Don’t Pencil In Anyone Yet

It took five weeks to confirm what almost every Southern Section Division I coach suspected at the start of the season.

“I don’t think there’s a runaway team, that’s for sure,” said Long Beach Poly Coach Jerry Jaso, whose team played Santa Ana Mater Dei in the last two championship games. “There were a few years where Mater Dei was dominant or another team was dominant, but that does not appear to be the case this year.

“There’s a whole bunch of teams with a chance to win it.”

Long Beach Poly, La Puente Bishop Amat, Mission Hills Alemany, Santa Fe Springs St. Paul, Los Alamitos and Huntington Beach Edison are Division I teams that are undefeated after five games.

They are six of the 34 unbeaten or untied teams in the section’s 13 divisions.

Most schools begin league play this week.

A brief look at the divisions:

DIVISION I

Mater Dei (3-2) lost to Fresno Clovis West and was blown out by Concord De La Salle, but the Monarchs can repeat if they survive a Serra League schedule against Anaheim Servite (3-2), Santa Margarita (3-2) and Bellflower St. John Bosco (2-3).

Several outstanding sophomores make Long Beach Poly the Moore League favorite. Bishop Amat, Alemany--led by Tennessee-bound quarterback Casey Clausen--St. Paul and gone-but-not-forgotten Loyola (3-2) will slug it out in the Del Rey League. Los Alamitos, Edison and Huntington Beach still have to contend with Anaheim Esperanza (3-2) in the Sunset League.

Rialto Eisenhower (4-1) plays Fontana (3-2) this week in the first of several big Citrus Belt League games that will also include Fontana A.B. Miller (3-2) and Redlands (3-2).

DIVISION II

Defending division champion Diamond Bar, La Verne Damien and West Covina are 5-0 entering Sierra League play.

So is Bay League power Palos Verdes Peninsula, which plays resurgent Culver City (4-1) Friday with resurgent Lawndale Leuzinger (4-1) still to come.

Chino (4-0-1) and Upland (4-1) are contenders in the Baseline League; Paramount (4-1) and Downey (3-2) top the San Gabriel Valley League; and El Toro, San Clemente and Trabuco Hills, all 3-2, are the teams to beat in the South Coast League.

DIVISION III

Defending champion Newhall Hart (5-0), as usual, is the class of the Foothill League. La Canada St. Francis (5-0) is unbeaten, but must contend with Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (4-1) in the Mission League. Littlerock (4-1) has the best record among Golden League teams, and Crescenta Valley (4-1) and Pasadena Muir (4-1) will probably battle it out again for the Pacific League title.

DIVISION IV

Ventura (5-0) and Ventura Buena (4-1) of the Channel League; Arroyo Grande (5-0), San Luis Obispo (4-1) and Santa Maria Righetti (4-1) of the Northern League; and Westlake (4-1) of the Marmonte League are the favorites to win the division title.

DIVISION V

Defending champion Norco (4-1) suffered a tough loss last week against Eisenhower and will have to get by Corona Centennial (4-1) and Corona (4-1) in the Mountain View League. Paloma Valley (5-0) and Rancho Verde (4-1) are Sunbelt League favorites. Rubidoux (4-1) and Riverside Arlington (3-2) have the best records among Ivy League teams and Alta Loma, Ontario Chaffey, Rancho Cucamonga and Ontario Etiwanda all start Mt. Baldy League play 3-2.

DIVISION VI

Defending division champion Lakewood Mayfair (5-0) must hold off La Mirada (4-1) and Cerritos (4-1) for the Suburban League title. The other four leagues in the division are based in Orange County and feature Santa Ana Valley (4-1) of the Empire League and Newport Harbor (4-0-1) and Irvine Woodbridge (4-1) of the Sea View League.

Other divisions and teams to watch:

VII--Whittier California, Whittier Pioneer and Santa Fe Springs Santa Fe all start play in the Del Rio League at 5-0. Covina Charter Oak (5-0) and Hacienda Heights Los Altos (5-0) open Miramonte League play against each other Friday night. . . . VIII--Barstow (5-0), Hesperia Sultana (4-0) and Phelan Serrano (4-1) all are 2-0 in Mojave River League play. Cathedral City opens Desert Valley League play.

IX--La Verne Bonita of the Valle Vista League and Brea Olinda of the Orange League are 5-0. . . . X--Morro Bay (5-0) is the only unbeaten and untied team in the division. South Torrance is 4-0-1. . . . XI--Cathedral, Orange Lutheran, Banning and Ventura St. Bonaventure are all 5-0.

XII--Edwards Air Force Base Desert, Rosamond and Mojave, all of the High Desert League, are unbeaten. . . . XIII--Claremont Webb is 4-0. Van Nuys Montclair Prep (5-0) is the only unbeaten freelance team.