The CIF-SS flag football playoff pairings were revealed Friday, and due to a misunderstanding about what league some desert teams were competing in, two of the desert's best teams were left out of the postseason.

Indio and Desert Hot Springs, arguably the desert's second and third best teams behind juggernaut Shadow Hills, will not be in the postseason due to confusion about their league affiliation brought to light mid-season by the CIF-SS.

It's a complicated series of events, but here is what happened:

In 2024, there was only enough desert teams (six) for one league, which was called the Desert Empire League, but included non-DEL teams like Indio and Desert Hot Springs. The Rajahs actually won the 2024 DEL title and made the CIF-SS postseason.

In 2025, the teams were operating under

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