Bishop Amat and St. John Bosco meet in a top Southland playoff game

A look at this week’s top high school football playoff games:

La Puente Bishop Amat (10-2) vs. Bellflower St. John Bosco (12-0) at Cerritos College, 7 p.m.: Bishop Amat scored 61 points last week in a Pac-5 Division quarterfinal win over Westlake Village Oaks Christian. Running back Torreahno Sweet rushed for a school-record 380 yards. St. John Bosco’s much-improved defense has prepared for this moment. The pick: St. John Bosco.

Corona Centennial (12-0) vs. Santa Ana Mater Dei (10-2) at Santa Ana Stadium, 7:30 p.m.: Running back J.J. Taylor has scored 10 touchdowns in two playoff games. The Monarchs’ defense will need to slow him down. Mater Dei freshman quarterback J.T. Daniels has to face one of the best secondaries in the Southland. The pick: Centennial.

Los Angeles Dorsey (7-5) at Harbor City Narbonne (10-2), 7 p.m.: Dorsey will need to run the football effectively to have a chance against the top-seeded Gauchos in his City Section Division I semifinal. Freshman running back Charles Mincy Jr. has provided a big lift for the Dons. Narbonne is loaded with talent and experience. The Gauchos know that if they avoid turnovers, losing isn’t likely. The pick: Narbonne.

Arleta (12-0) at Los Angeles Crenshaw (8-4), 7 p.m.: Quarterback Daiyan Henley has led surging Crenshaw to lopsided playoff wins over Los Angeles Banning, 54-27, and Los Angeles Garfield, 54-19. Arleta’s physical offensive and defensive lines will be the biggest challenge for Crenshaw. Arleta’s defense will have to contain Crenshaw’s speed. The pick: Crenshaw.