2016-17: And Then There Were 8 as Regionals Reach Semifinals
The Southern California regional of the state playoffs reached the semifinal round after San Diego Section teams qualified eight of the 17 teams it sent to the weekend quarterfinals.
All local boys and girls teams except Helix will be on the road Tuesday night. The Highlanders (29-5), seeded No. 2 in Boys’ Division IV, play host to 3 seed Carson (23-6) of the Los Angeles City Section.
Beginning with Open Division 6 seed St. Augustine (28-4), a scrappy, 88-81 winner over nationally regarded and Southern California third-ranked Chatsworth Sierra Canyon, all section teams except Helix will be in against favored clubs.
The Saints will try for the third time at No. 2 Santa Ana Mater Dei (32-2), having lost to the Monarchs, 86-62, in the Diablo Inferno at Mission Viejo on Dec. 3 and 74-62 at the Nike Extravaganza Feb. 4 at Mater Dei.
If there is a potential Cinderella, the D-IV Orange Glen Patriots are the top candidate at this juncture.
The 14 seed from east Escondido visits No. 2 Villa Park. The Patriots are the South’s lowest ranked squad still alive in boys or girls.
The lowest overall seed in the state still playing is Santa Rosa Cardinal Newman, a No. 15 in the Northern California D-II regional. Eastlake, a 12 seed in D-V and not in the box below, visits No. 1 Riverside Notre Dame.
Helix, should it defeat Carson, would take on the winner of No. 1 Burbank (25-9) and No. 5 Reedley Immanuel (22-8) on Saturday, March 18, at 6 p.m. If Burbank wins, the Bulldogs would host. If Immanuel wins, Helix would host.
GIRLS SEMIFINALS LOADED
The Bishop’s (30-3), seeded fifth in the Open, will make the South regional’s longest trip, 368 miles, to face No. 1-ranked Clovis East (31-2).
Mission Hills (31-2), seeded third in the Open, revisits 2 seed Long Beach Poly, which sent the Grizzlies home with a 58-41 loss in the first round of the 2015 regional.
The four Girls’ opponents are ranked 2, 1, 2, and 1. One of those top-ranked squads is No. 2 Camarillo, which represents a 175-mile trip for No. 6 Serra.
BOYS
| Division | Team | Opponent |
| Open | 6 St. Augustine (28-4) | @2 Santa Ana Mater Dei (32-2) |
| III | 14 Orange Glen (23-9) | @2 Villa Park, 25-6 |
| IV | 2 Helix (29-5) | 3 Carson (23-6) |
GIRLS
| Division | Team | Opponent |
| Open | 3 Mission Hills (30-2) | @ 2 Long Beach Poly (25-3) |
| 5 The Bishop’s (30-3) | @1 Clovis West (31-2) | |
| III | 6 Serra (22-10) | @2 Camarillo (30-3) |
| IV | 4 Rancho Bernardo (23-6) | @1 Rancho Cucamonga Los Osos (25-3) |