Taft Boys Behind the 8-Ball in Seedings

The road to success in the City Section boys’ basketball playoffs has always been a difficult path for San Fernando Valley teams.

Little success in recent postseason play has led to lower seedings each successive season for league champions.

This year is more of the same. Taft High barely squeaked into the top eight teams seeded in the 4-A Division by the City Section on Saturday.

The Toreadors, West Valley League champions, will host Palisades in a first-round game Friday night. With a victory, Taft probably will face top-seeded Westchester in the quarterfinals.

“I’m not happy, but I talked to the team before this and the most important thing is the home game,” Taft Coach Mark Drucker said. “If it happens we have to play Westchester, we’ll deal with it.”

North Hollywood tied Grant for the East Valley League title but the Huskies were seeded higher because of a better league record. The committee showed little respect for the Valley Pac-8 Conference--the Huskies are seeded 12th in the 16-team field. North Hollywood will play Los Angeles at home because first-place teams are guaranteed a first-round home game.

Grant will play fourth-seeded Crenshaw, five-time defending champion.

North Hollywood and Grant fared better in the girls’ 4-A bracket. Tied for first in the Mid-Valley League, North Hollywood won a coin flip with the Lancers and is seeded third. Grant is fifth and will play Westchester.

“Beating North Hollywood once really helped a lot,” Grant Coach Steve Brumwell said. “We’re usually second in the league and 14, 15 or 16 in the seeding.”

San Fernando is top-seeded in the boys’ 3-A draw and will play Venice, winless in the Coastal Conference.

North Valley League rival Birmingham, seeded fourth, could meet San Fernando in the semifinals.

“The most important thing is the two home games,” Birmingham Coach Al Bennett said. “I’ll take a chance against San Fernando on a neutral court.”

Granada Hills is the highest-seeded Valley team in the girls’ 3-A bracket. The Highlanders, champions of the North Valley League, are seeded fourth and will host Huntington Park.

The 4-A finals are March 6 at the Sports Arena and the 3-A finals are March 7 at Cal State Los Angeles.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

CITY SECTION BASKETBALL PAIRINGS

3-A DIVISION GIRLS

(1) Fairfax* vs. (16) Wilson

(8) Gardena* vs. (9) Birmingham

(5) Franklin vs. (12) Poly*

(4) Granada Hills* vs. (13) Huntington Park

(3) Bell* vs. (14) University

(6) Bravo* vs. (11) Marshall

(7) South Gate* vs. (10) Hamilton

(2) Eagle Rock* vs. (15) Slymar

3-A DIVISION BOYS

(1) San Fernando* vs. (16) Venice

(8) Mid-City* vs. (9) San Pedro

(5) Marshall* vs. (12) Bell

(4) Birmingham* vs. (13) Jordan

(3) Hamilton* vs (14) Reseda

(6) Garfield* vs. (11) University

(7) Sylmar* vs. (10) Franklin

(2) Narbonne* vs. (15) Poly

4-A DIVISION GIRLS

(1) Narbonne* vs. (16) Fremont

(8) El Camino Real* vs. (9) Banning

(5) Grant* vs. (12) Westchester

(4) Washington* vs. (13) Taft

(3) N. Hollywood* vs. (14) Locke

(6) Garfield* vs. (11) Dorsey

(7) Crenshaw* vs. (10) Venice

(2) Palisades* vs. (15) Carson

4-A DIVISION BOYS

(1) Westchester* vs. (16) Locke

(8) Taft* vs. (9) Palisades

(5) Los Angeles vs. (12) N. Hollywood*

(4) Crenshaw* vs. (13) Grant

(3) Washington* vs. (14) Chatsworth

(6) Manuel Arts* vs. (11) Cleveland

(7) Carson* vs. (10) Fairfax

(2) Fremont* vs. (15) Gardena

()=Seeds

*Home Team