Central Section football playoff seeds have Buchanan atop D-I; Bullard, Dos Palos in D-II
The chase for Central Section football championships is now set after playoff pairings were released Saturday afternoon.
As expected, Buchanan is the top seed in Division I and will face Tri-River Athletic Conference rival Clovis North on Nov. 12. The teams met in the TRAC finale, with the Bears rolling to a 33-14 victory.
All other divisions begin play Nov. 5.
Other D-I opening matchups include No. 3 Central hosting No. 6 Hanford; No. 5 Clovis traveling to face No. 4 Liberty-Bakersfield and No. 2 San Joaquin Memorial hosting No. 7 Garces.
Absent from D-I are Bullard, Clovis West and Clovis East.
Seedings are set by performance and strength of schedule, with the top eight teams playing in Division I and the others added in seeding order to the remaining playoff divisions. (In other words, the top seed in D-II is the No. 9 overall seed and so on.)
That is where the Knights come in, as the top seed in Division II.
Among the other notable teams is Dos Palos.
The Broncos went 10-0 while winning the East Sierra League title and earned the 13th seed in D-II and an opener at No. 4 Kingsburg on Nov. 5. Also put in D-II were Clovis West, Clovis East and Bakersfield.
North Yosemite League champion Sunnyside is the eighth seed in D-III and will host No. 9 Firebaugh. Central Valley Christian is the top seed.
Central Section playoffs
Games at 7 p.m.
Division I
Nov. 12
No. 8 Clovis North at No. 1 Buchanan
No. 5 Clovis at No. 4 Liberty-Bakersfield
No. 6 Hanford at No. 3 Central
No. 7 Garces at No. 2 San Joaquin Memorial
Division II
Nov. 5
No. 16 St. Joseph at No. 1 Bullard
No. 9 Clovis West at No. 8 Clovis East
No. 12 Redwood at No. 5 Mission Oak
No. 13 Dos Palos at No. 4 Kingsburg
No. 14 Wasco at No. 3 Centennial
No. 11 Sanger at No. 6 Frontier
No. 10 Mission Prep at No. 7 Lemoore
No. 15 Tulare Western at No. 2 Bakersfield
Division III
Nov. 4
No. 11 Paso Robles at No. 6 Tulare Union, 6 p.m.
Nov. 5
No. 16 El Diamante at No. 1 Central Valley Christian
No. 9 Firebaugh at No. 8 Sunnyside
No. 12 Kennedy at No. 5 Washington Union
No. 13 Madera at No. 4 Arroyo Grande
No. 14 Edison at No. 3 Dinuba
No. 10 Stockdale at No. 7 Bakersfield Christian
No. 15 Reedley at No. 2 Strathmore
Division IV
Nov. 5
No. 16 Mt. Whitney at No. 1 Nipomo
No 9 Porterville at No. 8 Highland
No. 12 West at No. 5 Foothill
No. 13 Mendota at No. 4 Madera South
No. 14 Monache at No. 3 Exeter
No. 11 Fowler at No. 6 Independence
No. 10 Corcoran at No. 7 Roosevelt
No. 15 Tehachapi at No. 2 Bishop
Division V
Nov. 5
No. 16 Kerman at No. 1 Immanuel
No. 9 Chavez at No. 8 Liberty-Madera Ranchos
No. 12 Riverdale at No. 5 Shafter
No. 13 Orosi at No. 4 Boron
No. 14 Atascadero at No. 3 Righetti
No. 11 McLane at No. 6 Coalinga
No. 10 North at No. 7 Templeton
No. 15 Ridgeview at No. 2 San Luis Obispo
Division VI
Nov. 5
No. 1 Taft, bye
No. 2 Morro Bay, bye
No. 3 Pioneer Valley, bye
No. 9 Kern Valley at No. 8 Lindsay
No. 12 Farmersville at No. 5 Delano
No. 13 Torres at No. 4 Woodlake
No. 11 Chowchilla at No. 6 Caruthers
No. 10 Orange Cove at No. 7 East Bakersfield
This story was originally published October 30, 2021 at 2:35 PM.
