Westchester Gets Playoffs’ Top Spot

As expected, Westchester was seeded No. 1 in the City Section boys’ basketball playoffs. The Comets (17-3), ranked No. 1 in the Southland by The Times, will play host to 16th-seeded Lake Balboa Birmingham (14-10) in the first round Friday night at 7:30.

Coliseum League champion Fremont (19-2) was chosen No. 2 ahead of defending Division I state champion Fairfax (21-4), which finished second to Westchester in the Western League. Fremont will play host to 15th-seeded Sun Valley Poly (18-7) in the first round while Fairfax will play host to 14th-seeded Palisades (10-12), which it beat, 79-53, Friday in its league finale.

West Valley League co-champions Reseda Cleveland (19-6) and Woodland Hills Taft (21-4), the defending City champion, were seeded fourth and fifth, respectively, and could meet in the quarterfinals.

Also securing first-round home games were sixth-seeded Crenshaw (16-6), seventh-seeded Dorsey (18-6) and eighth-seeded Washington (16-8).

“I figured Westchester would be No. 1, but I thought we had a realistic shot at No. 2, especially when I saw that our league was rated the toughest in the City,” said Fremont Coach Sam Sullivan, who was on the selection committee.

West Valley League champion Chatsworth (21-4), was picked No. 1 in the girls’ City Section playoffs, followed by Marine League champion Harbor City Narbonne (17-8), Valley Mission League champion Sylmar (16-8) and Northern League champion Los Angeles (19-2). The Chancellors, ranked No. 24 in the Southland by The Times, play host to 16th-seeded Gardena (6-15) in the first round at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Steve Galluzzo

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Soccer

Marine League champion Washington and Valley Mission League champion San Fernando were seeded first and second, respectively, for the City Section boys’ soccer playoffs, which begin Friday.

Defending champion Canoga Park, the Sunset Six League champion, was seeded third and Eastern League champion Garfield was seeded fourth. The 32-team tournament is single elimination.

In the City Section girls’ pairings, defending champion El Camino Real was seeded first after winning the West Valley League.

Chatsworth, last season’s runner-up and this year’s West Valley runner-up, was seeded third behind Marine League champion Narbonne. Western League champion L.A. Hamilton was seeded fourth.

The girls’ tournament is double elimination, with first-round winners continuing in the Championship Division and losers moving to the Invitational Division.