Division 4 Southern Section football playoff bracket preview: Long Beach Poly has best shot at CIF title in years

No longer in Division 1/2, the Jackrabbits are legitimate Division 4 title contenders.

The Southern Section released its 2021 high school football playoff brackets for all 14 divisions on Sunday. Ahead of the first round games on Nov. 5, we’re previewing every playoff division from D1 to D14. Since Division 1 won’t begin until next week, we started with Division 2 and have now moved to Division 4.

Here’s everything you need to know about the D4 bracket:

DIVISION 4 BRACKET | ALL CIF-SS FOOTBALL BRACKETS

TOP D4 FIRST-ROUND GAME

La Serna vs. Orange will have some great fire power. In a matchup featuring the Del Rio League champion and Orange Coast League champion, get ready for some scoring. Senior Orange QB Zachary Siskowic is having a fantastic season. He's thrown for 2,324 yards and 26 touchdowns. Sophomore running back Kobe Boykin has accounted for 1,664 all-purpose yards and scored 23 touchdowns on the season. Orange averaged 52.6 points per game in league play.

For La Serna, senior receiver Jake George has been a menace for opposing defenses catching 54 passes for 888 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season. The Lancers averaged 35 points per game in league play and have won eight games in a row after starting the season 0-2. Defensively, they've given up 6.5 points per game in league play.

The pick: Orange 31, La Serna 28

TOP PLAYERS TO WATCH & FIRST ROUND PREDICTIONS

Trabuco Hills (8-2) vs. Long Beach Poly (7-3): Can Long Beach Poly stop the run? If they can, they should be in great position to win this game. Senior Trabuco Hills running back Drew Barrett has rushed for 1,677 yards and 27 touchdowns on 223 carries this season. Jackrabbits defensive lineman Wendell Moe will be one of the main Poly defensive players tasked with slowing Barrett down. Overall though, Poly should win. They have the more talented roster.

The pick: Long Beach Poly, 31, Trabuco Hills 21

St. Paul (8-1) vs. Upland (5-5): Upland has a solid defense, but this is St. Paul's game to lose, even on the road. Swordsmen senior QB Isaiah Dunn has completed 149 of 218 passes for 2,153 yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions on the year. He's having a great season. Upland is riding a two game losing streak heading into this one. The Scots only scored a combined 20 points in those two defeats to Rancho Cucamonga and Etiwanda.

The pick: St. Paul 28, Upland 17

Jurupa Hills (7-2) vs. Bonita (8-2): Jurupa Hills is one of the poster children for why the Southern Section turned to the new CalPreps playoff format. In 2019, the Spartans were in Division 12, but an influx of transfers has seen them now move into Division 4. They've had a very strong season led by junior QB Marquis Roby and junior receiver Jordan Napier. The key question heading into Friday night's showdown is can the Jurupa Hills defense force Bonita QB Daniel Andrade into making a mistake or two? Andrade has eye-popping statistics -- he's completed 159 of 270 passes for 1,986 yards and 27 touchdowns -- but he's also thrown ten picks. Like in most games, whoever wins then turnover battle should win this one.

The pick: Bonita 28, Jurupa Hills 27

Palos Verdes (5-4) vs. Cypress (8-2): Both of these squads love to run the ball. Cypress has been the more consistent team this season led by Tomas Ramirez, a senior with 851 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. The Centurions are also playing at home, which is a big advantage.

The pick: Cypress 28, Palos Verdes 21

West Ranch (8-2) vs. Lawndale (6-3): Lawndale starts freshman QB Seth Shiggs, but the Cardinals rely mainly on their ground game to score points. Senior tailback Derek Boyd has rushed for 1,073 yards and nine scores this fall. He's the player West Ranch needs to key in on. The Wildcats love to air out the ball with junior QB Ryan Staub, who's thrown for 2,295 yards this season.

The pick: Lawndale, 24, West Ranch 21

Irvine (10-0) vs. St. Francis (7-2): Irvine last made the playoffs in 2018 in Division 11. They're now in the big leagues thanks to a perfect regular season. This game features two exceptional running backs in Irvine senior Cameron Goods and St. Francis senior Max Garrison, a San Diego State commit. Goods has carried the ball 193 times for 1,607 yards and 28 touchdowns this season. Garrison has rushed for 1,232 yards and 21 TD's. Irvine has had a terrific season, but this feels like a Division too high.

The pick: St. Francis 35, Irvine 21

Palm Desert (8-2) vs. Chaparral (6-4): When Chaparral has played a team they should beat, they've won this fall. When they're underdogs, they've lost. Palm Desert is 8-2, but suffered a head scratching defeat to Palm Springs, a Division 8 playoff team, 10-7 on Oct. 1. CalPreps predicts a 26-21 Chaparral win in this game. We agree with the pick.

The pick: Chaparral 24, Palm Desert 17

WHO WILL WIN THE D4 TITLE?

The Division 4 championship is Long Beach Poly's to lose. 2023 cornerback Daylen Austin is now healthy and playing at an exceptional level for the Jackrabbits. No other team in the field can matchup with Poly's depth. With senior captain Shea Kuykendall under center,junior tailback Devin Samples running the ball and sophomore Jason Robinson Jr. and senior Tyson Bordeaux catching passes, the Jackrabbits have the makings of a champion.

That's not to say they won't be challenged though. St. Paul is a tricky potential second round game and St. Francis or Orange could be tough title game opponents. Either way, Poly isn't in Division 1/2 this season and now have their best shot at a Section title in years.