Playoff picture clears

Barry Faulkner

The Costa Mesa High football team forced Pacific Coast League

coaches and athletic directors to put keep their coins in their pockets

Friday night.

With a 14-0 triumph over host Corona del Mar at Newport Harbor High, the

Mustangs gained a share of the PCL crown, won the league’s No. 1 spot in

the CIF Southern Section Division IX playoffs, and clarified a

potentially complicated playoff picture.

Estancia, which came into the final week with a chance at a share of the

title, was dropped into a third-place tie by the Mustangs’ win.

Since the Eagles lost Thursday to third-place partner University, Coach

Dave Perkins’s Estancia squad (6-4, 2-2 in league) must now hope to

obtain the division’s only at-large berth when pairings are announced

Sunday.

Meanwhile, in the Sea View League, Newport Harbor wrapped up the outright

crown and polished off its third unbeaten regular season in the 69-season

history of the program with a 14-7 triumph at Aliso Niguel.

The win likely secures the No. 2 seed in the 16-team Division VI

tournament, behind top-ranked Mayfair, which completed its unbeaten

season with a 35-14 win over Suburban League rival La Mirada, ranked

third in last week’s Division VI poll.

Estancia, Perkins believes, is a strong bet to get the at-large bid,

based on the fact that it’s the only candidate with six wins.

The Eagles (6-4 and ranked No. 10 in this week’s Division IX poll),

however, were pounded, 48-12, by Uni and the CIF committee values a

strong finish, among its at-large criteria.

The division’s other at-large candidates include Western (5-4-1 and

ranked No. 5), Fullerton (5-5) and Santiago (5-5). Fullerton and Santiago

each spent time in the top 10 this year.

Western, a 23-22 loser to Savanna Friday, has a 35-34 nonleague win over

Mesa, a 20-13 win over an Anaheim team which knocked off Estancia, 21-12,

and a 21-21 tie against unbeaten Orange League champion Brea Olinda

(ranked No. 2 in this week’s poll, but likely to move up after knocking

off No. 2 Valencia, 41-7, Friday).

Newport Harbor’s No. 2 seed could mean the Sailors’ path to a title game

will go through Golden West League champion Tustin. The Tillers, guided

by former Costa Mesa head man Myron Miller, extended their win streak to

six by pasting Ocean View, 78-7, Thursday.

Tustin (7-3) came into this week ranked No. 4, but will likely move ahead

of La Mirada (8-2). That would position the Tillers on Harbor’s side of

the bracket.