Memories-for-a-lifetime victories and crushing defeats summed up the pandemic-altered San Diego Section season.
The big one eluded 30-1 Torrey Pines in the Open Division final, a 68-65 loss to Etiwanda, but area teams won 6 of 9 championships, a stunning accomplishment considering San Diego’s generally unsuccessful runs in Southern California postseason competition.
There should be a special “hat’s off” to:
–Mater Dei coach Jayson Bryant, who coached his second team to a state championship. Bryant was the Lincoln Hornets’ boss in 2009-10, when that 29-2 squad led by Norman Powell and Victor Dean, defeated Mountain View St. Francis, 74-59, for the Division II championship.
–Santa Fe Christian, beaten by St. Augustine, 71-65, in the San Diego Open Division title game, won three Southern California D-I games over Northridge Heritage Christian Carlsbad, and Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley.
–Sage Creek, 11-11 entering the San Diego Section tournament, won its last 6, finishing with a 73-54 triumph over Fresno Roosevelt in D-VAA.
–San Ysidro, invited to the playoffs after Cathedral and Mission Bay bailed, topped Temecula Linfield Christian, 73-71, in D-IVAA.
Seedings precede numbers in parenthesis, which represent the statewide rating of the team by Max Preps. Numbers change after each game.
CHAMPIONSHIP PAIRINGS/RESULTS
Saturday, June 19
OPEN DIVISION
3 (7) Etiwanda (14-2) 68, @1 (1) Torrey Pines (30-1) 65.
D-IA
5 (15) Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley (17-4) 38, @3 (21) Santa Fe Christian (20-4) 65.
D-IIA
5 (85) Fresno Central (12-7) 50, @3 (17) Mater Dei (18-4) 67.
D-IIIAA
3 (58) La Costa Canyon (13-11) 41, @1 (39) San Bernardino /Aquinas (23-1) 57.
D-IIIA
6 (82) L.A. Shalhevet (22-4) 71, @2 (55) Bonita Vista (18-7) 73.
D-IVAA
6 (69) San Ysidro (22-7) 73,@4 (48) Temecula Linfield (25-3) 71.
D-IVA
2 (56) Orange Glen (25-7) 57, @1 (38) Coronado (23-5) 60, OT.
D-VAA
2 (181) Sage Creek (17-11) 73, @1 (114) Fresno Roosevelt (16-5) 54.
D-VIAA
2 (129) Maranatha (24-6) 48, @1 (119) Fowler (18-1) 50.
SEMIFINALS RESULTS
Thursday, June 17
OPEN DIVISION
4 (16) La Verne Damien (29-4) 42, @1 (1) Torrey Pines (30-0) 63.
D-IA
3 (30) Santa Fe Christian (19-4) 72, @2 (26) Clovis West (20-5) 70.
D-IIA
3 (28) Mater Dei (18-4) 80, @2 (69) Carlsbad (14-10) 62.
D-IIIAA
3 (86) La Costa Canyon (13-10) 75, @2 (64) Riverside King (12-8) 63.
D-IIIA
6 (146) Francis Parker (11-9) 77, @2 (92) Bonita Vista (17-7) 94.
D-IVAA
6 (105) San Ysidro (22-7) 60, @2 (108) Chatsworth (11-5), 55.
D-IVA
5 (182) L.A. Pilibos (19-5) 44, @1 (56) Coronado (22-5) 56.
3 (217) Wildomar Elsinore (14-5) 64, @ 2 (75) Orange Glen (25-6) 88.
D-VAA
6 (210) Atascadero (17-6) 63, @2 (242) Sage Creek (16-11) 86.
D-VA
5 (211) Hoover (16-10) 60, @1 (79) Kingsburg (12-4) 66.
D-VIAA
4 (454) Crawford (13-8) 53, @1 (130) Fowler (17-1) 77.
3 (350) Bell (8-6) 38, @2 (155) Maranatha (24-5) 66
QUARTERFINALS RESULTS
Tuesday, June 15.
OPEN DIVISION
1 (1) Torrey Pines (29-0), bye.
D-IAA
5 (29) L.A. Ribet (12-4) 68, @4 (15) San Marcos (25-2) 60.
7 (27) St. Augustine (14-7) 59, @2 (6) Bellflower St. John Bosco (21-4) 61.
D-IA
6 (31) Northridge Heritage Christian (20-8) 58, @3 (30) Santa Fe Christian (18-4) 65.
D-IIAA
5 (39) Hacienda Heights Los Altos (17-2) 52, @4 (53) El Camino (24-6) 49.
7 (70) Mission Hills (16-9) 42, @2 (10) San Pedro Rolling Hills (13-2) 51.
D-IIA
6 (38) Compton Dominguez (16-2)74, @3 (28) Mater Dei (16-4) 91.
7 (81) Murrieta Valley (13-6) 52, @2 (69) Carlsbad (14-9) 67.
D-IIIAA
6 (154) Burbank (10-5) 60, @3 (86) La Costa Canyon (12-10) 72.
D-IIIA
(146) Francis Parker (11-8) 63, @3 (132) Huntington Beach Marina (15-9) 55.
7 (250) Redlands Citrus Valley (10-8) 52, @2 (92) Bonita Vista (16-7) 66.
D-IVAA
6 (105) San Ysidro (21-7) 87, @3 (316) Arcadia (11-9) 74.
D-IVA
8 (609) Long Beach Millikan (3-10) 44, @1 (56) Coronado (22-5) 67.
7 (422) Oxnard Rio Mesa (12-10) 41, @2 (75) Orange Glen (24-6) 67.
D-VAA
7 (275) Valley Village Valley Torah (13-3) 61, @2 (242) Sage Creek (15-11) 84.
D-VA
5 (211) Hoover (16-9) 57, @4 (556) Canoga Park Faith Baptist (14-9) 54.
D-VIAA
5 (652) Malibu (7-5) 53, @4 (454) Crawford (13-7) 62.
7 (756) Covina Edgewood (7-9) 60, @2 (155) Maranatha (23-5) 94.
