Unbeaten Glendora Is Seeded First in 2-AA Basketball Playoffs

High school basketball playoffs began this week and, as expected, the unbeaten Glendora boys’ team was seeded first in the 2-AA Division.

The Tartans (26-0) play host to Ramona (3-19) Friday night as part of a playoff format that includes 327 teams competing for championships in 10 divisions.

The top three teams from each league automatically qualified for the playoffs. Leagues were also allowed to enter at-large teams if they were given a reasonable chance of being competitive.

Qualifying games were played Tuesday, with first-round games Friday.

Along with Glendora, the playoff field features six other San Gabriel Valley-area boys teams that won league championships, including:

Arroyo (Mission Valley), which plays a Division 1-A game Friday against the winner of a qualifying game between Pasadena and Loyola.

West Covina (Sierra) plays a Division 1-A game against the winner of a qualifying game between University and Huntington Beach.

Garey (Hacienda) plays Gahr in a Division 2-AA game.

Muir (Pacific) plays Compton in a Division 2-AA game.

Pomona (Montview) plays Ganesha in a Division 2-A game.

South Hills (Valle Vista) and San Dimas (Montview) received first-round byes in Division 3-A.

Getting a grip: The Southern Section wrestling championships began Wednesday, with eight San Gabriel Valley-area schools participating at eight sites. Results were not available at press time.

El Monte played host to a 4-A tournament and met Huntington Beach in the first round. Mission Valley League champion Arroyo traveled to Indio where the Knights met Westminster in a first-round match.

South Hills, the Valle Vista League champion, went against Victor Valley in a 3-A match at Ventura. Covina met Torrance at Torrance.

In 2-A matches, Angelus League champion Bishop Amat went against Buena Park at Etiwanda and Sierra league champion Nogales battled Saddleback at Temecula Valley.

Moving on: Jim Walker, who coached the Temple City High football team to three Rio Hondo League championships in the past four years, has left Temple City to become coach at Redlands High.

Walker, 35, replaces Dave Perkins at Redlands, which finished 3-7 last season.

Walker succeeded Don Swanson at Temple City and compiled a record of 40-18-2 in his five seasons with the Rams. He led Temple City to three Rio Hondo League championships in the past four years.

Walker’s move from Division II Temple City to Division I Redlands puts him in the Citrus Belt League, which includes perennial powers Fontana and Eisenhower.

The clincher: As expected, the Cal Poly Pomona women’s basketball team will play host to the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. postseason tournament Feb. 27-28. It will determine the conference’s representative for the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Pomona, ranked 16th in Division II, earned the host bid by clinching its 11th consecutive CCAA title last week with a 78-64 victory over Chapman and a 69-55 victory over Cal State San Bernardino. The victories improved the Broncos’ record to 20-5 overall and 11-0 in the CCAA.

Junior forward Carrie Stritenberg was named conference player of the week after scoring 53 points and grabbing 20 rebounds in the two victories. Stritenberg, who is averaging 16.2 points a game, joins Pomona forward Leslie Ellis and center Mildred Conston as Broncos who have been similarly honored this season.

Pomona concludes its regular season Saturday against Cal State Dominguez Hills (16-9, 8-2).