Cathedral (8-1, 4-0) at St. Paul (6-3, 4-0), 7 p.m.
The Swordsmen’s 31-28 victory at Paraclete set them up for a league championship game at home. Marley Luatua had his best game last week, rushing for 171 yards and two touchdowns, and he will need to be effective again for them to win the league title. Cathedral pulled out a narrow 21-14 win over St. Francis last week. Quarterback Jaden Jefferson has thrown for over 2,200 yards and is the Phantoms’ best rusher. On paper, you go with the Phantoms, but at home, you take coach Mike Moschetti’s Swordsmen.
The pick: St. Paul
Damien (7-2, 4-0) at Rancho Cucamonga (6-3, 3-1), 7 p.m.
Interim coach James Stewart has done an incredible job with the Spartans, who have already clinched a share of the Baseline League title for the first time since 2010. They can win the title outright with a win over the Cougars. The Spartans got their running game going in a 38-7 win over Ayala last week as Malachi McFarland rushed for 177 yards and a touchdown. QB Isaiah Arriaza has been outstanding all season for Damien. This game likely comes down to which Cougars team shows up. They’re very talented, but their 31-21 loss to Chino Hills last week was a head scratcher. The game could go either way, but the Spartans are playing for a good draw in the playoffs, likely in CIF-SS Division 2, and probably need a win to get it.
The pick: Damien
Schurr (8-1, 4-0) at Bell Gardens (7-2, 4-0), 7 p.m.
The Spartans haven’t been touched in the Almont League, winning all four of their games by an average of 50 points. They beat likely third-place finisher Montebello 42-0 last week. Spartans QB Jose Alvarado has thrown for over 1,000 yards, running back Elias Navarro has over 1,000 yards rushing, and their defense has been nails. But Bell Gardens will be a tough out. The Lancers have also blown out their opponents in league, winning by an average of 33 points. They also have a 1,000-yard passer (Michael Mendoza) and 1,000-yard rusher (Jesse Medina).
The pick: Schurr
Duarte (8-1, 3-1) at La Puente (9-0, 4-0), 7 p.m.
The Warriors had their first close game of the season, edging Garey 28-27 last week. It came with a big cost as quarterback Ezekeil Zamora, who is averaging 232 yards a game with 16 TDs, left in the second half with an injury and will miss their chance to win an outright Miramonte League championship. Diego Sandoval will take over at QB. This is a huge blow for the Warriors, who are having one of their best seasons ever. The Falcons have firepower with QB Avenn Ortiz, who has thrown for over 2,000 yards with 15 touchdowns, and receiver Jashion Wade. The Falcons lost to Ganesha 34-21, so a Falcons win would likely set up a three-way tie for the league title. With Zamora out, you have to believe the Falcons will get it done.
The pick: Duarte
Santa Fe (7-2, 3-0) vs. La Serna (6-3, 3-0) at Pioneer HS, 7 p.m.
The Chiefs won a big game last week, beating El Rancho 21-14 to clinch at least second place in the Del Rio League. They can win the league outright with a victory over the Lancers. Devin Clark has been great, averaging 145 yards with 21 touchdowns, but now they face a Lancers squad that has been head and shoulders better than the rest of the league for a few years. Sophomore Grady Long threw for 270 yards and four TDs when they beat El Rancho 42-18 earlier this season. The Lancers also have the best player on the field, Kaimana Tufaga. If the Chiefs are close, it would be a surprise.
The pick: La Serna
Bonita (9-0, 4-0) at Colony (4-5, 3-1), 7 p.m.
The Bearcats won the big one last week, stunning Charter Oak with an easy 49-21 victory. They dominated the line of scrimmage and running back Joseph Lara rushed for 177 yards and a TD. They’re likely headed to the CIF-SS Division 3 playoffs, especially if they beat Colony and finish the regular season undefeated. The Bearcats would love an outright Sierra League title, but Colony is an improved team. It barely lost to Charter Oak, 18-14, and routed Claremont, 45-7, last week. It could be a hangover game for the Bearcats, but we think they finish the job in style.
The pick: Bonita
Pasadena (4-5, 4-2) vs. Muir (7-2, 6-0) at the Rose Bowl, 7 p.m.
The Mustangs have won the Pacific League title and have beaten all of their league opponents by an average margin of 51 points. The Bulldogs’ season looked over after a 2-5 start, but a two-game win streak and a huge 24-7 win over Burroughs last week leaves the Bulldogs tied with Burroughs for third and a shot at an automatic playoff spot. What is likely to happen is Muir beats Pasadena and Burbank beats Burroughs, and if Crescenta Valley beats Arcadia as expected, there would be a three-way tie for third between Pasadena, Burroughs and Crescenta Valley. Coin flips will determine at least two of the league’s playoff spots. If Pasadena gets into the playoffs, it could fall into a division where it could make a run in the playoffs.
The pick: Muir
St. Pius X-St. Matthias (1-8, 1-3) at St. Francis (2-7, 2-2), 7 p.m.
This one is simple: If the Golden Knights get a win, they finish third in the Angelus League and are headed to the playoffs, possibly in Division 5 or 6, which would be dreamy for their program. The Golden Knights showed how good they can be by nearly knocking off Cathedral last week before falling 21-14. A St. Pius X win would likely force a three-way tie for third with a tiebreaker awarding just one of them an automatic playoff spot. The Golden Knights have come a long way to be in this position at home, and with quarterback John Sanders healthy, they look to finish the job.
The pick: St. Francis
OTHER GAMES
All games start at 7 p.m.
ALMONT LEAGUE
San Gabriel at Montebello
CAMINO REAL LEAGUE
St. Genevieve at Bosco Tech
DEL REY LEAGUE
La Salle at Harvard-Westlake
Salesian at Cantwell-Sacred Heart
DEL RIO LEAGUE
Whittier vs. El Rancho at California HS
EPSILON LEAGUE
Foothill at La Habra
GANO LEAGUE
Rowland at Chaffey
GATEWAY LEAGUE
Warren at La Mirada
HACIENDA LEAGUE
Diamond Bar at Walnut
Covina at Chino
South Hills at Los Altos
MESQUITE LEAGUE
Whittier Christian vs. Maranatha at Whittier College
MIRAMONTE LEAGUE
Ganesha at Bassett
Workman at Garey
MISSION LEAGUE
Chaminade at Bishop Amat
MISSION VALLEY LEAGUE
El Monte at Mountain View
Rosemead at Gabrielino
South El Monte at Arroyo
MONTVIEW LEAGUE
Wilson at Pomona
PACIFIC LEAGUE
Crescenta Valley at Arcadia
RIO HONDO LEAGUE
Pasadena Poly vs. Monrovia at Pasadena City College
San Marino at Temple City
South Pasadena at La Canada
SIERRA LEAGUE
Glendora vs. Charter Oak at Citrus College
— Fred Robledo