NOTEBOOK

Lakewood Mayfair still remembers its only loss last year, to Irvine in the Division VI playoffs.

Irvine’s Jessob Reisbeck missed a 52-yard field goal attempt with 3:50 left in the game and the Vaqueros trailing, 7-6. That would have given the ball to top-seeded Mayfair to run out the clock. However, officials ruled that Mayfair had too many players on the field, a notion that Mayfair coaches still dispute.

Reisbeck then kicked a 37-yard field goal for the 9-7 win.

The teams meet tonight--again in the second round--on the same field at Bellflower High.

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Cypress has the difficult task of playing top-seeded La Mirada tonight, and Coach Kerry Crabb has already told his team to expect inhospitable surroundings. What’s it going to take for the Centurions (10-1) to win against a team that has yet to be defeated?

“Darren Shorter has to keep doing the things he’s been doing,” Crabb said. “He’s been getting better and better.”

Shorter ran for 223 yards in Cypress’ 40-14 victory over Saddleback in the first round, and 223 the game before against Century. He has rushed for 797 yards in the last four games.

“He’s as good as there is right now,” Crabb said. “I know [Esperanza’s Temitope] Sonuyi and [Mission Viejo’s Robbie] Dubois are at the head of the class, but Darren is right there. I know those other guys are for real, but Darren’s for real, too.”