Prep SCOREBOARD : The Pairings

Final round pairings for Southern Section playoff games involving Orange County teams (sites and times TBA; games will be played Friday, Dec. 11, and Saturday, Dec. 12):

DIVISION II

Esperanza (12-1) vs. Los Alamitos (12-0) or La Crescenta Crescenta Valley (11-1)

DIVISION IV

Newport Harbor (11-2) vs. Irvine (11-1) or Foothill (8-4)

DIVISION VII

Sunny Hills (11-1-1) vs. Rancho Alamitos (10-2) or Lompoc (9-3)

Top Performers

PASSING

123 yards--Williams, Newport Harbor vs. Corona del Mar, 10-21, 1 TD.

RUSHING

168--Cuccia, Sunny Hills vs. Garden Grove, 33 carries, 1 TD.

153--Tift, Newport Harbor vs. Corona del Mar, 26 carries, 2 TDs.

139--Footman, Esperanza vs. Pasadena Muir, 25 carries, 2 TDs.

109--Hess, Corona del Mar vs. Newport Harbor, 9 carries, 2 TDs.

RECEIVING

6 receptions--Freeman, Newport Harbor vs. Corona del Mar, 44 yards, 0 TDs.

5--Wise, Esperanza vs. Pasadena Muir, 49 yards, 0 TDs

ALL-PURPOSE

Tom Hess did all he could in Corona del Mar’s 28-21 loss to Newport Harbor in the Division IV semifinals.

Hess rushed for 109 yards, including a 67-yard run to set up a touchdown. He also caught a seven-yard touchdown pass and did all the placekicking for the Sea Kings, making one extra point.

However, he also fumbled twice, the last one setting up Newport Harbor’s go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.

NO MORE HANKIES

After being penalized for 215 yards in their previous two playoff games, Sunny Hills was able to keep the yellow flags in the officials’ pockets for the most part during its 21-7 victory over Garden Grove in the Division VII semifinals Friday night.

Sunny Hills was flagged for only seven infractions totaling 40 yards against the Argonauts.

HITTING THE WALL

Esperanza lineman Travis Kirschke relished the chance to play against one of the Southern Section’s top running backs Friday night.

“It gave us a chance to show how good we are against a running team,” Kirschke said.

Of course, he said that after Esperanza had limited Muir back Salidin McCullough to minus-one yard in eight carries on the way to a 28-7 Division II victory. McCullough came into the game averaging 178 yards this season.

NO TOE

Corona del Mar was without kicker/punter Tanner Rupp, who suffered a knee injury playing for his club soccer team this week.

Quarterback Matt Evans was pressed into service as a punter. His only kick went for a grand total of two yards during the Sea Kings’ 28-21 loss to Newport Harbor in the Division II semifinals.

ON THE RECORD

‘I think we’re on the map now (by reaching the semifinals). Now maybe we can do something down the road.’

--Bill Brown, Century coach, on the Centurions winning the Pacific Coast League title and reaching the Division VIII semifinals, before losing, 16-14, to San Marino.