2013-14: Playoff Seeding and Pairings Next

Selection Saturday is just five days away.

League play wraps up this week, but all eyes are on the postseason and the ensuing rounds that lead to the state championships in Sacramento next month.

Seedings and pairings for the San Diego Section playoffs, to be waged in 5 divisions,  will come out of  Section commissioner Jerry Schniepp’s office sometime Saturday, depending on the length and volume of discussions.

With the new, Open Division format, several teams are on a collision course, including St. Augustine, El Camino, La Costa Canyon, and Torrey Pines, the favorites in an eight-team bracket that also includes Mission Hills, Hoover, Lincoln, and Vista.

Vista, at 5-20, should exit very early, but the others can make things interesting.

Eastlake is the highest ranked Division I team.  The other 15 squads essentially are lying in the weeds.  Mission Bay might be a factor. The Buccaneers are only 12-7 but hung with St. Augustine last week, ending with a flurry of 3’s that cut the final deficit to 54-53.

D-II features Mater Dei, Francis Parker, and Steele Canyon.

Sweetwater and Kearny headline D-III, with Foothills Christian, Del Norte and Calvin Christian gaining some cred.  Calexico Vincent Memorial and Orange Glen may have the edge in D-IV.

El Camino is still fourth in this week’s UT-San Diego poll, but  the Wildcats of coach Ray Johnson have lately positioned themselves for a postseason run.

# Team (1st place votes)1 W-L Points** Last Week
1 St. Augustine (13) 24-2 130 1
2 Mater Dei Catholic 22-2 114 2
3 Sweetwater 23-0 97 3
4 El Camino 24-3 88 5
5 La Costa Canyon 23-4 87 4
6 Torrey Pines 23-4 70 6
7 Foothills Christian 16-8 28 9
8 Eastlake 21-5 26 8
9 Kearny 19-2 25 10
10 Francis Parker 21-4 24 7

**Points awarded on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis

Others receiving votes: San Marcos, 10; Escondido, Mission Bay, 8; Del Norte, 5; Steele Canyon, 4; Calvin Christian, 1.

Thirteen sportswriters, sportscasters and CIF representatives from throughout San Diego County vote in the weekly poll:
John Maffei, Craig Malveaux and Don Norcross (U-T San Diego);
Terry Monahan (U-T San Diego stringer);
Bill Dickens, Andrew Smith (eastcountysports.com);
Steve Brand (San Diego Hall of Champions);
John Kentera and Jack Cronin (The Mighty 1090);
John Labeta (CIF San Diego Section office);
Rick Smith (Partletonsports.com);
Bodie DeSilva (sandiegopreps.com);
and Aaron Burgin (fulltimehoops.tumblr.com).