STRETCH DRIVE

Beyond the first two rounds of the Southern Section boy’s basketball playoffs, there is little room to be confident about predictions except in Division II-AA, where Compton Dominguez seems to be a sure bet.

The brackets are filled with strong teams from Orange County, including top-seeded Mater Dei in Division I-A and Orange Lutheran in Division IV-A.

Expect a number of county teams to advance deep into the playoffs. Second-seeded Ocean View and Heritage Christian, third-seeded Corona del Mar and fourth-seeded El Toro are among those teams expected to have a big impact.

Here’s a breakdown of how county teams stack up in each division:

DIVISION I

AA: Fourth-seeded El Toro and Los Alamitos appear to be the only county teams capable of doing much damage in this bracket, but the Chargers should be a force. El Toro’s first major stumbling block may not come until the semifinals, where the Chargers would likely meet top-seeded Long Beach Poly. The Jackrabbits are so strong that Los Alamitos resembled a youth league team against them in a recent meeting, and it is safe to say that Poly would be a heavy favorite against El Toro as well.

A: This bracket is peppered with the county’s top teams. Mater Dei (26-2), Villa Park (24-2), Troy (24-2), Marina (23-3), El Dorado (23-3) and Woodbridge (18-8) all received first-round byes, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to have five of these teams in the quarterfinals. . . . Mater Dei has established itself as the best team in the county and should knock off any foe that stands in its way until meeting second-seeded Corona Centennial in the championship game. That game, if it came to fruition, would be a classic, pitting the Monarchs’ Jamal Sampson, Cedric Bozeman & Co. against former teammates Lance and Erik Soderberg, who transferred to Corona in January. Sampson is expected to be back for a full run in the playoffs after missing 11 of Mater Dei’s last 12 games with the flu.

DIVISION II

AA: Call the coaches and tell them it’s over. Seven-foot center Tyson Chandler and his Compton Dominguez Dons, ranked No. 1 in the country by USA Today, roll over anything in their path like a tornado. . . . The only county teams capable of providing a slight scare--Newport Harbor, Santa Margarita and Brea Olinda--are on the opposite side of the bracket and likely won’t even get an opportunity. . . . Brea is likely rooting for Newport Harbor to knock out would-be second-round opponent Cerritos Gahr in the first round. The Wildcats would probably rather take their chances with the Sailors than the Gladiators, who topped Brea last year in the playoffs after losing to the Wildcats three times in the regular season. Brea has already beaten Gahr twice this season and wouldn’t want the playoff hex to continue.

A: How big is the disparity between top-seeded Lakewood Artesia (25-2) and second-seeded Ocean View (25-2)? A Garden Grove League coach said he’d be surprised if the Seahawks came within 30 points of the Pioneers. Artesia, after all, has already blown out third-seeded Lakewood Mayfair this season. But Ocean View Coach Jim Harris isn’t looking ahead that far. Harris’ Seahawks could face pesky La Habra in the second round and dangerous Magnolia in the quarterfinals before even getting a shot at Mayfair, let alone Artesia. “In the playoffs, you overlook a team and you’re not in the playoffs anymore,” Harris said. “It would be awesome to be there [in the championship game against Artesia], but that’s a few weeks down the road.” . . . Poor Savanna. The Rebels (11-15) are Lehigh and Artesia is Georgetown in a first-round game Friday.

DIVISION III

AA: Third-seeded Corona del Mar probably will be the only county team alive after the first round unless Costa Mesa or Estancia pulls off an upset. The Sea Kings, who lost in last year’s championship game to West Hills Chaminade, could also be the last team standing in the bracket. To do so, they would likely have to defeat second-seeded San Dimas in a semifinal and top-seeded Torrance Bishop Montgomery in the title game. “It would be fun to get back there,” Coach Paul Orris said, “but we’ve got a few games to take care of before we think about that.” Corona del Mar has drawn a first-round bye and will play either Long Beach Cabrillo or Covina Northview in a second-round game Friday.

DIVISION IV

AA: Forget about the notion that Laguna Beach’s 7-17 record could help it sneak up on opponents. “Everyone will know what our record should be,” said Artist Coach Bret Fleming, whose team forfeited nine games for playing with transfer center Chris Manker. Manker was ineligible at the time but has since straightened out his situation and flattened opposing defenses. The presence of guard Travis Hanour also makes Laguna Beach perhaps the most dangerous sub.-500 team in the playoffs.The Artists needed to win their final four league games to gain the No. 3 entrance from the Pacific Coast League.

A: Orange Lutheran has at least two things going for it: the top seeding and the knowledge it won’t have to play Los Angeles Verbum Dei, which has knocked the Lancers out of the playoffs in each of the past two seasons. The Eagles were promoted to Division III-AA this season. Orange Lutheran Coach Shawn Cassidy also said his team seems to be peaking. “We’ve been getting better as the season’s gone along,” he said. “In the second half of the season, we’ve put it together and a lot of guys have been doing well for us.” Moreover, the Lancers will never be out of a game with sharp-shooting guard Jason Whieldon in the lineup. . . . Second-seeded Santa Monica Crossroads, which many thought deserved to be the top-seeded team, may be setting its sights on Orange Lutheran for a finals showdown.

DIVISION V

AA: St. Margaret’s has the most promising draw among the four county teams in the bracket. The Tartans host Los Angeles Pilibos, the No. 3 entrant from the Valley League, in the first round. . . . Fairmont (10-13) and Brethren Christian (10-16) should go the one-and-out route.

A: Look for freelance entrant Tarbut V’Torah to notch its first playoff victory in school history Wednesday over Maricopa (8-10). If luck is with the Lions, they could advance to the quarterfinals, where they would likely face Heritage Christian. . . . Orangewood Academy (12-9), the other county team in the bracket, will have a tougher go of it in the upper bracket, where top-seeded Los Angeles Price (25-1) should rule.