LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA – In a light-hearted atmosphere at the CIF football luncheon, Mark Carson, the head coach of Rio Hondo Prep, expressed excitement about his team’s upcoming matchup against Warren High. The two schools will face off in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 final on Friday at Arcadia High School. A notable aspect of this game is the stark difference in enrollment between the two teams: Rio Hondo Prep has just 120 students, including 71 boys, while Warren High boasts a staggering total of 3,635 students.
While many coaches might complain about such a significant enrollment gap, Coach Carson took it all in stride, humorously pointing out the small size of his team. “See those seven guys at the table over there? … That’s about 10% of the boys in our school,” he joked. He also noted that this might be the largest enrollment gap in CIF finals history.
Rio Hondo Prep enters the game with an impressive record of 10-1, coming off a championship win last year in Division 9, where they triumphed over Santa Monica in a close match. In contrast, Warren High comes into the game with a 6-7 record, but they have shown strength throughout the playoffs, defeating teams like Palm Desert and Yucaipa. Warren Coach Adam Leonard acknowledged the challenges that come with being a public school versus a private institution, but he also praised his team’s ability to adapt and overcome the challenges they faced earlier in the season.
The two teams find themselves matched in the same division due to a playoff system called competitive equity. This system considers teams’ performances and creates a fair matchup based on their current capabilities. Carson emphasized that nearly every school they play has a larger enrollment, but they continue to focus on their own strengths and strategies.
As the game approaches, excitement is building around the possibility that Rio Hondo Prep could claim its 16th CIF title. Both teams are readying their best strategies, and this unique matchup promises to provide an intriguing clash of sizes and skills on the field.
