Torrey Pines emerged from a season-long, four-team battle to claim the No. 1 position in the final The San Diego Union top 10.  The first four finishers each occupied the top rung during the regular season.

Union-Tribune Week 10 final poll, Monday, Feb 25:

NR–Not ranked.

Others receiving votes: La Jolla Country Day (16-12, 9 points), San Diego (22-8, 8),  Rancho Buena Vista (27-5, 6), San Marcos (17-10, 5), Sweetwater (24-7, 2).

Voters: John Maffei, The San Diego Union-Tribune; Terry Monahan, Freelance; Steve Brand, San Diego Sports Association;  Carlton Hoggard (CIF San Diego Section), Adam Paul,  Ramon Scott, EastCountySports.com; John Kentera, Braden Suprenant, 97.3 FM, The Fan; Rick Smith, partletonsports.com; Bodie DeSilva, sandiegopreps.com; Steve Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM; Christian Pedersen, S.D. Preps Insider; Aaron Burgin, Fulltime Hoops; Brad Enright, L.A. Court Report.

Seedings for the Southern California Regional playoffs that begin Tuesday reflected the San Diego Section’s  strength in the lower divisions.

But the big boys got no respect, as usual.

San Diego teams are favored seeds in only two of nine Open, D-I or D-II contests. They are the choice in five of seven games in D-III through D-V.

Montgomery is the number one seed in Division III and San Diego Southwest is second in D-V.

FALCONS’ FEET PUT TO FIRE

Torrey Pines is the eighth and lowest seed in the Open Division and Foothills Christian, Mission Bay, and St. Augustine, which generally alternated as the top teams in The San Diego Union‘s weekly, regular-season poll, were ranked fifth, 13th, and 16th. respectively, in Division I. Vista is a 14th.

Torrey Pines defeated Foothills, 51-47, for the San Diego Section Open Division title and will make the 140-mile jaunt to Chatsworth to take on the No. 1 seed Sierra Canyon Trailblazers, also considered the No. 1 team in the country in some quarters.

Getting to Chatsworth should be a two-and-a-half-hour ride for Torrey, if it is lucky and eludes the often brutal Los Angeles-area traffic that could make the trip 3 or 4 hours, or more..

Falcons coach John Olive, one of the best, is up for the assignment.

“They’re one of the best teams in the country, but my team likes challenges,” Oliver told John Maffei of the Union.  “We’re going to go up there and give it our best shot.”

UPSETS HAVE HAPPENED

Torrey Pines has conquered a daunting playoff challenge before.  The Falcons were behind, 43-40, at the end of three quarters on the road at favored Long Beach Poly but pulled out a 54-49 victory in 2015 as a number 6 seed.

There’s other precedent.  Seventh-seeded Cathedral knocked off No. 2 Sierra Canyon, 83-80, on the road in 2016, and No. 6 St. Augustine scrapped out an 88-81 win over the No. 3 Trailblazers in 2017.

There are no girls’ teams in the Open Division, but D-I Cathedral and D-5 Madison are top seeds, and San Diego Section clubs are favored in 10 of the 14 opening-round games.

San Marcos, despite a 15-17 record, is a second seed in D-III and favored over Ventura St. Bonaventure, which is 26-3.

The seeming anomaly in won-loss records is because San Marcos played a consistently tougher schedule than the Seraphs.  That also is reflected in other contests up and down the schedule of 30 first-round games involving area squads.

As in football, who you play is just as important as who you beat.

JUMP SHOTS

San Diego High (22-8) won its second consecutive boys division championship, 75-56 over 28-4 Valhalla in the D-III finale at Mira Mesa…the Cavers won the D-IV title in 2017-18 before losing to Santa Clarita Christian, 67-48, in the Southern California D-V regional semifinals …the Cavers are 46-16 in last two seasons under Basil Fontenot after going 7-20 and 13-15 in prior two years…the Cavers have won 12 in row…San Pasqual (13-18) under Erik Meek, who led Eagles to a 1990-91 title, won their 4^th in row after losing previous 6, 49-41 over 15-17 Clairemont…Mission Vista coach Jerry Garrett quarterbacked Oceanside to a 9-4 season in 1980, including a 36-34 upset in Santa Ana over Santa Ana Mater Dei….

Four No. 1 seeds in six divisions, will be on the floor as finals take place beginning tonight in the San Diego Section.

That Foothills Christian, Cathedral, Rancho Buena Vista, and San Diego Southwest made their way through the rounds is testimony to the ratings system created by Max Preps, the entity favored by section coaches and bosses.

Other than Division V, which will match 8 seed San Pasqual and 6 seed Clairemont, there will be two 2 seeds, three 3 seeds, and one 4 seed in the finals.

D-V San Pasqual (8) and Clairemont (6) may have been underrated.  Each school has considerably larger enrollment and a pool from which to chose players but apparently competed against similarly ranked opposition as other D-V squads.

Enrollment figures no longer count in seedings or division placement.

All teams in the original, eight-team Open bracket will move on to the Southern California regionals next week.  The four semifinal teams in D-I will also advance.

FINALS PAIRINGS 

OPEN (8 p.m. Saturday, UC-San Diego RIMAC Arena)
1 Foothills Christian (23-5) vs. 3 Torrey Pines (23-6).

DIVISION I (8 p.m. Friday, UC-San Diego RIMAC Arena)
3 Francis Parker (21-9) vs. 1 Cathedral (22-9).

DIVISION II (1 p.m. Saturday, UC-San Diego RIMAC Arena)
1 Rancho Buena Vista (27-4). vs. 3 Carlsbad (25-6).

DIVISION III (7:30 p.m. Thursday, Mira Mesa High)
4 San Diego (21-8) vs. 2 Valhalla (27-3).

DIVISION IV  (7:30 p.m. Thursday, Serra High)
1 San Diego Southwest (24-7). vs. 2 Mt. Carmel (15-14).

DIVISION V (7:30 p.m. Thursday, Montgomery High)
8 San Pasqual (12-18) vs. 6 Clairemont (15-15).

FINALS

OPEN
3 Torrey Pines 51,1 Foothills Christian 47.

DIVISION I
1 Cathedral 47, 3 Francis Parker 46.

DIVISION II
3 Carlsbad 72, 1 Rancho  Buena Vista 54.

DIVISION III
4 San Diego 75, 2 Valhalla 56

DIVISION IV
1 San Diego Southwest 63, 2 Mt. Carmel 46.

DIVISION V
8 San Pasqual 49, 6 Clairemont 42.

Thirty-one of the 36 first-round, San Diego Section playoff games in divisions I-V last night were won by team’s with the lower number (better) seeds and the upsets were won by teams on the road.

The stunner was 15 seed Bonita Vista (11-17) kayoing 2 seed host Westview (21-8), 66-52.

Other home team jolts were experienced by No. 6 Ramona (16-13), eliminated by No.11 San Dieguito (11-18), 50-40; No. 6 Pacific Ridge (17-12), knocked off by No. 11 San Diego High Tech (14-13), 62-60, and No. 7 La Costa Canyon (14-14), ousted by No. 10 Helix (17-11), 61-55.

Things should get a little more difficult for the favorites Saturday night in quarterfinals that also will include Open Division teams playing for the first time.

OPEN 

8 San Marcos (17-9) vs. 1 Foothills Christian (21-5) at Cuyamaca College.

5 Vista (20-8) at 4 Santa Fe Christian (20-7).

6 Poway (21-6) at 3 Torrey Pines (22-6).

7 Mission Bay (17-11) at 2 St. Augustine (22-6).

DIVISION I

5 El Camino (18-11) at 4 La Jolla Country Day (17-12).

6 Mater Dei (17-11) at 3 Francis Parker (18-9).

10  Helix at 2 Montgomery (26-3).

8 Christian (16-13) at 1 Cathedral (20-9).

DIVISION II

8 Scripps Ranch (17-9) 1 Rancho Buena Vista (25-4).

5 Olympian (19-9) at 4 The Bishop’s 19-10).

6 Mount Miguel (22-7) at 3 Carlsbad (23-6).

15 Bonita Vista  at 2 Escondido (19-10).

DIVISION III

9 San Ysidro (20-9) at 1 Sweetwater (23-6).

5 University City (19-10) at 4 San Diego (19-8).

11 San Dieguito at 3 Del Norte (18-10).

7 Sage Creek (11-17) at 2 Valhalla (26-3).

DIVISION IV

8 El Capitan (15-13) at 1 San Diego Southwest (23-6).

5 Imperial (18-9) at Mabel O’Farrell (24-4).

11 San Diego High Tech at 2 Mission Vista (17-11).

7 Calexico (16-9) at 2 Mt. Carmel (13-14).

DIVISION V

8 San Pasqual (10-18) at 1 San Diego Academy (21-4).

5 The Cambridge (13-8) at 4 Del Lago (17-11).

6 Clairemont (13-15) at Southern California Yeshiva (14-5).

7 Liberty (14-11) at 2 North County High Tech (14-6).

SCORE IT

There were nine games this regular season in which the winner totaled at least 100 points, San Ysidro, leading with 5 (not all teams reported indivdual or team scoring totals):

San Ysidro 114, Castle Park 26.

San Ysidro 113, Maranatha 49.

San Ysidro 107, Castle Park 22.

Foothills Christian 106, Steele Canyon 46.

Sweetwater 102, Castle Park 10.

San Ysidro 101, Preuss 45.

Montgomery 101, Calexico Vincent Memorial 44.

San Diego Academy 101, Ocean View 41.

San Ysidro 100, Mar Vista 43.

JUMP SHOTS

San Ysidro was the section’s highest scoring team in the regular season with a 78.1 game average.  Foothills Christian averaged 77.8, Montgomery 73.0, Torrey Pines, 71.2, and St. Augustine, 70.9…Escondido has won 12 in a row…Fallbrook (1-25) claimed its only victory, 60-49, over San Pasqual, coached by star alumnus Erik Meek and looking to move beyond the quarterfinals…Tyrone Shelley, who holds the San Diego Section with 76 points in one game, was listed as coach at San Pasqual Academy this season…Shelley, playing for Crawford, lit up the scoreboard against Burlington Central of Ontario, Canada, in the 2005-06 season….

Ten consecutive wins since Jan. 11 propelled Foothills Christian into the No. 1 position in the final regular-season The San Diego Union-Tribune poll and earned coach Brad Leaf’s Knights the Open Division top seed in this week’s beginning of the San Diego Section playoffs.

Play in divisions I through V convenes Wednesday evening.  Open Division teams are off until Saturday, Feb. 16.

Fooothills (21-5) took over the No. 1 spot after leader St. Augustine (22-6) lost two of its last four games, the latest a 62-52 upset by rival Cathedral.

Foothills will play 8 seed San Marcos (16-9) and the Saints will take on defending champion and 7 seed Mission Bay (17-11).

St. Augustine holds two Western League victories over the Buccaneers, but history does not favor three wins over the same team in the same season.  This is by far the matchup of the week.

CAVERS WIN ANOTHER

San Diego’s 62-56 win over University City allowed the Cavers (18-8), winners of their last eight, to claim the City League title and the D-III 4 seed Hilltoppers will meet Granite Hills (10-15) in their opening postseason test at home.

The basketball gonfalon, combined with San Diego’s football championship, marked the first time since 1974 that the Cavers had won football and basketball titles in one school year, although the football crown was shared with Clairemont and Kearny.

RATINGS

Foothills Christian is ranked 10th in the state by Max Preps and 17th by Cal-Hi Sports. St. Augustine was 17th but fell out of the top 20.  The Saints and Torrey Pines sit on the Cal-Hi bubble and are 18th and 27th, respectively, according toMax Preps.

Union-Tribune Week 10 poll as of Monday, Feb 11:

NR–Not ranked.

Others receiving votes:Rancho Buena Vista (24-4, 14 points), Sweetwater (22-6, 8) La Jolla Country Day (16-12, 3), Valhalla (26-4. 3), Francis Parker (17-9, 2).

Voters: John Maffei, The San Diego Union-Tribune; Terry Monahan, Freelance; Steve Brand, San Diego Sports Association;  Carlton Hoggard (CIF San Diego Section), Adam Paul,  Ramon Scott, EastCountySports.com; John Kentera, Braden Suprenant, 97.3 FM, The Fan; Rick Smith, partletonsports.com; Bodie DeSilva, sandiegopreps.com; Steve Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM; Christian Pedersen, S.D. Preps Insider; Aaron Burgin, Fulltime Hoops; Brad Enright, L.A. Court Report.

Twenty-one San Diego Section league champions were crowned this week, although such a feat means nothing when it comes to the playoffs, pairings of which were announced today.

But league championships represent a lot more than a playoff seeding,or divisional placement. Just ask the Mira Mesa Marauders and San Diego Cavers, who clinched Eastern and City loop titles, respectively, on the last night of the regular season.

Visiting Mira Mesa nipped Scripps Ranch, 52-51, and San Diego defeated host University City, 62-56.  The winners celebrated on their opponents’ floors.  It doesn’t get much better than that.

DONS TAKE IT TO SAINTS

There was no league title at stake but a standing room only crowd of more than 2,000 persons jammed the St. Augustine gym, where the Saints were hoping to close out a 12-0 league season against 8-3 rival Cathedral.

There were almost 150 banners signaling league championships since 1960 hanging in the high reaches of the beautiful, almost-new St. Augustine arena, but the night belong to the Dons.

Cathedral won the junior varsity game on a basket in the final 20 seconds, 48-46, and the Dons’ varsity outscored the Saints in every quarter, pulling away to a 62-52 victory.

Sweetwater, Escondido, Southern California Yeshiva, Chula Vista Learning Community, and Calexico Vincent Memorial ran the table, completing undefeated seasons in their respective leagues, noted below.

*Co-champion.

SAN DIEGO SECTION BOYS’ & GIRLS’ PLAYOFF PAIRINGS

Click here for SDUT article on  basketball pairings.

Union-Tribune Week 11 poll as of Monday, Feb. 4:

NR–Not ranked.

Others receiving votes: Carlsbad (19-5, 16), Vista (18-8, 11), Francis Parker (15-8, 5), Vista  Rancho Buena Vista (21-3, 15 points), Francis Parker (13-7, 15) San Marcos (15-9, 4), Sweetwater (20-6, 4), Valhalla (24-4, 4).

Voters: John Maffei, The San Diego Union-Tribune; Terry Monahan, Freelance; Steve Brand, San Diego Sports Association;  Carlton Hoggard (CIF San Diego Section), Adam Paul,  Ramon Scott, EastCountySports.com; John Kentera, Braden Suprenant, 97.3 FM, The Fan; Rick Smith, partletonsports.com; Bodie DeSilva, sandiegopreps.com; Steve Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM; Christian Pedersen, S.D. Preps Insider; Aaron Burgin, Fulltime Hoops; Brad Enright, L.A. Court Report.