San Fernando Valley State Playoff Report
March 9, 2009
Jack Pollon
The region was well represented when the CIF released regional brackets for boys and girls basketball teams Sunday afternoon.
Twelve teams split between genders were included in regional pairings across five divisions scheduled to begin tonight and Tuesday.
Highlighting the action will be the 16-team Division I boys bracket which includes Taft of Woodland Hills and Cleveland of Reseda.
Despite losing to Westchester of Los Angeles in the City Section championship game on Friday, Taft was seeded No. 4 and hosts Southern Section Div. I-AA runner-up Ventura.
Taft would also host a second round game Tuesday if it were to win and managed to stay away from juggernauts Westhcester, Mater Dei of Santa Ana, Etiwanda and Fairfax of Los Angeles until a possible regional final on Saturday.
"I am not complaining at all," Taft coach Derrick Taylor said. "The CIF has created a super-division. It is not a tournament. It is a gauntlet. It is all about trying to survive. They could have sent us to Alaska for all I care. We would have gone up there and beaten up on Sarah Palin if we had to."
Cleveland has a tough match-up with top-seeded King of Riverside but might be able to surprise if the Wolves are still reveling in their upset of previously unbeaten and USA Today No. 1 Mater Dei in the Div. I-AA championship.
The seeding committe wasn't so kind to City Section Div. II champion Reseda after its 79-66 victory against University on Saturday.
The Regents host Liberty of Bakersfield tonight at 7 p.m. and if they win must play Tuesday at top-seeded Thousand Oaks.
"We are just happy to be in state right now," Reseda coach Keith Higgins said. "A good thing is we don't have to travel too far and if we play Thousand Oaks it will be a great game for the valley."
Chamiande was included in Div. IV and travels to Bakersfield Christian on Tuesday. The Eagles chances heavily depend on the availability of 6'10 forward Jules Montgomery. The Eagles almost pulled off a huge upset without Montgomery last Thursday in the IV-A section final against Price of Los Angeles but fell in overtime after trailing by 19 points in the second half.
"It's all up in the air right now," Chaminade coach Todd Wolfson said. "It is up to the doctors at this point. We'll see what happens."
Chatsworth and Taft girls teams play tonight in Division I.
The Chancellors host Clovis West, a team they beat last year in the same round.
Despite winning the City Section title on Friday and featuring one the best guard-forward duos in the state, Chatsworth would have to travel on Tuesday and Thursday if it keeps winning.
The Chacellors would have toget by Colony of Ontario Tuesday and then probabaly face top-seeded Cajon of San Bernardino.
Taft open at Stockdale of Bakersfield tonight at 7 p.m.
Harvard-Westlake of North Hollywood and Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks both were included in Div. IV after winning section championships last week and could face each other in an all-Mission league affair on Thursday at Harvard-Westlake if both win on Tuesday.
Harvard-Westlake should have no problems with Kingsburg in a game that starts at 6 p.m. because of a scheduled double-header with its boys team at 8 p.m. but Notre Dame drew a tough Mater Dei of Chula Vista team, sporting a glossy 26-3 record.
In Div. V, Bell-Jeff of Burbank is the top-seed and should have no problem advancing to Arco Arena in Sacramento for the state championship on March 21.
The Guards have won 30 games, dismantled Santa Clara of Oxnard by 30 points in the section final on Saturday and are playing with a purpose right now.
Bell-Jeff opens play on Tuesday, hosting Sierra Canyon of Chastworth, the likely winner in a game against Cuyama Valley of New Cuyama tonight.
STATE BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS.
SOUTHERN REGIONAL GAMES.
All games scheduled for 7 p.m. unless noted
BOYS
Divison I
Ventura at Taft of Woodland Hills, tonight
Cleveland of Reseda at King of Riverside, tonight
Division II
Liberty of Bakersfield at Reseda, tonight
Liberty/Reseda winner at Thousand Oaks, Tuesday
Division II
Hanford West at Harvard-Westlake of North Hollywood, Tuesday, 8 p.m.
Division IV
Chaminade of West Hills at Bakersfield Christian, tonight
GIRLS
Division I
Clovis West at Chatsworth, tonight
Taft at Stockdale of Bakersfield, tonight
Division IV
Kingsburg at Harvard-Westlake, Tuesday, 6 p.m.
Mater Dei of Chula Vista at Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, 7 p.m.
Division V
Cuyama Valley of New Cuyama at Sierra Canyon, tonight
Cuyama Valley/Sierra Canyon winner at Bell-Jeff, Tuesday