Santa Fe Christian Vaults Into Open Division Playoffs to Face Carlsbad

Santa Fe Christian has vaulted into the elite four-team Open Division playoffs, securing the No. 4 seed and setting up a semifinal matchup against top-seeded Carlsbad on November 13, sandiegouniontribune.com reported.

The shakeup in the postseason bracket came after La Costa Canyon High School—which had stunned the projections two weeks earlier by upsetting top-ranked Carlsbad—lost to Torrey Pines on Friday. That defeat dropped the Mavericks from 76.79 to 76.13 in the MaxPreps ratings, opening the door for Santa Fe Christian to claim the final Open Division spot when the bracket was released Sunday.

The Road to the Open Division

For Santa Fe Christian, the trip to the top division caps a steady climb. In 2024, the Eagles were the 12th seed in Division 1. Last season, they captured the Division 2 championship by defeating Steele Canyon in the title game. This year, the team ran the table with a perfect 10-0 regular-season record, bringing their three-year tally to 32-3.

Granite Hills goes down to Helix in San Diego Section.Helix has 38-6 loss to Santa Fe Christian. Could little Santa Fe Christian now get into SD Open Division? Also beat Helix worse than Cathedral Catholic did. Really intrigued by how it all works out. https://t.co/TN7wn7BtpH

— https://x.com/CalHiSports/status/2116403172080337343

Yet questions regarding strength of schedule have followed the Eagles into the bracket. MaxPreps lists Santa Fe Christian’s strength of schedule at 29.9, trailing top-seeded Carlsbad at 45.0, Cathedral Catholic at 50.0, and Mission Hills at 47.7. Jon Wallace, the Santa Fe Christian coach, countered those figures by highlighting a tough schedule featuring New Orleans Newman (8-1), Los Angeles King/Drew (6-4), Westview (7-3), Steele Canyon (5-5), and Helix (8-2).

“I hope people appreciate what this group has been able to accomplish,” Wallace said, as reported by sandiegouniontribune.com. “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.”

Wallace added that the venue for the Open Division final remains flexible. The game is currently planned for Southwestern College, but could be relocated to Escondido High School if Southwestern hosts a JC football playoff game.

Bracket Realignments Across San Diego Sections

With Santa Fe Christian stepping up into the Open Division alongside Carlsbad, No. 2 Cathedral Catholic, and No. 3 Mission Hills, the rest of the San Diego Section brackets shifted accordingly. Cathedral Catholic has won four in a row, outscoring their 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.”

Helix takes over the No. 1 seed in the eight-team Division 1 bracket, which kicks off its games on November 13. La Costa Canyon is the No. 2 seed, followed by Oceanside and Granite Hills. Meanwhile, Lincoln (4-6) is the No. 6 seed and will travel to face third-seeded Oceanside.

“We’re a young team, so any chance to play another game … or more is a bonus,” Lincoln coach David Dunn said.

Lower divisions are also underway. Receiving first-round byes in the 12-team Division 2 are top seeds Del Norte, Poway, Point Loma, and St. Augustine. University City, San Pasqual, Steele Canyon, and San Diego hold the top-seeded positions in the 12-team Division 3. Valley Center, Maranatha Christian, Otay Ranch, and Bishop’s are the top seeds in Division 4. Morse leads the 12-team Division 5 field as the top seed, with Hoover, La Jolla Country Day, and Fallbrook rounding out the top group.