Irvine coach disappointed league championship team gets road game for opener

Irvine coach Tom Ricci talks to star running back Cameron Goods Friday night. (Photo: Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone)

Irvine High School football players and coaches left the field Friday night feeling great after wrapping up an undefeated regular season, the first for the program since 2000.

It was Irvine’s first full season league title since 2013.

Coach Tom Ricci said after his team’s 35-0 victory over Laguna Hills that Irvine (10-0) could be grouped in either Division 4 or 5 based on the new playoff system which rates teams based on their play this year.

Sunday, Irvine players and coaches found out the Vaqueros would face St. Francis (7-2) of La Canada in the Division 4 opener. Unlike previous years, when league champions earned home games in the CIF playoff openers, that was not the case under the new system. Irvine is on the road for the first round.

Division 4 is loaded with talented teams.

Moore League champion Long Beach Poly is seeded first, Chaparral second, Orange third and Cypress fourth.

Irvine Coach Tom Ricci expressed disappointment about Irvine not getting a home game.

“I still think they need to work out the bugs of this new system,” Ricci said Sunday about three hours after the brackets were released. “Previously as a 10-0 team, you could at least get a home game. Now, not only do we not get a home game, we have to travel an hour or so to play a really good St. Francis team.

“We aren’t one to back down from a challenge, but it just doesn’t seem right that we have our best season in years and this is how we are rewarded. Conversely, some teams that didn’t win a single league match got into the playoffs with way easier schedules.

“I think they will have to continue to work the kinks out of the system in the next few years and maybe take into account school size to a school like Irvine, which has perpetually been in Division 10 with 1,800 students, doesn’t end up in Division 4 with Long Beach Poly, who has close to 4,000 students.

“No matter what happens, we are hoping to rise to the challenge and we are happy to be here.”

All four teams from the Pacific Hills League made the playoffs in different divisions. Second place Dana Hills and at-large team Laguna Hills will be on the road, At-large entry Portola will be at home.

Western Coach Dan Davidson also commented about his team, which was a league champion, being on the road while Corona del Mar Coach Dan O’Shea showed general support for the new playoff system in a story on OC Sports Zone announcing the brackets.

To see their reaction and all the brackets, please click here.