Home-Field Advantage: Playoff Time

High school football season is over — it’s on to the playoffs!

When I was a kid, teams were proud to make the playoffs. Today, almost every team makes the playoffs. Why? CIF picks who plays in what division instead of using wins and strength of schedule. If CIF would use the MaxPreps rankings (which employ no bias, just wins and strength of schedule), the playoffs would be competitive. Since CIF uses their own algorithm — which I consider unreliable — the games will again be noncompetitive.

Oaks Christian blew out every team in the Marmonte League. The last game of the season was 4-0-in-league Oaks Christian versus 4-0-in-league St. Bonaventure for the Marmonte League title … This was a close, hard-fought game and the only competitive league game these teams have played this season. Oaks came out on top, 13-10. Congrats to them … What makes Oaks different from most other teams in the area is they use their preseason to go after better competition. They are not trying to find teams they can beat, and it shows at the end of the season. Oaks Christian and St. Bonaventure need to move into the Mission League for some better football!

Westlake played Calabasas in the battle for last place, and Westlake clawed back after being down the whole game to beat Calabasas 35-31 in the final minutes. Good job, Coach Ellis Green and his new coaching staff! It is nice seeing a well-coached team. Westlake fired its coach right before league play started five weeks ago, and thank God they did. The morale of the team jumped the day the change took place, and Westlake has looked like a team again! His first game out was a loss to Simi Valley by one point … Oh, what a difference when you have competent coaches … All those delay-of-game penalties gone. I hope Ellis Green stays because he knows what Westlake tradition is all about.

Thousand Oaks, Moorpark and Newbury Park are in a 3-way tie for first place … Watching the Thousand Oaks-Newbury Park game, it seemed T.O. had no business being on the same field. Newbury Park’s sophomore QB threw two pick-sixes and did a quick punt to give T.O. 21 points, and Newbury Park still routed the Lancers, 54-42 … Moorpark bested Newbury Park, 35-28, on a pick-six by Newbury Park’s sophomore QB. Moorpark pressured him in the second half, and it worked — the young leader made a mistake. His age is showing, but remember that he’s a sophomore. He’s still one of the better QBs but clearly needs to be trained for the next level … Newbury Park is still my pick for the top Canyon League team.

On to post-season play!

Marmonte Football Standings

#20* Oaks Christian 8-2 (League 5-0)

#60* St. Bonaventure 7-3 (League 4-1)

#152* Simi Valley 5-5 (League 2-3)

#242* Bishop Diego 4-6 (League 3-2)

#310* Westlake 2-8 (League 1-4)

#333* Calabasas 2-8 (League 0-5)

Canyon Football League Standings

#133* Newbury Park 8-3 (League 5-1)

#111* Moorpark 9-1 (League 5-1)

#127* Thousand Oaks 7-3 (League 5-1)

#208* Agoura 7-3 (League 3-3)

#271* Camarillo 4-6 (League 2-4)

#420* Oak Park 2-8 (League 1-5)

#607* Royal 0-9 (League 0-6)

(*MaxPreps California state ranks — not an exact science, but close)

Local professional Frank Enderle played two years of football at Notre Dame High School, one of the top programs with the best coaches, and then played for two years at Calabasas High School. He has a lifetime of sports experience, including coaching his own sons in baseball, football, lacrosse and basketball and serving in their booster programs.