The Times’ Top 25

The final poll for the Southland’s top 25 high school football teams as ranked by The Times’ prep staff.

1. Long Beach Poly (8-1)

Jackrabbits assured of death, taxes ... and a first-round playoff game against Fountain Valley.

2. Mission Viejo (10-0)

Sleepless nights ahead for Etiwanda coaches charged with forming a plan to stop Diablo running back Robbie Dubois.

3. Hart (9-0)

Indians scratching heads as to how they could be seeded second in Division III behind Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

4. Chino (9-0)

Potential title-game matchup against Mission Viejo would be a doozy.

5. Edison (8-0-1)

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Chargers don’t lose a regular-season game and still aren’t seeded.

6. Corona Centennial (9-0)

Shouldn’t top-seeded Huskies be playing 3-7 Yucaipa in the first round instead of 6-4 San Gorgonio?

7. Redlands (10-0)

Terriers embark on road to first title since 1961.

8. Bishop Amat (8-1)

Game against Long Beach Wilson is tantamount to a first-round bye.

9. Santa Margarita (7-1-2)

Eagle Coach Jim Hartigan knows better than to ask Rialto counterpart Don Markham to assess the Knights.

10. Eisenhower (8-2)

Darkhorse of Division I ready to gallop against Loyola.

11. SO Notre Dame (9-0)

Selection committee didn’t hold top-seeded Knights’ near misses against them.

12. Los Alamitos (7-2-1)

Griffins have qualified for playoffs in 18 consecutive seasons.

13. Long Beach Jordan (7-2)

Panthers’ matchup against Mater Dei may be most competitive of first round.

14. Carson (8-1)

Colts once again prevailed in Marine League.

15. St. Bonaventure (9-0)

Calabasas should complain to selection committee that first-round game against Seraphs is cruel and unusual punishment.

16. Loyola (6-2-1)

Cubs, 1-2-1 in last four games, have gone into hibernation mode.

17. Mira Costa (10-0)

Mustangs could meet Hart in a Division III semifinal.

18. Westchester (8-1)

Comets’ only loss was to Long Beach Poly.

19. Arroyo Grande (9-0)

Division IV bracket is set up so that Eagles could run the table without playing an above-.500 team.

20. Birmingham (9-0)

Valley pride will be on the line for top-seeded Patriots.

21. Crescenta Valley (10-0)

Undefeated Falcons, making their top-25 debut, wonder whether pollsters have been asleep on the job.

22. Mater Dei (6-4)

Monarchs almost missed out on invitation to the big dance.

23. Temple City (10-0)

Rams ready to run roughshod through Division X bracket.

24. El Modena (8-1)

Early season loss to Los Alamitos is only blemish on Vanguards’ record.

25. Brea Olinda (9-0)

Wildcat Coach Jon Looney says team is better than the one he took to the 1999 Division IX title game.