2019 CIF Football Playoff Divisions: In the new format there are now 14 Divisions. Things will change again in 2020 but here is the way it will shape out for this season. Only coverage area teams are listed.
DIV 1/2
Sierra Canyon
Bishop Amat
DIV 3
Cathedral
Paraclete
DIV 4
Paramount
Downey
South Hills
Damien
La Mirada
Charter Oak
DIV 5
Glendora
St. Paul
Chino Hills
Mayfair
Diamond Ranch
DIV 6
La Serna
Warren
Los Altos
DIV 7
Northview
Don Lugo
Burbank
Arcadia
DIV 9
Bonita
San Dimas
La Salle
Monrovia
West Covina
Santa Fe
DIV 10
Crescenta Valley
San Marino
Covina
Montebello
Pomona
DIV 11
Arroyo
El Rancho
Valley Christian
South El Monte
Burroughs
Muir
California
Schurr
Pasadena
Dominguez
Whittier
Salesian
DIV 12
Maranatha
Norwalk
Rio Hondo Prep
Bell Gardens
El Monte
Rowland
Walnut
Glenn
DIV 13
Temple City
Baldwin Park
Diamond Bar
Wilson
Chino
Bellflower
Nogales
South Pasadena
Alhambra
Glendale
Village Christian
Rosemead
Whittier Christian
DIV 14
Pioneer
Azusa
Bassett
La Puente
La Canada
Hoover
Workman
Mt. View
Keppel
Gabrielino
San Gabriel
Gladstone
Sierra Vista
Duarte
Marshall
SoCal= apology to you for my incorrect post; I immediately thought ‘no way’, but research taught me u r correct
SoCal?? all D1 teams did not make the playoffs=16 teams did
Still no reply huh Get Back Coach? I’m just like the Patriots, still here. Lol
I’m not hating on swell dudes like you! You gotta know your role and own it. The bozo I am trolling chirps on this site like he’s a big dog but I know he’s at the bottom of the totem pole. I know he wants to reply back but doesn’t want to keep getting clowned hahahahaha
@anon
you say “get back coach” like it is a negative.
I know,as a former “get back coach”that I saved a game or two by helping my team avoid drive stopping penalities.I wasn’t the OC,DC or the head coach,but I was a damn good GBC
You’re right! El Monte will dominate the Mission Valley once again. Will have the best running back crew in the SGV. Names to look out for: Booth, Cuevas, Reyes and Montoya.
Well if it isn’t the Get Back Coach! Are you working passing tournaments this summer to keep your chain gang game strong? Are you ready to assist the assistant Coach this summer?
Bro, you of all people, from all schools are going to whine about EM recruiting? Just because Arroyo recruits in El Monte doesn’t mean they don’t recruit. How many Arroyo studs the last 10 years belonged to Mt View or El Monte or South? Get outta here with that. Not to mention they have the highest enrollment in the MVL. All I know is your pops and his staff better figure it out or you’re going to lose 3 or 4 straight to EM. There’s no way with a new QB and Booth coming back you guys have a chance. And btw I’m not a fan of EM and their recruiting of players.
I agree with FBFan, Divisions 1 and Two are in a Different Atmosphere. Divisions 3,4, are about The same. Division 5 and 6 are even. After that 7-14 you can pick them.
Like your new QB?
Muir High a school that puts their footballers into D1 colleges every year playing in cif D11? Either that’s a joke or they have the worst coaching ever. They win that division playing blindfolded.
@ Comedy: Apparently, that’s what the people who run the CIF Southern Section think.
@ Friday Knights: I think the idea of determining the playoff divisions after the end of the regular season has a lot of merit; it would definitely be an improvement over the current system.
If doing that properly requires a two-week break between the last regular-season games and the first round of the playoffs, CIF could compensate for the lost time by getting rid of the totally unnecessary state playoff and bowl games.
@ Football Fan: Maybe I over-reached, but at least we agree about the best teams in Divisions 3 and 4 having a reasonable shot at beating the poorer teams in Divisions 1 and 2.
I believe that it’s ridiculous to have 1-9, 2-8, or 3-7 teams making the football playoffs in any division. The playoffs should be a reward for teams which are at least competitive in their own divisions.
sgv fan,
I agree about D-11. It looks like a lot of teams would have a chance but then realized that Muir, Linfield Christian, Arroyo, the majority of the Del Rio, and Pasadena will be no cake walks
Good luck to him as a Highlander
The selection process probably should announced after the season wraps up, but it still does nothing for league equity. You gotta imagine changes coming in the next two seasons. Not sure who asked but I’d also love to know how Arroyo moves down three divisions after getting into the playoffs and were a missed catch in the end zone from advancing to round 2. Head scratcher for sure. Who’s knows anything anymore.
@Ron:
I beg to differ. While there might be several teams in D3 and maybe a couple of teams in D4 that can compete with a D1/D2, there isn’t a team in D5-7 that can play with any D1/D2 team. They play a whole different level of football at that level.
D11 looks to be pretty well rounded with solid teams from the SGV. How does Arroyo move down after making the playoffs?
So if you’re D-1 you should get into the playoffs for being a D-1 school? Hahahah
Wow! No if you’re a D-1 program, you should get in on the basis of being a good team. I understand a 5-5 record and winning league or even a 4-6….. but C’mon.
We are rewarding D-1 teams for being Sh1??! during the season
It’s like hey you guys played tough here’s a reward guys.
@Ron, good points. How would you change it? Im a proponent of placing teams in playoff divisions after the regular season. I agree it’s not good optics to have 0–10 1-9 teams making it in. also, teams who heavily recruit would be placed accordingly. Hearing El Monte is back at it bringing kids in. Also Sierra Vista which is in Division- 14 is bringing in some dudes. If they do bring in next level talent, they should conceivably roll through a week league and cake wall to D14 title with ease. By Placing them in divisions post season this would allow CIF to place them where the their talent is equal. It might even be a safety issue. There is a reason for divisions right? Just my opinion
@ Jerry: So, you’re OK with teams that have overall records such as 1-9, 2-8, and 3-7 making it into the playoffs in Divisions 1 and 2?
Teams which perform that poorly would likely lose to at least some of the better teams in Divisions 3 through 7, in my opinion.
It’s time to overhaul the whole high school football playoff system in the CIF Southern Section.
@hmm no he was a very good player. This year he should be light-years ahead of everyone.
Although I agree with the general consensus, we are forgetting the argument in the room. In my personal opinion it feels wrong to have a team like bishop Amat not make D1 playoffs but a lower division team like say Alhambra make the play off. I believe the top divisions 1 and 2 should be auto playoffs as those teams are too good to not be seen just cause mater die whooped them.
Whittier will probably win heir pre-season games and then lose in league like always.
Miss the playoffs!!!!! As much as that kid should stay at Whittier, he should also leave Whittier. He’s a beast.
@Division 11 Fan
Didn’t the RB from Whittier transfer to La Habra?
ER stopped the Whittier super star last year. Agreed he is very good.
He was also the best player on the field last season.
What CIF should do is divide the total teams by 10 divisions that would put 38 teams in each division. In division 1 and 2 every team makes the playoff which defeats the purpose of having a season. This way a Charter Oak team that goes 2-8, a Los Altos team that finishes fifth in league and a 1-9 Alemany team does not get into the playoffs for having a losing season. Teams should finish first or second in their leagues to make the playoffs not forth or fifth.
Muir wins 11..
And it won’t be close.
If Whittier doesn’t take CIF with the RB they have coaches should be let go. They will have the best player on the field by far week in and week out.
@ Knightwatch: Good one! That’s so true.
Nogales might have a shot at a ring this year. Most of the top teams in division 13 won’t make the playoffs because of the league they are in. Only two teams in that division are sure locks to win league. That’s bishop Montgomery and Nogales since both are in weak leagues. Should be interesting to see how they play it.
What CIF should do is divide the 14 divisions by the total number of team, this would put 27 teams per division. This way every team doesn’t automatically make the playoffs and more importantly teams with a 1-9 and 2-8 record do not get into the playoffs. In divisions 1 and 2 everybody makes the playoffs no matter what there record is. It defeats the purpose of the regular season; the regular season is just one big exhibition season. CIF should go to 10 divisions, than you would have 38 teams per division. The regular season would mean something like college football. CIF is making the regular season mean nothing for the top divisions, because everybody makes the playoffs and everything for the lower divisions because only the first and second place teams earn a spot in the playoffs. Case in point 2-8 Charter Oaks, fifth place Los Altos and a year ago 1-9 Alemany makes the playoffs.
When a team goes 2-8 and 1-9 there is no buzz around the program or school spirit so attends in low for those playoff games. Nobody wants to see a losing team in the playoffs and CIF wonders why attendance is low.
I’ve said it before, but I think it would make a lot more sense to assign league places to particular divisions, no matter which team happens to occupy that place. That would prevent such absurdities as a team like Arcadia dominating a league and then getting put into an easier playoff division than some of the teams they curb-stomped.
Tim
You are correct, my screen was not wide enough to see that the divisions were written on the side of all the numbers on the spreadsheet that CIF uses. In essences, except for the top 8 teams those would be the old divisions. I was trying to help ; sorry. Its funny, Arroyo makes the playoffs, and has an easier schedule in pre-season last year, just in a nick of time. They go down 2 divisions and El Monte has a great year in the lowest division and they go up 2 divisions. I guess this will be taken care of when CIF goes to football only leagues.
I don’t know what the criteria is for division placement. But,looking at the results,neither does CIF
Only 1 automatic here:
Crescenta Valley will win division 10
With La Serna a cinch for another title that leaves Cal, Whittier and El Ranch all in division 11 to duke it out for the other playoff spot in the 5 team league. One of those 3 teams will have a good season but miss the playoffs like 7-3 Whittier did last year. Odd that Santa Fe ended up in division 9 even though ER beat them pretty easily and had a fine semi final run. Go figure.
Congrats to Pioneer for being placed in division 14. Looking at your group, there is stiff competition all around, but I have faith in the solidity of Titan football. Go for the gold!
San Marino wins Rio Hondo over Monrovia and San Marino is in Div.10 and Monrovia is in Div.9, someone know something we don’t?
MVS- Tim I believe whoever did your Divisional readings and writing was in accurate,
There are no teams in Division 14 as yet. The spreadsheet shows 13 Divisions with additional teams in Division 1 and less in Division 13.
Please double check them . MVL Arroyo got moved from 8 to 10. SEM still in 11 and El Monte moved up to 11from 13. Rosemead was the last team listed in Division 12. Mt.View and Gabrielino are in Div 13. Marshall does not have a football team but is listed there as well.
From T. Peterson: My “Division readings and writing” is CIF. I pulled it directly off of the website. It states that it was updated 05/24 complete with Division 14. I had some coaches confirm it also. It’s correct. Not sure what you’re looking at. Rosemead is in Div 13. You need to look at the one updated 05/24.