Snowplows Might Play Playoff Role

Frazier Mountain will host Crossroads on Saturday in a girls’ Division IV-A playoff opener, weather permitting.

Frazier Mountain, located off the Grapevine in Lebec, was snowed out of school on Tuesday and the Falcons haven’t been on the court since Thursday. Snow is forecast for their region late this week.

“We’ve got girls with four feet of snow in front of their houses right now,” Coach John Domke said. “I don’t even know yet if we’re going to practice [today].”

Overcoming obstacles is nothing new to Frazier Mountain (19-5), which has had its best season in the program’s six years.

Tina Campbell, Jennifer Mushett, Ashley Sondergren and Karol Jennings each average double-figures for a team that began with only six players and no junior varsity.

They added a seventh player, scorekeeper Shelby Castanon, after foul trouble forced the Falcons to finish a holiday tournament with only two players on the floor.

*

Playing a team for the third time has its advantages and disadvantages. Just ask Burroughs and Moorpark.

They split two games in December, Moorpark taking a 79-71 victory at the Rio Mesa tournament and Burroughs winning, 64-45, in a nonleague game at Burroughs.

“I was not happy,” Burroughs Coach Doug Nicol said. “Who wants to play a team three times? On one hand, it’s good because you don’t have to scour the land for videotapes, but on the other hand it’s exciting to play new teams in the playoffs.”

*

Saugus (20-5), co-champion of the Foothill League, got a reprieve from the Southern Section early this week and will have a bye in the first round of the girls’ Division I-A playoffs.

The Centurions were originally seeded as the Foothill’s second-place team, a mistake, and scheduled to host Mira Costa in an opener on Thursday. Saugus will host the winner of Thursday’s Edison-Santa Fe game on Saturday.

*

Notre Dame (13-13) rallied to tie Chaminade (18-5) for second place in the Mission League girls’ standings and won a coin toss to enter the Division III-AA playoffs as the league’s No. 2 representative.

Then the Knights drew Lompoc Cabrillo for the first round, with a likely matchup with defending state champion Torrance Bishop Montgomery, seeded No. 1, in the second round.

“I think [Chaminade] got the better draw,” Notre Dame Coach Jason Perez said. “I feel like we got shafted.”

*

Monroe’s Valley Mission League championship apparently made little impression on the City Section committee that determined the girls’ playoff pairings.

The Vikings, seeded No. 16, must play at defending national champion Narbonne in the first round.

El Camino Real (14-7) was left out of the Championship division.

The Conquistadores would have shared the West Valley League championship had they defeated Taft in a season finale and had several impressive nonleague victories, including a Thousand Oaks tournament victory over Foothill League co-champion Saugus (20-5).

El Camino Real lost to Taft, however, fell to third place in the West Valley and into the Invitational division, where it is seeded No. 1.