Some teams in this week’s CIF regional playoffs, such as the D3 No. 1 girls from Colfax, have had issues with the weather. The Falcons haven’t had to travel as a top seed, but they had to get down the hill last week to Sacramento for their CIF Sac-Joaquin Section title game. Photo: @AthleticsColfax / Twitter.com.
There also will be final divisional state rankings this season for the girls, but just like the boys we can’t get them started until the CIF does its divisional placements and then there’s not enough time to get them done until the first round of the regional playoffs begin. It’s a two-week sprint to the finish line as we head to the CIF state finals next week in Sacramento with No. 1 teams showing as Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth (Open), St. Mary’s of Stockton (D1), San Joaquin Memorial of Fresno (D2), Colfax (D3), San Domenico of San Anselmo (D4) and Fall River of McArthur (D5).
Note: We hope you enjoy this free post on CalHiSports.com. After these first rankings, next week’s update and then the final state rankings are available only to our Gold Club members as well as our state stat star of the week honor rolls. To check out getting a Gold Club membership to see all of those rankings plus all of our updated state record lists, totally authentic historical features, recruiting player ratings and more, CLICK HERE.
Note: These rankings are based on the usual factors of schedule strength, head-to-head wins and results from the first round of the regional playoffs. We can’t obviously do division rankings until after the CIF announces regional brackets since no one knows which divisions to put any of the teams in. We also like to do these rankings since the upcoming divisional all-state teams will be based on these same divisions.
(After games of Tuesday, Feb. 28)
*Season complete.
OPEN DIVISION
1. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) 30-0
2. La Jolla Country Day 29-3
3. Etiwanda 29-3
4. Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 28-3
5. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 26-2
6. Piedmont 27-0
7. Clovis West (Fresno) 30-1
8. Folsom 26-2
9. Salesian (Richmond) 25-4
10. Sage Hill (Newport Beach) 21-9
Notes: These are all 10 teams (five from north, five from south) in the Open Division. There will be just one play-in game and then the regional semifinals will be on Saturday. Sierra Canyon and Mitty played each other in last year’s state final, but Piedmont is higher seeded for being unbeaten and also having an early season head-to-head win over the Monarchs. Stanford-offered Morgan Cheli didn’t play in that game for Mitty due to injury and didn’t start playing until the last few games. To be honest, she wasn’t needed until now. Both Salesian and Sage Hill were state champions last year — Salesian in D1 and Sage Hill in D2.
Devin Miller has been one of the top players for Clovis for the last three seasons. She also has a 4.0 GPA. Photo: Twitter.com.
DIVISION I
1. St. Mary’s (Stockton) 24-9
2. Oakland Tech (Oakland) 26-5
3. San Ramon Valley (Danville) 27-4
4. Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 25-7
5. Carondelet (Concord) 22-5
6. Santiago (Corona) 21-7
7. Clovis 26-6
8. Pinewood (Los Altos Hills) 17-11
9. Lutheran (Orange) 24-7
10. Brentwood (Los Angeles) 28-6
11. Mt. Miguel (Spring Valley) 22-7
12. Acalanes (Lafayette) 21-7*
13. Antelope 26-4*
14. St. Joseph (Santa Maria) 26-4*
15. Chaminade (West Hills) 19-13
Bubble: Bishop Montgomery (Torrance) 20-10*, Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland) 20-8, Bonita Vista (Chula Vista) 19-9, FLintridge Prep (La Canada) 31-2, Granada Hills Charter (Granada Hills) 26-5, Hart (Newhall) 29-4, La Salle (Pasadena) 31-3, Mission Hills (San Marcos) 21-6, Monte Vista (Danville) 25-6, Ontario Christian 19-11*, Sacred Heart Cathedral (SF) 21-6*, Windward (Los Angeles) 19-10*.
Notes: Tuesday night was one of chaos in the southern part of the D1 state bracket as three of the four teams from the CIF Southern Section Open Division were all ousted. Santiago of Corona, which has consistently been ranked behind many of the top NorCal teams in the State TOP 25 this season, was the only one to win. The three that lost were Ontario Christian, Windward of Los Angeles and Bishop Montgomery of Torrance. With CIF only taking five teams for the Open Division in each region, that move seems to have benefited St. Mary’s of Stockton the most. The Rams didn’t lose by that much, 58-53, to Folsom in the Sac-Joaquin Section (which is in the Open Division) and they continue to be ranked ahead of NorCal Open team Salesian of Richmond and have a win over SoCal Open team Sage Hill. St. Mary’s won in its first-round regional game on Tuesday, 77-62, over Heritage of Brentwood and play Bishop O’Dowd next on Thursday. St. Mary’s also has a win over Oakland Tech, which is looking to win a D1 state title this year after winning it in D3 last season. If the NorCal Open Division had been seven teams this year, the Bulldogs would have been in it. They definitely look good enough to win it all in D1 despite the jump from D3.
DIVISION II
1. San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno) 20-9
2. La Salle (Pasadena) 31-3
3. Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 27-5
4. Pleasant Valley (Chico) 28-3
5. Monte Vista (Danville) 25-6
6. Bonita Vista (Chula Vista) 20-9
7. Leuzinger (Lawndale) 28-5
8. Central (Fresno) 18-12
9. Rancho Christian (Temecula) 26-6
10. Hart (Newhall) 28-4
Bubble: Christian Brothers (Sacramento) 30-3, Moreau Catholic (Hayward) 21-9, San Juan Hills (SJ Capistrano) 26-6, Whitney (Rocklin) 19-12*.
Notes: Since we do the State TOP 25 rankings before we do the divisionals, San Joaquin Memorial had to be No. 1 for D2 even though the Panthers started out as only the No. 11 seed for the NorCal D2 bracket. The Panthers have played as tough a schedule as anyone and they won on Tuesday on the road at Sac-Joaquin Section D2 champion Whitney of Rocklin. They also have wins over two SoCal D1 teams that pulled off big upsets on Tuesday — Brentwood of Los Angeles and Chaminade of West Hills. Some of the CIF Central Section seedings and team placements also have been questionable to say the least. SJM will have to hit the road again on Thursday for a tough matchup at Monte Vista of Danville. That could prove to be too tall of a task, but on this day when these rankings were compiled the Panthers are where they are. While we have SJM ahead of NorCal top seed Marin Catholic, we also have La Salle just in front of SoCal top seed Bonita Vista. The Lancers were in the D3 state final last season (lost to Oakland Tech). They won on Tuesday, 56-45, over Rancho Buena Vista of Vista.
DIVISION III
1. Colfax 31-2
2. Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga) 25-5
3. University (San Francisco) 25-4
4. Redondo Union (Redondo Beach) 18-12
5. Liberty (Bakersfield) 21-7
6. Chico 24-7
7. Branson (Ross) 19-12
8. Oak Park 21-11
9. Granada (Livermore) 18-13
10. Mark Keppel (Alhambra) 26-7
Bubble: Buena Park 25-7, Caruthers 25-7, Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 16-15, Rialto 283*, Tehachapi 26-3*.
Notes: There was a fear among those who follow Colfax closely that the team would be placed in D2 or higher since the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section D4 champions have a win over Whitney (won D2 section title) and one loss to Pleasant Valley of Chico. If PV had gotten to D1 (possible), then Colfax might, too. As it turned out, PV was D2 and Colfax was placed in D3. The Falcons won their first regional game closer than expected to be honest with a 49-44 triumph vs Christopher of Gilroy. The team in this division with the highest computer ranking is Los Osos. The Grizzlies are from the same league as national powerhouse Etiwanda and they have a win over CIFSS Open Division team Santiago. The SoCal top seed won its game on Tuesday, 78-50, over Bakersfield Christian. Its loss in the CIFSS playoffs was to D1 Flintridge Sacred Heart.
Junior guard Summer Jenkins of San Domenico was the 2022 D5 State Player of the Year.. Photo: Mark Tennis.
DIVISION IV
1. San Domenico (San Anselmo) 24-7
2. Shalhavet (Los Angeles) 22-2
3. Kimball (Tracy) 24-5
4. Menlo School (Atherton) 16-10
5. Campbell Hall (North Hollywood) 16-12
6. Valley Christian (San Jose) 14-13
7. Oceanside 21-7
8. Marysville 27-5
9. Silverado (Victorville) 21-3
10. Hamilton (Los Angeles) 21-9
Bubble: Hillsdale (San Mateo) 22-5, Menlo-Atherton (Atherton) 23-4*, Poly (Sun Valley) 24-5, Porterville 19-13, Summit Shasta (Daly City) 22-2.
Notes: The CIF had to know when doing its seedings that the team they were seeding No. 1 in the north in this division, San Domenico, had played and defeated the team they were going to seed No. 1 in the south, Shalhavet, in last year’s D5 state final. San Domenico won in its game Tuesday, 44-27, over Priory of Portola Valley. Shalhavet had a first-round bye. It’s also hard not thinking that Menlo School (recent D2 state champion) should be one of the top contenders in a D4 placement. The big upset in Tuesday’s games was NorCal No. 2 seed Arcata falling to Summit Shasta of Daly City, 52-36. Summit Shasta (22-2) plays Menlo next.
DIVISION V
1. Fall River (McAthur) 25-2
2. Valley Christian (Roseville) 26-3
3. Santa Cruz 23-7
4. San Pedro 22-8
5. Gahr (Cerritos) 26-7
6. Bret Harte (Altaville) 22-7
7. Washington (San Francisco) 14-5
8. St. Monica (Santa Monica) 23-4
9. Laguna Beach 23-10
10. Bishop Diego (Santa Barbara) 24-4
Bubble: Bishop Diego (Santa Barbara) 24-4, Marina (Huntington Beach) 18-15, Palo Verde Valley (Palo Verde) 21-9*, South Hills (Covina) 22-10, Vaughn (San Fernando) 20-5.
Notes: We do check the computer rankings of almost all of the top seeds in every division and what stands out about this group is that Fall River has a computer ranking more than 150 spots higher than any other team. So if the Bulldogs don’t get it done, does that mean the computer rankings are a joke? No, but it does show that they have limits. Fall River is known to be a school that has a hard time traveling and vice versa. Our guess is by this D5 placement (instead of D4) is that the CIF is looking to make it easier this time on the Bulldogs. They won in their first-round game, 75-22, over Big Valley Christian of Modesto. Schools representing two of our favorite places to visit, Santa Cruz and San Pedro, both look like they have teams capable of going far among this group.
*Indicates season complete
Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports
