Football: Schedule for Week 10

By Martin Henderson

This is it. The final week of league. Tonight, teams will know where they stand. Are they in the playoffs or out of the playoffs. 

Some will likely require additional help. Think "coin flip." Others control their own destiny. 

Here are some of the key games of Week 10:

Thursday

• Fountain Valley (6-3, 2-2) has enjoyed a resurgence under first-year coach Ray Fenton, but will need a victory over Los Alamitos (8-1, 3-1) to get an automatic qualifying berth from the Sunset League. If the Griffins win, they guarantee a share of first place and get one of the three automatic playoff berths. If they lose, they could be the fourth-place entrant into the playoffs if there's a three-way tie for second place. The loser of this game likely gets one of two at-large playoff berths.  The game is at Veterans Stadium at Long Beach City College.

• Capistrano Valley Christian (8-0, 3-0) and Saddleback Valley Christian (7-2, 3-0) are playing for the San Joaquin League title. Simple as that. The game is at San Clemente High.

Friday

• JSerra (6-3, 1-3) will be the home team at Saddleback College and will be trying to make the Pac-5 playoffs for the first time. If the Lions beat Santa Margarita Catholic (4-5, 1-3), it could happen, but will take some coin flips. Same with Santa Margarita. Both squads should be motivated—JSerra is coming off the biggest win in the program's history, a 48-43 upset of Servite, and Santa Margarita—coming off one of its worst losses, a 54-14 loss to Orange Lutheran—will be playing in what could be the last game for retiring coach Harry Welch. 

• Newport Harbor (5-4, 3-1) clinches a share of the Sunset League title with a victory at Huntington Beach (4-5, 1-3), and if the Sailors lose, they likely get into the playoffs as an at-large team—provided coin flips don't go their way.

• One team has been at it forever, and the other is a short-timer, but someone is going to walk off the field with their first outright league championship—and someone will be heartbroken. That's what's at stake when old-timer Dana Hills (5-4, 3-0) plays at San Juan Hills (8-1, 3-0) with the Sea View League title on the line. It has been 40 years since Dana Hills had first place all to itself at season's end.

Here's the schedule for local schools in Patch cities:

Thursday, Nov. 7

Sunset League

• Fountain Valley vs. Los Alamitos at Long Beach City College

San Joaquin League

• Saddleback Valley Christian vs. Capistrano Valley Christian at San Clemente

Trinity League

• Santa Margarita vs. JSerra at Saddleback College 

South Coast League

• Mission Viejo at El Toro
• San Clemente at Trabuco Hills
• Chula Vista at Tesoro (nonleague)

Sunset League

• Newport Harbor at Huntington Beach

Sea View League

• Capistrano Valley at Aliso Niguel
• Dana Hills at San Juan Hills 

Orange Coast

• Costa Mesa at Laguna Beach

Pacific Coast League

• Northwood vs. Corona del Mar at Newport Harbor

Academy League

• Sage Hill at Crean Lutheran
• Downey Calvary Chapel at St. Margaret’s