Cif SS Round 2 Recap (Divison I)

 Cif SS Round 2 Recap (Divison I) 

By Nathan Vazquez

This week in the CIF Southern Section Playoffs there were many interesting matchups and some resulted in major upsets, this blog will highlight some of the great games from last Friday.


Division 1 

I.   Centennial (9-1) vs Mission Viejo (9-1) Score: 28-31 Mission Viejo won

Mission Viejo led by three star receiver Mikey Matthews (Class of 2023) has been very dominant this year only suffering one loss the whole season which was to a very good Long Beach Poly team. Centennial led by three star quarterback Israel Carter (Class of 2023) has also been very dominant this year too, they had only one loss this season which was to the undefeated National number one, Mater Dei. There was a lot of hype going into this game because both teams had the same record and they didn’t have the talent that the other schools in their bracket had but both teams showed heart and looked very promising. This game was run heavy on both sides but Mission Viejo had more control during most of the game, especially in the Second Half. The Diablos used their three star receiver in a unique way and he also had a passing touchdown and 100 receiving yards. Centennial had a momentum booster when Tayten Beyer (Class of 2024) had a 65 yard kick return for a touchdown but even with all the momentum Mission Viejo remained with control and ended with a dagger when cornerback Trey Tolmaire (Class of 2024) got the game winning interception to end the game.


II.   Los Alamitos (8-2) vs Long Beach Poly (10-0) Score: 52-42 Los Alamitos won

Los Alamitos led by five star quarterback Malachi Nelson (Class of 2023) started off slow with a 1-2 record but they haven’t lost since, they have many talented players with an explosive offense with four star athlete Makai Lemon (Class of 2023) and three star athlete Ethan O’Connor (Class of 2023). Long Beach Poly came into this game undefeated led by three star quarterback Darius Curry (Class of 2024) and four star defensive back Daylen Austin (Class of 2023), they have had a very solid offense but their defense has been off the charts, as the Jackrabbit's outscored their Moore league opponents 280-0 in the last five games. This was a very hyped up game because Los Al had one of or not the best offenses in the country while Long Beach Poly had not allowed a single point since September. In addition to this, the game was played at the Vet in Long Beach, which is home of Los Al and Long Beach Poly.

In the first quarter of the game, it was obvious a shootout would ensue, with the score being 21-14 not even 12 minutes in with Poly having a kick return for a touchdown. During the first half the Griffiths had minimal time of possession but, it looked like they could run away with the win because Long Beach Poly could not stop their run and pass game allowing four star athlete Makai Lemon to have two receiving touchdowns in the first half, which surmounted a Griffiths lead. During the second half, both teams started slow but Los Al was the only team that scored in the third quarter, then at the start of the fourth quarter they had immediate control of the game in the run and the pass. Long Beach Poly started to struggle offensively which led to punts that led to Los Al Touchdowns. The Malachi Nelson and Makai Lemon show did not disappoint and showed why they are one of the top duos in the country against a other Public School powerhouse in Poly. Their games are very promising and it will be great to see what they do with the Trojans in the upcoming seasons.

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