOOL SEASON W-L-T Pct. *SECTION
ALL-TIME/WINS		 CHAMPIONSHIP
GAMES W-L
Sean Doyle Cathedral 30th 247-117-0 .679 3rd 11-2
David Dunn Lincoln 14th 116-62-1 .651 39th 4-3
Thadd MacNeal Carlsbad 14th 114-52-0 .687 40th 0-3
Kellan Cobbs Granite Hills 14th 113-54-0 .681 41st 3-0

DIVISION II

NAME SCHOOL SEASON W-L-T Pct. *SECTION
ALL-TIME/WINS		 CHAMPIONSHIP
GAMES W-L
Jon Wallace Santa Fe Christian 12th 102-43 .703 51st 0-1
Scott Longerbone Steele Canyon 14th 80-78-1 .506 NA 1-0

DIVISION III

NAME SCHOOL SEASON W-L-T Pct. SECTION
ALL-TIME WINS		 CHAMPIONSHIP
GAMES W-L
David Pena El Centro Central 9th 77-25-0 .755 NA 0-1
Patrick Bugg Christian 4th 25-21-0 .543 NA 0-0

DIVISION IV

NAME SCHOOL SEASON W-L-T Pct. SECTION
ALL-TIME/WINS		 CHAMPIONSHIP
GAMES W-L
Jose Mendoza Eastlake 6th 30-33-0 .455 NA 0-0
Bill Dunckel Valley Center 3rd* 18-12-0 .600 NA 0-0

DIVISION V

**Gray coached at Kearny, 2015-19; McNair coached at Crawford, 2001-06.

NAME SCHOOL SEASON W-L-T Pct. SECTION
ALL-TIME/WINS		 CHAMPIONSHIP
GAMES W-L
Will Gray Hoover 11th** 61-58 .513 NA 0-1
Tracy McNair Morse 23rd** 117-129-3 .476 38th 1-0


2025 Football Week 13: Two No. 1’s Eliminated in Playoff Quarterfinals

Eight more underdogs overcame seeding challenges last week as the San Diego Section playoffs tightened in the quarterfinals.

A second week of 26 games saw two No. 1-ranked squads go down, with additional upsets by 12, 11, 10, and six, and five seeds.

Most significant was No. 9 Hoover’s 52-49 win over top ranked Sweetwater in Division V that put the 6-6 Cardinals in the semifinals for the first time since 2023 and in what has  been rarefied air for the school, completing its 96th season since opening in East San Diego in 1930.

Hoover had reached playoff semifinals in 1962, ’63, and 2000 and the championship game in D-III in 2014 but its history is marked by long, barren stretches.

Typical was the Cardinals’ 5-45 slog that followed their 31-9 loss to Christian in the D-III championship in 2014 and a 0-4 Covid-shortened start in 2020 under Will Gray, followed by 3-6 and 4-7 finishes. Gray’s team has improved to 19-16 since 2023.

The Cardinals’ semifinals opponent this week is 7-4 Canyon Hills, a 27-20 winner over Hoover in a Week 10 Central League contest.

UPSET?

No. 4 Cathedral eliminated No. 1 Mission Hills, 42-35, in the Open Division in what is hard to classify as an upset.  The Dons, weathering injuries to quarterback Brady Palmer and running back Honor Fa’alave-Johnson and a couple regular-season losses to Concord De La Salle and Point Loma, were given at least an even chance of beating the Grizzlies and advancing.

Fa’alave-Johnson scored five touchdowns for the Dons, including a clinching, 43-yard hike with 50 seconds left in the game.

Other significant wins were by No. 12 Scripps Ranch, 17-14 over No. 4 El Camino in Division II; No. 11 San Diego, 33-19 over No. 3 and undefeated, 10-0 Mission Bay in D-II, and No. 10 La Jolla Country Day, 22-7 over No. 2 El Capitan in D-IV.

STATE RATINGS

Cal-Hi Sports 

13, Carlsbad (9-2); 14, Cathedral (9-2); 17, Lincoln (9-2); 19, Mission Hills (9-2); 20, La Costa Canyon (9-2); 38, Granite Hills (8-3); 46, Mount Miguel (8-3); 47, San Marcos (7-4); On The Bubble, Point Loma (11-1). STATE: 1, Rancho Santa Margarita. (8-3).

Cal Preps

59.4, Cathedral; 57.6, Carlsbad; 55.7, Mission Hills; 53.7, La Costa Canyon; 51.2, Lincoln; 50.1, Granite Hills;  44.5, San Marcos; 41.0, Oceanside; 40.1, Mount Miguel; 38.0, Point Loma. STATE:  83.1, Santa Ana Mater Dei.

Max Preps

10, Cathedral (9-2); 11, Lincoln (9-2); 13, Mission Hills (9-2); 14, Carlsbad (9-2); 18, Granite Hills (8-3); 25, San Marcos (7-4); 29, Mount Miguel (8-3); 34, Point Loma (11-1); 41, Oceanside (7-5); 54, Rancho Bernardo (9-3). STATE: 1, Corona Centennial (10-1).



2025 Football Week 12: Favorites Are 18-8 in Playoffs’ Openers

Rankings and favoritism didn’t matter to eight underdogs in the 26 San Diego Section first-round playoff games.

Two each of 11, 10, and 9 seeds prevailed over sixes, sevens, and eights in the divisional brackets.  The most significant reversal saw 12 seed Scripps Ranch put it to No. 5 La Jolla, 42-0.  Clairemont, another No. 5, also won, over 4 seed Calipatria.

Compared to seedings in basketball tournaments, the Falcons entered the game with a 35 per cent chance of winning. Since the NCAA event expanded in 1985, No. 12 seeds are 55-101 against fives.

Reports have circulated in the community known for its groves of eucalyptus trees (a City of San Diego worker once told me 3 million) that Scripps Ranch coach Marlon Gardinera may step down at the end of the season.  Gardinera, whose team visits fourth-seed El Camino in the second round, is 60-36 (.625) as the Falcons head coach since 2017, including a state II-A championship and 13-1 season in 2021.

LOOKING BACK

Thousands of games had been played since the last time there was an 11-10 result.  Santana defeated Bonita Vista in a Division V first-round contest by that score, matched only once, in 1982, when San Dieguito defeated Vista.

Santana won when 40 seconds remained after the Sultans scored a touchdown to close to 10-9 and lined up for a tying point after kick, but holder Koko Thornton took the snap and passed to Xavier Bennett for the winning two-point conversion.

TRUE GRID

St. Augustine’s Pai Polamalu, the son of retired Pittsburgh Steelers all-pro Troy Polamalu, rushed for 263 yards in 28 carries, scored five touchdowns, caught three passes for 67 yards and a touchdown, and completed a pass for 32 yards, accounting for 362 of the Saints’ 479 yards as the D-II No. 8 seed defeated No. 9 Mater Dei, 45-20…if that wasn’t enough, Pai also intercepted a couple passes….

STATE RATINGS

Max Preps: 

9, Mission Hills; 10, La Costa Canyon; 11, Carlsbad; 13, Cathedral; 20, Lincoln; 21, Granite Hills; 24, San Marcos; 27, Point Loma; 33, Mount Miguel; 35, Oceanside; 42, Rancho Bernardo.

Cal-Hi Sports:

12, Mission Hills; 13, La Costa Canyon; 15, Cathedral; 19, Carlsbad; 20, Lincoln; 38, Granite Hills; 45, Point Loma; On Bubble, Mount Miguel, San Marcos.

Cal Preps:

59.2, Mission Hills; 57.3, La Costa Canyon; 53.4, Carlsbad; 50.2, Lincoln; 50.2, Point Loma; 49.2, Cathedral; 45.3, Granite Hills; 42.4, San Marcos; 36.9, Mount Miguel; 36.5, Oceanside; 34.9, Rancho Bernardo. STATE:  87.4, Bellflower St. John Bosco.



2025 Flag Football Week 12: All Top Seeds Fell As Defenses Took Charge

The finals results displayed the overall skill quality and parity of the leagues in the San Diego Section’s third season, plus  the effect of 2025 defensive rule changes. Not a single top seed found the finals!

All finalists were 2-to-7 seeds, plus 12 seed Canyon Crest. The ability to rush the quarterback unheeded was particularly effective.

Full brackets summary with scores in bold are listed below.

DIVISION I—Torrey Pines 20, Westview 13.
The Falcons (19-10), runners-up in 2024 and 2023,  bested Classical and Mission Hills to face the Wolverines who had upset top seed and undefeated (20-0) Bonita Vista, 18-9.

Westview (17-3), the 2024 D-II champion, had throttled Grossmont 23-0, in a revenge win for an early season loss. However, Torrey Pines used its own defense with key, late takeaways to secure the championship.

D-II—Calexico Vincent Memorial 40, Imperial 34.
The 74 combined points is a section playoff record. The Scots (23-5) topped Granite Hills then upset top seed Poway to advance to the final, while the Tigers beat Clairemont in overtime, 26-20.  Scots sophomore Azul Trujillo, who leads the nation with more than 9,400 passing yards and more than 100 touchdown passes, tossed six TD’s, four to Jessica Manriquez.

D-III—Mira Mesa 25, Brawley 0.
The Marauders (13-11), who lost in a D-I semifinal to eventual champion Classical in 2024, lost their first seven games of 2025, but finished with seven consecutive wins, including over Point Loma and higher seeds Mater Dei and Helix.
The Imperial Valley-based Wildcats got by Ramona and Our Lady of Peace, but ran into a stingy Mira Mesa defense.

D-IV – Patrick Henry 25, Mt. Carmel 20.
The Patriots (12-9) survived the road hazards of Morse, University City and El Capitan, the No. 1 pot hole, to claim their first championship. They fell in the D-II first round in 2024, but held off a late charge by the Sundevils for the D-IV  win.

D-V – Olympian 25, Canyon Crest 12.
The Eagles (8-12), the only 2025 repeat champions, beating San Ysidro in 2024 (D-I Classical repeated in 2023 and 2024), bested Valhalla and San Diego. The 12th-seeded Ravens, got past the 5, 4 and 1 seeds, and led 6-0 in  the final, but then Olympian’s Aubrey Tibayan threw for three TD’s, and held the Canyon Crest to one score, to win going away.

Complete 2025 season schedule and scores are here.

DIVISION I

Quarterfinals
 November 1		 Semifinals
 November 5		 Final
November 8
1 Bonita Vista (19-0) 26-13
8 Steele Canyon (18-4)		 1 Bonita Vista
5 Westview 18-9		 5 Westview
2 Torrey Pines 20-13
4 Grossmont (18-4)
5 Westview (16-2) 23-0
2 Torrey Pines (16-10) 24-13
7 Classical (18-8)		 2 Torrey Pines 27-21
6 Mission Hills
3 Carlsbad (20-5)
6 Mission Hills (17-4) 19-12

DIVISION II

Round 1
October29		 Quarterfinals
 November 1		 Semifinals
 November 4		 Final
 November 8
8 La Costa Canyon (9-6) 27-6
9 Mabel O’Farrell (18-2)		 1 Poway (13-6) 19-6
8 La Costa Canyon		 1 Poway
4 Calexico Vincent Memorial  21-20		 4 Calexico Vincent Memorial 40-34
3 Imperial
5 Granite Hills (12-5) 31-25
12 Scripps Ranch (13-7)		 4 Calexico Vincent Memorial (20-5) 39-33
5 Granite Hills
7 Escondido Charter (15-2)
10 San Marcos (11-9) 12-0		 2 Cathedral (15-5)
10 San Marcos 26-0		 10 San Marcos
3 Imperial 34-33
6 Clairemont (14-4) 34-26
11 Del Norte (13-7)		 3 Imperial (20-3) 26-20
6 Clairemont

DIVISION III

Round 1
October28		 Quarterfinals
 November 1		 Semifinals
 November 5		 Final
 November 8
8 Santa Fe Christian (10-3)
9 Our Lady of Peace (10-10) 20-7		 1 Calexico (12-6)
9 Our Lady of Peace 20-13		 9 Our Lady of Peace
4 Brawley 34-13		 4 Brawley
6 Mira Mesa 25-0
5 Ramona (13-12) 13-6
12 San Dieguito (12-9)		 4 Brawley (13-12) 40-0
5 Ramona
7 San Ysidro (15-5)
10 Mission Bay (14-10-1) 18-7		 2 Helix (10-10) 27-13
10 Mission Bay		 2 Helix
6 Mira Mesa 27-20
6 Mira Mesa (10-10) 18-2
11 Point Loma (7-8)		 3 Mater Dei (12-5)
6 Mira Mesa 32-0

DIVISION IV

Round 1
 October29		 Quarterfinals
 November 1		 Semifinals
 November 4		 Final
 November 8
8 Castle Park (14-5)
9 Escondido (11-10) 33-12		 1 El Capitan (13-6) 25-6
9 Escondido		 1 El Capitan
5 Patrick Henry 32-7		 5 Patrick Henry 25-20
7 Mt. Carmel
5 Patrick Henry (8-9) 13-7
12 Morse (7-8)		 4 University City (10-9)
5 Patrick Henry 25-0
7 Mt. Carmel (9-9) 32-14
10 Francis Parker (6-6)		 2 Otay Ranch (7-10)
7 Mt. Carmel 13-7		 7 Mt. Carmel 32-6
3 Hilltop
6 Santana (7-13)
11 Kearny (13-5) 19-12		 3 Hilltop (12-4) 28-6
11 Kearny

DIVISION V

Round 1
 October28		 Quarterfinals
 November 1		 Semifinals
 November 5		 Final
 November 8
8 Eastlake (6-14) 20-15
9 El Centro Central (4-15)		 1 San Pasqual (11-5) 21-19
8 Eastlake		 1 San Pasqual
12 Canyon Crest 32-14		 12 Canyon Crest
2 Olympian 25-12
5 Sage Creek (8-11)
12 Canyon Crest (6-14) 7-6		 4 Chula Vista Learning (6-7)
12 Canyon Crest 13-6
7 Valhalla (7-10) 20-19
10 Oceanside (5-13)		 2 Olympian (5-12) 20-7
7 Valhalla		 2 Olympian 26-21
3 San Diego
6 West Hills (7-7) 24-0
11 Montgomery (7-5)		 3 San Diego (10-8) 27-6
6 West Hills

Henrik Jonson, Webmaster



2025 Football Week 11: Grizzlies Win Regular-Season Top 10 Poll

The postseason begins this week and the Open Division is so stacked that season-long  No. 1 Lincoln is out and placed in Division I.

Mission Hills, Open Division-seeded No. 1 and the leader in John Maffei’s last regular-season poll,  meets visiting No. 4 Cathedral and  No. 2 La Costa Canyon is host to No. 3 Carlsbad.  Lincoln, defending state Division 1-AA champion, has a bye.

“Maffei Madness” will resume with a final poll after the San Diego Section playoffs.

HAPPY TRAILS, COACH

Chris Hauser was placed on administrative leave after four games and eventually retired as head coach at Mission Hills, leaving a career record of 210-89-2, and a winning percentage of .699.  DJ Zapata serves as interim coach and has a 5-1 record heading into  the playoff against Cathedral.

Hauser has the 11th most wins of any coach in San Diego County history.  His teams at Vista and Mission Hills won or tied for 12 league championships and reached the San Diego Section championship game seven times, winning two.

MAFFEI MADNESS

John Maffei’s The San Diego Union-Tribune Week 11 poll:
Points awarded on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. *First-place votes. Previous rankings in (italics).
NR–Not ranked. MaxPreps, Cal Preps, and Cal-Hi Sports are state rankings.

RANK TEAM/RECORD POINTS MAX PREPS CAL PREPS CAL-HI SPORTS
1. Mission Hills (9-1) 18* 277 (1) 8 (14) 58.7 (58.4) 12 (14
2. Cathedral (8-2) 9* 263 (2) 13 (14) 47.5 (47) 15 (19)  
3. La Costa Canyon (9-1) 3* 246(3) 10 (10) 57.1 (51.5) 13 (12)
4. Lincoln (8-2) 213 (4) 20 (11) 50.8 (50) 20 (17)
5. Carlsbad (9-1) 177 (5) 12 (12) 53.7 (53.6) 19 (24)
6. Granite Hills (7-3) 146 (6) 24 (29) 44.9 (44.8) 39 (40)
7. Point Loma (10-0) 127 (7) 38 (51) 48.5 (48) 46 (43)
8. San Marcos (6-4) 81(8) 27 (31) 42.6 (42.2) On Bubble (On Bubble)
9. Oceanside (6-4) 44 (10)) 40 (42) 35.2 (34.1) NR (NR)
10. Mount Miguel (7-3) 43 (9) 37 (50) 36.4 (36) NR (NR)         

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES
Santa Fe Christian (10-0, 13 points), Holtville (9-1, 4), Mission Bay (10-0, 4), Rancho Bernardo (8-2, 4)

VOTING PANEL

Twenty-nine sportswriters, sportscasters, and administrators from the San Diego Section, plus Max Preps:

  • John Maffei (The San Diego Union-Tribune)
  • Donald Ray Norcross, Kevin Farmer, Rick Hoff, Steve Brand (Union-Tribune correspondents)
  • Joe Heinz, Todd Cassen, Ron Marquez (San Diego Section)
  • Brandon Stone, Allison Edwards, John Carroll, Chase Izidoro (KUSI-TV)
  • Rick Smith (partletonsports.com)
  • Braden Suprenant (93.7 FM “The Fan”)
  • Mike Dolan (Coaching Legends)
  • Tom Helmantoler (Southern Conference)
  • Joe Evangelist, Rex Johnson, Bruce Ward (CIF Advisory Committee)
  • Raymond Brown (sdsports.net)
  • Christian Pedersen (San Diego Sports Association)
  • Bodie DeSilva, John Kentera, Dennis Ackerman, Steve (Biff) Dolan, Eric Williams, Thomas Gutierrez, Tom Ronco, Adam Paul (freelance contributors).

 



2025 Football Week 10: 5 Teams Seek 1 of 4 Open Division Playoff Invites

Sixteen games tonight and 28 more Friday will settle the San Diego Section regular season and determine league champions not yet clinched.  Playoff pairings are expected Sunday afternoon.

Coming down to the wire Cathedral, Lincoln, Mission Hills, Carlsbad, and La Costa Canyon are alive for  berths in what will be a stacked, four-team Open Division bracket.  One of those clubs will drop down and automatically become the favorite in Division I.

MAFFEI MADNESS

John Maffei’s The San Diego Union-Tribune Week 10 poll:
Points awarded on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. *First-place votes. Previous rankings in (italics).
NR–Not ranked. MaxPreps, Cal Preps, and Cal-Hi Sports are state rankings.

RANK TEAM/RECORD POINTS MAX PREPS CAL PREPS CAL-HI SPORTS
1. Mission Hills (8-1) 15* 260 (3) 14 (13) 58.4 (55.6) 14 (16)
2. Cathedral (7-2) 10* 258 (5) 13 (17) 47 (44.5) 19 (35)  
3. La Costa Canyon (8-1) 5* 252 (4) 10 (18) 51.5 (50.1) 12 (17)
4. Lincoln (7-2) 219 (1) 11 (8) 50.0 (52.9) 17 (8)
5. Carlsbad (8-1) 180 (2) 12 (14) 53.6 (56.9) 24 (14)
6. Granite Hills (6-3) 146 (6) 29 (34) 44.8 (43.5) 40 (40)
7. Point Loma (9-0) 125 (7) 51 (59) 48.0 (46.3) 43 (44)
8. San Marcos (6-3) 89(8) 31 (40) 42.2 (39.8) On Bubble (On Bubble)
9. Mount Miguel (6-3) 42 (9) 42 (53) 36.0 (33.6) NR (NR)
10. Oceanside (5-4) 37 (NR) 50 34.1 NR (NR)         

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES
Imperial (9-0, 14 points), Santa Fe Christian (9-0, 8), Rancho Bernardo (7-2, 3) Mission Bay (9-0, 2), Holtville (8-1, 1).

VOTING PANEL

Twenty-nine sportswriters, sportscasters, and administrators from the San Diego Section, plus Max Preps:

  • John Maffei (The San Diego Union-Tribune)
  • Donald Ray Norcross, Kevin Farmer, Rick Hoff, Steve Brand (Union-Tribune correspondents)
  • Joe Heinz, Todd Cassen, Ron Marquez (San Diego Section)
  • Brandon Stone, Allison Edwards, John Carroll, Chase Izidoro (KUSI-TV)
  • Rick Smith (partletonsports.com)
  • Braden Suprenant (93.7 FM “The Fan”)
  • Mike Dolan (Coaching Legends)
  • Tom Helmantoler (Southern Conference)
  • Joe Evangelist, Rex Johnson, Bruce Ward (CIF Advisory Committee)
  • Raymond Brown (sdsports.net)
  • Christian Pedersen (San Diego Sports Association)
  • Bodie DeSilva, John Kentera, Dennis Ackerman, Steve (Biff) Dolan, Eric Williams, Thomas Gutierrez, Tom Ronco, Adam Paul (freelance contributors).