Prep notes: CIF to consider bowl extension

The California Interscholastic Federation will consider continuing the state championship football bowl games past this season and expanding the format from three to five divisions.

Sac-Joaquin Section assistant commissioner John Williams said the CIF Federation Council made the recommendation, which is subject to a vote by the CIF's 10 sections in either January or May of next year.

"Whether it passes or not, I don't know," Williams said. "Obviously, each section will vote for what is in its best interest.

"But most people agree that if it is going to continue, it must do so with a five-division format that mirrors what we have in basketball."

The Dec. 15 event at the Home Depot Center in Carson will end a two-year pilot program. The games netted the CIF $133,000 last year.

Expanding the format would give more teams from the Sac-Joaquin Section a better chance at participating. It would especially help those schools slotted in Division I with perennial national and state power De La Salle of Concord, currently ranked No. 1 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports.

"I think it's a move in the right direction," said Granite Bay coach Ernie Cooper, whose team beat Del Oro 49-14 in the D-II section title game but is bowl-eligible in D-I because of school size.

"Under the current system, a lot of schools feel they will never have a shot at playing in the bowl games as long as De La Salle is there. So I recommend that we have a playoff system that gives us a chance at playing De La Salle head to head or opening things up so we get an opportunity to play some of the other great programs in the state."

While some say Sac-Joaquin Section schools have little chance of participating, Williams disagrees.

"If St. Mary's defeats Napa in the D-I section game, it appears they would have a good chance of getting selected for the D-II (state game)," Williams said. "If Napa wins, then we will consider Granite Bay and Napa for the D-I game. It's unlikely they would get selected if De La Salle wins out.

"But people need to keep this in mind. If we continue to play the bowl games, then schools from the Sac-Joaquin Section will eventually play in them. It's just a matter of time."

Granite Bay and Napa climbed to 16th and 17th, respectively, in Cal-Hi Sports' latest state Top 25 poll. The Grizzles were ranked 23rd and the Indians 20th last week.

USC's Carroll comes to town – USC football coach Pete Carroll was in Elk Grove to visit Pleasant Grove High School defensive lineman Armond Armstead on Wednesday.

Carroll, who guided the Trojans to the Pacific-10 Conference title and a berth in the Rose Bowl against Illinois, visited Armstead at school and at his Elk Grove home.

Armstead, who helped lead Pleasant Grove to the school's first Delta River League title and a berth in the D-I section quarterfinals, verbally committed to USC in August.

The 6-foot-6, 284-pound Armstead is considered the ninth-best recruit in California by Cal-Hi Sports. The All-Metro MVP candidate led his team in tackles with 77.

Holiday tournaments – Three teams in The Bee's preseason Top 20 girls basketball poll, including No. 4 Nevada Union, will participate in the eight-team Dorothy Speck Memorial Basketball Tournament today through Saturday at Davis High School.

Chico will play Highlands at 3:30 p.m., Nevada Union meets Vanden at 5 p.m., No. 8 McClatchy takes on No. 15 Folsom at 6:30 p.m., and Vacaville plays Davis at 8 p.m.

The winners' and losers' bracket semifinals will be played Friday, and the championship, third-place, consolation and seventh-place games will be played Saturday.

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• Call The Bee's Quwan Spears, (916) 326-5517.