Corona del Mar, Mater Dei, Western and Brea Olinda await the biggest CIF football games of the year

Corona del Mar was represented by (from left) head coach Dan OShea, quarterback Ethan Garbers, linebacker Luke Fisher, wide receiver John Humphreys and co-head coach and offensive coordinator Kevin Hettig. (Tim Burt photo)

High school football players and coaches from Corona del Mar, Mater Dei, Western and Brea Olinda were represented Monday afternoon at the annual CIF Southern Section media luncheon at The Grand in Long Beach.

To see the slide show, please click on the first photo.

Mater Dei was represented Monday by (from left) Steele Dubar, Glenn Harper, Bru McCoy and Mike Martinez.

Rn Wigod, commissioner of the CIF welcomes football players and coaches at Monday's media evemnt as Thom Simmons, assistant commissioner (back row) and Irvine High Principal Monica Colunga look on.

Mater Dei football coach Bruce Rollinson introduces his players at Friday's CIF luncheon.

CdM players (from left) Luke Fisher, Ethan Garbers and John Humphreys.

Western was represented Monday by (from left) Jacob Domino, Anthony Munoz, Caine Savage and Cassius Savage.

CIF commissioner Rob Wigod, assistant commissioner Thom Simmons and Monica Colunga, principal at Irvine High School, welcomed players, coaches and media to the event.

The event was presented by the Los Angeles Chargers. John Spanos, president of football operations for the Chargers, congratulated the players on their accomplishments during his talk, then each of the teams involved was introduced.

There will be 13 divisional finals  this weekend, including the Corona del Mar vs. Grace Brethren game on Saturday night at 7. The game has been moved from Moorpark College to Royal High School in Simi Valley. Grace Brethren (11-2) is the home team for the game.

“We’re so tickled pink,” said CdM Coach Dan OShea, who attended the luncheon along with co-head coach and offensive coordinator Kevin Hettig. “This is our ninth year and this is our fifth CIF luncheon together (he and Hettig). We feel it’s such an honor.

“You don’t know if you’re going to get back here. Being here in 2018 and playing a really talented Grace Brethren team, we just love what our program is about. It’s a community school, kids from the local neighborhood. They’ve been playing together, soccer or Little League since the age of 5 or 6 and we embrace who we are and hopefully we will be successful come Saturday night.”

The top-seeded Sea Kings (11-1-1) were represented by junior quarterback Ethan Garbers, who has thrown for more than 3,500 yards and 50 touchdowns, half of that yardage total to junior receiver John Humphreys who was in attendance with linebacker Luke Fisher.

CdM will be out to bring home its sixth CIF title. The Sea Kings lost to Sierra Vista 36-35 in two overtimes in the CIF Division 4 title game in 2016.

Also this weekend, No. 3 seeded Mater Dei has a rematch with top-seeded St. John Bosco Friday night at Cerrritos College in the Division 1 finals, Western will host Peninsula in the Divsion 11 final Friday night and Brea Olinda will host San Gorgonio in the Division 9 final Friday night.

Western, coached by Dan Davidson, is back in the CIF finals for the first time since 2004 while Brea Olinda, coached by Robb Perrance, is in the championship for the first time since winning the title in 2001.

PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR FOLLOW-UP STORIES THROUGHOUT THE WEEK

MATER DEI GETS THE REMATCH IT WAS LOOKING FOR VS. ST. JOHN BOSCO

FULL SCHEDULE FOR ALL DIVISIONS OF CIF FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com