Westchester is top-seeded in City Section Open Division boys’ basketball playoffs

Westchester received the No. 1 seed on Saturday for the City Section Open Division boys’ basketball playoffs that begin next Saturday, and parity might be the appropriate word to describe the eight-team field.

“The City is deeper than it’s been in a long time,” Westchester Coach Ed Azzam said.

Narbonne is seeded No. 2, Fairfax No. 3 and Dorsey No. 4. The key games in deciding the seedings were head-to-head matchups. Westchester defeated Narbonne; Narbonne defeated Fairfax; Dorsey defeated No. 5 Taft, all in nonleague games. Westchester and Fairfax split their league games.

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All eight teams earn automatic berths to the state playoffs.

First-round games: No. 8 El Camino Real at No. 1 Westchester; No. 5 Taft at No. 4 Dorsey; No. 6 Washington at No. 3 Fairfax; No. 7 Birmingham at No. 2 Narbonne. The championship game will be March 5 at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

In Open Division girls, Granada Hills was seeded No. 1 and will host Middle College on Friday. No. 5 Fairfax plays at No. 4 El Camino Real; No. 6 Carson is at No. 3 Palisades and No. 7 Taft is at No. 2 Legacy.

The Southern Section Open Division seedings were announced, and Santa Margarita was the lucky — or unlucky — winner of the chance to face No. 1-seeded Chino Hills (27-0) in an opening playoff game Friday night at Chino Hills.

No. 16-seeded Santa Margarita (17-9) finished in third place in the Trinity League. Coach Jeff Reinert knows the challenge ahead.

“I’m OK with it,” he said. “You can’t beat the best unless you play the best.”

As for Chino Hills, he said, “Its a show. They play a different game. We have to adjust. The bottom line is we have to take care of the ball.”

The winner will face either No. 9 Inglewood or No. 8 Alemany. Other opening games: No. 12 Compton at No. 5 Corona Centennial; No. 13 Cantwell-Sacred Heart at No. 4 Mater Dei; No. 14 Los Alamitos at No. 3 Sierra Canyon; No. 11 Eastvale Roosevelt at No. 6 Redondo; No. 10 Crespi at No. 7 Damien; No. 15 Orange Lutheran at No. 2 Bishop Montgomery.

The championship game will be March 5 at Honda Center.

Long Beach Poly was seeded No. 1 in the girls’ Open Division and will host Anaheim Fairmont Prep next Saturday. Other openers: No. 9 Fullerton Troy at No. 8 Alemany; No. 12 Gardena Serra at No. 5 Los Angeles Windward; No. 13 Studio City Harvard-Westlake at No. 4 Vista Murrieta; No. 14 Santa Barbara at No. 3 West Hills Chaminade; No. 11 Etiwanda at No. 6 Mater Dei; No. 10 Sierra Canyon at No. 7 Cajon; No. 15 Westlake Village Oaks Christian at No. 2 Brea Olinda.

Follow Eric Sondheimer on Twitter @LATSondheimer