CIF-SS FOOTBALL QUARTERFINALS

DIVISION 3

Edison (7-4) at Bonita (11-0), 7 p.m.: The Bearcats showed they belonged in Division 3 with a 35-20 victory over Angelus League champion Cathedral on the road in the first round. Sophomore Joseph Lara led the way with 159 yards of total offense and two touchdowns, and Cole Parra rushed for 80 yards. But senior linebacker and two-way threat Noah Mikhail, a Texas A&M commit, injured his foot and missed the fourth quarter of the contest. Mikhail is hoping to play Friday but it will be a game-time decision. The Chargers are from the tough Alpha League and beat North Torrance 24-0 in their playoff opener. They have a 21-10 win over Los Alamitos and played Division 2 San Clemente to a close loss, 21-17. The Chargers’ top back, Julius Gillick, who averages 168 yards a game, was nursing an injury last week and had only 10 carries. It remains to be seen if Gillick will be limited this week, but sophomore Sam Edmisten filled in well for him. They also have QB Sam Thompson, who does not have flashy stats, but he takes care of the ball (only two interceptions). If Bonita can run the ball, it has a chance to win. The Chargers have fared well defensively against better teams than Bonita, but the Bearcats are undefeated for a reason and have a shot. It’s a close call.

The pick: Edison

La Habra (10-1) at Simi Valley (10-1), 7 p.m.: The Highlanders grinded out a tough 27-24 victory over Mira Costa in the first round, with Kevika Martinez and Bobby Brooks rushing for touchdowns. They ran for 207 yards as a team, with sophomore QB DJ Mitchell throwing for 117 yards and two touchdowns and also rushing for 48 yards. But it gets much tougher on the road against Simi Valley, which is from the tough Marmonte League. The Pioneers won a shootout over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 49-47, in the first round. They have wins over Thousand Oaks and St. Bonaventure and average 40 points against a competitive schedule. Quarterback Tagg Harrison has over 2,000 yards passing with 17 touchdowns. Brice Hawkins has rushed for over 1,400 yards with 25 TDs. The Pioneers rushed for 370 yards against Notre Dame. The Highlanders should be able to score, but matching the Pioneers point for point is going to be tough.

The pick: Simi Valley

DIVISION 5

Rio Mesa (7-4) at La Serna (8-3), 7 p.m.: The Lancers are looking like a force again, especially after a 28-7 first-round victory over Troy. The Lancers won the CIF-SS Division 4 title last season, and though they graduated several key starters, you’re seeing the young talent develop, especially sophomore quarterback Grady Long. The QB completed 12 of 19 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns last week. Receivers Emre Law and Zeb Bontemps along with two-way standout Kaimana Tufaga give them a dangerous wideout core. Rio Mesa knocked off Ventura 21-18 and has impressive wins over Santa Barbara and Thousand Oaks. The Spartans love to run the ball with quarterback JJ Bittner. The Lancers are peaking and they’re at home.

The pick: La Serna

DIVISION 6

Muir (9-2) at St. Francis (4-7), 7 p.m.: This is a much-anticipated rematch from Muir’s come-from-behind 28-18 victory over the Golden Knights in September. Golden Knights QB John Sanders and Muir QB Keyon Mills were both returning from injury and not near 100 percent in that matchup. Both are healthy now and both teams are relatively healthy for the rematch. The Golden Knights are much better than a sub.-500 team, and they showed that in a 50-22 first-round win over Calbasas. They returned two interceptions for touchdowns and Isaac Fajara ran for 110 yards and two TDs. Sanders had a solid game too, throwing for 198 yards and three TDs. Muir won a 22-19 thriller over feisty Schurr in the first round, winning in the final seconds on Mills’ fourth-down touchdown run. Mills threw for 117 yards, but the Mustangs did most of their damage on the ground behind Alijah Parker’s 131 yards as they ran for over 200 yards. The Golden Knights have the edge being at home, but Muir’s experience and size could be the difference.

The pick: Muir

DIVISION 7

Rio Hondo Prep (9-1), at ML King (8-3), 7 p.m.: There was some concern about whether Rio Hondo Prep could handle the move to Division 7 after winning the Division 9 title last year. Those concerns were answered with a 35-0 victory on the road against previously undefeated Ramona in the first round. Nate Curtis ran for 198 yards and two touchdowns and Noah Peninuri finished with 45 yards and three touchdowns. The Kares can play smashmouth football with the best of them. King will be their toughest opponent since their loss to Torrance (28-21), a team that competes in Division 5. King shut out Vista del Lago 24-0 in the first round and will try to bang it out on the ground behind QB Derek Conn. King benefitted from five takeaways last week, but don’t expect that to be the case against a disciplined Kares squad that rarely beats itself.

The pick: Rio Hondo Prep

DIVISION 11

Baldwin Park (6-5) at Big Bear (8-2), 7 p.m.: The Braves have to deal with a Bears team that averages 358 yards on the ground, and has the comforts of being at home on a night where temperatures are expected to be in the 20s and 30s with possible snow showers. The Bears average 42 points a game and have three backs with 10 or more touchdowns. QB Brennan Berge leads them on the ground with 800 yards and 12 touchdowns. They scored plenty in their first-round win over Capistrano Valley, 45-33. The Braves were solid in a 41-28 win over Colton with senior QB Jake Garcia throwing for 300 yards and three touchdowns. They can also pound the ball. Sincere Ellis ran for 125 yards and two TDs last week, and they also get back leading rusher Mark Carbajal, who missed last week’s game. The Braves have played a tougher schedule and at home, they would be a good choice. But on the road with wind, cold and maybe snow a factor, you have to believe that plays in Big Bear’s favor.

The pick: Big Bear

DIVISION 13

San Marino (6-5) at Pasadena (5-6), 7 p.m.: Two teams that struggled much of the season and probably didn’t expect to be playing in mid November will be battling it for a spot in the semifinals. The Bulldogs snapped a 13-game losing streak that dated back to last season after starting 0-3. The Bulldogs have worked their way back, beating Santa Rosa Academy last week, 23-15. The Bulldogs’ big turnaround came when two transfers from Glendora, quarterback Dutch Burbidge and receiver Christopher Solis Lumar, became eligible after the sit-out period. Burbidge is a dangerous dual threat that will challenge the Titans’ defense, and Lumar is a big play threat who also is a strong defensive back. San Marino finished fourth in the Rio Hondo League and got an at-large berth, and looked comfortable in this division beating Hawthorne 35-6. Quarterback Brady Beck was 12 of 19 for 252 yards and four touchdowns and Julian Solis ran for 79 yards and a TD. The Titans don’t have a lot of depth, but they have two strong guys on both sides of the line with Brown commit Mitch Mooney and Miles Morning, who also runs the ball. It’s a close one, but Beck could be the difference maker in the end.

The pick: San Marino

OTHER GAMES

Games start at 7 p.m.

DIVISION 6

Glendora (7-4) at Rancho Verde (7-4)

Dana Hills (9-2) at San Dimas (9-2)

DIVISION 9

Quartz Hill (8-3) vs. Sonora (7-4) at La Habra HS

DIVISION 10

South Pasadena (9-2) at Valley View (7-4)

DIVISION 12

Estancia (9-2) at Wilson (9-1)

DIVISION 13

Lynwood (6-5) at El Monte (7-4)

DIVISION 14

Nordhoff (8-3) at Duarte (10-1)

San Gabriel (5-6) at Costa Mesa (8-3)

Century (7-4) at Ganesha (6-5)

Pioneer (6-5) vs. Westminster La Quinta (8-3) at Bolsa Grande HS

— Fred Robledo