Pairings were still to be determined but the CIF Southern Section released a list on Friday Feb. 12 of the 16 teams that will be playing in its own Open Division for boys and girls basketball this season.
Unlike previous seasons, teams that do not qualify for the semifinals in the CIFSS Open Division will not be bounced back to their enrollment-based divisions for the CIF Southern California regional/state playoffs. Last year, two of those teams on the boys side — Damien of La Verne in D3 and Sierra Canyon in D5 — won CIF state titles while one girls team — also Sierra Canyon — won the CIF state title in Division IV.
According to the CIFSS handbook for its playoffs, the breakdown of teams in its Open Division going on to the SoCal/state playoffs says first four (semifinalists) to Open Division (SoCal), next eight to Division I (SoCal) and then the final four (those that lose in first round and then consolation round) to Division II (SoCal). This year, it also will be possible for the CIF to choose a fifth Southern Section team for the SoCal Open Division. We expect that to happen for both boys and girls with the CIF Central Section not having a boys team in the SoCal Open Division and the CIF L.A. City Section not having a girls team in the SoCal Open Division.
Here are the 16 teams chosen on Friday for the CIFSS Open Division boys bracket (with state ranking & actual pairings to be done on Saturday):
Alemany (Mission Hills) No. 17
Bishop Montgomery (Torrance) No. 2
Cantwell-Sacred Heart (Montebello)
Centennial (Corona) No. 13
Chino Hills No. 1
Compton
Crespi (Encino) No. 11
Damien (La Verne)No. 10
Inglewood
Los Alamitos
Lutheran (Orange)
Mater Dei (Santa Ana) No. 4
Redondo Union (Redondo Beach) No. 7
Roosevelt (Eastvale)
Santa Margarita (Rancho SM)
Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) No. 3
Here are the 16 teams chosen on Friday for the CIFSS Open Division girls bracket (actual pairings to be done on Saturday):
Alemany (Mission Hills) No. 14
Brea Olinda (Brea) No. 6
Cajon (San Bernardino) No. 18
Chaminade (West Hills) No. 11
Etiwanda
Fairmont Prep (Anaheim)
Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood) No. 20
Long Beach Poly (Long Beach) No. 4
Mater Dei (Santa Ana) No. 5
Oaks Christian (Westlake Village)
Santa Barbara
Serra (Gardena)
Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) No. 15
Troy (Fullerton)
Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) No. 13
Windward (Los Angeles) No. 16
One Comment
Mark
Perhaps you can help me out with a question I have. Is that in this year’s SS Open, who will the 1st round consolation winners be playing in the consolation 2nd round: other consolation 1st round winners or championship 2nd round losers (or something else)?
It appears from the SS Open playoff dates that the consolation winners will be playing championship losers, however I haven’t been able to find any bracket construction for the SS Open other than the championship rounds, anywhere.
TinyTim