San Diego Section basketball teams, after hundreds of games and enough travel to catch the attention of Triple-A, are settling into the January-February grind of league play and selected intersectionals before the Southern California playoffs.
Montgomery is No. 1 in John Maffei’s latest The San Diego Union-Tribune poll and No. 8 in California, according to Max Preps and Cal-Hi Sports.
Montgomery coach Ed Martin, a 1996 graduate of the school, which opened in 1970, has built a power since taking direction of the program 17 seasons ago, elevating the Aztecs into regional prominence.
(Martin also boldly brought attention to his team when he scheduled three consecutive years of home games and certain losses, but capacity crowds, against Chatsworth Sierra Canyon and LeBron’s son Bronny James).
The Aztecs are 16-1 with only a 61-57 loss to 15-3 JSerra of San Juan Capistrano after trailing, 36-20, at halftime. Carlsbad is 12-2 and Cal-Hi Sports’ No. 14 and has losses to JSerra, 91-77, and Philadelphia’s Father Judge, 80-70.
Carlsbad won a November game against Santa Ana Mater Dei, 74-72, in overtime. The usually powerful Monarchs are 13-4 and defeated San Diego Section No. 3 San Marcos, 71-63, last week.
John Maffei’s weekly The San Diego Union–Tribune poll:
*First-place votes in parenthesis.
*Points on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
*Cal-Hi Sports’ and Max Preps’ represent state rankings.
*NR—Not ranked.
Records as of Monday, Jan. 6.
| # | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | PREVIOUS | MAX-PREPS | CAL-HI SPORTS |
| 1 | Montgomery | 16-1 (18) | 180 | 1 | 8 | 10/13 |
| 2 | Carlsbad | 12-2 | 161 | 2 | 24 | 14/15 |
| 3 | San Marcos | 15-3 | 153 | 3 | 27 | NR |
| 4 | Mission Bay | 12-4 | 120 | 6 | 34 | NR |
| 5 | Santa Fe Christian | 15-3 | 103 | 5 | 64 | NR |
| 6 | Cathedral | 11-6 | 82 | 7 | 110 | NR |
| 7 | Torrey Pines | 11-5 | 72 | 4 | 68 | NR |
| 8 | Olympian | 12-2 | 35 | 9 | 54 | NR |
| 9 | La Jolla Country Day | 8-9 | 34 | 8 | 154 | NR |
| 10 | Mira Mesa | 13-1 | 22 | 10 | 87 | NR |
Others receiving votes
Francis Parker (11-5, 21 points), Mission Hills (10-6, 9), San Diego (9-2, 3), Calexico (12-4, 2).
Voting panel: 18 sportswriters, sportscasters and administrators from throughout the San Diego Section:
John Maffei (The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Aaron Burgin (Full-time hoops).
Steve Brand, Bodie DeSilva (Union-Tribune correspondents.
Todd Cassen (CIF San Diego Section).
Rick Smith (Partletonsports.com).
Joe Evangelist (Coaching Legends Committee).
Tom Helmantoler (Southern Conference Advisor).
Rex Johnson (CIF Advisory Committee).
Christian Pedersen (San Diego Sports Association).
Braden Surprenant (97.3-FM The Fan)
John Kentera, Dennis Ackerman, Steve (Biff) Dolan, Eric Williams, Tom Ronco, Adam Paul (freelance contributors).
