With only one team still unbeaten in the Mission League — Serra of Gardena — the other teams are scrambling to also be in the Southern Section’s Pac-5 playoff picture. Three teams are guaranteed a berth; another team could be chosen as an at-large entry.
Crespi is pretty much eliminated. Notre Dame is on the brink. Alemany, Chaminade, Loyola of Los Angeles, and Bishop Amat of La Puente all have one league loss and now start facing each other to try and secure one of those playoff spots.
Alemany (5-1, 1-1) and Bishop Amat (5-2, 2-1) will have it out on Friday, Oct. 16, at Bishop Amat. The Lancers like this arrangement: they are 5-0 at home this season, and 0-2 on the road. One of those losses was to Serra last week.
The Warriors are also coming off a road loss against Chaminade. After Friday’s game, Alemany will face Loyola and Serra in the next two weeks before ending their regular season against Notre Dame.
A loss this week is not fatal for either team; but it would make the road to the playoffs much harder to travel.
The kickoff is scheduled at 7 p.m. at Bishop Amat.
Other games involving Valley-area teams include:
Friday, Oct. 16
East Valley League
Arleta (6-0, 2-0) at Poly (3-4, 2-1)
Monroe (3-4, 1-2) at Chavez(1-5, 0-2)
Verdugo Hills (0-6, 0-2) at Grant (6-1, 3-0)
Mission League
Chaminade (4-2, 1-1) at Notre Dame (1-6, 0-2)
Crespi (1-6, 0-3) at Serra (6-1, 3-0), Gardena, CA
Santa Fe League
St. Genevieve (2-5, 0-1) at Mary Star of the Sea (3-3, 0-1), San Pedro, CA
Valley Mission League
Panorama (1-5, 0-2) at Canoga Park (4-3, 3-0)
San Fernando (1-5, 1-1) at Reseda (3-3, 1-1)
Van Nuys (1-6, 0-3) at Kennedy (2-5, 1-2)
West Valley League
Chatsworth (5-1, 0-1) at Birmingham (3-3, 1-0)
Cleveland (4-2, 0-1) at Granada Hills (1-5, 0-1), 7:30 p.m.
Taft (5-1, 1-0) at El Camino Real (3-3, 1-0)
Saturday, Oct. 17
Olympic League
Maranatha (4-3, 1-0) vs. Heritage Christian (3-3, 0-0), Kennedy High School
Nonleague
Bishop (3-3) at Sierra Canyon (6-0), 5 p.m.
All games start at 7 p.m. unless otherwise indicated.