Mater Dei Opens with Crenshaw

It was difficult to tell the winners from the losers when the state CIF basketball pairings were announced Sunday.

Mater Dei, which won its ninth Southern Section boys’ title in the last 11 years by beating Simi Valley in the Division I-A title game Saturday, was seeded atop the state Division I Southern bracket.

But the Monarchs (32-1) were “rewarded” with a Wednesday home game at Ocean View High against Crenshaw (19-3), the Los Angeles City Section runner-up and a team that has given Mater Dei fits throughout state playoff history.

Southern Section girls’ Division II-A champion Laguna Hills (18-13) gets a home game Tuesday against perennial state Division II power Brea Olinda (25-6). The Ladycats, playing on two days’ rest, were upset in their bid for a 12th consecutive Southern Section title by Redondo Beach Redondo Union in the section’s II-AA final.

“I’m speechless,” a stunned Laguna Hills Coach Jim Martin said. “What can I tell you? I think Pacifica got a better draw than us.”

Pacifica (17-8), which lost to Laguna Hills in the II-A final, plays at Santee Santana (26-5) Tuesday.

In another surprise, Southern Section Division I-A runner-up Troy (27-4), which lost to Riverside North, faces the uphill task of playing at top-seeded Harbor City Narbonne Wednesday in the opening round of the girls’ Division I state regionals. Narbonne (30-0) is ranked No. 1 in the nation by USA Today. Troy was seeded seventh of eight teams, despite having one of the better records, percentage-wise, in the division.

Yet, despite being defeated soundly by Torrance Bishop Montgomery in the Southern Section Division III-AA title game, Rosary (22-10) landed a home game in the opening round of the state Division III regionals against San Diego University (20-8), the San Diego Section Division III runner-up.

In boys’ Division II: Brea Olinda, the Southern Section runner-up in Division II-AA, is at San Diego Division II champion Serra (23-4), and Ocean View (29-3), the Southern Section runner-up in Division II-A, is at Central Section Division II champion Bakersfield Foothill (19-12).

In state boys’ Division III, Corona del Mar (22-7) travels to meet San Diego County’s No. 1 team, San Diego University (24-6), the section Division III titlist featuring post player Chris Walton, son of former UCLA center Bill Walton.

In state boys’ Division IV, Southern Section Division IV-A runner-up Orange Lutheran (24-5) is at San Diego Section Division IV champion San Diego Horizon (21-6).

And Heritage Christian (24-5), which lost the Southern Section Division V-A championship game, makes the school’s first appearance in the state playoffs with a Division V opener at San Diego Division V champion La Jolla Country Day School (27-4).

In another state girls’ Division IV opener, Southern Section Division IV-A runner-up Calvary Chapel (18-8) is at San Diego Division V champion and top-seeded La Jolla The Bishop School (25-1).

The state is trying something different this season by holding the first two rounds of the Division I boys’ and girls’ playoffs on Wednesday and Friday. All other divisions open Tuesday, with semifinals slated for Thursday.

Game time in the first two rounds is 7:30 p.m.

They’ll all come together Saturday for Southern Regional championship games. Boys’ and girls’ finals in divisions I, II and III will be at the Great Western Forum. The Division IV and V boys’ and girls’ finals are scheduled at the Long Beach State Pyramid.

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PAIRINGS: Page 13