Eleven Holds Up as Magic Number

The Southern Section had decreed before releasing its boys’ basketball playoff pairings Sunday that teams with at least 11 victories weren’t guaranteed entry into the postseason, sending coaches such as Esperanza’s John Cyrus scurrying to Cerritos Gahr High with a queasy feeling in their stomachs.

Cyrus’ Aztecs weren’t assured of a playoff berth because they had finished fourth in the Sunset League, and only the top three teams qualified automatically. Their overall record was 12-15.

But Cyrus was elated to find his team listed among those who received at-large entries in Division I-AAA.

He planned to call his players individually to give them the good news. “I’ll hear them scream,” Cyrus said, “and then hear their parents scream in the background.”

Turns out, there really was no reason to get excited.

Every team that finished with at least 11 victories and petitioned the section for a spot in the playoffs was accepted, said Paul Castillo, the section’s assistant commissioner in charge of basketball.

In Orange County, 14 of the 15 teams that were eligible submitted petitions and were granted entry.

Only El Modena, which finished fourth in the Century League and had an overall record of 11-16, failed to submit a petition. Coach Roger MacLachlin could not be reached for comment.

Of course, a number of county teams that received at-large entries, including Esperanza, may soon regret their decision to submit petitions. The Aztecs could face top-seeded Upland Friday in a first-round game if they get past Alta Loma in Wednesday’s wild-card game.

For his part, Cyrus was just happy to have another opponent on the schedule.

“It’s a good thing to get in, especially with one of the worst finishes in league I’ve had,” said Cyrus, whose team lost two of its last three games.

By contrast, Mater Dei, which will compete in Division I-A, won its last 12 games. The Monarchs (24-2), seeking their ninth section title in 10 years, were the only top-seeded county team besides El Toro (23-3), which plays in Division I-AA.

Santa Margarita (23-4) and Calvary Chapel (19-5) received No. 2 seeds in Division II-AA and Division IV-A, respectively.

Villa Park (21-4) is the third-seeded team in Division I-A.

Woodbridge, Ocean View and Orange Lutheran all received No. 4 seeds. The Warriors (21-4) play in Division I-A, the Seahawks (20-6) in Division II-A and the Lancers (12-11) in Division IV-AA.