Santa Fe Christian Secures Open Division Playoff Berth to Face Carlsbad
Santa Fe Christian has vaulted into the high-stakes Open Division playoffs, landing the No. 4 seed after a major change in postseason projections, sandiegouniontribune.com reported. The Eagles earned their spot after a regular season where they went a perfect 10-0, setting up a formidable semifinal matchup against top-seeded Carlsbad.
Two weeks prior, La Costa Canyon High School upended postseason expectations by upsetting then-top-ranked Carlsbad to crack the four-team Open Division. That momentum evaporated on a Friday night when the Mavericks fell to Torrey Pines. The loss dropped La Costa Canyon from 76.79 to 76.13 in the MaxPreps ratings, opening the door for Santa Fe Christian to claim the fourth seed when the official bracket was released Sunday.
Santa Fe Christian Travels to Carlsbad for Semifinals
The postseason path is set for mid-November. Santa Fe Christian will travel to Carlsbad on Nov. 13 for the Open Division semifinals. The victors of that night’s games will advance to play on Nov. 20 at a site yet to be determined. Meanwhile, the Open Division final is planned for Southwestern College, though organizers may shift the contest to Escondido High School if Southwestern hosts a junior college football playoff game.
I don’t care where we play if we get there; it’s who we play,
Santa Fe Christian coach Jon Wallace told sandiegouniontribune.com. It has been a very interesting last couple of seasons. Every year, we have taken a step up.
The program’s upward trajectory is visible in the numbers. Santa Fe Christian captured the Division 2 championship last season by defeating Steele Canyon in the title game, following a 2024 campaign where the Eagles entered Division 1 as the 12th seed. Over their last three seasons, the Eagles have compiled a 32-3 record.
Strength of Schedule Debates
Despite a flawless regular-season record, the primary criticism facing Santa Fe Christian centers on strength of schedule, which sits at 29.9 according to MaxPreps metrics. That figure trails the rest of the Open Division field; Carlsbad’s strength of schedule registers at 45.0, Cathedral Catholic checks in at 50.0, and Mission Hills stands at 47.7.
Coach Wallace challenged those perceptions, pointing directly to the team’s rigorous regular-season opponents, which included Helix, Steele Canyon, Westview, New Orleans Newman, and Los Angeles King/Drew. Those five programs finished with a combined regular-season strength that tested the Eagles well before Sunday’s bracket reveal.
Division II (11/6 @ 7:00 PM)(8) Holtville vs. (9) Ramona(5) Mater Dei Catholic vs. (12) Mount Miguel(6) El Camino vs. (11) Grossmont(7) Imperial vs. (10) Patrick HenryFirst-Round Byes: #1 Poway, #2 Del Norte, #3 St. Augustine, #4 Point Loma
I hope people appreciate what this group has been able to accomplish,
Wallace said. This is a talented, tough, gritty team, and we’ll give Carlsbad everything we have. It will be a tall order, a David-vs.-Goliath game. But God tells us to excel in all things. Certainly, that includes faith, family and school. But it includes football, too.
Other bracket mainstays are looking to make their own statements. Cathedral Catholic secured the No. 2 seed, backed by a four-game winning streak that saw them outscore opponents 174-38. We’re right where we should be,
Cathedral Catholic coach Sean Doyle told sandiegouniontribune.com. We’re an Open Division team. Now we need to prove it.
Mission Hills rounds out the top four as the No. 3 seed.
With Santa Fe Christian claiming the final Open Division spot, Helix takes the No. 1 seed in the eight-team Division 1 bracket, opening play on Nov. 13. La Costa Canyon shifts to the No. 2 seed in Division 1, followed by Oceanside and Granite Hills. Perennial power Lincoln enters the Division 1 bracket as the No. 6 seed, facing a road matchup against No. 3 Oceanside.
