Crenshaw Is the Top Gun in 4-A Basketball

Crenshaw High is the favorite to win both the boys’ and girls’ 4-A division basketball championships and both teams were selected as the top seeds in City Section playoff pairings announced Thursday.

The Cougars have a 21-2 overall record and were undefeated in the brutal Southern Pacific Conference. The Lady Cougars have a 19-2 overall and were also undefeated.

In the girls’ 3-A division, Jefferson (22-3) was top seeded, while Monroe (21-3) was the top-seeded team in the boys’ 3-A.

City Section officials said the playoffs probably will be held even if teachers strike Tuesday.

“If the strike happens, we will try to play the games,” Commissioner Hal Harkness said. “But I don’t see any reason to cross the picket lines if there’s a chance that people could get hurt. If there are problems, I’m washing out the playoffs.”

The pairings for three of the four divisions were decided Thursday by coaches. The girls’ 4-A pairings were tabled until Saturday because several league titles had not been decided. The playoffs start Wednesday.

BOYS’ 4-A

Upper bracket--Van Nuys (East Valley No. 2) at Crenshaw (Southern No. 1; Washington (Southern No. 2) at Manual Arts (Metro No. 1); Locke (Central No. 2) vs. Cleveland (West Valley No. 1); Chatsworth (West Valley No. 2) at Westchester (Western No. 1).

Lower bracket--Grant (at-large) at South Gate (Central 1); Fremont (Central No. 3) at Palisades (Metro No. 2); Dorsey (Southern No. 3) at Fairfax (Western No. 2); Taft (West Valley No. 3) at North Hollywood (East Valley No. 1).

Seedings: 1. Crenshaw, 2. North Hollywood, 3. South Gate; 4. Westchester.

BOYS’ 3-A

Upper bracket--El Camino Real or Wilson (at-large) at Monroe (Mid-Valley No. 1); Garfield (Eastern No. 2) at Birmingham (Mid-Valley No. 2); Verdugo Hills (Northwest No. 2) at San Fernando (North Valley No. 1); Reseda (North Valley No. 1) at Gardena (Pacific No. 2).

Lower bracket--Narbonne (at-large) at Franklin (Northeast No. 1); Marshall (Northeast No. 2) at Jefferson (Eastern No. 1); Bell (Eastern No. 3) at Lincoln (Northwest No. 1); Canoga Park (at-large) at Banning (Pacific No. 1).

Seedings: 1. Monroe, 2. Banning, 3. Franklin, 4. Gardena.

GIRLS’ 4-A

See Sports, Section C, for pairings.

GIRLS’ 3-A

Upper bracket--University (at large) at Jefferson (Central No. 1); Gardena (Pacific No. 2) at Sylmar (East Valley No. 2); Locke (at large) at Manual Arts (Metro No. 1); Birmingham (at large) at Taft (North Valley No. 1).

Lower bracket--Bell (at large) at Wilson (Northwest No. 1); Garfield (Central No. 2) at Monroe (East Valley No. 1); Lincoln (Northwest No. 2) at Chatsworth (North Valley No. 2); Hamilton (at large) at Narbonne (Pacific No. 1).

Seedings--1. Jefferson, 2. Narbonne, 3. Wilson, 4. Taft.