It's Football Friday! Heritage, Paloma Valley at Home in Playoffs

It's time for the CIF-SS football playoffs, and both Menifee high school teams are at home tonight for 7 p.m. playoff openers.

Sunbelt League champion Heritage (9-1), the second-seeded team in the Central Division, will play host to Arlington, an at-large team that was a surprise playoff entrant with a 3-7 overall record.

Heritage has won six straight games since its only loss of the season, a 43-40 nonleague loss at Great Oak. Patriots quarterback Brett Virgil has passed for 876 yards and 12 touchdowns and has rushed for 290 yards and 3 touchdowns -- including 68 yards rushing last Friday night in a 37-14 win over Elsinore.

Limihai Hifo leads Heritage rushers with 1,064 yards and 13 touchdowns. Isaiah Morrow (618 yards) and Sione Takitaki (543) add depth to the team's running game. Hifo and Takitaki are also leaders of a defense that includes defensive back Matt Palmer, who had two interceptions Friday night.

Paloma Valley (9-1), the Central Division's third-seeded team, will be at home tonight against Chino, which finished second in the Mt. Baldy League and is 5-5 overall.

Paloma wrapped up second place in league with a 42-6 win over Lakeside last Friday night while Heritage was beating Elsinore, which finished in third place. The Wildcats are led by senior quarterback Brent Boehm, who has passed for 1,815 yards and 26 touchdowns. His favorite receivers are Michael Valencia, who has 27 catches for 480 yards and 13 touchdowns, and RJ Benz, who has 34 catches for 446 yards and 6 TDs.

Sophomore Demarco Prewitt leads the Paloma ground game with 115 carries for 900 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Check the Menifee 24/7 website and Facebook page throughout the evening for score updates, then a complete game report tomorrow morning.