Sunny Hills, led by its seniors, is the top seeded team in Divison 8. (Photo courtesy Jim McCormack, For OC Sports Zone).
Sunny Hills, the runner-up in the CIF Division 8 playoffs, is the top seeded squad for the Division 8 playoffs, which includes eight Orange County squads.
The Lancers (8-2) will host Tustin (5-5) Friday night at Buena Park.
“I guess, technically, we were the number one seed in the division, but all of the at-large teams went to league champions (Sunny Hills finished second to Division 3 power La Habra in the Freeway League), and, of the four seeded teams, I think we got the toughest draw,” said Sunny Hills Coach Pete Karavedas.
“Tustin is a really good football team from a really good league. They are a really big, physical, well-coached football team. But, playing good teams make you a better team and we are going to have to win games like this if we are going to be as good as we want to be.”
Sunny Hills finished the regular season with an 8-2 record, losing only to Division 3 power La Habra and Division 8 rival Aliso Niguel, in overtime. Tustin was 5-5 and finished in a three-way tie, with Valencia and Pacifica, for second in the Empire League behind undefeated Cypress (10-0, 5-0).
Santa Barbara (8-2), the Channel League champion, is seeded second; Palmdale (9-1), the Golden League champion, is seeded second; and San Gorgonio, (8-2), the San Andrea League champion, is seeded fourth.
The bracket is filled with Orange County teams, including Trabuco Hills (6-4), Pacifica (5-5), Aliso Niguel (7-3), Santa Ana (6-4), Garden Grove (5-5) and Canyon (2-8).
First round games
(Locations to be announced)
Tustin vs. Sunny Hills at Buena Park High, 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8
Grand Terrace at Notre Dame Riverside
Pacifica at Trabuco Hills
Canyon/Anaheim at San Gorgonio
Garden Grove at Palmdale
Aliso Niguel vs. Santa Ana at Santa Ana Stadium
Temescal Canyon at Palm Desert
Gahr at Santa Barbara
–Jim McCormack contributed to this story
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