Playoff Picture Still Hazy

Crespi High Coach Paul Muff is hoping his team’s strange trend continues--for one more game. Period.

The Celts have defeated--and lost--to every team in the Del Rey League, with the exception of St. John Bosco, which Crespi visits at 7:30 tonight. A win by the Celts, who lost to the Braves, 60-50, in the first round, could force a playoff for third place in the Southern Section 5-A Division league.

“We’re alive for at least one more night,” Muff said. “And then, hopefully, one more.”

Crespi (13-11 overall) is tied for third with Bosco Tech at 5-6. Bosco Tech (10-13) visits last-place St. Francis (9-14, 3-8 in league play) tonight. Victories by Crespi and Bosco Tech would force a playoff Saturday at 7:30 p.m. A coin flip will determine the site.

Southern Section rules allow leagues to devise their own tiebreaking procedures. Crespi and Bosco Tech split two regular-season meetings and the Del Rey uses a one-game tiebreaker.

Playoff pairings will be announced Sunday. A look at Valley-area teams still in the playoff picture follows.

4-A Division: Westlake Coach Greg Hess calls the Marmonte League tiebreaker system the “Mathematical Magical Mystery Tour.” His team will play a large part in unraveling the picture, since Westlake, Thousand Oaks and Channel Islands all are fighting for two remaining playoff berths.

According to league representative Don Bathgate of Camarillo High, if Westlake (14-9, 6-5) defeats Newbury Park (6-15, 2-9) tonight, Westlake will finish second in the league behind Simi Valley.

If Westlake wins and Channel Islands (14-9, 6-5) loses tonight at Simi Valley (22-3, 11-0), Channel Islands falls into a tie for third with idle Thousand Oaks (8-12, 6-6). Channel Islands and Thousand Oaks would break the tie by using a point system based on the placement of all seven teams in the league standings.

If Channel Islands wins and Westlake loses, both move into a tie with Thousand Oaks and the point system again would be invoked.

Also impacting the league picture is tonight’s game between Royal (11-11, 4-7) and Camarillo (9-12, 4-7), which could affect the tiebreaker point totals. All games are at 7:30.

3-A Division: Burbank (14-8, 6-3) has clinched a playoff position in the Foothill League along with Alhambra (18-5, 8-1) and Schurr (17-4, 7-2). Burbank plays at Burroughs (9-13, 2-7) at 7:30 tonight.

No Valley-area team in the Golden League qualified.

2-A Division: Agoura (9-12, 3-4) could advance from the Frontier League with a win at Santa Clara at 7:30 tonight.

If Agoura loses, it falls into a tie with idle Nordhoff (3-5). Because the teams split two regular-season games and lost to the same league opponents, a playoff game Saturday would break the tie.

Calabasas (11-11, 5-2) secured a playoff berth by finishing second in the Frontier League.

1-A Division: L. A. Baptist (17-4, 9-1) and Montclair Prep (15-6, 9-1) have clinched playoff berths in the Alpha League. L. A. Baptist is the No. 1 playoff seed after winning a coin toss.

If Harvard and Chaminade both win their Santa Fe League games tonight as expected, they will play at 2 p.m. Saturday at Faith Baptist to decide third place. Harvard (10-9, 8-5) visits Pater Noster (1-18, 1-12), while Chaminade (13-9, 8-5) visits La Salle (3-16, 3-10). Both games are at 7:30.

Bell-Jeff (15-6, 11-2) could finish first in the league with a win against Cathedral (18-4, 12-1) at home at 7:30 tonight. Both teams have clinched playoff berths.

In the Tri-Valley League, Oak Park (12-11, 7-5) clinched third place behind St. Bonaventure and Santa Ynez by defeating Fillmore, 53-42, Wednesday.

In the Delphic League, Faith Baptist (16-5, 7-4) can lock up a playoff spot at 7:30 tonight with a win at home over Providence (1-18, 0-11).