Watch out for the Kerman Lions in a very talented Division 3 bracket.
By Gabe Camarillo
Well, here we are.
After 11 weeks of high school football, wild wins and shocking losses, storylines and heroes, it’s time to put up or shut up.
It’s time for playoffs.
For the final time, I projected the playoff brackets for Divisions 1 through 6. Of all the weeks I’ve projected brackets, this was the most difficult, because I needed to account for the limited number of playoff spots and any qualified team that opts out of playoffs
There are 87 qualified teams and 92 available playoff spots. In order to fill the brackets, the size of D2-D6 needs to change. I learned Saturday morning that the Central Section does NOT plan to make a 12-team bracket in Division 2.
After the 12-team Division 1 bracket, the Section will try their best to achieve even brackets for the remaining divisions
So, I project two divisions will field 15 teams, two will field 14, and one will field 12. This does not account for any teams that choose to opt out of playoffs. I will adjust my projections later in the day if I hear any more from the Section.
One more time, let’s review the three main rules regarding this playoff system and my projections.
1. These are NOT my rankings or brackets. These were pulled from CalPreps.com, and I applied the tiebreakers like the Central Section will today.
2. Speaking of tiebreakers, here are the rules. If teams are within two rating points of each other on CalPreps.com, the first tiebreaker is head-to-head result. The next tiebreaker, if both teams are in the same league, is finish in league standings. The final tiebreaker is record vs. common opponents.
3. Every team has a base division. They can play one division higher, lower, or in their base. It depends on where they are ranked by CalPreps’ computers.
FINALIZED as of 10/29/2022, 1:40 P.M. PST
Division 1 (rating):
1 Clovis West (44.9)
2 Buchanan (42.9)
3 Liberty-Bakersfield (40.4)
4 San Joaquin Memorial (39.8)
5 Central (37)
6 St Joseph (35)
7 Clovis North (31)
8 Clovis (24.6)
9 Clovis East (24.9)
10 Garces (24.3)
11 Centennial (24.1)
12 Redwood (22.5)
Notes:
Nothing changed at all despite Clovis North’s win at Central. I think Clovis North’s loss to Clovis East dragged their rating down. Think about this: a Hail Mary from Clovis East cost the Broncos a TRAC championship and higher seed. Wild.
Projected matchups:
9 Clovis East at 8 Clovis / 1 Clovis West BYE
12 Redwood at 5 Central / 4 Memorial BYE
11 Centennial at 6 St Joseph / 3 Liberty BYE
10 Garces at 7 Clovis North / 2 Buchanan BYE
Division 2:
1 Central Valley Christian (38.4)
2 Kingsburg (30.1)
3 Lemoore (29.9)
4 Hanford (19.7)
5 Bakersfield Christian (18.3)
6 Washington Union (13.1)
7 Frontier (12.4)
8 Sanger (11.6)
9 Dinuba (10.2)
10 Paso Robles (9.8)
11 Lompoc (10.4)
12 Ridgeview (7.7)
13 Edison (8.5)
14 Tehachapi (5.2)
15 Tulare Union (4.7)
Notes:
Ridgeview beat Bakersfield, which beat Edison. That’s why Edison is behind Ridgeview… Bullard and Bakersfield are on the outside looking in… Paso Robles beat Lompoc, so the Bearcats leapfrogged the Braves.
Projected matchups:
9 Dinuba at 8 Sanger/ 1 CVC BYE
13 Edison at 4 Hanford
12 Ridgeview at 5 Bakersfield Christian
14 Tehachapi at 3 Lemoore
11 Lompoc at 6 Washington Union
10 Paso Robles at 7 Frontier
15 Tulare Union at 2 Kingsburg
Division 3:
1 Mission Prep (13.6)
2 Porterville (8.7)
3 Kennedy (5.1)
4 Kerman (4.7)
5 Golden West (2.2)
6 Arroyo Grande (1.9)
7 Mission Oak (1.7)
8 Chavez (2.7)
9 San Luis Obispo (0)
10 Sunnyside (0)
11 Santa Ynez (-0.3)
12 Highland (-1.8)
13 Mt. Whitney (-5.5)
14 Independence (-5.6)
15 Wasco (-5.7)
Notes:
Golden West and Mission Oak beat Monache, which beat Chavez. Therefore, both teams are projected to leapfrog Chavez… The 3-6 seeds are so close in ratings that I wouldn’t be surprised if there are fluctuations throughout Saturday.
Projected matchups:
9 San Luis Obispo at 8 Chavez/ 1 Mission Prep BYE
13 Mt. Whitney at 4 Kerman
12 Highland at 5 Golden West
14 Independence at 3 Kennedy
11 Santa Ynez at 6 Arroyo Grande
10 Sunnyside at 7 Mission Oak
15 Wasco at 2 Porterville
Division 4:
1 Liberty-Madera (-0.2)
2 Taft (-2.4)
3 Caruthers (-4.2)
4 Torres (-5.4)
5 Shafter (-8.5)
6 Garza (-9)
7 Coalinga (-7.4)
8 Strathmore (-10.2)
9 Exeter (-10.1)
10 Reedley (-11.1)
11 Fowler (-12)
12 Madera (-13.2)
13 North (-13.5)
14 Atascadero (-12.1)
Notes:
Garza beat Coalinga, which means Garza is seeded higher… Strathmore beat Exeter in non-league play… North beat Atascadero, so the Stars jump ahead of the Greyhounds.
Projected matchups:
9 Exeter at 8 Strathmore /1 Liberty-Madera BYE
13 North at 4 Torres
12 Madera at 5 Shafter
14 Atascadero at 3 Caruthers
11 Fowler at 6 Garza
10 Reedley at 7 Coalinga /2 Taft BYE
Division 5:
1 Bishop (-3)
2 Dos Palos (-13.8)
3 Corcoran (-15.1)
4 Morro Bay (-15.9)
5 Templeton (-14.2)
6 Madera South (-16.2)
7 Pioneer Valley (-17.7)
8 Delano (-19)
9 Santa Maria (-20.2)
10 Golden Valley (-20.3)
11 McLane (-20.5)
12 Hanford West (-21.1)
13 Immanuel (-20.6)
14 Mendota (-21.5)
Notes:
Morro Bay beat Pioneer Valley, which beat Templeton… Hanford West holds head-to-head tiebreaker over Immanuel… South is based in D3 and can’t play D5… Roosevelt’s current rating doesn’t translate to a D5 seed in these projections. Roosevelt is base D4 and can’t play any lower. Roosevelt could still make the playoffs if some teams play down in D6 or bracket sizes change.
Projected matchups:
9 Santa Maria at 8 Delano /1 Bishop BYE
13 Immanuel at 4 Morro Bay
12 Hanford West at 5 Templeton
14 Mendota at 3 Corcoran
11 McLane at 6 Madera South
10 Golden Valley at 7 Pioneer Valley /2 Dos Palos BYE
Division 6:
1 Arvin (-21.8)
2 Woodlake (-24)
3 Avenal (-24.1)
4 Kern Valley (-26.6)
5 Chowchilla (-26.9)
6 Orosi (-30.8)
7 Sierra Pacific (-32)
8 Boron (-32.3)
9 Riverdale (-33.8)
10 Lindsay (-33.9)
11 Farmersville (-34.5)
12 Mira Monte (-37.9)
Notes:
D6 is full of the remaining qualified teams, except West Bakersfield, which is based in D3 and can’t play in D6… Chowchilla beat Riverdale, which beat Avenal. However, that tiebreaker does not come into play since they’re separated by more than two points … Wins for Orosi and Mira Monte have not yet been tabulated by the computers.
Projected matchups:
9 Riverdale at 8 Boron/ 1 Arvin BYE
12 Mira Monte at 5 Chowchilla / 4 Kern Valley BYE
11 Farmersville at 6 Orosi / 3 Avenal BYE
10 Lindsay at 7 Sierra Pacific / 2 Woodlake BYE
