Unbeaten and 29-0 Torrey Pines continued its march toward a place where no San Diego Section boys team has gone, winning a championship in the largest division in Southern California (the 1935-36 San Diego High team won the Southern Section title but had a loss in a 15-1 season; the 1944-45 Hoover team won the recognized Beverly Hills tournament when there were no Southern Section playoffs but had a loss in a 16-1 season).
There will be no state championship game this season but to run the table coach John Olive Falcons must win two games this week in the Southern California tournament. Torrey Pines is the No. 1 seed in the Open Division and has a first-round (quarterfinals) bye.
All eight San Diego Section Open Division playoff squads are eligible.
With its 63-60 victory over Cathedral in the San Diego Section Open Division final, on Nick Herrmann’s long three-pointer at the buzzer, the Falcons became only the fifth area team to complete a regular season and the San Diego Section playoffs undefeated.
WELCOME TO THE CLUB
The Falcons joined Mount Miguel, 32-0 in 1967-68, Helix, 33-0 in 1969-70, Kearny, 32-0 in 1973-74, and St. Augustine 28-0 in 2004-05. Two other teams, Hoover, 24-0 in 1959-60; and La Jolla, 26-0 in 1963-64, were unbeaten in the regular season but lost in the playoffs, Hoover in the Southern Section semifinals to Anaheim, 39-34, and La Jolla in the San Diego Section championship, 76-56 to Helix.
Only St. Augustine went beyond the San Diego Section championship, but lost in the state final to Santa Cruz, 67-56, and finished 31-1. Mount Miguel, Helix, and Kearny were in the era before state playoffs began in 1982-83.
SAGE CREEK OVERCOMES SEED
Sage Creek, in business since 2013 in east Carlsbad, won its first championship in one of the “major” sports and it was accomplished the hard way.
The Bobcats, 10-11 in the regular season and a No. 7 seed in Division III, won out in the postseason, defeating 10 seed Mt. Carmel, 72-56, and then topping No 2 El Centro Central, 77-55, No. 6 San Dieguito, 58-46, and No. 4 Hoover, 55-54.
Of the 77 boys post-season games in five divisions, the underdog or less favorable seed won 16 times, 20.8 percent.
Playoff scores, with “upsets” or “surprises” noted in bold:
OPEN DIVISION
QUARTERFINALS
- 8 Carlsbad (13-9) 48, @1 Torrey Pines 70
- 5 St. Augustine 71, @4 Santa Fe Christian (17-4) 65
- 6 El Camino (24-5) 45, @3 San Marcos 58
- 7 Mission Hills (16-8) 37, @2 Cathedral 52
SEMIFINALS
- 5 St. Augustine (14-6) 59, @1 Torrey Pines 84
- 3 San Marcos (25-1) 48, @2 Cathedral 58
CHAMPIONSHIP
AT MONTGOMERY
- 2 Cathedral (17-3) 60, 1 Torrey Pines (29-0)
D-I
FIRST ROUND
- 16 Rancho Buena Vista (7-13) 32, @1 Mater Dei 98
- 9 San Diego 74, @ 8 Vista (11-14) 62
- 12 Christian (5-11) 45, @5 Francis Parker 77
- 13 Helix (12-11) 55, @4 Bonita Vista 68
- 14 Montgomery (7-9), 51, @3 Mission Bay 66
- 11 Foothills Christian (8-17) 63, @6 San Ysidro 100
- 10 Poway (8-14) 54, @7 La Costa Canyon (57)
- 15 Otay Ranch (1-12) 46, @2 La Jolla Country Day 88
QUARTERFINALS
- 9 San Diego (15-14) 61, @1 Mater Dei 74
- 5 Francis Parker (10-8) 59, @4 Bonita Vista 64
- 6 San Ysidro (20-7) 76, @3 Mission Bay 78
- 7 La Costa Canyon 58, @2 La Jolla Country Day (13-10) 38
SEMIFINALS
- 4 Bonita Vista (14-7) 55. @1 Mater Dei 81
- 7 La Costa Canyon 76, @3 Mission Bay (17-10) 65
CHAMPIONSHIP
AT MONTGOMERY
- 1 Mater Dei (15-4) 51, 7 La Costa Canyon (11-10) 49
D-II
- 16 University City (7-9) 51, @1 Orange Glen 53
- 9 Mount Miguel 46, @8 Patrick Henry (7-12) 45
- 12 The Bishop’s (8-13) 58, @5 La Jolla 68
- 13 Lincoln (10-10) 44, @4 Del Norte 52
- 14 Eastlake (13-9) 53, @3 Canyon Crest 66
- 11 Rancho Bernardo 47, @6 Oceanside (10-9) 46
- 10 Grossmont (13-11) 31, @7 Westview 59
- 15 Army-Navy (2-13) 64, @2 Coronado 72
QUARTERFINALS
- 8 Mount Miguel (13-8) 45, @1 Orange Glen 66
- 5 La Jolla (15-5) 58, @4 Del Norte 69
- 11 Rancho Bernardo (8-14) 42, @3 Canyon Crest 68
- 7 Westview (13-13) 46, @2 Coronado 61
SEMIFINALS
- 4 Del Norte (13-8) 64, @1 Orange Glen 74, 2 OT.
- 3 Canyon Crest 58 (15-9), @2 Coronado 74
CHAMPIONSHIP
AT ST. AUGUSTINE
- 2 Coronado (21-5) 51, 1 Orange Glen (23-6) 50
D-III
FIRST ROUND
- 16 Morse (4-17) 64, @1 Valhalla 66
- 9 Ramona (16-10) 41, @8 Mira Mesa 43
- 12 Calexico 70, @5 Granite Hills (13-6) 43
- 13 West Hills (15-11) 39, @5 Hoover 78
- 14 Monte Vista (11-15) 52, @3 Madison 70
- 11 Steele Canyon (11-11) 51, @6 San Dieguito 62
- 10 Mt. Carmel (11-16) 56, @7 Sage Creek 72
- 15 San Diego Southwest (7-10) 64, @2 El Centro Central
QUARTERFINALS
-
- 8 Mira Mesa (16-12) 50, @1 Valhalla 55
- 12 Calexico (4-1) 52, @4 Hoover 81
- 2 El Centro Central (10-3) 55, @7 Sage Creek 77
- 6 San Dieguito 2, 3 Madison (19-8) 0
SEMIFINALS
- 4 Hoover 58, @1 Valhalla (18-5) 55
- 7 Sage Creek 58, @6 San Dieguito (13-8) 46
CHAMPIONSHIP
AT ST. AUGUSTINE
- 7 Sage Creek (14-11) 55, 4 Hoover (15-9) 54
D-IV
- 16 Classical (4-15) 20, @1 Maranatha 65
- 9 Kearny 62, @8 Santana (7-11) 50
- 12 Hilltop (8-11) 39, @5 San Diego High Tech 59
- 13 San Pasqual 64, @4 Victory Christian (15-6) 60
- 14 El Cajon Valley (1-18) 45, @3 Holtville 69
- 11 El Centro Southwest (4-6) 51, @6 Escondido Charter 56
- 10 Fallbrook (8-19) 63, @7 Guajome Park 69
- 15 Imperial (4-5) 28, @2 Calvin Christian 68
QUARTERFINALS
- 9 Kearny (6-12) 39, @1 Maranatha 52
- 13 San Pasqual (5-21) 39, @5 San Diego High Tech 56
- 6 Escondido Charter (12-11) 53, @3 Holtville 57
- 7 Guajome Park 29 @2 Calvin Christian 51
SEMIFINALS
- 5 San Diego High Tech (15-11) 50, @1 Maranatha 59
- 3 Holtville (10-3) 32, @2 Calvin Christian 62
CHAMPIONSHIP
AT ST. AUGUSTINE
- Maranatha (22-5), 34, Calvin Christian (19-3) 28
D-V
- 9 The Cambridge (7-9) 0, @8 Calexico Vincent Memorial 2
- 12 Coastal Academy (5-8) 37, @5 Bonsall 67
- 11 North County High Tech (6-10) 25, @6 Blythe Palo Verde Valley 68
- 10 Escondido Adventist (6-6) 29, @7 Chula Vista High Tech 44
QUARTERFINALS
- 8 Calexico Vincent Memorial 63, @1 Liberty Charter (16-7) 55.
- 5 Bonsall (16-6) 55, @4 St. Joseph 70.
- 6 Blythe Palo Verde 82, 3 Bayfront Charter (12-3) 58, @El Centro Southwest.
- 7 Chula Vista High Tech (7-8) 41, @2 Crawford 45.
SEMIFINALS
- 4 St. Joseph (12-8) 39, @8 Calexico Vincent Memorial 49
- 6 Blythe Palo Verde Valley (7-4), 58, @2 Crawford 75
CHAMPIONSHIP
AT SERRA
- 2 Crawford (12-7) 62, 8 Calexico Vincent Memorial (4-11) 58
