Serra, Grant could meet in CIF bowl game

The California Division II Bowl Game could have some familiar faces from different places in this year's matchup.

Serra (Gardena) and Grant (Sacramento) are both former state bowl champions; however, Serra won at the Division III level last season and Grant was the Open champion in 2008. With the realignment of divisions by the CIF for the bowl games, both Serra and Grant now find themselves headed for a December matchup in the Division II bowl game.

Of course that's assuming they win their respective divisions at the section level. Grant was upset last year in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II game by Rocklin, which eventually went on to fall to Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) in the Division II championship game last year. Serra knows all about the upset bug, as it knocked off favored Oaks Christian to advance to win a section title last year and advance to the Division III game against Marin Catholic.

There is also the possibility that Grant, if it wins a Sac-Joaquin Section Division II title, could end up as the Open Division selection. Several ranking services have Grant ranked as the top team in the state and one of the top five teams in the country. The Pacers played in the Open Division two years ago and represented themselves well with a state title over Long Beach Poly. CIF Officials won't be afraid to give Grant the nod again, although they would likely have to beat out a talented De La Salle squad to do it.

And then there's Oceanside. The winner of two state bowl games and winners of six straight Division II championships in the San Diego Section, the Pirates can't be counted out as a possible Southern California qualifier for the Division II Bowl over Serra.

Here's a look at the top possible qualifiers from each of the section divisions in the North and the South.

NORTH
Central Coast Section Division II - Los Gatos is the defending champion while Wilcox (Santa Clara) was the runner-up last year. Those two teams meet on Oct. 8 in a game that could be a preview of the section final.

North Coast Section Division II - Eureka, last year's Division II champion, has dropped down to Division III this year. Likewise, last year's No. 1 seed, Petaluma, is now in Division III. That leaves the top two returning teams from last year as Casa Grande (Petaluma) and Montgomery (Santa Rosa). Casa Grande was the No. 2 seed and lost to Montgomery in the semifinals. Montgomery is off to an 0-2 start while Casa Grande is 2-0.

Northern Section Division I - The Hornets of Enterprise (Redding) are the defending champions, but they have already suffered a loss. Paradise, which reached the section final last year, has also fallen to Deer Valley (Antioch). That leaves Foothill (Palo Cedro) as the top team in the section with a 4-0 mark. The Cougars are only a few years removed from an undefeated 12-0 season.

Oakland Section - Oakland Tech and McClymonds (Oakland) are both undefeated. Moving the Oakland Section to Division II makes it more likely that an Oakland team will be picked in the future, but it probably won't be this season.

San Francisco Section - Not one San Francisco Section team has a winning record at this point in the season, although Washington (San Francisco) is 1-1.

Sac-Joaquin Section Division II - This the deepest section in the northern part of the state, with as many as six worthy contenders. Grant is the odds on favorite with Folsom, Vacaville, St. Mary's (Stockton), Granite Bay and Rocklin also in the mix. Rocklin showed last year that upsets are possible, but the Pacers look too strong at this point.

Sac-Joaquin Section Division III - This is where it could get interesting. Should Grant win the Division II section title, it's possible the Pacers could be chosen for the Open Division game. If that happens, a second Sac-Joaquin Section team could find its way into the Division II Bowl Game. Since none of the other Division II teams will be eligible since they won't have won a section title, that leaves it up to the Division III champion. Del Oro (Loomis), Oakdale, and Whitney (Rocklin) have been the most likely suspects over the years, although Del Oro is 1-3, Oakdale is 2-1 and Whitney is 2-1 to start the season.

SOUTH
Central Section Division II - This has been the domain of Tulare Union the past few seasons, but the Redskins have moved to Division I. That opens the way for teams like Sanger, Lemoore and Garces (Bakersfield), all of whom are undefeated to start the season.

Central Section Division III - Kingsburg is a returning champion, albeit at the Division IV level last season. Hanford and Porterville are both off to good starts and could challenge as well.

Los Angeles Section Division II - The likelihood of the Division II bowl pick coming from the LA City Section is slim, but Canoga Park, Reseda, Hollywood (Los Angeles), and Jefferson (Los Angeles) are all undefeated to start the season.

San Diego Section Division II - Oceanside has won this division the past six seasons and has won the state bowl game twice. No reason to pick against the Pirates now.

San Diego Section Division III - It will be tough to pick a team from this division, especially if Oceanside wins a seventh straight Division II crown. Mount Miguel (Spring Valley), Ramona and Montgomery (San Diego) are all off to strong starts this year.

Southern Section-Central - Palm Springs, Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley), and Arlington (Riverside) are the contenders at this point. Palm Springs won the Eastern Division last season, but has been placed in the Central Division this year. Rancho Verde, meanwhile, went 11-1 last year playing in the Inland Division. Arlington also played in the Inland Division, going 10-2.

Southern Section-Southwest - La Habra has been the perennial favorite here after going 13-1 last season with a division title. Valencia (Placentia) and Pacifica (Garden Grove) are both off to strong starts this year after finishing in the middle of the pack last season.

Southern Section Western - Serra moves into this division and immediately becomes the favorite after winning the Northwest Division and finishing 15-0 last season. Dominguez (Compton) also looks to be improved while Chaminade (West Hills) has shown improvement after finishing 7-5 last season.

Southern Section Eastern - With Palm Springs gone, look for Fontana schools Summit (Fontana) and Kaiser (Fontana) to be in the mix along with Elsinore (Wildomar).

Southern Section Southeast - Rowland (Rowland Heights), Bonita (La Verne) and Diamond Bar are the only undefeated teams left in the division at 3-0.