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CIF STATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
When: Saturday, Dec. 14
O.C. teams: Edison, Mater Dei and Portola
Where: Saddleback College and Fullerton High
Tickets: Starting Monday at noon at gofan.co, $15 general admission, $10 students/seniors
OPEN DIVISION
Mater Dei (12-0) vs. De La Salle (12-0), Saddleback College, 8 p.m.
TV: Spectrum News and Spectrum SportsNet
At first glance: The reigning Open Division champion Monarchs, ranked No. 1 in the nation, face the No. 22 Spartans for the first time since the 2018 Open Division final. Mater Dei won that game 35-21. Mater Dei has won 18 consecutive games while De La Salle’s last defeat came against Mission Viejo 27-14 in the state Division 1-AA final last season.
DIVISION 1-A
Edison (11-4) vs. Central of Fresno (12-2), Saddleback College, 3:30 p.m.
TV: Spectrum News and Spectrum SportsNet
At first glance: The Chargers make their state finals debut against the Grizzlies, who captured the state Division 1-AA title in 2019 by defeating Sierra Canyon 34-19. Edison is led by senior running back Julius Gillick (more than 2,300 yards, 34 TDs) while Central counters with junior Brandon Smith (1,800 yards, 25 TDs). Smith also plays defense and rates as one of the top junior recruits in the state.
DIVISION 6-AA
Portola (9-6) vs. Arcata (13-1), Fullerton High, 7 p.m.
Live stream: NFHS Network
At first glance: The Bulldogs and the Tigers are each making their debuts in the state championships. Arcata, from Humboldt County, is led by dual threat QB Luke Lemke. The 6-foot-3 junior has passed for more than 2,275 yards and rushed for more than 1,500 yards. Portola counters with its running back duo of Timothy Grettenberg (1,175 yards) and Diego Reyna (1,000 yards). Linebacker Maxwell Mapstone (193 total tackles) could be a key matchup against Lemke.
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