Eastlake, Otay Ranch, Montgomery, Bonita Vista qualify for boys lacrosse playoffs

Mesa League champion Eastlake received the No. 6 seed in the San Diego Section Division I boys lacrosse playoffs. The Titans are one of four Metro Conference teams to be invited to the section’s postseason championship tournament.

Eastlake joins three Metro rivals that will all compete in the Division II playoff field: Mesa League runner-up Otay Ranch received the No. 7 seed, South Bay League champion Montgomery received the No. 9 seed, while Bonita Vista received the No. 11 seed.

Eastlake (12-5) will host 11th-seeded Canyon Crest Academy (8-8) in Tuesday’s opening round. The winner of Tuesday’s game advances to play at third-seeded Scripps Ranch (12-4) in Friday’s Division I quarterfinals.

The Division I semifinals are scheduled May 17, followed by the division finals May 21 at Granite Hills High School.

Mt. Carmel (16-2) received the No. 1 seed in the Division I playoffs while Santa Fe Christian (13-3) received the No. 2 seed and Grossmont (15-7) received the No. 4 seed.

Eastlake finished 8-0 in Mesa League competition to win its fourth consecutive league title this season. The Titans did not meet Santa Fe Christian in regular season competition in 2016.

Freshman Jaxen Trinidad leads Eastlake in season scoring with 22 goals and 41 points – one point ahead of sophomore teammate Evan Farrage (33 goals, 40 points). Another underclassman, junior Matthew Stuber, finished third in team scoring with 26 goals and 36 points.

Otay Ranch finished second in the Mesa League standings with a 6-2 record. The Mustangs will host 10th-seeded Point Loma (11-6) in Wednesday’s opening round of the Division II playoffs, with the winner slated to advance to meet second-seeded St. Augustine (14-2) in the division quarterfinals on Saturday, May 14.

The Division II semifinals are scheduled May 18.

Point Loma finished in third place in the City Conference Central League and enters postseason play on the strength of a 16-6 non-league victory at Valhalla on May 5. Senior Alex Dillman leads the Pointers on the season in team scoring with 42 goals and 59 points while freshman Shad Bruce ranks second with 37 goals and 46 points.

Despite receiving the No. 9 seed, Montgomery will host San Diego (15-4) due to its status as a league champion. The teams did not meet in regular season competition.

The winner of Wednesday’s first round game advances to meet No. 1-seeded La Jolla (14-6) in Saturday’s division quarterfinals.

The Aztecs capped an undefeated 6-0 South Bay League campaign by defeating host Southwest, 11-6, on May 5. The league title is the second in three years for Montgomery, which is enjoying its best season in program history with an overall 21-1 record.

Junior Airik Ranjo leads the Aztecs in season scoring with 70 goals and 89 points, followed by senior Ivan Ruano with 21 goals and 71 points, senior Jacky Wang with 43 goals and 54 points, junior Alex Jaffe with 31 goals and 43 points and junior Jaime Casas with 21 goals and 31 points.

Ranjo had four goals and two assists in Montgomery’s league title-clinching win at Southwest while Casas chalked up four goals and one assists, Ruano collected three assists and Wang and Jaffe each contributed a goal and assist to the victorious effort.

Sophomore Amos Jaffe led the Aztecs defensively with 13 ground balls while Alex Jaffe had 10 ground balls. Sophomore goalkeeper Sebastian Salcedo made nine saves.

Bonita Vista finished the season with a 9-8 loss at Hilltop on May 5 to conclude regular season play with an overall 8-10 record, 3-5 in Mesa League play. The Barons enter postseason play with a two-game losing streak. Bonita Vista lost, 9-4, to visiting Otay Ranch on May 2.

The Barons will play at sixth-seeded El Camino (10-7) in Wednesday’s opening round. The winner advances to meet third-seeded Del Norte (10-8) in Saturday’s division quarterfinals.