Southern Section needs Orange County teams at Home Depot Center
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It’s too bad that Orange County isn’t represented at the Home Depot Center today. It’s obvious from these playoffs that the Southern Section needs The O.C. to ensure there is drama in the marquee moments.
Take Friday for example. There were six playoff championship games. Three involved OC teams. Cypress avenged an Empire League loss with a 36-30 Southern Division victory over Garden Grove Pacifica by overcoming a 24-7 halftime deficit and making a goal-line stand in the final minute.
El Dorado scored on Kane Wilson’s five-yard run and Chase Lansford connected on the extra point with 30 seconds remaining to give the top-seeded Golden Hawks a 13-12 Southwest Division victory over third-seeded Trabuco Hills.
Unbeaten La Habra, which had outscored playoff opponents 158-21, scored a rough-and-tumble 16-6 Southeast Division victory over a Freeway League rival, third-seeded Fullerton.
The other three games -- none of which included OC teams -- were: St. Paul over Palmdale, 42-14 (yawn); Colony over Canyon Springs, 41-14 (getting sleepy); Oaks Christian over Nordhoff, 52-7 (snoring).
And then there was Corona Centennial beating Corona Santiago, 42-7, in the Inland final earlier today at the Home Depot Center, followed by a 42-28 victory by St. Bonaventure over Hart in the Northern Division title game.
So I guess the pressure’s on Poly and Crespi to give people their money’s worth. And, so far, so good.
-- Martin Henderson