Saxons into the semifinals

By OC Tribune Staff on November 16, 2021 • ( Leave a comment )

LOARA HIGH of Anaheim is in a CIF-SS Division 14 football semifinal game this week against Alhambra (Shutterstock).

The realignment of divisions for football teams this fall by the CIF-SS is working out pretty well for Loara High of Anaheim.

On Friday, the Saxons (8-6) will visit Alhambra (6-6) in a Division 14 semifinal game and – if victorious – play for the title the following week against the winner of the Indian Springs-Rialto game.

Loara finished fourth in the Garden Grove League. The Saxons stumbled out of the gate, at one point losing five straight. But they now are on a six-game winning streak and are knocking at the gates of a CIF title.

Dre Sanchez is one of the leaders for the Saxons. In a first round playoff game, he passed for one touchdown and ran for another. In the season opener, Cesar Vasquez rushed for two scores for Loara.

Alhambra finished third in the Almont League. The Moors are led by quarterback Michael Gonzales, who has passed for 25 touchdowns with only two interceptions this season. He’s accumulated 1,938 yards through the air.

Early basketball results

Many area high school basketball teams opened their seasons on Monday. Here are some scores:

Girls

El Dorado 60, Westminster 33
Garden Grove 47, Magnolia 32
Newport Harbor 60, Rancho Alamitos 19
Pacifica 39, Costa Mesa 21

Boys

Marina 67, West/Torrance 47
Dominguez 70, Ocean View 64
Orange 62, Rancho Alamitos 40

CIF-SS soccer “teams to watch”

That “other” football is ready to start, and the CIF-SS has released its list of “teams to watch,” which includes six soccer teams in the coverage area of The Tribune.

Girls