TODAY’S FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES

SOUTHERN SECTION FINALS

DIVISION II: Newhall Hart (10-3) vs. Mission Viejo (13-0) at Home Depot Center, Carson, 7:30 p.m.

Mission Viejo is going for its third consecutive title and 42nd consecutive victory. The top-seeded Diablos have been on the road the entire playoffs, part of the section’s sanctions against the program for doctoring a football in last year’s championship game, a 10-6 victory over Hart. Still, Mission Viejo’s average playoff victory has been by 33.7 points. Mark Sanchez has completed 75% of his passes for 2,238 yards and 29 touchdowns with only four interceptions, and Chane Moline has averaged 9.6 yards per carry with 16 touchdowns. Hart’s Sean Norton has completed 64.3% of his passes for 3,758 yards and 40 touchdowns with 13 interceptions. Running back Dan Howell has averaged 5.9 yards with 26 touchdowns. In a semifinal against Canyon Country Canyon, Mission Viejo returned three of their five interceptions for touchdowns.

Martin Henderson

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DIVISION III: Palmdale (12-1) vs. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (11-2) at Home Depot Center, Carson, noon.

Palmdale enters its first championship game riding an air-tight defense that has allowed only 19 points in its last seven games and has five shutouts. Linebackers Jerry Milling and Matt Bishoff lead the effort with 95 and 80 tackles, and defensive end Antonio Bowie has 10.5 sacks. The Falcons have allowed 99 points all season and have given up more than two touchdowns in a game only once all season. That’s fine with Notre Dame, which is the opponent that accomplished that in a 35-21 victory in Week 3. Notre Dame, the defending champion, will use its triple-threat running attack. Cary Harris and Brandon Clayton each have more than 1,000 yards rushing and quarterback Garrett Green has rushed for 850.

-- Peter Yoon

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DIVISION VII: Orange Lutheran (12-0) vs. Hacienda Heights Los Altos (13-0) at Home Depot Center, Carson, 3:30 p.m.

This is probably one of the most expected and anticipated games in the Southern Section playoffs. Los Altos, the defending champion, is led by a staunch defense that has four shutouts this season. Defensive end Brigham Harwell has 19 1/2 sacks this season and 66 1/2 for his career, leaving him 2 1/2 shy of tying the school record held by Shaun Cody, now at USC. Six Orange Lutheran players have scored seven touchdowns. Quarterback Seth Blackamore has passed for 19 touchdowns and rushed for 11 more.

-- Dan Arritt

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DIVISION VII: Ridgecrest Burroughs (12-1) vs. Fontana Kaiser (12-1) at Fontana High, 7 p.m.

Burroughs’ high-flying spread offense could finally meet its match against a Kaiser defense that has given up only 8.3 points a game and has four shutouts. Quarterback Karsten Sween, who threw for a school-record 506 yards and six touchdowns last week in a 53-31 semifinal victory over Phelan Serrano, owns every single-season school passing record. But Kaiser defensive lineman Bernard Afutiti and linebacker Alex Carrillo hope to pressure Sween into making poor decisions as the Cats go for their second consecutive championship.

-- Ben Bolch

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DIVISION XI: Oak Park (12-1) vs. Westlake Village Oaks Christian (11-2) at Simi Valley Royal High, 7:30 p.m.

This game is a rematch of a Tri-Valley League regular-season finale won by Oak Park, 27-24, four weeks ago. That victory, which came on a touchdown pass from running back Anthony Monteleone to quarterback Nolan McNair on the final play of the game, clinched second place in the league standings for Oak Park. But third-place Oaks Christian has since outscored its opponents, 141-26. Oak Park’s Monteleone has averaged 11.7 yards per carry while rushing for 1,260 yards and 17 touchdowns. McNair has completed 101 of 147 passes for 1,648 yards and 23 touchdowns with only one interception for a team that will be playing in its first section-title game. Aaron Ware has rushed for 1,710 yards and 23 touchdowns for Oaks Christian. Quarterback Joey Halzle has completed 84 of 145 attempts for 1,230 yards and 13 touchdowns.

-- John Ortega

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DIVISION XII: Sun Valley Village Christian (11-2) vs. Los Angeles Baptist (9-4) at Granada Hills Kennedy High, 7 p.m.

Village Christian, making its first appearance in a championship game, and L.A. Baptist, making its third but looking to redeem a 54-14 loss to the Crusaders in the teams’ Alpha League finale, each has plenty of motivation. Village Christian is on an eight-game winning streak, during which it has outscored opponents 356-78. Jason Christensen has 1,851 yards rushing, 429 yards receiving and 34 touchdowns. Jake Hagedorn, who has completed 124 of 245 passes for 2,035 yards and 15 touchdowns, has thrown one interception in the last eight games after racking up 13 in the first five. L.A. Baptist is led by Alex Westmore, who has completed 115 of 246 passes for 1,725 yards and 24 touchdowns with 14 interceptions, and top receiver Allen Walker, who has 44 catches for 828 yards and nine touchdowns.

-- Lauren Peterson

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DIVISION XIII: Flintridge Prep (11-1) vs. Pasadena Poly (11-1) at South Pasadena, 7:30 p.m.

Defending champion Pasadena Poly averages more than 41 points a game and has five shutouts. The Panthers have won nine in a row and beat Flintridge Prep, 28-14, in a Prep League game Oct. 25. Senior running back John Clark has 1,053 yards and 12 touchdowns in 181 carries, and senior quarterback Jordie Gaffney has completed 125 of 223 passes for 1,804 yards and 24 touchdowns with four interceptions. Flintridge Prep senior T.C. Scotton led the Prep League with 1,443 yards and 26 touchdowns in 217 carries. Senior Greg Sherman has completed 85 of 168 passes for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns with six interceptions.

-- Lauren Peterson