Inland High School Football Playoffs: Centennial Draws Mater Dei, Chaparral Top Seed in Division 2

The CIF Southern Section finalized its football playoff brackets on Saturday, determining the postseason paths for 65 Inland teams. Centennial became the only Inland program selected for the eight-team Division 1 field, landing a No. 6 seed. The Huskies will face No. 3 Mater Dei in the first round on Friday, Nov. 13, at Santa Ana Stadium. This matchup marks the sixth time the teams have met in three years and the 14th time since 2014.

Coach Matt Logan noted that the frequent recurrence of this pairing is a structural result of the division size. “It’s definitely not ideal,” Logan said. “But these things will keep happening as long as they don’t have 16 teams in Division 1. … It’s going to be the same teams almost every year.” The bracket structure also influenced seeding in lower divisions, where team rankings determined seed placement.

Chaparral, ranked No. 9 in the hsratings.com metrics used for division selection, secured the No. 1 seed in Division 2. The Pumas will host Orange, a 10-0 regular season team, at home on Friday, Nov. 6. Coach Andrew Ramer emphasized the team's readiness regardless of the division assigned. “Division 2 is going to be a challenge. There are no easy games there,” Ramer said. Rancho Cucamonga, the only other Inland team in Division 2, will travel to Crean Lutheran for its first game.

Chino Hills also benefited from the eight-team Division 1 format, earning the No. 1 seed in Division 4. The Huskies will host Culver City in the opening round. Coach Keland Johnson welcomed the home game after a road-heavy season. “We’re really excited about where we ended up,” Johnson said. “It’s going to be nice to have that one at home.”

Four additional Inland teams received top seeds in their respective brackets. San Dimas is the No. 1 seed in Division 7 and will host Paramount. Notre Dame is the No. 1 seed in Division 11 and will play South Torrance at Ramona High. Ontario holds the No. 1 seed in Division 12 and will host Arcadia. Rialto is the No. 1 seed in Division 13 and will host Arroyo. All four games are scheduled for Friday night.

Eleven other Inland teams received top-four seeds across various divisions. Norco, Colton, Banning, and Carter are No. 2 seeds. Great Oak, Beaumont, Citrus Valley, Santiago, Moreno Valley, Montclair, and Rubidoux are No. 3 seeds. In the 8-person playoffs, Calvary Baptist is the only Inland team with a top-four seed, hosting Cornerstone Christian in Division 1 on Nov. 13.

The Southern Section announced these pairings on Sunday. The regular season has concluded for all 65 qualifying teams, which earned spots through league championships or at-large selections. First-round games are set for the following two Fridays, with the Division 1 and Division 2 openers occurring on Nov. 6 and Nov. 13, respectively.