Prep Rally: Which teams are on the verge of being in the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs?

As high school football enters week nine, Eric Sondheimer examines the leading contenders for the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs. Unbeaten Santa Margarita and Sierra Canyon lead the pack, closely followed by St. John Bosco, Corona Centennial, Mater Dei, Orange Lutheran, San Clemente, and Mission Viejo. JSerra and Servite are scheduled to play on October 30 in a contest that could determine a final postseason berth.

The newsletter also rounds up local prep action, highlighting King/Drew's 39-6 victory over Crenshaw and Capistrano Valley's 21-17 upset of Corona del Mar. In other prep sports, the Southern Section flag football playoffs get underway with undefeated JSerra holding the top seed in the Open Division, while girls volleyball pairings and cross-country champions are also finalized.