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If any local prep basketball teams have grand ideas of advancing deep into the postseason, now is the time for focus and consistency. With league play in the rear view mirror, all schools fortunate to qualify for CCS will be in survive-and-advance mode because it’s one loss and you’re out.
In the boys’ field, Woodside Priory (22-4) seized the top seed in Division V and will open Saturday at Santa Clara High against either No. 8 San Francisco Christian (14-9) or No. 9 St. Francis-Central Coast Catholic (12-14). The Panthers, who lost to No. 2 Bridgemont in last year’s Division V final, is coming off their second straight PSAL crown and have won 36 consecutive league games.
Sacred Heart Prep (16-8), which finished second in the PSAL, nabbed the No. 3 seed and will begin action Saturday at Santa Clara. The Gators’ opponent should be No. 6 Eastside Prep (17-10). Eastside Prep will host either No. 11 Kehillah (12-11) or No. 14 Pacific Collegiate (12-11) on Thurday at 5 p.m.
Pinewood (11-12) is seeded No. 5 and hosts either No. 12 S.C. Waldorf (10-8) or No. 13 York (9-6) on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Pinewood. Should Pinewood advance, it will face PSAL foe and No. 4 Valley Christian-Dublin (16-10) in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
In Division II, Menlo-Atherton (19-9), which placed second in the PAL South Division and lost in the Division II finals a season ago to Mitty, picked up an extra victory from one of Palo Alto’s 11 forfeits and likely benefited from Paly being excluded from the playoffs by getting the No. 3 seed. The Bears will begin play Saturday in the quarterfinals at Foothill College. M-A is coming off a 48-37 loss to Burlingame in the PAL Tournament finals Saturday at Burlingame.
Gunn (16-9) corralled the No. 4 seed in Division II and will open Saturday at Foothill College. A victory, however, will match the Titans with No. 1 Mitty in the semifinals on Tuesday.
Gunn is coming off a 50-26 loss to Paly last Friday. It was Gunn’s 10th straight loss to the Vikings. Palo Alto (5-19) got 16 and 15 points, respectively from seniors Mike Scott and Dom Powell in their final games.
Menlo School (20-7) nabbed the No. 2 seed in Division IV and opens Saturday at Hartnell College in Salinas. The Knights won the PAL South Division regular-season title, but were knocked out of the PAL Tournament last Friday by Burlingame, 46-34, in the semifinals. Menlo has two key players playing with injuries <0x2014> senior Max Frye (toe) and junior Alex Smith (knee).
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A few local teams are in the running for CCS honors, but the road to the finals and possible title won’t be easy.
Arguably the toughest division top to bottom is Division II, and that’s where Gunn and M-A will be fighting it out against difficult competition. The Titans (25-2), who finished second to Wilcox in the SCVAL De Anza Division, grabbed the No. 3 seed and begin play Saturday at Oak Grove High.
“We’re very satisfied and No. 3 is the exact seed we wanted,” Gunn coach Sarah Stapp said. “It’s a very tough bracket, and we’ll be ready to go.”
A victory on Saturday puts Gunn in the semifinals on Tuesday in a likely rematch against No. 2 Wilcox (21-3), which handed the Titans their two losses this season. Mitty (16-10) is the top seed but Wilcox may be the best team.
Menlo-Atherton (21-7) was co-champ of the PAL South and captured its first-ever PAL Tournament title last Saturday by beating Mills, 49-46. The Bears hold the No. 5 seed and host a second-round game Thursday at 7 p.m. A victory earns M-A a likely date with No. 4 Presentationn on Saturday.
Palo Alto (9-14), seeded No. 14 in Division II, opens at No. 11 Lynbrook (16-9) on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
The Division V field should produce an all-local section championship game. Eastside Prep (26-1) is the top seed and opens Saturday at St. Francis-CCC against No. 8 St. Lawrence (13-9) or No. 9 Anzar (13-7). The athletic Panthers have run opponents out of the gym all season and are favored with their superior team speed and lethal transition game.
Pinewood (17-10), winner of the Private Schools Athletic League and 10 consecutive CCS titles (including the past four in Division V), is the No. 2 seed and starts action on Saturday against either No. 7 Immaculate Conception (11-11) or No. 10 Kehillah (13-8) in Watsonville.
For the fifth straight season, Castilleja (18-5) is the No. 4 seed and opens play on Saturday in Watsonville. The Gators most likely will face No. 5 Sacred Heart Prep (11-15), which hosts No. 12 Liberty Baptist (10-8) on Thursday at 7 p.m.
“We’re a little disappointed. We thought we deserved the No. 3 seed,” said Castilleja coach Jez McIntosh, whose team had a tougher schedule than No. 3 St. Francis CCC. “We’re looking forward to CCS and we’ll have a good test.”
Should Castilleja and Eastside Prep both win Saturday, they’ll meet in the semifinals instead of the championship game. Thus, one excellent season will end short of the NorCal playoffs.
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