City to Refrain From Making Seedings Early

After the latest in a series of foul-ups that have dogged the City Section postseason selection process for years, City Commissioner Hal Harkness said Tuesday that his office no longer will draw playoff brackets in major sports until the regular season has been completed.

Harkness said the most recent playoff seeding blunder, involving the El Camino Real boys’ basketball team, prompted him to make the decision, which will apply to basketball, football and baseball. Previously, playoffs have been mapped out on the eve of the regular-season finale.

At that time, Harkness acknowledged, many league playoff berths have not been decided. The Southern Section draws its playoff brackets after the regular season is complete.

“I inherited this process and it needs to be revised,” Harkness said. “It invites chaos.”

Chaos accurately describes the scene at El Camino Real. Last week, Coach Neils Ludlow was told by the City athletics office that the Conquistadores were assured a 3-A Division at-large playoff berth if they beat San Fernando in the regular-season finale Friday. El Camino Real won the game. “The guys were all excited,” Ludlow said. “I got up the next morning and saw the pairings in the paper. We thought we were in.”

Monday afternoon, the pairings were overhauled and El Camino Real was sent packing. Verdugo Hills, which finished tied for second with Wilson in the Northeast League, was inserted in El Camino Real’s stead. El Camino Real placed third in the North Valley League.

Wilson did not send a representative to the seeding meeting, and consequently, the City was not aware that the potential for a second-place tie existed.

Harkness acknowledged that he wanted El Camino Real in the playoff field because the Conquistadores (13-9) are considered by many to be a title contender. However, after receiving feedback and mulling the decision, he changed his mind.

“When I reflected on where I was, I realized that I was out on a limb and sawing it off right in front of me,” Harkness said. “We have to take a second-place team over a third-place team.”

Along with Harkness’ vow to overhaul the timing of the seedings, the City might address other aspects of the process. When the 3-A playoff pairings were drawn, four at-large berths were available. Coaches at the seeding meeting were asked to rank the at-large teams from first through fourth. Narbonne was seeded ahead of El Camino Real.

Narbonne finished 2-8 and third in the Pacific League. The Pacific is one of two leagues in the Southern Pacific Conference, which includes highly regarded Crenshaw, Washington, Dorsey and Banning among its members.

“Record-wise, they don’t belong (in the playoffs),” Harkness said of Narbonne. “At 2-8, what are they doing there? Well, most of their losses were to superior teams.

“Is that a good enough reason (for inclusion)? That’s something we may want to look at.”