LOS ALAMITOS – The road to a championship has been laid out, and for 60 Inland football teams, the second season is officially underway. The CIF Southern Section released its playoff pairings Sunday morning, setting the stage for the 2025 CIF Southern Section-Ford Championship Football Playoffs.

The brackets, which match 216 teams across 14 divisions, mark the fifth year of a competitive equity model based on individual school rankings. First-round games are scheduled to begin Friday, Nov. 7, with most kickoffs set for 7 p.m.

Great Oak’s Frank Hernandez (#22) drives into the end zone for one of his several touchdowns during last Friday night’s matchup, helping lead the Wolfpack’s offense in a high-scoring effort against MLK. Valley News/Rob Davis Photography

Southwest Riverside County will be well-represented, with several local programs earning high seeds and home-field advantage as they begin their title quests.

For the second consecutive year, Murrieta Valley secured the No. 1 seed in the highly competitive Division 2 bracket. The Nighthawks (7-3) are no strangers to playoff pressure, having won two overtime games last season to reach the championship final. Their journey begins this Friday at home against No. 16 Corona del Mar (9-1).

“We feel confident heading into the playoffs, but we know Division 2 is always tough,” Nighthawks coach George Wilson said. “It’s nice to be the No. 1 seed, but that does not come with any guarantees. You look at the teams in the bracket and pretty much anyone can win it.”

Also in Division 2, Chaparral (6-4) earned the No. 2 seed and will host Chaminade (5-5) in the first round. The Pumas are hoping a tough regular season schedule has prepared them for a deep playoff run.

“We’ve put together strong regular seasons in the past, but haven’t quite made the playoff push we wanted,” Pumas coach Andrew Ramer said. “The whole point of our schedule this year was to prepare for November. I think our kids are battle-tested and that’s always important for this division.”

Vista Murrieta (7-3) joins its local rivals in the Division 2 field as the No. 6 seed. The Broncos will open the playoffs at home against No. 11 Damien (8-2) on Friday night.

In Division 3, back-to-back Big West South Division champs, the Murrieta Mesa Rams (6-4), face a tough road trip against top-seeded Bishop Amat. Meanwhile, the Division 4 bracket features two local squads. Great Oak (5-5) will travel to Cajon, and San Jacinto (8-2) heads to Bishop Diego for their first-round contests.

Linfield Christian players celebrate after a pivotal play, bringing energy and enthusiasm to the field as the Lions fight for a spot in the first round of the playoffs. Valley News/File photo

Orange Vista (8-2) is the lone local team in Division 6 and will host El Toro. In Division 8, Elsinore (7-3) has a home game against Patriot, while Temecula Valley (5-5) travels to Irvine.

Division 10 action sees Tahquitz (7-3) on the road against Heritage Christian, and Liberty (8-2) will face a long trip to play West Torrance. In Division 12, Perris (5-5) has a local matchup against Citrus Hill.

The Division 13 bracket includes Heritage (3-7) hosting Santa Rosa Academy (5-5) and Linfield Christian (5-5) welcoming Hacienda Heights Wilson. In Division 14, San Jacinto Valley Academy (7-3) will travel to Miller.

The CIF Southern Section also released its 8-person football playoff pairings, with seven Inland teams selected. Cornerstone Christian stands out, earning the No. 2 seed in Division 1. The Crusaders (9-0) have a first-round bye and will host Santa Maria Valley Christian (7-1) in the quarterfinals on Nov. 14.

Great Oak’s Ryder Smith (#2) closes in to bring down the MLK ball carrier during a critical drive, making several key stops that helped stifle the Wolves’ offense and keep the Wolfpack within striking distance in a closely contested defensive battle. Valley News/Rob Davis Photography

The divisional championship games for 11-person football are scheduled for Nov. 28-29, and local teams are focused on navigating the challenging weeks ahead to earn their spot in the finals.

CIF Southern Section Playoff Pairings – First Round

All games Friday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. unless noted. Dates, sites and times are subject to change.

DIVISION 2

Corona del Mar at Murrieta Valley

Damien at Vista Murrieta

Chaminade at Chaparral

DIVISION 3

Murrieta Mesa at Bishop Amat

DIVISION 4

San Jacinto at Bishop Diego

Great Oak at Cajon

DIVISION 6

El Toro at Orange Vista

DIVISION 8

Patriot at Elsinore

Temecula Valley at Irvine

DIVISION 10

Tahquitz at Heritage Christian

West Torrance at Liberty

DIVISION 12

Perris at Citrus Hill

DIVISION 13

Santa Rosa Academy at Heritage

Hacienda Heights Wilson at Linfield Christian

DIVISION 14

San Jacinto Valley Academy at Miller

Send local sports tips and info to sports@reedermedia.com.

JP Raineri

JP is an award-winning multimedia journalist and head of the sports department at the Valley News. A former Southwestern League head baseball coach and former President of the Temecula Youth Baseball League, he has also worked as a local radio personality for All Pro Broadcasting and as a television host for the Outdoor Channel. When he’s not covering sports, JP works in the Media Technology Department for Major League Baseball.

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