Murrieta Valley climbs to No. 9, hosts Norco for playoff berth

Murrieta Valley hosts No. 4 Norco on Thursday, Oct. 29, in a game that will decide the Cougars' automatic playoff berth.

The Nighthawks (4-5) jumped three spots to No. 9 in IE Varsity's Oct. 26 rankings after beating crosstown rival Murrieta Mesa 20-7. Norco (6-3) held steady at No. 4. According to the rankings, published by Eric-Paul Johnson, Norco needs to beat Murrieta Valley to secure an automatic berth.

For the Nighthawks, a win would cap a late-season surge and strengthen their postseason case heading into CIF Southern Section selections.

Murrieta Valley was ranked No. 12 in the Oct. 19 rankings at 3-5 after a 28-20 win over crosstown rival Vista Murrieta. That result kept the Nighthawks in place. It was the 20-7 victory over Mesa that vaulted them back into the top 10.

Murrieta Mesa draws No. 1 Centennial

The Rams (3-6) dropped one spot to No. 10 after the loss to Murrieta Valley. They close their first season in the Big West Conference-North Division on Thursday against No. 1 Centennial (6-3).

Centennial clinched the Big West-North title by beating Chaparral 41-27, according to the Oct. 26 rankings. The Huskies have held the top spot in the IE Varsity poll in both the Oct. 19 and Oct. 26 editions.

Vista Murrieta needs a win over Chaparral

Vista Murrieta (2-7) held at No. 19 and hosts No. 2 Chaparral (5-4) on Thursday. The rankings state the Broncos need a win to have any chance at making the playoffs. The exact conditions beyond a victory are unclear.

Chaparral already secured a playoff berth despite its loss to Centennial, according to the rankings. The Pumas enter the regular-season finale with their postseason spot locked up.