For the first time since 2004, Riviera-Kaufer’s varsity football team secured the third and final District 32-2A playoff spot after the Seahawks beat Bishop 35-10 last Friday. Kaufer (5-5 overall, 2-3 district) faces Three Rivers at West Oso at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

Head Coach Arturo de la Rosa said his platoon succeeded on Friday by never turning their intensity down.

“There have been games this season where we only played good for one or two quarters and ended up losing,” De la Rosa said. “I’ll tell you what, the boys played four quarters of good football on Friday and I was very proud of them. We made some mistakes against Bishop but we corrected them and these kids did an excellent job.”

Wade Moore had a banner night at quarterback throwing touchdown passes to Brett Quackenbush, Justin Jimenez (twice) and Brad Jameson. Moore scored Kaufer’s last touchdown on a run. Kevin Jimenez kicked some of the extra points.

Despite a 2-3 league record, De la Rosa is confident his boys deserve their extended season.

“I firmly believe we are in the playoffs because we belong there,” he said. “During district, we played Santa Rosa and San Diego well but not for four quarters. To me we should have given them both better games and probably should have made the playoffs in second place.”

The Seahawks previously squared off against the Bulldogs in the 2009 season opener.

“We played Three Rivers in our first game of the season and lost to them 18-0,” De la Rosa said. “Right now they are a better team but we have also come a long way so I think we will be fine as long as we play good solid football.”

This season has been anything but easy or pretty for the Seahawks. More than anything else, they have been hampered by their own bad play.

When this team plays their D-game, they are beatable. When the waterbirds are on their A-game, they are like junk yard dogs ready to pounce on anyone who shows them even a sliver of fear.

I have said it before, this team was a joke five years ago - back when this season’s seniors and juniors were playing with power rangers in middle school.

Slowly and surely, this ship has become righted - even amidst some hometown squabbling; wink, wink. There are some things you can call the Seahawks, even now.

You can all them scrappy. You can call them overlooked and underestimated.

But while you’re at it, you also have to call them PLAYOFF CONTENDERS. Good job Seahawks.