San Diego High defeated Excelsior Norwalk in the championship game of the Southern Section playoffs in what was almost becoming routine.

The 16-8 victory at the Lane Field home ballpark of the Pacific Coast League San Diego Padres was the seventh since Mike Morrow became coach in 1927.

Th Hilltoppers (20-4), also known as Hillers and Cavers or Cavemen, had several standouts, including one who would star for the PCL Padres.

Sophomore pitcher Al Olsen signed with the Padres after graduation in 1939 and was an essential member of the team’s starting rotation for most of the next 13 years.

3/31/37

John (Red) Keogh pitched the season’s first no-hitter, a 2-0 St. Augustine triumph over Point Loma at University Heights playground. Keogh struck out 14 and walked three and no runner advanced beyond second base.

—Hoover’s six errors that led to two unearned runs allowed Sweetwater to edge the visiting Cardinals, 4-3.

4/21/37

Charlie Strada of St. Augustine caught a fly ball in right field and threw to first base to double up a Naval Air runner. First baseman Claude White then completed the season’s first triple play with a throw to shortstop Bob Menke, who tagged a second Naval Air runner for the third out.

Joe Rinder was 3 for 3 for the Saints, who won, 12-3.

—Les Cassie scattered 10 hits and the San Diego State Freshmen topped Escondido, 12-5, on the Aztecs’ diamond.

—Cliff Bashore gave up four hits and Grossmont defeated visiting Point Loma, 5-1.

4/23/37

Long Beach Wilson created a three-way tie with Alhambra and San Diego for first place in the Coast League when the Bruins struck 11 base hits off three San Diego pitchers and defeated the traveling Hillers, 8-1.

—Hoover claimed its first Coast League victory with a two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat Santa Ana, 8-7.

The visiting Saints took advantage of Cardinals ace Del Ford, who retired with a sore arm in a three-run fourth inning, and led, 7-3, before Hoover scored three runs in the eighth, setting up its clinching rally. Del Ballinger, who relieved Ford, was the winning pitcher.

—Charlie Strada homered and tripled and drove in five runs, and Ed Vitalich survived a couple homers and 10 hits as St. Augustine outscored Sweetwater, 11-7, with a 15-hit attack on the Red Devils’ diamond.

—Don Galindo struck out 15 Oceanside batters, allowed two hits, and Escondido shut out the Pirates, 14-0.  The Cougars had 13 base hits, including home runs by Morgan Finney and Willie Reyes.

4/26/37

Two-year letterman first baseman Dick Mitchell was elected captain of the Hoover team, coach Wofford (Wos) Caldwell announced.

—Del Ballenger surrendered one hit, a bases empty home run by Red Keogh in the fourth inning, and contributed a home run as Hoover beat St. Augustine, 10-1, on the Cardinals ‘diamond.

4/28/37

Track star and baseball pitcher Jerry Soule struck out 13 and was supported by two singles and a home run by first baseman Carl Reed and three singles and a triple by Elvard Walden in La Jolla’s 10-4 win over visiting Oceanside.

4/30/37

Bill Hutchinson’s grand slam home run and Art Davis’ effective pitching resulted in an 11-2 win, Mountain Empire over guest Ramona.

—Don Galindo, with 17-hit support, pitched Escondido to a 12-6 win over nonleague visitor Compton.

—Jack Lange had two doubles and a single and Del Oliver, who relieved Del Ballenger in the ninth inning, was the winning pitcher after Hoover scored two runs in the 10^th at Alhambra for a 6-4 Coast League victory.

5/1/37

Attendance was 1,200 persons at Lane Field, home of the Pacific Coast League San Diego Padres, and the Hilltoppers, behind lefthander Al Olsen, defeated Long Beach Poly, 9-2.

Olsen gave up five hits and Dave Curtis and Jess Meyers each had two hits and Chet Kehn walked four consecutive times.

San Diego’s victory set up a one-game playoff in four days with Long Beach Wilson, with the Coast League title on the line. The teams tied for first, each with a 4-1 record.

5/4/37

Cliff Bashore pitched Grossmont to a 4-1 victory in the season’s final Metropolitan League game, tying the Foothillers with La Jolla and Oceanside, behind champion Escondido.

5/5/37

Al Olsen won his second straight critical game, striking out 13 and pitching a seven-hit, 8-3 win over Long Beach Wilson in City Stadium and giving San Diego the Coast League’s playoff berth.

—Ed (Zip) Vitalich improved his record to 6-1 and, aided by Joe Rinder’s double and triple, set down the Navy Hospital team, 6-2, although the medics reached Vitalich for 11 base hits.

5/7/37

San Diego defeated Placentia Valencia, 26-1, in a first-round, Southern Section playoff in the community near Fullerton in Orange County.  Manny Fernandez and Dave Curtis hit home runs and Chet Kahn pitched.

Game information in The San Diego Union originally incorrectly reported a 7-2 San Diego victory and a Hilltoppers’ advance into the playoff finals.

5/8/37

Escondido sent Santa Monica home with an 8-0 playoff victory over the visiting Vikings.  Don Galindo won his 12^th game without defeat.  Don and his brother Ursulo each had three hits in four times at bat.

—CIF commissioner Seth Van Patten notified San Diego coach Mike Morrow by telegram that the Hilltoppers’ next opponent would be Calexico at a site to be determined.

5/12/37

Announcing that because one of its players had been hospitalized with an illness, Calexico pulled out and forfeited its quarterfinals playoff game to San Diego.

CIF commissioner Seth Van Patten turned to Blythe Palo Verde Valley. The free-lance school, 220 miles away, on the Arizona border, had petitioned Van Patten for inclusion in postseason play after posting a 5-1 record. Unattached teams had to win three of five games to be eligible, according to CIF rules.

—St. Augustine completed its season with a 10-7 won-loss record and 6-1 victory over Sweetwater at Golden Hill Playground.  Ed (Zip) Vitalich’s three-run home run was supportive of the 11-strikeout, four-hit pitching by John (Red) Keough.

5/20/37

A day earlier than expected, because of a City Stadium schedule conflict with an 11^th Naval District track meet the next day, Blythe took the field against San Diego and went the way of Valencia, 25-3.

San Diego battered Yellowjackets pitcher Eunice Johnson for 19 hits in seven innings of a game that was called after eight innings. The Hillers, leading, 8-0, struck for 13 runs in the fifth inning.

“Blythe knew it was in trouble in the second inning when its catcher nailed his own pitcher (in the back) while trying to throw out a base stealer,” wrote Don King in Caver Conquest, the athletic history of San Diego High.

—Fallbrook’s 16-hit attack overwhelmed Ramona, 9-3, on the Bulldogs’ diamond and gave the Warriors the Southern Prep League championship.

5/26/37

Escondido coach Harry Wexler said he would not play San Diego in a semifinals playoff in City Stadium, next to the San Diego High campus and seemingly tailor-made for the sluggers on San Diego coach Mike Morrow’s squad.

Gamesmanship was in play and Escondido was feeling its oats with a 17-0 record against high school competition and a 10-3 win over the Hilltoppers in the Pomona tournament in March.  San Diego found itself in an elimination game against a team from what it considered the inferior (in comparison to the Coast) Metropolitan League.

Morrow then declared that he would not take his team north to play a game on the Cougars’ diamond.

San Diego Padres owner Bill Lane ended the need for CIF commissioner Seth Van Patten to intervene when Lane made Lane Field available.

Wexler sent pitcher Don Galindo, who had posted a 16-0 record, to face Morrow’s nominee, sophomore Chet Kehn.

A memorable battle ensued with the teams tied, 2-2, after nine innings.

San Diego won, 3-2, when Mel Skelley’s pinch hit single, a line drive to leftfield, scored Al Olsen with the winning run in the bottom of the 10th.

Kehn gave up six hits and was touched for two unearned runs in the first inning.  Kehn and the Hilltoppers avoided disaster in the sixth after John Filippi dropped Fred Valanzano’s fly ball to left field.

Filippi recovered and the Cougars’ Ursulo Galindo, trying to score from second base, was thrown out, Filippi to Jared (J.W.) Scudder to catcher Jess Meyers.

6/5/37

The championship game at Lane Field was anti-climactic following the dramatic win over Escondido. The Hilltoppers trailed early to the Norwalk Excelsior Pilots, who took a 5-4 lead after four innings. Aided by 16 bases on balls, San Diego totaled 11 hits in a 16-8 victory.   J.W. Scudder Chet Kehn, Stanley (Wes) Sharp, and John Filippi each had two hits.

GIRLS

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

DIVISION II

SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2 P.M.

7 Rancho Bernardo 37 (26-8), vs. 1 Caruthers, Central 56 (26-6), @Sacramento Golden 1 Center.

D-III

FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2 P.M.

5 Mater Dei 38 (21-14), vs. 3 Kentfield Marin Catholic, North Coast 48 (26-11), @Sacramento Golden 1 Center.

REGIONAL FINALS

TUESDAY, MARCH 11

D-II

7 Rancho Bernardo 35 (26-7), @1 Porterville Monache, Central, 25 (25-9).

D-III

5 Mater Dei (21-13) 51, @2 Woodland Hills El Camino Real, L.A. City, 38 (16-15).

San Diego and Hoover were not factors in the Coast, Southern Section, and state meets, while Coronado sprinter-hurdler John Fawcett led a strong showing by athletes from the Metropolitan League.

Fawcett set a County record in the 440-yard dash and La Jolla’s Jerry Soule and Jim Tripp and Oceanside’s Bill Huntales were among the best in Southern California.

4/2/37

Clyde Yakel won the 100-yard dash in :10.2 and anchored Hoover to a 1:32.5 victory in the 880 relay, but San Diego took nine of 13 events and scored a 70-43 victory in the teams’ first dual meet as Coast League opponents. Bob Logan high jumped 6-1 1/8 for the winners.

—Jim Tripp was a triple winner in La Jolla’s 61-47 dual meet victory at Sweetwater, winning the 100 in :10.1, 220 in :23, and long jump at 22 feet, 7 inches.

4/6/37

San Diego geared for its big meet later in the week versus Long Beach Wilson with a 64-49 win over visiting Santa Ana. Best marks for the Hilltoppers were Bob Logan’s 6-foot high jump and Bill Vogt’s 12-foot pole vault.

4/8/37

Bob Beckus and Chuck Skidmore tied for first in the 880 in 2:05.3, but Hoover dropped a 63-50 Coast League dual at Santa Ana.

4/9/37

Visiting Long Beach Wilson won nine of 12 events and defeated San Diego, 62-51, virtually assuring the Bruins of the Coast League dual meet championship.

Ed Becker won the shot put competition from Wilson’s heralded Norman Standlee (pre-meet best 50-11) by hurling the 12-pound ball 51 feet, 1 ½ inches, breaking the San Diego school record of 50-10 ½ by Ben Sohn in 1936.

Bob Logan high jumped 6-1 1/2 and Charlie Bell took the broad jump at 22-2 ¼ for other victories by the Hilltoppers.

—Bill Huntales tripled for Oceanside, winning the 100 (:10), 220 (:23) and broad jump (21-11) in what was described as an invitational meet including Metropolitan League teams on the Pirates’ oval.

Oceanside scored 42 points, followed by Coronado (32), La Jolla (27), Escondido (14), and Sweetwater (13).  Point Loma and Grossmont did not participate.

Coronado 440 standout John Fawcett ran :14 in the 120-yard low hurdles and La Jolla’s Jerry Soule won the high jump at 5-11 and 70-yard high hurdles in :09.5.

4/13/37

Bob Hodges and Art Laret scored a combined 24 points and Alhambra defeated coach Glenn Broderick’s host San Diego squad, 68-45.  Laret also nosed out the Hillers’ Herman (Bub) Gatewood as the Moors won the 880-yard relay in 1:32.

San Diego’s Ed Becker hurled the shot 49 feet, 1 inch, Bob Logan cleared 5-11 in the high jump, and Bill Vogt pole vaulted 12 feet.  Louie Pritchard tied for first with an Alhambra runner in a 4:51.1 mile.

—John Fawcett’s :10.2 first place in the 100 led the Coronado varsity to a 63-40 win over an all-star alumni squad.

—Grossmont topped Sweetwater in a Metropolitan League dual, 62 1/2-40 ½, as Clay won the 100 in :10.3 and 220 in :23.3, and Wohlford high jumped 5-8 and pole vaulted 10-3.

— Long Beach Poly’s 9-0 points sweep in the pole vault late in the competition was enough to hold off Hoover in a 58-55 Jackrabbits victory on the Cardinals’ track.

Hoover’s Phil Krutzsch set a school shot put record of 49 feet, 8 inches, bettering the mark of 48-1. Bob Beckus remained undefeated in the mile in 4:47. Alvin Cordray won the high jump at 5-6 and broad jump at 21-5.

4/16/37

SOUTHERN PREP LEAGUE FINALS, @VISTA

The host school scored 77 ½ points, to edge San Dieguito, which had 73, in the first annual league championships.  Fallbrook had 42 ½, Ramona 33, Julian 22, and Mountain Empire 16.

San Dieguito’s Chuck Beckwith had the day’s best marks, :10.5 100 and :24.5 220.

4/17/37

A San Diego foursome of John Boyle, Henry Manley, Jimmy Suzuki, and Fred Gianola won the 880-yard relay in 1:32 and the Hilltoppers escaped with a 61-52 victory in a Coast League dual at Long Beach Poly.

The Hillers won 9 of 13 events:  Ricky Roth, 880 in 2:06.4.  Henry Manley, 100 in :10.5, Fred Gianola, 220 in :23.2, Louie Pritchard, mile in 4:50.1, Bill Vogt, pole vault at 11-6, Ed Becker, shot put at 48-5, Bob Logan, high jump at 6 feet, ½ inch, and Charlie Bell, broad jump at 21-8 ½.

—John Fawcett of Coronado ran the fastest 440 in County history at the Chaffey Invitational in Ontario, blazing the one-turn quarter-mile in :49.5, which bettered the record of :49.6 by San Diego’s Irvine (Cotton) Warburton at the state meet in 1929.

Fawcett’s mark stood as the Coronado school record until Scott Knox ran :49.2 in 1961.

4/23/37

Long Beach Wilson and Alhambra completed the dual meet season in a flatfooted tie.  Their dual meet score was 56 ½-56 ½, which created final Coast League standings of each with a 4-0-1 record, followed by San Diego, 3-2, Long Beach Poly, 2-3, Santa Ana, 1-4, and Hoover 0-5.

COAST LEAGUE TRIALS, @LONG BEACH WILSON

San Diego’s Jimmy Suzuki turned a 440-yard dash in :52.5, fastest of three heats. No field events were held and two of the league’s best runners, Hoover’s Bob Beckus and Clyde Yakel, competed with Class B athletes.

Beckus’ 3:24.1 in the 1320 bettered the record of 3:27.9 by a Santa Ana runner in 1936.  Yakel won heats in the 100-yard dash and 220.

4/24/37

METROPOLITAN LEAGUE TRIALS & FINALS, @SAN DIEGO STATE

Oceanside’s Bill Huntales set a meet record with his :09.8 victory in the 100-yard dash, which tied the County record shared by Jimmy Willson (1929) and Morris (Mushy) Pollock (1933) of San Diego High.

Huntales also won the 220 (:22.7), set a record in the broad jump (22-8 7/8), and anchored his team to a 1:33.3 victory in the 880-yard relay.

John Fawcett of Coronado set a meet record with a :53.1 in the 440 and La Jolla’s Jerry Soule of La Jolla bettered the record with a high jump of 6 feet, 2 3/8 inches, won the  200 hurdles in :22.5, and the questionable height or distance 120-yard high hurdles in :15.

The meet, which drew more than 250 athletes in classes A, B, and C, began with trials at 10 a.m. and finals at 1:30, saw team honors go to La Jolla, which scored 41 points to Oceanside’s 35 ½, followed by Coronado, 16, Point Loma, 13, Escondido, 5, and Sweetwater, 3 ½.

5/1/37

SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISIONAL, @SAN DIEGO STATE

Athletes from the Metropolitan, Southern Prep, and Imperial Valley leagues were led by Oceanside’s Bill Huntales, who won the 100 in :10, 220 in :22, and was second in the broad jump at 22-6 5/8, behind La Jolla’s Jim Tripp, who reached 23 feet.

Tripp teammate Jerry Soule led qualifiers with a 5-8 high jump, cleared while jumping in his sweat suit, and winning the 120-yard high hurdles in :16.1.  Rory Tillinghast of La Jolla and Wohlford of Grossmont tied for first with 12-foot pole vaults.  Coronado’s John Fawcett clocked :52.6 in the 440.

COAST LEAGUE FINALS, @LONG BEACH WILSON

Alhambra’s Art Laret won the 440 in :52.3, 220 hurdles in :25.2, set  a meet record in the broad jump with a leap of 23-6 1/8, and ran a leg on the winning relay team (1:36)  as the Moors scored 63 points. Laret bettered the 1928 record of 23-1 12 by Frank Wykoff of Glendale.

Bob Beckus of Hoover set a Class B 1320 record of 3:24.7 and teammate Clyde Yakel won the B 220 in :23.7 and was second in the 100.  No other San Diego-area athlete earned a first place.

Long Beach Wilson was second in team scoring with 48 ½ points, followed by San Diego, 28, Long Beach Poly, 27, Santa Ana, 20, and Hoover, 7.

5/8/37

SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISIONAL, @GLENDALE

Clyde Yakel of Hoover set a Class B record when he covered the 220 straight in :21.6, erasing the record of :22.1.  Bob Beckus of Hoover set another B record when he ran the 1320 in 3:21.4.

San Diego’s Edward (Red) Becker set a school record of 51-8 ½ to qualify in the shot put.  Louie Pritchard passed his test, second to a 4:46.6 mile.  Bob Logan high jumped 6-1 7/8. Bill Vogt was among advancers with a 12-foot pole vault.

5/15/37

SOUTHERN SECTION FINALS, @LONG BEACH WILSON

It was a banner day for Metropolitan League track-and-field athletes.

Bill Huntales of Oceanside won the 100-yard dash in :10.  John Fawcett of Coronado won the 440 in :51.2.  Jerry Soule of La Jolla tied for first in the high jump, clearing 6 feet, 3 inches.  Soule teammate Jim Tripp was second at 22-8 in the broad jump.

San Diego’s Ed Becker broke the school record for the second consecutive week and won the shot put with a toss of 53-1.  Louie Pritchard of San Diego was fourth in the mile, won in 4:40.2.

Hoover was fifth in Class B with 12 points.  Bob Beckus was beaten for the first time in the season by Bigley of Norwalk Excelsior, who won the 1320 in 3:19.  Clyde Yakel of Hoover was third in the 100 and second in the 220, both races won by freshman Eddie Morris of Huntington Beach with a record-tying :10 in the short race and a record :22 in the long sprint.  Bernie Carroll of Hoover was fifth in the 70-yard high hurdles.

Long Beach Wilson won the Class A championship with 29 5/6 points.  La Jolla was sixth with 8 ½.

5/22/37

23^RD STATE TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS, @LONG BEACH WILSON

Oceanside’s Bill Huntales, La Jolla’s Jim Tripp, and San Diego’s Ed Becker earned medals in a soft showing by local athletes.

Huntales was fourth in the 100-yard dash, Tripp third in the broad jump at 22-3 ¾, and Becker third in the shot put at 52-9.  Los Angeles Jefferson’s Bryant Allen won the 100 in :09.8.  Bill Bugbee of Montebello was first in the broad jump at 23-1, and Wilbur (Moose) Thompson of Modesto took the shot put at 55-8 ¾.

Jefferson won the team championship with 23 ½ points.

Two San Diego Section girls teams are still standing: Number seven seed Rancho Bernardo and No. 5 Mater Dei.

The Bronchos and Crusaders will take underdog status on the road again in the State CIF Southern Regional Division II and III finals Tuesday, March 11.

R.B. (25-7), after a five-hour, 287-mile jaunt and 44-37 victory at D-II No. 6 Arroyo Grande, has a 272-mile trip to Porterville and home of the No. 1, 25-8 Monache Marauders of the Central Section.

Porterville is about 65 miles north of Bakersfield and 70 miles southeast of Fresno, located at the base of the Sierra-Nevada mountains on the eastern fringe of the San Joaquin Valley.

Monache is no hick school in the boondocks.  It has an enrollment of almost 2,000 students and Porterville is a city of more than 60,000 residents, according to Wikipedia.

The Broncos and Marauders have one common opponent.  Monache defeated Arroyo Grande, 57-46, in a home game in January.

ANOTHER HIGH SEED

Mater Dei’s travel itinerary is less daunting than Rancho Bernardo’s.  The Crusaders  went north 150 miles and defeated D-III top seed L.A. Palisades, 57-55, at Lake Balboa Birmingham in the San Fernando Valley and now take on No. 2 Woodland Hills El Camino Real, 155 miles away on U.S. 101.

The Crusaders (20-13) also defeated No 12 Bakersfield Liberty, 66-48, and No. 4 Carlsbad, 59-52, along the way.  The El Camino Real Royals (16-14) dispatched No. 15 Shafter, 54-50, No. 10 Culver City, 65-45, and No. 3 Los Angeles Garfield, 64-47.

Upsets/surprises highlighted:

GIRLS

REGIONAL FINALS

TUESDAY, MARCH 11

DIVISION II

7 Rancho Bernardo (25-7), @1 Porterville Monache, Central, (25-8).

D-III

5 Mater Dei (20-13), @2 Woodland Hills El Camino Real, L.A. City, (16-14).

SEMIFINALS

SATURDAY, MARCH 8

D-II

7 Rancho Bernardo 44 (25-7), @6 Arroyo Grande, Southern, 37 (18-11).

D-III

5 Mater Dei 57 (20-13), 1 Palisades 55, L.A. City, (17-16), @Lake Balboa Birmingham.

QUARTERFINALS

THURSDAY, MARCH 6

D-I

14 Westview 34 (21-10), @6 L.A. Brentwood, Southern, 68 (27-8).

D-III

5 Irvine Portola, Southern, 57 (19-15), @4 El Capitan (24-7) 49.

6 Arroyo Grande, Southern, 68 (18-10), @3 Cathedral 54 (20-10).

10 Alhambra Mark Keppel, Southern, 37 (25-10), @7 Rancho Bernardo 41 (24-7).

5 Mater Dei 59 (19-13), @4 Carlsbad 52 (20-13).

11 Crawford 54 (19-15), @3 Riverside Hillcrest, Southern, 56 (23-6).

BOYS

SEMIFINALS

SATURDAY, MARCH 8.

D-III

7 Mira Mesa 57 (28-7), @6 Pasadena Maranatha, Southern, 77 (17-17).

QUARTERFINALS

THURSDAY, MARCH 6

D-I

5 Carlsbad 54 (26-7) @4 San Juan Capistrano JSerra, Southern, 79 (24-10).

15 Torrey Pines 39 (24-7), @7 Manhattan Beach Mira Costa, Southern, 44 (31-4).

D-II

5 Bakersfield Christian, Central, 61 (23-8), @4 Santa Fe Christian 53 (23-8).

6 Francis Parker 59 (19-12), @3 Chatsworth, L.A. City, 80 (24-8).

8 St. Augustine 67 (19-15), @1 Riverside Poly, Southern, 68 (24-10).

D-III

15 Lake Balboa Birmingham, L.A. City, 56 (16-14), @7 Mira Mesa 65 (28-6).

D-V

7 Math & Science College Prep, L.A. City, 73 (24-7), @2 Pacific Ridge 43 (29-3).

 

Highs and lows in the San Diego Section’s opening round foray into the state regional playoffs.

The highs:

Torrey Pines coach John Olive maintained a genial presence despite three straight losses in December to San Diego Section teams Mission Bay, San Marcos, and La Jolla Country Day.

A 14-1 finish for a 23-6 record, with a benign intersectional schedule, resulted in the Falcons taking a 15-seed punch in the nose into their first round game against 2 seed Orange County power Rancho Santa Margarita.

The Falcons responded with a 66-59 road victory. Torrey was behind, 23-14 after one quarter.  A strong mid-game and  19-9 fourth quarter pushed Olive’s club to the most surprising first-round win by any team in Division I.

St. Augustine coach Mike Haupt also did some maintaining.  The Saints got off to a 3-12 start as some personnel was injured or unavailable.

Haupt’s club rallied with a 15-2 January-February run and continued with a 60-40 win over visiting Canyon Country Canyon in a match between 9 and 8 seeds in D-II.

Westview’s girls were 14^th in a D-I matchup with the Hamilton Yankees of Los Angeles.  The Wolverines’ stout defense held Hamilton to a 23 per cent field goal percentage in a 45-42 win.

The Lows:

Fourteen seed Los Angeles Washington stunned host and third-ranked Eastlake, 46-45, in Boys Division III.

Number 13 Garden Grove Pacifica ousted 4 seed Maranatha, 55-50, in Boys D-IV.

Montgomery and Mission Hills  were blown out in boys’ and girls’ Open Division games and No. 2 Grossmont was stung by No. 15 Alhambra Mark Keppel in Girls’ D-II.

Overall, San Diego Section boys teams were 6-10 against opponents from the vast Southern Section and the L.A. City and Central sections.

Girls were 6-7 against the Southern and L.A. City.

Tougher opponents loom.

Upsets highlighted below.

BOYS FIRST ROUND

TUESDAY, MARCH 4

D-I

9 Mission Bay 60 (21-10), @8 Santa Barbara, Southern, 72 (26-7).

12 Anaheim Fairmont Prep, Southern, 55 (22-10), @5 Carlsbad 59 (26-6).

13 San Marcos 56 (25-5), @4 San Juan Capistrano JSerra, Southern, 80 (23-10).

11 Cathedral 72 (20-11), @6 Los Alamitos, Southern, 84 (26-8).

15 Torrey Pines 66 (24-6), @2 Rancho Santa Margarita, Southern, 59 (23-9).

D-II

16 Sage Creek 52 (21-10), @1 Riverside Poly, Southern, 80 (23-10).

9 Canyon Country Canyon, Southern, 40 (24-10), @8 St. Augustine 60 (19-14).

13 Victory Christian 50 (18-15), @4 Santa Fe Christian 55 (23-7).

11 Irvine, Southern, 62 (29-4), @6 Francis Parker 63 (19-11).

15 La Jolla Country Day 47 (17-14), @2 Westchester, L.A. City, 70 (23-9).

D-III

14 Washington, L.A. City, 46 (18-9), @3 45 Olympian (26-7).

10 San Dimas, Southern, 57 (20-13), @7 Mira Mesa 60 (27-6).

D-IV

9 Riverside Ramona, Southern, 64 (27-7), @8 San Diego Southwest 62 (25-8).

13 Garden Grove Pacifica, Southern, 55 (23-11), @4 Maranatha 50 (17-16).

14 Tri-City 54 (20-10), @3 Sun Valley Poly, L.A. City, 60 (23-10).

D-V

15 Santa Ana Saddleback, Southern, 48 (14-15), @2 Pacific Ridge 65 (29-2).

OPEN DIVISION

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5

6 Montgomery 56 (29-3), @3 Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, Southern 76 (26-7).

QUARTERFINALS PAIRINGS

THURSDAY, MARCH 6

D-I

5 Carlsbad (26-6), @4 San Juan Capistrano JSerra, Southern (23-10).

15 Torrey Pines (24-6), @7 Manhattan Beach Mira Costa, Southern (30-4).

D-II

5 Bakersfield Christian, Central, (22-8), @4 Santa Fe Christian (23-7).

6 Francis Parker (19-11), @3 Chatsworth, L.A. City (23-8).

8 St. Augustine (19-14), @1 Riverside Poly, Southern (23-10).

D-III

15 Lake Balboa Birmingham, L.A. City (16-13), @7 Mira Mesa (27-6).

D-V

7 L.A. Math & Science College Prep, L.A. City (23-7), @2 Pacific Ridge (29-2).

GIRLS FIRST ROUND

TUESDAY, MARCH 4

D-I

9 Studio City Harvard-Westlake, Southern 60 (24-7), @8 Francis Parker (20-10) 57.

14 Westview 45 (21-9), @3 Hamilton, L.A. City 42 (26-3).

11 La Jolla Country Day 63 (17-12), @6 L.A. Brentwood (Southern) 74 (26-8).

D-II

12 Victory Christian 46 (18-14), @5 Irvine Portola, Southern 62 (18-15).

13 Rancho Buena Vista 54 (23-10), @4 El Capitan 62 (24-6).

14 Hesperia Oak Hills, Southern 52 (18-13), @3 Cathedral 53 (20-9).

10 Fullerton Rosary, Southern 35 (18-14), @7 Rancho Bernardo 38. (22-7).

15 Alhambra Mark Keppel 51 (25-9), Southern @ 2 Grossmont 46 (22-5).

D-III

12 Bakersfield Liberty 40 (17-13), Southern @5 Mater Dei 66 (18-13).

13 Escondido Charter 63 (23-10), @4 Carlsbad 73 (20-12).

9 Cerritos 58 (17-17), Southern @8 Christian 67 (25-4).

D-V
16 Santana 45 (25-7), @1 La Palma Kennedy (18-13), Southern 55.

11 Crawford 49 (18-14), @6 Ojai Nordhoff 36 (18-8), Southern.

OPEN DIVISION

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5

5 Mission Hills 26 (23-9), @4 Chatsworth Sierra Canyon 71 (28-2), Southern.

Coach Ed Martin thought he should get a home game for his San Diego Section champion Montgomery Aztecs (29-2) in the first round of the state regional Open Division playoffs Wednesday, March 5.

The No. 6 Aztecs got a decidedly less attractive assignment,  a road test at 3 seed and Cal-Hi Sports state second-ranked Sherman Oaks Notre Dame   Carlsbad, No. 2 in John Maffei’s final The San Diego Union poll below, will take a 5 seed into its home game against No. 12 Anaheim Fairmont Prep Tuesday, March 4.

Max Preps’ and Cal-Hi Sports’ previous rankings followed by slash.

	TEAM	RECORD	POINTS	PREVIOUS	MAXPREPS	CAL-HI SPORTS
1	Montgomery	29-2 (18)	180	1	11/11	14/15
2	Carlsbad	25-6	158	4	24/31	24/25
3	St. Augustine	18-14	117	6	53/144	NR/NR
4	Cathedral	20-10	116	5	74/87	NR/On Bubble
5	Mission Bay	21-9	99	7	57/58	On Bubble/NR
6	San Marcos	25-4	96	2	48/31	On Bubble/Bubble
7	Torrey Pines	23-6	91	4	56/41	On Bubble/Bubble
8	Olympian	26-6	60	9	43/52	NR-NR
9	Santa Fe Christian	22-7	44	88	82/60	NR-NR
10	Victory Christian	18-14	18	NR	106	NR-NR

Others receiving votes
Francis Parker (18-11, 7 points), La Jolla Country Day (17-13), Sage Creek (21-9), Mira Mesa (26-6), San Diego (24-6), Maranatha (17-15), Pacific Ridge (28-2), 1 point each.

Voting panel: 18 sportswriters, sportscasters, and administrators who cover the San Diego Section, plus MaxPreps:

John Maffei (Union-Tribune).
Aaron Burgin (Full-time hoops).
Steve Brand,  Bodie DeSilva (Union-Tribune freelance correspondents).
Todd Cassen (CIF office).
Rick Smith (Partletonsports.com).
Joe Evangelist (Coaching Legends).
Tom Helmantoler (Southern Conference).
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).