And You Thought the BCS was Bad?

Consider the dilemma faced by CIF commissioners in determining who would represent southern California in the open Division State Bowl Game. First of all, let me start off by saying I have no complaints with the CIF’s selection of Servite as Southern California’s representative in the open bowl game. The Friars just completed an undefeated season having won 25 games in a row dating to last year, including last season’s victory in the state division II bowl game. Servite played one of the toughest schedules of any team in Southern California and the cherry on top of that sundae was knocking off previously un-beaten and top ranked Mission Viejo in last Saturday’s Pac-5 championship game.

But consider the fate of several schools that had equally successful seasons. Starting in the ultra-competitive Northern division where 3 schools from the powerful Marmonte league took turns knocking each other out of the top spot. St Bonaventure (Ventura), Westlake Village, and eventual champion Oaks Christian all finished with identical records of 12-2 and except for one loss by Oaks Christian to an undefeated Alemany team, all of the losses were suffered against each other during the regular season and the playoffs. Westlake Village for instance lost 2 games by a combined total of two points including Saturday’s heartbreaking 29-28 defeat to Oaks Christian in the Championship game. To show you how close these teams were on the field, Oaks Christian only secured the Northern Division title after Westlake’s last second field goal attempt hit the upright.

By far the loudest complaint over the Open Division Bowl snub is coming from a little further south and east where Inland Division Champion Centennial High School (Corona) completed a 14-0 season. That was good enough to earn the selection as Southern California’s representative in the State Division I bowl game. But with signature wins over perennial powers Mater Dei and Chaparral plus an almost unbelievable 37-point margin of victory the Huskies clearly had a claim on the Open Division Title Game.

Gardena Serra is yet another 14-0 team that is also a defending state champion, is on a 29-game winning streak that spans the last 2 seasons (Oaks Christian was the last team to defeat Serra). Serra, like Centennial doesn’t have too much to complain about however since the Cavaliers will be going to a State Bowl game (Division II) for the 2nd year in a row. But Serra stocked with so much top division I caliber talent that the Cavaliers captured state titles last season in basketball and track & field as well could clearly make a case for the Open Division Bowl slot.

What about last year’s representative from Southern California? The Crenshaw Cougars went 12-2, captured their 2nd consecutive Los Angeles City Section division title and boast one of the most exciting players in the history of Southern California football in RB/DB De’Anthony Thomas. Crenshaw dropped its first two games of the year including a season opening loss in Georgia, and then dropped their next 12 opponents by an average score of 61-6. But the Cougars season as well as the career of USC-bound De’Anthony Thomas is over, a fact I’m sure won’t disappoint many coaches in Southern California.

As you can see the state bowl championship series is every bit as muddled as the infamous BCS that governs College Football’s postseason and that’s only southern California. Geography and a schedule that is already bordering on too long prevent any further playoffs to resolve more of this confusion. Servite deserves the credit and recognition for an extraordinary season that resulted in their selection as the Open Division representative from Southern California. But there are at least 2, and possibly as many as 6 other teams in the area who may have a legitimate point when you look at the overall body of work.

That being said ... Bring on the North!!!