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Northwood’s Adam Harper powers for a touchdown past Lakewood’s EJ Baltazar in Saturday’s CIF championship game. (Photo courtesy Mark Bausman, For OC Sports Zone).
Yorba Linda, Laguna Beach, Northwood, Laguna Hills and Whittier Christian football teams all earned berths in the CIF Regional Bowl Games this weekend.
Yorba Linda and Laguna Beach will both be home on Saturday while Northwood, Laguna Hills and Whittier Christian face road games. Northwood plays Friday and Laguna Hills and Whittier Christian play Friday.
If the teams win, only Yorba Linda would play its regional bowl game in Orange County. Yorba Linda is in the 1A division to host Liberty of Bakersfield Saturday.
The 1A championship game is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 10 at 4 p.m. at Saddleback College. St. John Bosco meets Serra in the open division title game at 8 p.m. that day.
The other county teams are in lower divisions and the locations for the bowl game finals are already set.
“All games 3-AA and below will be in the North at host sites,” confirmed Rebecca Brutlag, media relations officer for the CIF State Office Monday.
Northwood faces one long trip Friday to meet Kennedy of Delano in Kern County near Bakersfield and if it wins, would have another long trip to meet the winner of the Pleasant Valley at Escalon in the San Joaquin Valley next weekend.
Coach JC Clarke and co-athletic director Brandon Emery confirmed Monday that Northwood would also be on the road next week if it wins this week.
“Yup, 200 miles this week, 500 miles North next week,” Clarke said. “We have a chance.”
Northwood also reached a bowl game last season, but lost to Righetti 14-7 in the CIF 5A regional bowl game at Irvine Stadium.
“Last time, that’s where our season came to an end so let’s see if we can change that,” said Northwood’s star running back Adam Harper, who scored three touchdowns in the Timberwolves 35-14 victory over Lakewood Saturday in the CIF Division 4 championship game.
Northwood quarterback Eugene Miyata, who threw two touchdowns Saturday, added:
“Last year, we lost in the regionals, we don’t want to do that again, we want to try and go to state and try and get another plaque so we will see if we can.”
RELATED:
Five OC teams earns berths in CIF Regional Bowl Games
Three OC teams capture CIF titles Saturday night
—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
