The CIF Southern Section released its football playoff pairings Sunday, and there is a long list of teams in the Daily News area ready to take part.
First-round games in Divisions 2-14 are scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. Division 1 teams will start the playoffs Nov. 14.
Here is a look at the area teams in each division:
DIVISION 1
Sierra Canyon, the first-place team from the Mission League, will begin its postseason push against surging Santa Margarita, which tied for the Trinity League title and finished 7-3 this season under head coach Carson Palmer.
Sierra Canyon, the No. 4 seed in the division, has notable weapons on offense in running back Jaxson Stokes and quarterback Laird Finkel. The Trailblazers also boast a defense that posted five shutouts and gave up just 43 total points in the regular season.
DIVISION 2
Chaminade, the No. 2 from the Mission League, will start the playoffs on the road against Chaparral of the Big West North League.
Chaminade had an up-and-down regular season, but the Eagles were able to grab an automatic playoff bid with a 3-2 mark in a deep Mission League. Junior defensive lineman Kingston Williams is a playmaker for them on defense and receiver Beau Lindus is key player on offense.
DIVISION 3
Notre Dame and Valencia both have home games in the first round. Notre Dame will face Laguna Beach, which shared the Foxtrot League title, and Valencia will host Palos Verdes, the No. 2 team from the Bay League.
Notre Dame received an at-large berth into the playoffs. They might have secured the spot with a 27-21 win over Chaminade on Friday night, making them 5-5 in the regular season. They’ll try to ride their late-season momentum in the playoffs.
Valencia had an impressive 9-1 record in the regular season that included an undefeated campaign in the Foothill League. It is led by the explosive tandem of quarterback Brady Bretthauer and running back Brian Bonner.
DIVISION 4
Westlake completely flipped the script this season, finishing 10-0 in the regular season after going winless last season. The Conejo Coast League champions will open the playoffs at home against Villa Park, the No. 3 team from the Bravo League.
Oaks Christian is a bit of a surprise inclusion in the playoffs, as it finished 4-6 overall, the program’s worst regular season record. But the Lions received an at-large berth in Division 4 and will be home in the first round.
Oaks Christian will be facing St. Bonaventure, a team that shut out the Lions 19-0 last month.
Paraclete went 8-2 this season and shared the Angelus League title after missing the playoffs last season. It will be on the road in the first round against Long Beach Wilson, the Moore League champion.
Paraclete’s offense is led by receiver Adrian Jones, who averages 137 yards per game and had 23 total touchdowns during the regular season. Sophomore Austin Robinson led the team with nine sacks.
DIVISION 5
Newbury Park, which lost star quarterback Brady Smiegel to a torn ACL on Oct. 3, will be on the road against Loyola, an at-large team from the Mission League, in the first round.
The Panthers have been using a QB-by-committee approach since Smiegel’s injury. Sophomore Darrien Johnson threw for 136 yards and ran for 111 yards and four touchdowns in a 49-7 win on Friday.
Thousand Oaks, with a powerful offense led by Boise State quarterback commit Jackson Taylor and running back Jordan Johnson, will be home in the opening round against Rio Hondo Prep, the Gold Coast League champion. Taylor threw for 24 touchdowns this season and Johnson had over 1,000 rushing yards.
DIVISION 6
Crespi and Burbank will be home for their first-round games. Crespi, the Del Rey League champion, will face Roosevelt in the opening round, and Burbank will host Lancaster, the Golden League champion.
Crespi, led by a balanced offense and a defense that allowed just over 11 points per game, was 10-0 during the regular season. Senior Jaden Ayala and sophomore Royel McFarlane were impact running backs, as Ayala had over seven yards per carry and McFarlane had over five yards per rush.
DIVISION 7
Hart, Saugus and Calabasas are all in this division and begin the playoffs with home games. Hart will face Mayfair, while Saugus takes on Schurr and Calabasas hosts El Segundo.
Hart and Saugus were two of the strongest teams in the Foothill League this year.
Hart has plenty of weapons — namely running back/receiver Matix Frithsmith – while QB Jake Nuttall and receiver Landon Lattimore led a turnaround for Saugus.
Nuttall broke the Centurions’ school record for career passing yards with 5,783 over three varsity seasons, andLattimore had five touchdown receptions in a win over West Ranch earlier this year, also a school record.
Calabasas made the playoffs after winning two out of their last three games, Running back Kayne Miller was big for the Coyotes, averaging just under 114 rushing yards per contest.
DIVISION 8
St. Genevieve, the No. 3 team from the Camino Real League, will start the playoffs with a rematch against St. Monica Prep, which is the No. 2 team from the Camino Real League.
The Valiants lost St. Monica 33-19 on Friday night.
Senior defensive end Leonidas Vargas leads the Valiants with over seven tackles per game.
DIVISION 10
Oak Park, which clinched an automatic playoff berth with a 41-20 win over Royal last week, starts the playoffs at Village Christian, the No. 3 team from the Ironwood League.
The Eagles need to stay strong on defense against a Village Christian team that went 5-0 at home.
Also in this division is Heritage Christian, which will host Tahquitz in the first round.
Heritage Christian’s offense has been potent at times, scoring over 31 points a game. If their defense can come through, they could advance.
DIVISION 12
Grace, which had a lot of success as an 8-man football power when it was known as Grace Brethren, won the Citrus Coast League title this season. It will host another league champion, Rialto of the Skyline League, in the first round.
Grace ran through league competition, including a 64-12 win over Santa Clara in its regular-season finale.
DIVISION 13
Viewpoint will host Fontana in the first round.
Viewpoint started the year 7-0, but lost its last three games of the regular season. The Patriots have the offense to give themselves a chance in the playoffs. They average 29 points per game at home.