Eastlake, Otay Ranch, Hilltop to kick off CIF playoffs in quarterfinals

Otay Ranch's Sammy Paranada (1) gets an escort down field in a Metro-Mesa League game against Bonita Vista earlier this season. Photo by Chadd Cady

Three Metro Conference teams received byes to Friday’s quarterfinal round of this year’s San Diego Section football playoffs.

All three teams — the Eastlake Titans in Division I, the Otay Ranch Mustangs in Division II and the Hilltop Lancers in Division III — are hoping to post home field wins to advance to the next round in the quest to earn a berth in this year’s division finals.

Friday’s quarterfinals kick off at 7 p.m.

Rancho Bernardo (6-5) at Eastlake (8-2)

Second-seeded Eastlake will host seventh-seeded Rancho Bernardo in a rematch of the opening game of the season in which the Titans defeated the Broncos by a lopsided 21-3 score.

Rancho Bernardo takes the momentum of a 23-6 first-round playoff victory against 10th-seeded Valhalla (2-9) into Friday’s quarterfinal game. The Titans, meanwhile, have had a week to rest, heal and regroup for a potential championship run.

However, with three upsets already notched in the opening round of the playoffs, teams must always be aware of the unexpected.

“We know this is not the same two teams that met 12 weeks ago,” EHS head coach Dean Tropp said. “Rancho Bernardo is improved, well coached and has good athletes. This is a whole new season. We have to play mistake-free football and execute to have an opportunity to win.”

In the first matchup between the teams, Micah Pietila-Wiggs led the Titans with one rushing touchdown and one receiving touchdown while Darius De Los Reyes grabbed a scoring pass. Bernard Coe had a 77-yard interception return to seal the victory.

Matt Araiza kicked a field goal for the Broncos.

Eastlake has since done much to erase the sour taste of a 2-9 season in 2016; Rancho Bernardo has regrouped to enter Friday’s game riding the momentum of a five-game winning streak.

The Titans have fared well this season with their dual quarterback arrangement. Daniel Amon has passed for 1,359 yards with 14 touchdowns and four interceptions; he’s also rushed for one score. Ryzhon McCoy has passed for 223 yards with two touchdowns and two picks; he’s also rushed for 326 yards and scored four TDs.

Both signal-callers are juniors.

Eastlake juniors Roman Coe (114 carries, 568 yards) and Parker Merrifield (71 carries, 554 yards) both have rushed for more than 500 yards this season to spearhead the team’s ground attack that is averaging 214.4 yards per game.
Coe has scored seven rushing touchdowns while Merrifield has racked up six rushing touchdowns to his credit.

Senior Jalyn Jackson leads the Titan receiving corps with 544 yards and seven touchdowns; Pietila-Wiggs has accumulated 392 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

Pietila-Wiggs leads Eastlake with 885 all-purpose yards; Jackson ranks second with 786 all-purpose yards.

Amon leads the team with 1,497 total yards.

Defensive leaders include junior Josh McCurty (145 tackles), senior Donyall Thompson (11 sacks, two fumble recoveries) and Pietila-Wiggs (four interceptions).

Pietila-Wiggs leads the Titans in scoring with 10 touchdowns — six rushing, four receiving.
Jackson also has three picks on defense.

Rancho Bernardo has used three quarterbacks this season. Sophomore Noah Morris has received the most playing time, passing for 993 yards with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Broncos are averaging 126.8 rushing yards per game, led by junior Tahj Martin with 619 yards on 117 carries with four touchdowns. Junior Jack Gaylord (46 carries, 220 yards) also has scored four rushing TDs this season.

Senior Malcolm Ross-Turner is RB’s top receiver with 35 receptions for 658 yards and nine touchdowns.

Senior Adam Burdette and junior Justin Connelly each have eight sacks while Ross-Turner has three interceptions to key the RB defense.

Martin (20 carries, 82 yards) and Gaylord (nine carries, 33 yards) each scored on touchdown runs in the playoff win over the Norsemen while Araiza, a two-time section kicker of the year, booted three field goals. Morris tacked on 207 passing yards.

Friday’s quarterfinal winner advances to meet either third-seeded Carlsbad (5-5) or sixth-seeded Cathedral Catholic (5-6) in the division semifinals on Nov. 24.

Lincoln (9-2) at Otay Ranch (7-3)
The fourth-seeded Mustangs will host the fifth-seeded Hornets, with both teams boasting strong offensive schemes. It could be a high-scoring sprint to the finish.

Lincoln out-pointed 12th-seeded Vista, 40-20, in last Friday’s opening playoff round.

Otay Ranch won its first uncontested Metro-Mesa League championship in school history this season but does not want to rest on those laurels. Mustang head coach Lance Christensen would like to think his team has plenty of gridiron action left in 2017.

“Lincoln is an excellent football team,” Christensen said in complimenting his team’s upcoming opponent. “We are working very hard to prepare for them. We anticipate a very challenging and hard-hitting football game this Friday night and are excited for the opportunity to compete with Lincoln in the Division II playoffs.”

The Mustangs enter Friday’s quarterfinal matchup riding a five-game winning streak.

Junior quarterback Jonte Stewart has come on strong the second half of the season with 885 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions. He can also motor on the ground with 240 rushing yards on 26 carries.

Top receivers include seniors Josh Lira (14 catches, 319 yards, three touchdowns), Zeek Cruz (14 catches, 300 yards, five touchdowns) and Darian Williams (13 catches, 232 yards, three touchdowns).

However, the Mustangs’ strength appears to be running the football with an average of 262.2 yards per game. Senior Gus Espiritu has rushed for a team-leading 871 yards and 10 touchdowns while classmate Sammy Paranada has rushed for 493 yards and a team-leading 13 touchdowns.

Lincoln presents a behemoth to contain on offense. The Hornets are averaging 41.8 points per game and are averaging 458.7 total yards in offense per game. The Hive can sting opponents both with the pass and the run.

Senior Asante Hartzog has passed for 2,544 yards with 26 touchdowns against six interceptions. He’s also rushed for 218 yards and scored seven rushing touchdowns.

Kenyon Sims has rushed for 1,262 yards and scored 22 rushing touchdowns. Lincoln has scored 35 rushing touchdowns on the season and is averaging 209.8 rushing yards per game.

Hartzog leads the team with 2,762 total offensive yards while senior D’jon Thomas leads the team with 1,393 all-purpose yards — 438 rushing, 350 receiving, 439 on kickoff returns, 126 on punt returns and 40 on interception returns.

Overall, eight Hornet players have caught touchdown passes this season. Senior Jailen Bailey leads the group with 823 receiving yards and nine TD catches.

Lincoln has scored 71 touchdowns this season compared to 44 for Otay Ranch.

The teams’ respective defenses may yet hold the key to victory in Friday’s game.

Senior Manu Ta’a and junior Dylan Zolezzi pace Otay Ranch with 86 and 82 tackles, respectively. Junior Michael Touchette leads the team with eight sacks while Paranada has six. Ta’a has five sacks while Zolezzzi had four sacks.

Juniors Kenny Robinson and Vita Hafoka each have two interceptions on the season while Williams and Zolezzi each have two fumble recoveries.

Friday’s quarterfinal winner advances to play either top-seeded Ramona (10-0) or ninth-seeded Westview (7-4) in the division semifinals.

Imperial (5-6) vs. Hilltop (6-4)

Friday’s quarterfinal game will be played at Montgomery High School due to the refurbishing of the Lancers’ home field. Hilltop is coming off its first league championship since 1979 after winning this year’s Metro-South Bay League championship with a 3-0 league record.

Hilltop has won five of its last six games. The Lancers are averaging 307.8 yards in total offense per game — 183.6 on the ground and 123.8 through the air.

The emergence of senior running back Jeremiah Rivera keyed the team’s league banner run. He’s collected 1,333 rushing yards in 10 games with 11 touchdowns.

Senior quarterback Daniel McPherren has thrown for 1,106 yards with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. He’s also rushed for 211 yards and three touchdowns.

Senior Gus Ferreira (43 catches, 356 yards), senior Max Ugarte (25 catches, 273 yards) and junior Dylan McCoy (17 catches, 116 yards) have each caught two touchdown passes.

Senior Greg Marshall has five interceptions and two fumble recoveries to highlight Hilltop’s defense.

Imperial, winners of its last two games, enters Friday’s playoff contest riding the high of last Friday’s 41-0 shutout win over 12th-seeded Patrick Henry (3-8).

Junior quarterback Joseph Tarango threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another while senior running back Brandon Hueso accumulated 186 rushing yards on 19 carries.

Hueso has rushed for 1,495 yards with 16 touchdowns in 11 games. Junior receiver Santiago De La Torre has caught 46 passes for 687 yards and nine touchdowns.

Hueso leads the Tigers with 1,553 all-purpose yards.

Senior Diego Hernandez tops the Imperial defense with 112 tackles and nine sacks. Tarango has four picks on defense while senior Andres Duarte has recovered three fumbles.

“Imperial is very tough, fast and physical on defense,” Hilltop head coach Drew Westling said. “They blitz often and are very aggressive. Offensively, they run a challenging attack with multiple formations and options. Their running back (Hueso) is very good. We must be disciplined on defense and more explosive on offense than we were against Mar Vista (a 10-0 win). We need a great week of practice after the bye week.”

Friday’s quarterfinal winner will play either top-seeded Southwest El Centro (10-0) or ninth-seeded Mt. Miguel (5-6) in the division semifinals.

 

San Diego Section Football Playoffs
OPEN DIVISION
Quarterfinals
Friday, Nov. 17

(8) Grossmont (7-3) at (1) Mission Hills (10-0), 7 p.m.
(5) Torrey Pines (6-4) at (4) La Costa Canyon (7-3), 7 p.m.
(6) St. Augustine (7-3) at (3) San Marcos (8-2), 7 p.m.
(7) Madison (8-2) at (2) Helix (9-1), 7 p.m.

Semifinals
Friday, Nov. 24

Grossmont-Mission Hills winner vs. Torrey Pines-La Costa Canyon winner, 7 p.m.
St. Augustine-San Marcos winner vs. Madison-Helix winner, 7 p.m.

Championship
Saturday, Dec. 2
Southwestern College

Teams TBA, 7 p.m.

DIVISION I
First Round
Thursday, Nov. 9

(6) Cathedral Catholic 63, (11) Mt. Carmel 0
(7) Rancho Bernardo 23, (10) Valhalla 6

Friday, Nov. 10
(8) Olympian 28, (9) Poway 14
(5) Oceanside 35, (12) Bonita Vista 19

Quarterfinals
Friday, Nov. 17

(8) Olympian (6-5) at (1) El Camino (5-5), 7 p.m.
(5) Oceanside (5-6) at Point Loma (6-4), 7 p.m.
(6) Cathedral Catholic (5-6) at (3) Carlsbad (5-5), 7 p.m.
(7) Rancho Bernardo (6-5) at (2) Eastlake (8-2), 7 p.m.

Semifinals
Friday, Nov. 24

Olympian-El Camino winner vs. Oceanside-Point Loma winner, 7 p.m.
Cathedral Catholic-Carlsbad winner vs. Rancho Bernardo-Eastlake winner, 7 p.m.

Championship
Friday, Dec. 1
Southwestern College

Teams TBA, 7 p.m.

DIVISION II
First Round
Friday, Nov. 10

(9) Westview 21, (8) Christian 14
(5) Lincoln 40, (12) Vista 21
(6) Granite Hills (8-2) 35, (11) West Hills 10
(7) Steele Canyon 36, (10) Mira Mesa 22

Quarterfinals
Friday, Nov. 17

(9) Westview (7-4) at (1) Ramona (10-0), 7 p.m.
(5) Lincoln (9-2) at (4) Otay Ranch (7-3), 7 p.m.
(6) Granite Hills (9-2) at (3) Valley Center (9-1), 7 p.m.
(7) Steele Canyon (7-4) at (2) Bishop’s (9-0), 7 p.m.

Semifinals
Friday, Nov. 24

Westview-Ramona winner vs. Lincoln-Otay Ranch winner, 7 p.m.
Granite Hills-Valley Center winner vs. Steele Canyon-Bishop’s winner, 7 p.m.

Championship
Southwestern College
Saturday, Dec. 2

Teams TBA, 3:30 p.m.

DIVISION III
First Round
Friday, Nov. 10

(9) Mt. Miguel 27, (8) Escondido 18
(5) Imperial 41, (12) Patrick Henry 0
(6) Rancho Buena Vista 62, (11) Santana 43
(7) La Jolla 28, (10) Mar Vista 0

Quarterfinals
Friday, Nov. 17

(9) Mt. Miguel (5-6) at (1) Southwest El Centro (10-0), 7 p.m.
(5) Imperial (5-6) vs. (4) Hilltop (6-4) at Montgomery, 7 p.m.
(6) Rancho Buena Vista (6-5) at (3) San Pasqual (6-4), 7 p.m.
(7) La Jolla (6-5) at (2) Santa Fe Christian (6-4), 7 p.m.

Semifinals
Friday, Nov. 24

Mt. Miguel-Southwest El Centro winner vs. Hilltop-Imperial winner, 7 p.m.
La Jolla-Santa Fe Christian winner vs. Rancho Buena Vista-San Pasqual winner, 7 p.m.

Championship game
Saturday, Dec. 2
Southwestern College

Teams TBA, noon

DIVISION IV
First Round
Thursday, Nov. 9

6) Kearny 45, (11) Calexico 6

Friday, Nov. 10
(8) Serra 50, (9) El Cajon Valley 9
(5) Chula Vista 37, (12) Coronado 0
(7) La Jolla Country Day 52, (10) Clairemont 6

Quarterfinals
Friday, Nov. 17

(8) Serra (6-5) at (1) University City (9-1), 7 p.m.
(5) Chula Vista (7-4) at (4) Monte Vista (5-5), 7 p.m.
(6) Kearny (9-2) at (3) Central Union (9-1), 7 p.m.
(7) La Jolla Country Day (5-5) at (2) San Diego (10-0), 7 p.m.

Semifinals
Friday, Nov. 24

Serra-University City winner vs. Chula Vista-Monte Vista winner, 7 p.m.
Kearny-Central Union winner vs. La Jolla Country Day-San Diego winner, 7 p.m.

Championship
Friday, Dec. 1
Southwestern College

Teams TBA, 3:30 p.m.

DIVISION V
Quarterfinals
Friday, Nov. 10

(1) Vincent Memorial 43, (8) Southwest 8
(4) Classical Academy 13, (5) Maranatha Christian 7
(6) Tri-City Christian 52, (3) Montgomery 14
(2) Crawford 34, (7) Army-Navy Academy 16

Semifinals
Friday, Nov. 17

(4) Classical Academy (5-5) at (1) Vincent Memorial (9-2), 7 p.m.
(6) Tri-City Christian (6-5) at (2) Crawford (7-4), 7 p.m.

Championship
Saturday, Nov. 25
Southwestern College

Classical Academy-Vincent Memorial winner vs. Tri-City Christian-Crawford winner, 7 p.m.