HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : They’re Putting on the Pads for a Last Chance at Glory : Southern Section: North Torrance doesn’t have to travel, but it could have trouble against first-round opponent Atascadero.

If North Torrance Coach Tony Uruburu had a choice, he probably wouldn’t have selected Atascadero to be the Saxons’ first-round opponent in the Southern Section Division IX football playoffs.

Unfortunately for Uruburu, he didn’t have a choice. North (5-5), the Pioneer League co-champion, will play host to the Greyhounds (9-1) at 7:30 Friday night.

“It’s a tough draw, but that’s the way it goes,” Uruburu said.

Atascadero was undefeated and the No. 1-ranked team in the Division IX media poll before losing its final game, 46-20, to Paso Robles. That created a three-way tie for first in the Los Padres League between Atascadero, Santa Ynez and Paso Robles. League tiebreaking procedures awarded the No. 1 playoff spot to Santa Ynez, with Paso Robles getting the second spot. That left the No. 3 spot, and a long bus ride, for the Greyhounds.

Atascadero Coach Larry Welsh wasn’t too concerned about starting the playoffs on the road.

“You have to beat everybody anyway,” Welsh said.

North, coming off a 21-14 loss to South Torrance, was never ranked in the Division IX top 10. The Saxons, whose nonleague opponents included La Mirada, Peninsula and Mira Costa (a combined 27-3), started the season 1-4 but won four consecutive Pioneer League games before the loss to South.

Uruburu thinks that the Saxons’ tough nonleague schedule has prepared his team to play Atascadero.

“We’ve already played teams like them,” Uruburu said. “But I’m not so sure that they have played teams like ours, with our speed and quickness.”

North hopes to take advantage of the running and passing abilities of quarterback Rocky Jackson, who has passed for 1,866 yards and 13 touchdowns. His top receivers are Ryan Delapina (39 receptions, 550 yards) and Warren Quach (30 receptions, 451 yards).

Atascadero runs a multiple offense featuring running back Jasch Janowicz, who has rushed for 1,428 yards and 16 TDs. Quarterback Andrew McCrory passes an average of 11 times a game, helping to keep the defense from overplaying the run.

Atascadero, which plays 22 starters, has a decided size advantage over the Saxons, who have several starters going both ways, including Jackson and running back-defensive back Lacy Watkins.

Here is a look at other Southern Section playoff games involving South Bay teams. All games start at 7:30 p.m. Friday unless otherwise indicated:

DIVISION III

Leuzinger (5-5) at Newbury Park (10-0)--Leuzinger, the third-place finisher in the Bay league, is faced with the challenge of stopping top-seeded Newbury Park and the record-setting passing duo of quarterback Keith Smith and wide receiver Leodes Van Buren. Smith has passed for 3,040 yards and 30 touchdowns. Van Buren has 80 receptions for 1,270 yards and 15 TDs. Leuzinger must rely on the quickness of quarterback Jason Simmons to elude the Panther pass rush and keep the ball away from the quick-striking Newbury Park offense. Leuzinger running back Don Williams, who rushed for 230 yards two weeks ago against Santa Monica, will need to have a big game.

Diamond Bar (7-2-1) vs. Peninsula (9-1) at Torrance--Fourth-seeded Peninsula will try to keep doing what it does best, run the ball. The Panthers will run tailback James Durroh behind their large offensive line and dare Diamond Bar to stop them. Quarterback Pete Krogh will attempt an occasional play-action pass to keep the defense honest. Diamond Bar, runner-up in the Sierra League, runs a balanced offense. Running backs Armon Hatcher and Tom Simmons both rushed for more than 900 yards. Diamond Bar Coach Terry Roche doesn’t think the Brahmas match up too well with Peninsula. “We’ll have to play the game of our lives,” he said.

Baldwin Park (6-3-1) at Hawthorne (9-1)--Hawthorne begins defense of its Division III title against a Baldwin Park team that finished fourth in the Sierra League. Second-seeded Hawthorne will feature their usual complement of speed and skill players. Quarterback Kenji Tatum runs an offense that can rush the ball with Eric Chaney (1,032 yards, 17 TDs) or pass to receiver Justin Stallings, who is almost fully recovered from a midseason knee injury. If the Cougars don’t turn the ball over, it could be a long night for Baldwin Park. The Braves favor a one-back offense that relies on quickness. Junior quarterback Eric Robles has passed for 1,606 yards and 14 TDs. Unfortunately for the smaller Baldwin Park, Hawthorne is big and quick.

DIVISION VII

Redondo (4-6) at Baldwin Park Sierra Vista (10-0)--Redondo Coach Chris Hyduke believes his team has a shot at upsetting the top-seeded Dons. “They’re a fine club, but they’re beatable,” Hyduke said. If the Sea Hawks are to stay close, they must get production from sophomore quarterback Doug Francis and their passing game. Sierra Vista, the Montview League champion, will play an eight-man defensive front and try to stop Redondo running back Bob Cracknell. The Redondo defense, which held Mira Costa to 10 points last week in a 10-7 loss, will be tested by a Sierra Vista offense that features sophomore running back Oscar Interiano, who has rushed for 1,454 yards and 14 TDs.

Pomona (4-6) at Mira Costa (9-1)--Pomona Coach Ken Williams doesn’t put much stock in nonleague games, so he wasn’t too worried when the Red Devils started the season 0-5. Pomona ended the season strong, finishing 4-1 and in second place behind top-seeded Sierra Vista in the Montview League. The Pomona offense features senior tailback Ken Green, who has rushed for 818 yards and eight TDs. Mira Costa should be able to physically dominate the smaller Red Devils. Fullback-nose guard Phil Fonua (6-2, 285) will challenge the Pomona linemen, many of whom weigh less than 175 pounds. Mira Costa tailback Ronnie Hand, who missed last week’s victory over Redondo with a hip pointer, may be back. Junior Dennis Hughes, who rushed for 114 yards last week, backs up Hand.

DIVISION VIII

Serra (6-3) at Bellflower (8-2)--The game is a rematch of a 1992 playoff opener won by Bellflower, 36-8. Bellflower, the second-place team in the Suburban League, favors a ground game featuring running backs Lou Porch and Mark Hays. The third-seeded Buccaneers will pass “as little as possible,” said Coach Ron VanderSluis. Serra enters the playoffs with a four-game win streak. The Cavaliers have been able to put their off-the-field problems, including the dismissal of Coach Kevin Crawley, behind them, and appear to be peaking. Serra features running back Rick Boyer, who has rushed for 702 yards and eight TDs and has averaged more than 11 yards a carry.

DIVISION IX

South Torrance (7-2-1) at Moorpark (8-1-1)--South, coming off a 21-14 victory over North Torrance, enters the playoffs with the best overall record of any Pioneer League team. If the Spartans are to extend their season, they will need to have production from running back Kapono Tumale and quarterback Mike Rosato. Tight end Evan Etheridge could be a key player. Rosato will try to find Etheridge on pass patterns over the middle. On defense, the Spartans will try to slow a Moorpark offense that relies on the run. South linebacker Andy Wang, the team’s leading tackler, and free safety Etheridge will be the key run-stoppers.

Ojai Nordhoff (7-3) at West Torrance (6-4)--Although West, the Pioneer League co-champion, is 1-4 at home, the Warriors are happy to avoid a long bus ride. The West pass offense, ineffective for much of the season, has shown improvement in the past two games. Junior quarterback Kirk Bolling passed for 166 yards and four touchdowns in last week’s 35-14 victory over Torrance. The Warriors will use different offensive schemes to try and take advantage of the speed of running back Tito Powell. The Warrior defense has been the team’s strength and will have to contend with a Nordhoff team that favors the run. Junior running back Josh Hawkins has rushed for 1,398 yards.

EIGHT-MAN LARGE DIVISION

Chadwick (7-1) vs. San Juan Capistrano St. Margaret’s (9-0), at Dana Hills High--Chadwick Coach Sid Grant expects a high-scoring game. The Dolphins hope to put points on the board with the passing duo of quarterback Ricco Washington and wide receiver Neil Thakur and the rushing of Scooter Atkins. Third-seeded St. Margaret’s will counter with an offense that favors option plays run by quarterback Bobby Masters.

South Bay Lutheran (6-1-1) at Pasadena Poly (5-4), Saturday, 1 p.m.--Although the game was originally scheduled for South Bay Lutheran’s home field at Mira Costa, the game was switched to Pasadena because of a problem in securing the Mira Costa field. The South Bay Lutheran offense features quarterback Ukege Agu, who has rushed for 822 yards, and running back Marshean Cox, who has rushed for 1,020 yards. Pasadena Poly relies on quarterback Cameron Murphy, a passing and running threat.

EIGHT-MAN SMALL DIVISION

Gateway Christian (8-1) vs. Lone Pine (5-5), 6 p.m. Friday--Gateway Christian, a 42-26 playoff winner over Christian Center Academy last week, must make a 4 1/2-hour bus trip to Lone Pine. Game-time temperature should be in the mid-30’s. Gateway, led by receiver Ben Holt and running back Eugene Francis, should be able to handle Lone Pine if the long ride doesn’t get to the Hawks.

South Bay Prep Football Top 10

Rank School Record Comment 1. Hawthorne 9-1 Opens defense of Division III title. 2. San Pedro 9-1 Favored to win another City 3-A title. 3. Peninsula 9-1 Loss to Hawthorne only blemish. 4. Carson 6-4 Needs to eliminate costly mistakes. 5. Mira Costa 9-1 Offense has been struggling lately. 6. Banning 5-5 Still looking for offensive consistency. 7. Leuzinger 5-5 Opens playoffs against 10-0 Newbury Park. 8. South Torrance 7-2-1 Starting to put it together. 9. North Torrance 5-5 Draws tough playoff foe in Atascadero. 10. West Torrance 6-4 Pass offense showing signs of improvement.