Football: Strength of schedule key in bowl selections

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The biggest surprise in the selections for the CIF state football championship bowl games was Sacramento Grant beating out Concord De La Salle to be in the open division game against Long Beach Poly.

Strength of schedule was cited for Grant (13-0), which defeated two out of state teams from Utah and Idaho. Grant is also the school that won, 89-0, in a game in November.

Strength of schedule was also cited in choosing Poly over Corona Centennial for the open division and St. Bonaventure over Oaks Christian in Division III.

Centennial should be thrilled that it gets to face De La Salle in the Division I bowl. It means Centennial is very much in the running to finish No. 1 in the state with a victory over De La Salle, especially if Poly were upset by Grant.

-- Eric Sondheimer