SOUTHERN SECTION GIRLS’ BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Woodbridge, Brea Olinda Are Given Top Seedings

To no one’s surprise, Woodbridge and Brea Olinda received the top-seeded positions in their divisions for the Southern Section playoffs, which begin Wednesday.

Woodbridge (25-1), the state’s top-ranked team, received a first-round bye in Division II-AA. The Warriors play the Santiago-Rosemead winner on Saturday.

Brea Olinda (24-2), four-time defending State champion, is No. 1 in Division II-A. The Ladycats also received a bye and play the Los Altos-Kennedy winner.

Woodbridge and Brea Olinda are among nine county teams seeded into five of the six largest enrollment divisions.

Other seeded teams include Mater Dei (second in Division I-A), Fountain Valley (third, I-A), Ocean View (fourth, II-AA), Edison (fourth, II-A), Newport Harbor (third, III-AA), La Habra (fourth, III-AA) and Costa Mesa (second, III-A).

Because a Southern Section wrestling meet is in conflict and prevents Norwalk John Glenn from being the host team, at-large Estancia will be at home for its first-round game against fourth-seeded Glenn in Division III-A.

Trabuco Hills (16-9) had more victories than 19 of the 31 Division II-AA teams, but failed to submit appropriate paperwork to the section office, said Commissioner Dean Crowley; Coach Howard Stephens says he submitted the paperwork to his athletic department Feb. 2, but it was lost in the shuffle. Despite finishing fourth in the South Coast League, the Mustangs were omitted from the playoffs. Fifth-place Capistrano Valley (11-14) was selected.

DIVISION I-AA

Defending champion: Lynwood.

Top teams: Diamond Bar (23-2), Long Beach Poly (21-4), Lynwood (18-5), Simi Valley (22-4).

Dark horse: Esperanza (17-8). Could a wild-card team win the section title? The Aztecs, toughened by the rigors of the Sunset League, could. They are the only team to beat Woodbridge, the No. 1 team in the state, and ended the season beating Fountain Valley.

Top players: Alecia Balich (Chino Hills Ayala), Tawnee Cooper (Simi Valley), Brandi Favre (Diamond Bar), Lindsay Foss (Esperanza), Jaime Gast (Diamond Bar), Velina Gibson (Santa Ana Valley), Shanna Humphries (Upland), Khristian Jackson (Lynwood), Tanisha Johnson (Lynwood), Reta Sula (Long Beach Jordan), Felecity Willis (Apple Valley).

Notes: Lynwood’s duo of Johnson and Jackson is tough. Johnson averages 20 points and five rebounds and Jackson averages 15 points. . . . The only two county teams--Esperanza and Santa Ana Valley--meet in the first round. The probable result will leave Falcon Coach Kevin Stipp plenty of time for his other task--coaching the Santa Ana Valley boys’ team. . . . Foss leads Esperanza in scoring at 11.8 per game. . . . Ayala’s Balich averages 21.1 points, 11.1 rebounds and has made 33.2% of her three-point attempts.

DIVISION I-A

Defending champion: Ventura Buena.

Top teams: Ventura Buena (20-2), Mater Dei (21-1), Fountain Valley (20-6), Perris (20-4).

Dark horse: Perris. It has the division’s top scorer, 6-foot-4 junior Maylana Martin, who is averaging 33 points and 18.3 rebounds. If Perris can get past a tough Chino team in the quarterfinals, watch out.

Top players: Nina Alexander (Century), Eboni Conley (Buena), Angela Darnell (Hemet), Sherilyn Frazier (Cerritos), Rhonda Gondringer (Mater Dei), Nicole Greathouse (Buena), Tanzenika Holmes (Santa Ana), Jennifer Ludwicki (Fountain Valley), Maylana Martin (Perris), Melody Peterson (Mater Dei), Nicole Strange (Fountain Valley).

Notes: Mater Dei suffered its only loss to Buena, 55-48, on Jan. 28. Buena also beat Mater Dei in last year’s section final, 50-41. The Monarchs can avenge both losses if both teams advance to the section final. . . . Fountain Valley might have the best draw. The Barons’ farthest possible road trip would be in the quarterfinals to play Cerritos, a team they defeated, 59-38, earlier this year. . . . Fountain Valley has won 15 of its last 16 games since losing to Mater Dei, 77-63, in a game it led with six minutes remaining. . . . Mater Dei’s Peterson is averaging 25.4 points and nine assists.

DIVISION III-AA

Defending champion: Brea Olinda (now in Division II-A).

Top teams: Newbury Park (23-1), Torrance Bishop Montgomery (20-4), Newport Harbor (20-5), La Habra (17-6).

Dark horse: La Habra is tough inside with Amy Lien (6-3) and Brooke Koehler (5-10), has a good backcourt and plenty of experience--the Highlanders start five seniors.

Top players: Mandy Clayton (Newport Harbor), Raven Coberg (La Verne Bonita), Jennie Gadd (Troy), Nadia Hoerner (Fullerton), Brooke Koehler (La Habra), Amy Lien (La Habra), Andrea Miller (Redondo Beach Redondo Union), Andrea Picchi (Magnolia), Adrienne Ratajczak (Western), Dinah Shah (Troy), Jann Thorpe (Newbury Park), Andree Verhulst (Newport Harbor), Julie Wastell (Newbury Park).

Notes: Newport Harbor lost to Brea Olinda in the Southern Section and regional final, and the Sailors are better this year. . . . They have an easy road to the semifinals, where they likely will meet Bishop Montgomery or Troy. . . . Should Western upset Troy in the first round, it could earn a rematch with Bishop Montgomery, which defeated Western, 80-36. . . . Newbury Park’s most impressive victory was over Mission Hills Alemany, 56-48. Alemany is ranked fourth in Division II. . . . Redondo Union, 12-0 in the Ocean League, is led by Leah Santa, who at 5 feet 1, averages 12.4 points and 6.8 rebounds.