Ten games to watch in the final two weeks of the San Diego Section regular season

The San Diego Section playoff brackets will be released on Sunday, October 30.

The 2022 California High School football regular season is coming to a close and there are several games across the San Diego Section during the final two weeks that will determine playoff seeding and league championships.

Here are ten games to watch in the SDS that have playoff seeding and/or league champion implications.

(Lead photo by Steven Silva)

Carlsbad at La Costa Canyon – October 21

Carlsbad enters Friday’s matchup having won 23 consecutive Avocado League games. The Lancers captured the league title in 2019 and 2021 and went 4-0 during the shortened 2021 spring season, sitting atop the league standings. Standing in their way from another unbeaten league title is La Costa Canyon, this Friday’s opponent.

The Mavericks are 3-1 in the league, losing 23-20 to El Camino, who gave Carlsbad a scare during their 20-14 battle earlier in the season. A win against Carlsbad on Friday and another against Torrey Pines next Thursday would give the Mavericks their first league title since 2011.

Carlsbad currently sits as the top seed in the Open Division playoff bracket which will be announced on Sunday, October 30th. La Costa Canyon enters their ninth game of the season as the four-seed in the division 1 playoffs but could dramatically improve their positioning with two wins over the final couple weeks.

Mission Hills at El Camino – October 21

El Camino has won four straight games and can still share the Avocado League title if they take care of business in the final two weeks and get some help by La Costa Canyon along the way. Their dominant defense will look to slow down a Mission Hills team that has improved over the past month, beating their past three opponents by a combined score of 91-13.

The Grizzlies have boosted their power ranking up to the four-seed in the Open Division playoff bracket but are certainly not a lock to finish among the top four teams. 

El Camino sits as the three-seed in the division 1 playoffs but a win over Mission Hills would count as a 48-point victory on the CIF Power Rankings scale, allowing the Wildcats to jump over several of the teams above them.

Point Loma at Mission Bay – October 21

Point Loma fell just short last week against University City, 13-7, in a game that likely decided the City League. Now the Pointers must swing their attention towards Mission Bay who currently sit tied with the Pointers at 1-1. Point Loma is currently positioned as the two-seed in the division 3 playoff bracket, narrowly ahead of Del Norte. The Pointers would benefit greatly from the two-seed, protecting homefield advantage throughout the playoffs and staying across the bracket from University City until a possible championship matchup.

Mission Bay moved up to division 4 this season and is back in the mix once again, sitting at the five seed with two games left to play. The Buccaneers have a large variance of finishing spots however as the 3-6 seeds are currently separated by 0.5 in the CIF Power Rankings.

By finishing up the season against two opponents with winning records, the Buccaneers have a chance to fly up the division 4 power rankings in addition to securing a second-place finish in the City League.

Mater Dei Catholic at Eastlake – October 27

Mater Dei Catholic has won four straight games after their surprising 0-4 start to the season. The Crusaders have been dominant during their streak, outscoring their opponents 177-0 in the four games since their bye week. They won’t be making their first Open Division appearance in program history but they’re still in the mix for a top-four seed in the division 1 playoff bracket.

It’s likely that next week’s game between the Crusaders and Eastlake will determine the winner of the Metro-Mesa League. Much like the Crusaders, Eastlake has turned around their season with two straight wins after an 0-6 start that included four games against out of section opponents.

Eastlake is locked into the playoffs as a division 1 team but will likely need to finish the season with two wins if they want to start the playoffs with a home game.

Central at Brawley – October 28

If Central and Brawley can survive this week’s games unscathed, which is no guarantee with both teams on the road, then next week’s matchup will determine the Imperial Valley League championship and will likely have playoff implications.

Central has challenged themselves with the toughest schedule of all Imperial Valley teams this season and has seen it pay off in the CIF Power Rankings. The Spartans sit in a tie with San Marcos for the fifth seed in the division 2 playoffs and would likely rise into a top-four seed with two wins to finish the regular season that comes with a first-round bye.

Brawley is currently slotted as the eight-seed in the division 2 12-team bracket and isn’t necessarily locked into the playoffs but should be fine with at least one win over the final two weeks of the regular season.

Santa Fe Christian at Bishop’s – October 28

Santa Fe Christian and Bishop’s have combined to win every Coastal League championship dating back to 2014. If both teams can make it through their road league games this weekend, then they will settle the Coastal League championship on the season’s final Friday.

Despite their seven wins through the first eight games of the season, Santa Fe Christian sits at the 12th and final seed in the division 2 bracket due to their weak strength of schedule. It’s possible that the Eagles could make the playoffs even if they were to lose their final two games but beating La Jolla Country Day on Saturday would likely lock them into the postseason.

Bishop’s slid down to division 3 this season despite nearly winning at Rancho Bernardo in the first round of the division 2 playoffs last season. The Knights currently sit as the five-seed in the playoff bracket but shouldn’t be taken lightly after losing to current top seed University City 49-46 in a shootout earlier this season.

Madison at Lincoln – October 28

The Warhawks and Hornets played twice last season with Madison taking the regular season matchup before Lincoln stormed through in the CIF semifinals and won 42-14. Lincoln will have their bye week in preparation for next week’s matchup while Madison will head to Scripps Ranch looking to stay undefeated. If they can do so, then the regular season finale will be one of San Diego’s most anticipated matchups this season with more than just a Western League title on the line.

Madison currently sits as the two-seed in the Open Division playoffs with a Power Ranking of 46.00. They’ll receive 46 points on Friday if they can take down Scripps Ranch as many expect they’ll do.

The Hornets are just behind the Warhawks with a 45.56 Power Ranking and won’t receive points during their bye week but that doesn’t mean they won’t move with past and future opponents in action. In all likelihood, the winner of the regular season final will be the two-seed while the loser likely slots in as the three-seed, setting up a first-round matchup between the two teams in the first round of the Open Division bracket.

Granite Hills at Helix – October 28

Since 2006, Helix has only failed to win or share the league title three times. One of those seasons was the 2021 spring season when Granite Hills claimed the Grossmont Hills League title, beating Helix 35-21 along the way. The two teams are expected to win this week, taking on teams that have combined to go 1-15, setting up a battle for an undefeated league championship to finish the regular season.

The Highlanders two losses have come against Mission Viejo and Cathedral Catholic but weak records by those they’ve beaten have slid Helix down to the five-seed in the division 1 bracket.

After a disappointing 2021 fall season, Granite Hills moved down to division 2 but the Eagles have responded well and have been one of San Diego’s top surprise teams through the first eight games of the year. They sit atop the division 2 playoff rankings, tied with Mira Mesa, and look to be a lock for a top-four seed as long as they win one of their final two games.

Del Norte at Thousand Oaks – October 28

The Nighthawks burst out of the gates this season with three straight wins before dropping their next three games. They’ve bounced back with league wins each of the two weeks and will look to wrap up third place in the Palomar League when they make the short trip to Westview on Friday.

They’ll end the regular season with very rare out of section game against unbeaten Thousand Oaks. The Lancers will also be wrapping up their league slate this week, looking to seal an unbeaten Canyon League slate against Agoura.

Del Norte sits as the three-seed in the division 3 playoff bracket as they enter ninth game of the season but a big win over University City earlier in the year could loom large as the regular season comes to a close. If the Nighthawks can get within one seed of the Centurions, then they would flip ahead of them due to their earlier head-to-head win.

Poway at Rancho Bernardo – October 28

It’s always a big game whenever Poway and Rancho Bernardo matchup no matter the season or sport but this season even more may be on the line. The Titans have been rolling since week one of the season and have found a new gear offensively in recent weeks, averaging 52 points per game in their last three games.

Rancho Bernardo lost three straight games to begin the season but rebounded by winning four of their last five including a 17-16 win over Mt. Carmel last week that kept their unbeaten Palomar League record alive. If the Broncos and Titans can survive this week then they’ll meet up in the final week of the regular season with a league championship on the line.

Poway has remained near the top of the division 1 CIF Power Rankings since the initial rankings were released. The Titans have an outside chance to be the fourth team in the Open Division bracket but more likely will end up with a first-round bye as one of the top four seeds in the division 1 playoffs.

Rancho Bernardo enters this week’s game against Mt. Carmel as the ten-seed in the division 1 playoffs but could rise possibly high enough to host a first-round playoff game if they were able to win their final two regular season games.