Division 5 Southern Section football playoff bracket preview: Will Oaks Christian's star power prevail?

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. 4-5, we’re previewing every playoff division from D1 to D14. Since Division 1 won’t begin until next week, we started with D2, and are continuing to work our way down the list.

Here’s everything you need to know about the D5 bracket:

DIVISION 5 BRACKET | ALL CIF-SS FOOTBALL BRACKETS

TOP D5 FIRST-ROUND GAME

Not only are San Jacinto (9-1) and Beaumont (7-3) a couple of the better teams in the bracket, and an evenly-matched pair at that. But these two perennially underrated Riverside County squads that are right near each other have already played this season, and the Tigers won 44-36. Both of these teams know they could potentially go all the way in Division 5, so this rematch should be as intense as it gets.

Despite two interceptions, San Jacinto QB Dereun Dortch had a very good game in that victory, completing 16 of 22 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns. WR Vincent Holmes might've been the Tigers' best player, catching for over 200 yards and a TD, and LB Tyrone Oloa was a force up front. That offset a fantastic night from Beaumont QB Christopher Cooper, who's been one of the top sophomore QBs in the Southern Section with over 3,000 passing yards and 32 touchdown passes. His top target, WR Gabriel Nunez, might be the best player in this game, and has caught for 1,562 yards and 18 touchdowns this season already.

This time, Dortch and the Tigers are presumably fully aware of the dangers of throwing near DB Ezekiel Valdivia, who grabbed both of Beaumont's picks in that game in addition to recording 11 tackles. They also will likely key in on WR Anson Kraut, who had one of his best receiving nights of the season against them. The fact that San Jacinto won that game and still have a few clear adjustments to make gives them the edge. But without a doubt, this is a borderline tossup.

The pick: San Jacinto 38, Beaumont 31

TOP PLAYERS TO WATCH & FIRST ROUND PREDICTIONS

Tustin (7-3) vs. La Habra (5-5): Even though it got the top seed, Tustin has a first round game that was also a candidate for the previous section. The Tillers face La Habra, which went winless in one of the toughest non-league schedules of any team below Division 4, and then went 5-0 in Freeway League play. Having to face a team that played competitively against teams like Ayala, Orange, and Upland before hitting its stride late in the season is not desirable. And for what it's worth, La Habra's 31-21 loss against Ayala bodes well against a Tillers team that lost 42-7 against the Bulldogs.

Still, Tustin is a well-rounded team with a quarterback, Tobey Schmidt, who is among the top players in the whole bracket. He threw for over 500 yards and six touchdowns a few weeks ago in a win against Valencia (Placentia), and top target WR/DB Dominick Flores is one of the Tillers' two-way leaders. La Habra has a standout QB/WR combo as well in juniors Justin Gil and Jacob Apodaca, and its front seven is one of its biggest strengths. Neither team has elite speed or a dominant running back, so there's a lot of evenness in this matchup, which might be the most intriguing first round battle any No. 1 seed has to face.

This game could go either way, but Schmidt's ability to take over the game no matter what defensive look he's facing gives Tustin the edge.

The pick: Tustin 28, La Habra 21

Rio Mesa (7-3) vs. Valencia (Valencia) (4-4): The other candidate for top first round game also features two teams with legit chances of going all the way. Rio Mesa has quietly put together a great 2021, largely thanks to one of the fastest defenses in the bracket. Henry Borjas, Chance Harrison, Sal Maria, and Jordan Sunia all have multiple interceptions on the season, and Sunia, another LB in Roland Espinosa, and DE Jakob Wallace (11 sacks) give them some boom up front. Their offense doesn't have as much firepower as some other D5 contenders, so that's what makes them an X-factor in a playoff setting.

The Vikings, on the other hand, have been one of the most unpredictable teams in the upper ranks of the Southern Section this season, largely due to star QB Tyler Voss (3-star San Jose State commit) missing more than half of the season. Junior QB Trey Erickson has been very good in his place, although Valencia certainly hasn't been the same team without Voss. But if they put it all together, they are among Division 5's most dangerous contenders. Relative to the rest of the bracket, they have tons of top-end talent, including 3-star ATH/WR Zamondre Merriweather, a Boise State commit, and another 3-star ATH/WR in Duhron Goodman. On the defensive side of the ball, future D-1 players Colton Antzoulatos, Chad Stich, and Jake Stich form a gnarly LB core. If Voss returns ready to play, or if the Vikings' offense reaches another gear without him, they could absolutely go all the way in Division 5. Otherwise, every game will be a dogfight.

The pick: Valencia 24, Rio Mesa 20

El Toro (8-2) vs. Summit (8-2): Both of these teams are coming off outstanding, program-altering 8-2 seasons after some challenging campaigns in recent years. With wins including La Mirada, Tesoro, Capistrano Valley, and Aliso Niguel, the Chargers are a minor but clear favorite. However, a loss against Trabuco Hills for a league title last week must've been deflating. If El Toro is ready to bounce back quickly, their plethora of close games this season gives them an edge, as does their balanced core of upperclassmen on offense. It's no secret the Chargers prefer to pass, with QB Blake Miller having multiple reliable targets led by Collin Payne. But with pass-catching RB Carson Olsen able to make plays no matter how he gets the ball, defenses can't just drop back in coverage. Speaking of dropping back in coverage, El Toro's defense is not safe to launch indiscriminately around – the Chargers don't destroy teams defensively around the line of scrimmage, but Josh Vivonia and Trey Williams have combined for 11 of the team's 16 interceptions this season.

Summit prefers to run more than pass, as the SkyHawks have run for 2,292 yards on a great 8.8 yards per carry this season, led by senior De'Marri Owens. Don't be surprised if defenses dare them to throw during the playoffs, but when they do, it's pretty effective. Payton Clark has thrown for 11 touchdowns and 1,084 yards to only two interceptions. How effective can they be in the air without any one featured receiver? And, while they currently ride a seven-game winning streak, how much will their lack of close games during league play affect them? Those will be the questions. Summit only allows 11.2 points per game, but their two losses this season came against Beaumont and JW North – both of whom are in this bracket. That makes the SkyHawks a pretty big underdog.

The pick: El Toro 31, Summit 23

Chino Hills (5-5) vs. St. Genevieve (10-0): Here's a first round matchup with two teams in completely different boats. The undefeated Valiants have blown out just about everyone in sight this season, with only St. Pius X-St. Mathias Academy playing them down to the end. Their wins also include a 56-28 win against Harvard-Westlake. How will St. Genevieve handle a far better team than any they've seen this season? No idea. One thing is clear – whoever they face will be geared up to stop RB Camdan McWright, who has an incredible line through nine games of 1,559 yards and 23 touchdowns rushing on an amazing 13.6 yards per carry. He's also one of the team's best defensive players, currently at 81 tackles, five tackles for loss, five sacks, and three forced fumbles. The Valiants have been able to pass effectively when they need to – QB Benjamin Macias has only thrown for 949 yards, but he sits at 11 TDs to three interceptions with a strong passer rating of 122.2.

Unfortunately for St. Genevieve, there's a case to be made that Chino Hills is the most dangerous team in the whole bracket. The Huskies played Ayala down to one point, beat Charter Oak by 20, beat Rancho Cucamonga of Division 3 20-6, and also beat Damien. Their offense is not explosive, but they also can't be stopped by shutting down just one player or facet of the game. Despite the schedule they faced, the Huskies have made 38 tackles for loss on the season, and size is a strength on both sides. Kade Musser and Zane Poulter are just a couple of the major factors in the their front seven. Scoring on them will be an uphill battle for just about any team in this bracket – and run-heavy St. Genevieve will be a major long shot to pull off the upset.

The pick: Chino Hills 31, St. Genevieve 14

El Modena (6-4) vs. Dana Hills (8-2): El Modena is another team in this bracket that one could argue belongs well inside Division 4. It took the Vanguards' offense about half the season to round into form – as evidenced by an early 17-15 loss against Sunny Hills – but once it did, they nearly knocked off Division 3 contenders Villa Park and Foothill (Santa Ana) in league play. El Modena does have the burden of coming into the playoffs on the heels of three straight losses, but after the four-team Crestview League gauntlet, they should be ready for whatever comes their way. With dual-threat QB Jack Keays, pass-catching RB Owen Smith, and WRs Blake Armstrong and Sam Astor all big playmaking threats, the balance in El Modena's offense bodes well.

Dana Hills is a pretty clear underdog here, but a win isn't out of the question if the Dolphins can get a couple early stops. 3-star dual-threat QB Bo Kelly runs the show for them, and he's been among the Southern Section's most prolific passers with 3,165 passing yards and 37 touchdown passes to his name already. With Kelly, RB Christian Guarascio, WR1 Owen Chambers, WR2 Omar Black, and TE James Allemann all part of this loaded offense, there's no question that Dana Hills can put up points on anybody in this bracket. The Dolphins have a number of impact defensive players such as OLB Jagger Wiesen (100 tackles and two interceptions), Chambers doubling as a versatile, physical DB, and DL Ethan Brougham. However, offenses below the level of the top ones in Division 5 have been able to put a lot of points on them. That makes them an underdog, although they're certainly among the division's most intriguing ones. If they can get past El Modena, a cinderella run could be in order.

The pick: El Modena 35, Dana Hills 32

Oaks Christian (4-6) vs. Pacifica (Oxnard) (6-4): The Lions started the season with five losses against quality teams – Chaminade, Sierra Canyon, Valor Christian (the top team in Colorado), Alemany, and Damien. They also finished the regular season with a loss against St. Bonaventure. In between, they blew out Birmingham and defeated Westlake, Calabasas, and Camarillo in games that also weren't close. Still, that wasn't enough to land in the top four divisions, even though they have more D-1 talent than plenty of the best teams in Division 2 and Division 3. That includes QB Cole Tannenbaum, 3-star RB and USC commit Johnny Thompson, 3-star WR Khari Butler, 3-star CB (and star WR) Jalen Lewis, OT Luke Baklenko who has multiple D-1 offers including Power-5, another unranked offensive player with Power-5 offers in WR Chase Farrell, 3-star CB Elijah Gipson who leads the team with three interceptions, 4-star Arizona State commit DE/OLB Sterling Lane who leads the team with 14 TFLs, and 3-star DE Mathias Malaki-Donaldson (team-high six sacks). That doesn't even include LB/SS Matthew Erhart, who leads the team with 100 tackles (nine for loss).

Pacifica doesn't have the top-end talent it did when it won Division 6 and a state title in 2019, but the Tritons have some including 3-star OL Donald Dixon and 4-star UCLA commit CB Maliki Crawford. LB Niko Narez has been among their best players, leading the team with 104 tackles, three interceptions, and five forced fumbles. Their other star LB, Jordan Whitney, doubles as a RB with 533 rushing yards. Their top rusher, Josh Joyner, is also a star as a returner on special teams and in the defensive backfield, and Phillip Kim is yet another big rushing threat for Pacifica. There are numerous other offensive threats on this team to complement QB Tagg Harrison, particularly WRs Savion Taylor and Tommy Alfaro, which gives the Tritons good offensive balance. But with almost their entire core being underclassmen, an older Oaks squad is an even tougher draw for them than they already would be. Should Pacifica pull off the upset here, there's no doubt that the Tritons could repeat as champions.

The pick: Oaks Christian 35, Pacifica 21

JW North (10-0) vs. Capistrano Valley (6-4): This battle features a couple more X-factor teams. JW North just cruised to an unbeaten regular season, which included a convincing win over another D5 team, Summit. Still, the Huskies are in for an interesting task in a bracket that includes many teams on another level from what they've faced. They have one of the best offensive trios in the division with seniors QB Jaidyn Gamble, RB Venasio Mikaele, and SB/RB Ahson Elliott. While Elliott, not a wideout, is their top receiver, there are some other deep threats on the team to take the top off, particularly WR Ashar Granger. It's unclear how JW North will fair against strong competition, but having a plethora of seniors balancing the various departments on both sides of the field is a winning demarkation.

Capo has been tested as much as almost any team in D5, and will try to turn any and every game into a shootout. They started the season with an overtime loss against Tustin, also lost a wild 67-47 barnburner against Orange, fell by 10 to El Toro, and lost to San Juan Hills by an eye-popping margin of 66-13. Four of their wins came by 10 points or less, including a thrilling 59-56 win over Trabuco Hills (a Division 4 team), in which 3-star QB Trey Kukuk etched his name into record books with 615 yards and six touchdowns passing on 40-61 completion. Kukuk is also the only major rushing threat on the Cougars, and somehow ran for 728 yards and 11 TDs during the regular season in addition to throwing for nearly 3,100 yards. Each key member of his receiving corps, Owen Taylor, Dane Benedix (a 3-star junior), and Mark Hopkins has caught 10 touchdowns each. Pretty much every week for the Cougars going forward is whether or not their stars can carry them against teams with far more balanced rosters. This pick is the hardest of the week, as JW North has allowed only 493 points all season, and Capistrano Valley is liable to score that in about six quarters.

The pick: JW North 45, Capistrano Valley 42

WHO WILL WIN THE D5 TITLE?

This division is something of a tossup, not only because of the parity in it, but also because a lot of its top contenders have been unpredictable throughout the season. Chino Hills doesn't exactly have an easy path to the finals – no one does – but the top half is likely to be more navigable than the bottom half, where Oaks Christian and El Modena might collide for an epic semifinal.

Picking between those three is absolutely daunting, especially when all three could be knocked out before the semifinals. But Chino Hills has the clearest path, and the regular season pedigree. So, we'll take the Huskies.