Two Los Angeles high school football teams, Gardena and Westchester, have secured spots in the CIF playoffs despite both finishing the regular season with 0-10 records. The teams will compete for the CIF Los Angeles City Section championship through at-large berths.
Gardena is scheduled to play Friday in a Division II home game against Jefferson, while Westchester will face Rancho Dominguez Prep in a Division III game. Their inclusion in the playoffs is due to the strength of schedule they faced during the regular season, according to multiple news outlets.
Gardena competes in the Marine League, which includes established programs like Carson, Narbonne, Banning, and San Pedro. Westchester plays in the Western League, facing teams such as Fairfax, Hamilton, Venice, University, and Palisades. During league play, both schools struggled significantly, with their defenses often allowing over 35 points per game. Westchester managed only one touchdown in league play against Hamilton, and Gardena's offense scored 32 points in a 47-32 loss to Narbonne.