Southern Section football playoffs get serious

The Southern Section Division 1 and 2 football playoff matchups on Friday are outstanding. Six of the eight teams in Division 1 have had two weeks to prepare.

There are rematches and also chances to avenge defeats from last season. In Division 2, higher seeds are about to find out how good they will need to be to win.

Division 1

Sierra Canyon at Mater Dei: The top-seeded Monarchs are 9-0 and no team has come close to even scaring them. Sierra Canyon was routed last season 42-14 by the Monarchs in the playoffs. What coach Raul Lara has done best at Mater Dei is having his team focused each week on its assignment rather than looking ahead. If that continues, the Trailblazers are in trouble. The pick: Mater Dei.

Corona Centennial at Mission Viejo; This should be the best matchup of the weekend, with great coaching, great skill position players and the potential for lots of points to be scored. Centennial will need to run the ball effectively to stay close to a Mission Viejo team loaded with offensive weapons. The pick: Mission Viejo.

JSerra at Orange Lutheran: It’s rematch time. Orange Lutheran won 23-17 on Oct. 11. The Lancers have gotten better and healthier. JSerra still has versatile Ryan Hopkins at quarterback and the freakish Madden Faraimo at linebacker. The pick: Orange Lutheran.

Santa Margarita at St. John Bosco: Santa Margarita was shut out by the Braves 13-0 in their Trinity League game. Now that Trent Mosley and Jonah Smith are back, the Eagles are a different team, having scored 44 and 59 points in their last two games, respectively. This game could produce a major upset if St. John Bosco’s offense doesn’t produce better than last time. The pick: St. John Bosco.

Division 2

Murrieta Valley at Los Alamitos: The Nighthawks, aided by a dominant offensive line and the return of quarterback Bear Bachmeier from injury, are rolling offensively. There’s really no stopping them unless Los Alamitos finds a way to control the clock and avoid turnovers. The pick: Murrieta Valley.

San Juan Hills at Oaks Christian: Despite injuries, Oaks Christian prevailed over Oak Hills last week. San Juan Hills presents more balance and a much better defense, led by UCLA commit Weston Port. The pick: San Juan Hills.

Gardena Serra at Yorba Linda: When Serra is healthy this late in the season, that’s trouble for opponents. All the two-way players are performing well, giving Serra versatility, speed and lots of options for coach Scott Altenberg. Yorba Linda keeps on winning and shouldn’t be underestimated. The pick: Gardena Serra.

Newbury Park at San Clemente: It’s another opportunity for the Panthers to prove they belong in an upper division despite a weak regular-season schedule. They passed their first test against San Jacinto, and San Clemente’s defense will be a big challenge after the Tritons recorded six sacks last week. The pick: Newbury Park.