Willie Donerson winked. The football coach at Compton Dominguez knew he had it good. Ranked second in the Southern Section poll despite a 49-20 loss to Palmdale in Week 4, Dominguez was seeded second in the Division III playoffs that begin on Thursday.
Palmdale? Seeded fourth, on the same side of the draw as undefeated Sherman Oaks Notre Dame -- the team it nearly beat in Week 3. Possibly the two best teams in the division, Palmdale and Notre Dame, could be matched against each other in the semifinals.
So Donerson winked. And smiled. Notre Dame, ranked third in the state by Cal-Hi Sports, is ranked No. 2 in the Southland by The Times, and Palmdale is No. 15. Dominguez is unranked.
Sometimes, to win a title, the luck of the draw means everything. Here's a look at the top six divisions:
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DIVISION I
* 2003 champion: Los Angeles Loyola.
* Seeded teams: 1. Long Beach Poly (9-1); 2. Los Alamitos (9-1); 3. Loyola (8-2); 4. Colton (9-1).
* Others to watch: Santa Ana Mater Dei (8-2); Lakewood (9-1).
* The breakdown: This division is so competitive, it wouldn't be a surprise if two seeded teams were gone in the first round because every team has a chink in its armor. Loyola faces Huntington Beach Edison (6-4), an at-large team that was ranked No 3 in the Southland four weeks ago before close losses in Sunset League play. Colton's at-large opponent, Santa Margarita (5-5), is coming off a 20-15 victory over third-seeded Loyola. Lakewood and Mater Dei might have the best defenses but lack consistency on offense. The team most likely to be in the finals: Los Alamitos.
DIVISION II
* 2003 champion: Newhall Hart.
* Seeded teams: 1. Mission Viejo (10-0); 2. Valencia (9-1); 3. Chino (9-1); 4. Canyon Country Canyon (9-1).
* Others to watch: San Clemente (8-2); Hart (6-4).
* The breakdown: It will be a surprise if Mission Viejo and Valencia aren't playing for the championship. Most teams don't have the offense to outscore either of them, and a team that might -- Canyon, which upset Hart on Friday -- doesn't have the defense.
DIVISION III
* 2003 champion: Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.
* Seeded teams: 1. Notre Dame 10-0; 2. Compton Dominguez (9-1); 3. Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula (9-0-1); 4. Palmdale (8-2).
* Others to watch: Santa Fe Springs St. Paul (7-3).
