Out with the old, in with the new. The CIF-Southern Section, California’s most powerful high school football section, released the new CIF-SS playoff divisions on Friday.
Earlier this year, the CIF-SS membership voted to change the playoff format that used to place teams in playoff divisions based on what league they played in. Under the new plan, which goes into effect for the 2016 season, teams will be placed in divisions based upon power-point profiles that are developed on how well the teams performed over the past two seasons. What this means is that three from the same league could now be placed in three different divisions.
Related: CIF-SS Commissioner Rob Wigod discusses new competive equity high school football playoff system
All eyes will be on Division 1, which replaces the PAC 5 division, which has always been considered one of the best in America. Division 1 is made-up of 18 teams with 16 playoff spots available. All six Trinity League schools — JSerra, Mater Dei, Orange Lutheran, Santa Margarita, St. John Bosco and Servite — were placed in the division. Bosco finished #8 in our national Top 25 last season.
Corona Centennial, which played for the state’s Open Division state championship last season and finished #5 in the nation after losing to #2 De La Salle in the championship, had the highest power points ranking during the 2014 and 2015 seasons, followed by St. John Bosco, who the Huskies beat in the PAC 5 title game last year.
Defending CIF Division I-AA champ Mission Viejo, third in power points, moves-up to Division 1.
Below is how the divisions stack-up for the upcoming season per the CIF-SS news release.
Division 1
Corona Centennial
St. John Bosco
Mission Viejo
Mater Dei
Bishop Amat
Vista Murrieta
Serra (Gardena)
JSerra
Orange Lutheran
Servite
Long Beach Poly
Loyola
Santa Margarita
Tesoro
Upland
Rancho Cucamonga
Alemany
Chaminade
Division 2
Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks)
Chino Hills
San Clemente
Oaks Christian
Norco
Redlands East Valley
Westlake
Citrus Hill
St. Bonaventure
La Habra
Crespi
El Toro
Camarillo
Arroyo Grande
Great Oak
Valencia (Valencia)
Heritage
Murrieta Valley
Division 3
Palos Verdes
Thousand Oaks
Buena Park
Edison
Rancho Verde
Los Alamitos
Newbury Park
St. Francis
Villa Park
Hart
La Serna
Oak Hills
Cathedral
Serrano
Corona Santiago
La Mirada
San Juan Hills
Paso Robles
Atascadero
Division 4
Charter Oak
Lompoc
Etiwanda
Glendora
Palm Springs
Downey
Colony
Lakewood
Corona del Mar
Dominguez
Damien
Carter
Trabuco Hills
Valencia (Placentia)
Cajon
Sierra Canyon
Chaparral
Redondo Union
Murrieta Mesa
Division 5
ML King
Moorpark
Harvard-Westlake
Capistrano Valley
Temecula Valley
Ventura
Sonora
St. Joseph (Santa Maria)
Corona
Redlands
Calabasas
Fountain Valley
Roosevelt (Eastlake)
Los Osos
Foothill
San Jacinto
Salesian
Bishop Diego
Riverside Poly
Troy
Paloma Valley
La Quinta (La Quinta)
Division 6
West Covina
San Marino
Yucaipa
Bonita
West Torrance
Mira Costa
Paramount
Saugus
Summit
Newport Harbor
Palmdale
Oxnard
Los Altos
Paraclete
Elsinore
Crescenta Valley
Canyon (Canyon Country)
Lawndale
Nipomo
Long Beach Wilson
Simi Valley
Pomona
Division 7
Long Beach Cabrillo
Huntington Beach
Pacifica (Oxnard)
Diamond Ranch
South Hills
Royal
Canyon (Anaheim)
San Gorgonio
El Segundo
St. Margaret’s
Monrovia
Ayala
Norte Vista
Righetti
Tustin
Warren
Golden Valley
St. Paul
Millikan
North Torrance
Claremont
Fullerton
Linfield Christian
Division 8
Moreno Valley
Brea Olinda
Grace Brethren
Yorba Linda
Burroughs (Burbank)
Burbank
San Dimas
Don Lugo
Chino
Temescal Canyon
Garden Grove
Laguna Hills
Kaiser
Saddleback Valley Christian
Chaffey
Buena
Northview
Pioneer Valley
Jordan
El Modena
Hemet
Sunny Hills
Citrus Valley
Rio Mesa
Vista Del Lago
Division 9
Palm Desert
Esperanza
Silverado
Woodbridge
La Salle
Antelope Valley
Santa Barbara
Notre Dame (Riverside)
Burroughs (Ridgecrest)
West Ranch
Eastside
Aliso Niguel
Mayfair
El Rancho
Cypress
Perris
South Torrance
Maranatha
California
Norwalk
Muir
Hesperia
Kennedy
Valley Christian (Cerritos)
Lynwood
Arrowhead Christian
Diamond Bar
Morningside
Agoura
Division 10
Tahquitz
Rubidoux
Pacifica (Garden Grove)
Dana Hills
Apple Valley
Dana Hills
Nordhoff
Inglewood
Templeton
Alta Loma
Brentwood
Barstow
Whittier
J.W. North
University
Beaumont
Beckman
West Valley
Santa Ynez
Viewpoint
Brethren Christian
St. Anthony
Mission Prep
Irvine
Santa Fe
Grand Terrace
Gahr
Leuzinger
Arlington
Aquinas
Peninsula
San Luis Obispo
Torrance
Shadow Hills
Poly (Pasadena)
Dos Pueblos
Santa Monica
Northwood
South Pasadena
Division 11
Culver City
Bellflower
Heritage Christian
Ontario Christian
Pioneer
Coachella Valley
La Sierra
Eisenhower
Twentynine Palms
Quartz Hill
Crean Lutheran
Highland
Channel Islands
Covina
AB Miller
Valley View
Ramona
Katella
Xavier Prep
Oak Park
San Bernardino
Pasadena
Cabrillo (Lompoc)
Westminster
Victor Valley
Lakeside
Montebello
Arcadia
Bell Gardens
Morro Bay
Jurupa Hills
Bishop Montgomery
Canyon Springs
Capistrano Valley Christian
Sultana
Western
Rancho Alamitos
Rosemead
Division 12
Cathedral City
Carpineteria
Marina
Schurr
La Canada
Walnut
El Dorado
Montclair
Desert
Rancho Mirage
Banning
Patriot
San Marcos
Calvary Chapel (Santa Ana)
Arroyo
Village Christian
Compton
Calvary Murrieta
Artesia
Rim of the World
Fillmore
Colton
St. Genevieve
Adelanto
Hawthorne
Big Bear
Hillcrest
Segerstrom
Ontario
Fontana
Santa Paula
Desert Hot Springs
Baldwin Park
St. Monica
Compton Centennial
Vasquez
Whittier Christian
Estancia
Saddleback
Los Amigos
Verbum Dei
Bassett
Pacific
Silver Valley
Santa Ana Valley
Santa Maria
Division 13
Rio Hondo Prep
Rancho Christian
Knight
Ocean View
Beverly Hills
Cantwell-Sacred Heart
Webb
Rowland
Glendale
Godinez
Temple City
Cerritos
Santa Ana
Windward
Bloomington
Desert Mirage
Santa Clarita Christian
Indio
Azusa
El Monte
La Puente
Hueneme
Mary Star of the Sea
Malibu
Western Christian
McAuliffe
Campbell Hall
Anaheim
Granite Hills
Hoover
Ganesha
Jurupa Valley
Santiago (Garden Grove)
Costa Mesa
Nogales
Magnolia
Glenn
Lancaster
Boron
Alhambra
South El Monte
Laguna Beach
Littlerock
Wilson (Hacienda Heights)
Southlands Christian
Excelsior Christian
Santa Clara
Indian Springs
Gabrielino
Yucca Valley
Orange
St. Bernard
Garey
Arroyo Valley
Savanna
Rialto
Blair
Nuview Bridge
La Quinta (Westminster)
Mountain View
Loara
Fairmont Prep
Sierra Vista
Century
San Gabriel
Hamilton
Firebaugh
Gladstone
Mammoth
Desert Christian (Lancaster)
Duarte
Don Bosco Tech
California Military
Bolsa Grande
Keppel
Workman
Marshall
Riverside Prep
California School for the Deaf
Santa Rosa Academy
Sherman Indian
Temecula Prep
Trinity Classical Academy
Upland Christian
