The Sierra Canyon football team has continued on its path of success by achieving a spot in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs once again.
The Trailblazers are the only team from the Mission League to be placed in the highest playoff division for the second year in a row and will host Servite on Friday.
“We’re really proud to be the only team from our area that has made the Division 1 playoffs the last couple of years,” Trailblazers head coach Jon Ellinghouse said. “That’s where we want to be and we want to compete against the best. We’re really proud to have done that and we’re still working to get our program right where it needs to be to keep climbing the ladder.”
A challenging nonleague schedule can boost a team in the CIF-SS competitive-equity system and Sierra Canyon’s nonleague slate featured plenty of difficulty with games against Trinity League teams JSerra, St. John Bosco and Orange Lutheran.
Winning the Mission League title was also critical for the Trailblazers. They beat Serra, which was previously unbeaten in league, by one point to secure the league title on Friday.
Serra was placed in the Division 2 playoff bracket.
“It was huge,” Ellinghouse said. “We were all in and we knew that Serra was going to be one of the better teams that we played all year. It was a tough game on the road and we got it together at the right time and were able to get a win.”
The CIF-SS expanded its Division 1 bracket to 10 teams this season after including eight teams last season. In the 10-team format, six teams receive an automatic first-round bye.
One of those teams is Mater Dei, which Sierra Canyon will meet in the second round if they beat Servite. The Monarchs beat the Trailblazers in the second round of the playoffs last season and went on to win the Division 1 title.
Oaks Christian’s Deshonne Redeaux carries the ball against St. Bonaventure Oct. 18, 2024. (Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
Oaks Christian, Newbury Park in Division 2
Oaks Christian, one of Sierra Canyon’s nonleague opponents, landed in Division 2 for the playoffs. The Lions were also Division 2 competitors in 2023 and 2022 after reaching the Division 5 championship game in 2021.
This season, Oaks Christian tied for the Marmonte League title after falling to Simi Valley on Friday night. The Lions’ nonleague schedule included wins over Mission League teams Chaminade and Serra and a loss to Sierra Canyon.
Mojave River champion Oak Hills will travel to Oaks Christian for the first round on Friday.
Newbury Park will also compete in Division 2 and makes a significant jump from Division 5. The Panthers made it to the Division 5 championship game last season, where they lost to Orange Vista.
Newbury Park football beat Thousand Oaks 38-0 on Friday. #venturacounty #conejovalley #newburypark #journalism #reporter #sports #sportsreporter #highschoolsports #football #highschoolfootball
♬ Numb / Encore – Jay-Z & Linkin Park
The newly-formed Conejo Coast League seemed to provide little challenge for Newbury Park, which held all of its league opponents except for one to six points or less. Calabasas put up 20 points to the Panthers’ 48.
Newbury Park has yet to lose a game this season and will put its unbeaten record on the line on Friday when it hosts Mountain Pass League co-champion San Jacinto.
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