Boys’ basketball: Bishop Montgomery receives No. 1 seed in Open Division
The Southern Section released the 16 teams selected to the Open Division basketball playoffs for boys on Friday. Let’s just say there shouldn’t be too many first-round routs.
That’s what distinguishes the Open Division from all others. The No. 1 seed could get knocked off by No. 16, as almost happened last season, when No. 1 Mater Dei barely held off No. 16 Cantwell-Sacred Heart.
Bishop Montgomery received the No. 1 seed over No. 2 Mater Dei. Sierra Canyon is No. 3 and Corona Centennial No. 4.
Thursday’s first-round games: No. 16 JW North at No. 1 Bishop Montgomery; No. 9 Cathedral at No. 8 Redondo; No. 12 Orange Lutheran at No. 5 Damien; No. 13 Alemany at No. 4 Corona Centennial; No. 14 St. John Bosco at No. 3 Sierra Canyon; No. 11 Cantwell-Sacred Heart at No. 6 Etiwanda; No. 10 Chino Hills at No. 7 Long Beach Poly; No. 15 Price at No. 2 Mater Dei.
North (24-1) and Bishop Montgomery (26-1) have each lost just one game. Bishop Montgomery lost to the team, Marin Catholic, that North defeated for the Mission Prep tournament championship. So in other words, Bishop Montgomery gets a second chance to be the Mission Prep tournament champion with a lot more at stake.
As for Bishop Montgomery getting the nod over Mater Dei, St. John Bosco Coach Derrick Taylor said, “That’s kind of shocking to me. I played both, but I think Mater Dei is the best team in Southern California.”
Taylor complimented the committee, saying they got “the seeds right” overall.
Teams perhaps breathing a sigh of relief in not getting selected were Maranatha, Renaissance, Sonora, La Mirada and Village Christian.
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