Football: Servite gets nod over Centennial for Open Division
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It’s not a surprise that Anaheim Servite got the nod over Corona Centennial to represent the South in the Open Division CIF state championship bowl game against Concord De La Salle.
What the section commissioners have been relying on has been strength of schedule, and Servite has played tough teams from start to finish. Beating unbeaten Alemany and unbeaten Mission Viejo in the semifinals and finals of the Pac-5 Division playoffs sealed the Friars’ place.
No one can criticize Centennial, which never is shy about playing top teams. But the Huskies didn’t have luck in their favor this season in their nonleague games because Birmingham and Chaparral, which have had strong teams in the past, struggled this season.
‘We’re honored to be selected,’ Centennial Coach Matt Logan said. ‘This is the cards we’ve been dealt with and you have to play them.
The Servite-De La Salle game, a battle of Catholic school powers, should produce great fan interest. And Centennial will put on a show on Friday against unbeaten Palo Alto.
In many ways, the Division II final between unbeaten Gardena Serra and Folsom could be the most entertaining game of the weekend. Folsom’s quarterback, Dano Graves, has passed for 59 touchdowns. Serra’s George Farmer and Marqise Lee will get to end their high school careers in a great setting.
The good news is that there were four unbeaten teams in Southern California this season, and each one got selected for a bowl spot.
-- Eric Sondheimer