The San Diego Section basketball playoffs have tipped off with a multitude of South County representation – 14 boys teams and 13 girls teams – to be exact.
The single elimination brackets include 16 seeded teams from Division I through Division V, plus a smattering a play-in games. The Open Division features the top eight teams in the section in both gender fields.
Four rounds of elimination play will be conducted in Division I through Division V leading up to respective divisional championship games.
Metro Conference teams appear to have earned their share of respect during the regular season and now it’s time to prove that in the playoffs.
The Mesa League San Ysidro Cougars (21-7) received the No. 7 among Open Division boys teams while the Mesa League runner-up Montgomery Aztecs (22-6) received the No. 1 seed among Division II boys teams. Additionally, the Otay Ranch Mustangs (15-11), the fourth-place team in the Mesa League standings, received the No. 2 seed among Division II boys teams.
Victory Christian Academy (18-10) helped lift up South County basketball prestige with the No. 2 seed among Division IV boys teams.
Among local girls squads, Mesa League champion Bonita Vista (17-10) received the No. 6 seed in the Open Division playoffs while Mesa League runner-up Otay Ranch (18-5) received the No. 2 seed among Division II teams.
South County was represented at the top of the Division IV seeding table with No. 1 Victory Christian Academy (14-11, 3-3 in Citrus League play) and No. 2 San Ysidro (17-6).
Likewise, Bayfront Charter (19-4, 8-0 in Patriot League play) received the No. 1 seed among Division V teams while Southwest (13-8) received the No. 2 seed in another instance of South County respect at the seeding meeting.
Boys brackets
San Ysidro, which finished 12-0 in league behind top scorers Martin Flores (21.3 points per game) and Sebastion Medina (20.4 ppg), will tip off Open Division play Friday at second-seeded San Marcos (22-5). Winners advance to next Wednesday’s semifinals, followed by the championship game Feb. 26 at Montgomery High School.
Both players were part of the Cougars’ magical 2021 Division 4-AA Southern California regional championship team.
St. Augustine (20-7) is the No. 1 seed in the division while Torrey Pines (22-5) is seeded third and Mission Hills (21-6) is seeded fourth. No. 5 La Costa Canyon (19-6), No. 6 Cathedral Catholic (19-9) and No. 8 Mission Bay (19-8) round out this year’s Elite Eight lineup.
The Division I playoffs feature two more Mesa League teams: seventh-seeded Mater Dei Catholic (15-11) and 12th-seeded Bonita Vista (8-19).
Joining Montgomery and Otay Ranch in the Division II bracket is No. 8 Eastlake (14-12). Both the Aztecs and Mustangs met play-in winners in Wednesday’s opening round with an eye to advance to Friday’s quarterfinals.
Olympian (1-11 in league, 10-18 overall)) met University City in a play-in game to the Division II bracket on Monday to further enrich the Mesa League’s contribution to this year’s playoff field.
Not to be overlooked, the South Bay League will be represented by four of its six teams in postseason play, including co-champions Southwest and Hilltop.
Hilltop (9-1 in league, 17-10 overall) received the No. 7 seed in the Division IV field while Southwest (9-1 in league, 17-11 overall) received the No. 8 seed on the opposite side of the bracket.
Hilltop forged a league co-championship with a clutch 59-45 win over the Raiders in last Friday’s regular season finale.
Castle Park (6-4 in league, 13-12 overall) received the No. 5 seed in Division V, pairing up against 12th-seeded Bayfront Charter (12-11) in Wednesday’s opening round while Sweetwater (4-6 in league, 8-16 overall) received the No. 15 seed in the Division III bracket.
Victory Christian Academy, located in the Rancho del Rey community, finished 6-0 in Citrus League play this season. The Knights were paced in regular season scoring by senior Vincent Signorelli (18.4 ppg) and Mekhi Sutton (16.2 ppg).
Ocean View Christian Academy (15-4) received the No. 6 seed in the Division V field after finishing 5-1 in Pioneer League play.
Girls brackets
Bonita Vista tips off quarterfinal play on Friday in a rematch of last year’s Open Division championship game at third-seeded Cathedral Catholic (21-4). La Jolla Country Day (21-2) is the top seed in the division.
Semifinals are slated for Feb. 23. The championship game is Feb. 26 at Montgomery High School.
Mater Dei Catholic (10-12) received the No. 9 seed in the Division I field while four Metro Conference teams were seeded in the Division II bracket: No. 2 Otay Ranch, No. 5 Eastlake (14-12), No. 8 Olympian (11-10) and No. 16 Chula Vista (4-15).
South Bay League champion Montgomery (9-2 in league, 16-7 overall) received the No. 9 seed among Division III teams.
Three other South Bay League teams earned playoff berths: league runner-up Southwest (9-3 in league), third place Sweetwater (6-3 in league) and fourth place San Ysidro (3-3 in league).
Victory Christian Academy, the Division V champion last spring, was among two South County teams admitted to the Division IV playoffs, joining No. 2 San Ysidro (17-6).
Bayfront Charter led a parade of four South County teams in the Division V field alongside No. 5 Ocean View Christian Academy (7-1in Pioneer League play, 12-4 overall), No. 2 Southwest and No. 6 Sweetwater (9-7).
Visit www.cifsds.org for updated playoff brackets.
