Brentwood is the only Westside football team to be selected for the CIF playoffs. But despite finishing in a three-way tie for the Alpha League championship, the Eagles will have to travel in the first round.
Brentwood will play at Bloomington Christian Friday night, November 17.
Because the CIF requires playoff games to be held at night, even if Brentwood is granted a home game anytime during the playoffs it must find an alternate site. The Brentwood field doesn’t have lights.
With various scenarios possible, everything went right for Brentwood on the field in the final regular season weekend. Brentwood defeated Campbell Hall, 27-0, then gained a share of first place when Whittier Christian defeated Maranatha.
However, a drawing was held to determine who would be the league’s No. 1 representative and Whittier Christian won. The method for deciding who would be Nos. two and three was head-to-head competition. Maranatha had defeated Brentwood, so it claimed No. 2.
The result was that Brentwood (6-4) has to travel to play the No. 2 seed from the San Joaquin League.
Brentwood has Mason Moss, the Alpha League’s No. 2 passer. And it has Manny Benton, the league’s No. 3 rusher.
After Brentwood had a poor running attack in its first few games, that situation changed dramatically and Benton gained more than 800 yards.
“Our offensive line improved a lot,” said Coach Patrick Brown.
With Santa Monica narrowly missing a playoff berth and St. Monica and Malibu struggling through difficult seasons it was left for Brentwood to represent the Westside in the CIF playoffs. Two other Westside teams, Venice and Palisades, are in the LA City playoffs.