Prep Football: Projecting the CIF San Diego Playoff Pairings

Photo Credit: Nicole Noel Photography

The regular season has come to a close, and it's time for the highly anticipated 2024 CIF San Diego Section Football Playoffs! This year's postseason promises to be filled with thrilling battles as teams from across the county compete for the chance to be crowned champions in their respective divisions and advance to the state playoffs.

For the first time ever, teams have been placed into divisions based on their performance throughout the regular season via Cal Preps rankings, ensuring a level playing field and a fair shot at glory for all contenders. From the four powerhouse squads in the Open Division to the up-and-coming teams in Division 5, every playoff game is sure to bring excitement and drama.

The official playoff pairings will be released by the San Diego Section later today.

*League Champion / Automatic Bid

Open Division

Semifinals:

#1 Lincoln (8-2)* vs. #4 Mission Hills (8-2)

#2 La Costa Canyon (10-0)* vs. #3 Cathedral Catholic (8-2)

Division I

First Round:

#5 Mount Miguel (8-2) vs. #12 Santa Fe Christian (9-1)*

#6 Torrey Pines (4-6) vs. #11 Scripps Ranch (8-1)*

#7 Rancho Bernardo (8-2) vs. #10 Brawley (9-1)*

#8 Oceanside (7-3)* vs. #9 Del Norte (6-4)

Quarterfinal Byes:

#1 San Marcos (9-1)*

#2 Carlsbad (7-3)

#3 Granite Hills (8-2)*

#4 El Camino (5-5)

Division II

First Round:

#5 Point Loma (5-5) vs. #12 Valley Center (7-3)

#6 La Jolla (6-4) vs. #11 Madison (4-6)

#7 Bishop's (6-3) vs. #10 Mt. Carmel (6-4)

#8 Christian (8-2)* vs. #9 Imperial (9-1)

Quarterfinal Byes:

#1 University City (9-1)

#2 Mater Dei Catholic (7-3)*

#3 Helix (4-6)

#4 Poway (3-7)

Division III

First Round:

#5 Eastlake (4-6) vs. #12 Army-Navy (8-2)

#6 Escondido (6-4) vs. #11 Steele Canyon (4-6)

#7 St. Augustine (0-10) vs. #10 La Jolla Country Day (5-5)

#8 Patrick Henry (6-3) vs. #9 Otay Ranch (5-5)

Quarterfinal Byes:

#1 Central (7-3)

#2 Holtville (10-0)*

#3 San Diego (7-3)

#4 San Pasqual (5-5)

Division IV

First Round:

#5 Westview (3-7) vs. #12 Vincent Memorial (6-4)

#6 Mira Mesa (0-10) vs. #11 Sweetwater (5-5)

#7 Chula Vista (4-6) vs. #10 Classical Academy (6-4)*

#8 Montgomery (7-3)* vs. #9 Calexico (6-4)

Quarterfinal Byes:

#1 Ramona (2-8)

#2 El Capitan (7-3)*

#3 Grossmont (4-6)

#4 Mission Bay (3-7)

Division V

First Round:

#5 Fallbrook (0-10) vs. #12 Mar Vista (4-6)*

#6 West Hills (5-5) vs. #11 Kearny (7-3)

#7 Rancho Buena Vista (1-9) vs. #10 Francis Parker (4-6)

#8 Santana (6-4) vs. #9 Coronado (5-5)

Quarterfinal Byes:

#1 Vista (3-7)

#2 Bonita Vista (5-5)

#3 Crawford (5-5)

#4 Hoover (6-4)*

Division V-AA

First Round:

#3 Tri-City Christian (6-4)* vs. #6 Rock Academy (2-8)

#4 Maranatha Christian (7-3) vs. #5 Victory Christian (3-6)

Semifinal Byes:

#1 Calipatria (7-2)

#2 Coastal Academy (8-2)

Notable Teams That May Be Left Out:

Monte Vista (5-5)

Southwest San Diego (5-5)

Until the official brackets are released, any discussion of teams that may have been left out remains speculative. However, based on the information provided about the new divisional format and seeding process, there are a few programs that could potentially find themselves on the outside looking in, despite their solid regular season performances.

Monte Vista (5-5) and Southwest San Diego (5-5) appear to be the two programs that may narrowly missed out.

In Monte Vista's case, their 5-5 regular season record could be enough to earn them a spot in Division V. However, the final berth in that division will likely go to league champion Mar Vista, bumping Monte Vista from the postseason field.

Similarly, Southwest San Diego's 5-5 mark may have put them in contention for an at-large bid, but the competitive nature of the new divisional format could work against them.

The slim possibility remains that the human element of the playoff selection process could result in one or more of these teams earning a spot, despite the speculation based on the outlined seeding guidelines.

The official pairings will provide the definitive answer.

Division VI (8-Man):

First Round:

#3 Calvin Christian (5-3) vs. #6 Julian (3-6)

#4 Horizon Prep (5-2)* vs. #5 Borrego Springs (5-3)

Semifinal Byes:

#1 St. Joseph Academy (8-1)*

#2 Foothills Christian (5-3)

These are just projections until the official pairings are released by the San Diego Section, but based on the stipulations of the new format, this early look provides a glimpse of the potential matchups. The stage is set for an exciting and competitive postseason full of surprises.

San Diego Section Championship Dates:

Divisions I - IV:

Round 1: November 8

Round 2: November 15

Semi-Finals: November 22

Finals: November 29 - 30

Divisions V, V:AA, & VI:

Round 1: November 8

Semi-Finals: November 15

Finals: November 22-23

Open Division:

Round 1: November 15

Finals: November 23

State CIF Playoffs:

Southern California Regional Championships: December 6 & 7

State Championship Bowl Games: December 13 & 14