Marching Into the Madness

Twelve championships are to be won by girls’ basketball teams in the Southland over the next few weeks, but two of them are all but spoken for.

Harbor City Narbonne is the overwhelming favorite to win its first City 4-A championship and Brea Olinda is expected to win the Southern Section II-AA title.

First-round games for the City Section are Friday, the Southern Section today and Saturday. The City 4-A final will be played March 6 at the Sports Arena. The 3-A final is March 7 at Cal State Los Angeles.

Southern Section championship games will be played March 6 and 7 at the Pyramid in Long Beach.

Here is a division-by-division look at the tournaments:

CITY SECTION

4-A DIVISION: Narbonne (24-1), ranked second in the state behind Brea Olinda, has no peer in the City. Second-seeded Palisades, No. 3 North Hollywood and No. 4 Washington are contenders but will have to play their best game of the season to knock off the Lady Gauchos in the 16-team tournament.

3-A DIVISION: Fairfax, which finished 10-3 in the Coastal Conference, is the top-seeded team in this 16-team tournament. Northern Conference champion Eagle Rock (13-1) is No. 2, Southeastern Conference champion Bell (14-2) No. 3 and Northwest Valley Conference champion Granada Hills (11-2) No. 4.

SOUTHERN SECTION

DIVISION I-AA: Top-seeded Crescenta Valley (22-2) was the runner-up in I-A last season. The Falcons and UCLA-bound Michelle Greco will try to hold off the charge of No. 2 Palos Verdes Peninsula (23-3), No. 3 Chino Hills Ayala (20-6) and No. 4 Esperanza (16-9) in this 32-team tournament.

DIVISION I-A: Cerritos (20-2) breezed through the Mission Valley League and played Narbonne tough in an intersectional loss. The Dons are seeded No. 1, but they could face 1997 champion Ventura Buena (23-2) in the final if the 32-team tournament plays to form. Almont League champion Alhambra Keppel (25-3) is No. 3, Ivy League champion Riverside North (25-1) No. 4.

DIVISION II-AA: Brea Olinda (25-1), the top-ranked team in the state and the Division II-A champion last season, has moved up and is seeking its 10th consecutive section title. Suburban League champion Bellflower (23-3), Fullerton Troy (23-2) and Placentia El Dorado (22-3) are given the best chance of stopping the Ladycats’ streak.

DIVISION II-A: With Brea Olinda gone, this division is up for grabs. Del Rey League champion Bishop Amat (23-4) is the top-seeded team, followed by Moorpark (21-3) and Compton Dominguez (22-6).

DIVISION III-AA: Mission Hills Alemany (19-5) lost to Pasadena Muir in last year’s final, but the top-seeded Indians, led by senior guard Kelli Kobayashi, are favored to win the 16-team tournament this time around. Montview League champion La Puente (21-1), Fullerton Rosary (15-11) and Miramonte League champion Pomona (17-8) are given the best chance of preventing it.

DIVISION III-A: Harvard-Westlake (20-5), coached by Brian Taylor, a former American Basketball Assn. rookie of the year who played for the Philadelphia 76ers’ NBA championship team, is the top-seeded team in a 16-team tournament. Los Padres League champion Santa Ynez (20-4) is No. 2.

DIVISION IV-AA: Top-seeded Playa del Rey St. Bernard (22-4) is trying to repeat as champion in a 16-team tournament that also includes Olympic League champion Santa Ana Calvary Chapel (20-5).

DIVISION IV-A: Crossroads (22-2), a longtime power in boys’ basketball, is now a girls’ power as well. The Roadrunners are the top-seeded team and will try to hold off 1997 runner-up Cerritos Valley Christian (20-6).

DIVISION V-AA: Top-seeded Covina Western Christian (20-3) is trying to win its second consecutive title. Palos Verdes Chadwick (21-1) is No. 2, Lone Pine (20-1) No. 3 and Pilgrim (18-7), the V-A champion last year, is No. 4 in the 32-team tournament.

DIVISION V-A: Santa Maria Valley Christian lost to Pilgrim in the final last season. Now that Pilgrim is V-AA, the Lions are the top-seeded team in the 16-team tournament. Apple Valley Christian (17-4), Hemet Baptist Christian (16-5) and Camarillo Cornerstone Christian (17-6) also will contend for the title.