A look at Southland playoff scene

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA – The CIF’s Southern and L.A. City Sections’ hoops playoffs are into the quarterfinal- and semifinal-stages.

Here are my observations about how some (not all) of the divisions are playing out:

SOUTHERN SECTION

IAA

  Games tonight: No. 1 seed Mater Dei at Foothill; No. 4 Loyola at Upland; Santa Monica at No. 3 Etiwanda; Eisenhower at No. 2 L.B. Poly.

Comments: There were no significant surprises, obviously, in the first two rounds of play. Call this the “Can anyone beat Mater Dei?” division. The answer is . . . it’s very doubtful. The Monarchs will be facing a hostile crowd in a packed-liked-sardines Foothill gym (capacity: 1,450) but this Gary McKnight crew has held up well against all Southern California comers this season and shouldn’t get its first “real” test until a likely Tuesday night semifinal against Loyola in the Anaheim Convention Center Arena.

IA

  Games tonight: No. 1 Mission Viejo at West Ranch; El Toro at No. 4 Crescenta Valley; Corona at No. 3 Orange Lutheran; No. 2 Capistrano Valley at Vista Murrieta.

Comments: Another division in which the top four seeds after gotten through the first two rounds unscathed. The South Coast League’s top three representatives are still competing (with a fourth, Tesoro, in the 2AA quarterfinals!) but each is on the road tonight. So seeing the top four seeds in the Tuesday semifinals would be at least a mild surprise. Orange Lutheran (Trinity League) – easily the most gifted team in this field – remains the prohibitive favorite in this bracket.

2AA

  Games tonight: Riverside Poly at Thousand Oaks; Inglewood at Cajon; No. 3 J.W. North at Sunny Hills; Tesoro at Royal.

Comments: The seeding in this field was blown up in the second round, with No.’s 1 Ocean View (via Thousand Oaks), 2 Canyon Country Canyon (by Tesoro) and 4 Anaheim Canyon (b Inglewood) bidding adieu to the post season. Look for an Inglewood-J.W. North final – they are probably the best teams in the pool by a considerable amount.

2A

  Games tonight: North Torrance at No. 1 Mayfair; Elsinore at No. 4 Leuzinger; Righetti at No. 3 Murrieta Valley; Colony at No. 2 Compton.

Comments: There was only one mild “upset” in this field so far with 9 seed North Torrance edging 8 Don Lugo by two points Tuesday night in Torrance. It would be startling if the top seed Monsoons were to stumble tonight but each of the other three games should be competitive and tight until the late goings. The games at Leuzinger and Compton should be among the most entertaining (read: “high scoring”) anywhere in the playoffs tonight.

3AAA

  Games tonight: Arroyo Grande at No. 4 Palm Desert; Beverly Hills at No. 2 Pasadena.

Comments: I have dubbed this the “Can anyone beat Pasadena?” division and the answer is a resounding “Not a chance!” How’s that for pressure, Coach Tim Tucker?

3AA

  Games tonight: No. 1 Calabasas at No. 4 Torrance; South Torrance at Yorba Linda.

  Comments: Calabasas is, obviously, the heavy favorite to hold up the championship hardware next week. South Torrance and Yorba got into the playoffs via the at-large route; Torrance was third in the Pioneer League and took a 13-13 record into the playoffs. This wasn’t exactly a powerhouse field.

3A

  Games tonight: No. 4 Santa Margarita at No. 1 Alemany; No. 3 Oak Park at No. 2 St. John Bosco.

Comments: Tonight marks the final steps to what was an inevitable showdown for the title between these top two seeds next week. Barring a major upset, this is likely the final game for Jerry DeBusk as Santa Margarita’s head coach. One of the sports best coaches and an even better fellow, DeBusk is retiring.

4AA

  Games tonight: No. 1 Serra at No. 4 Price; Crespi at No. 2 La Verne Lutheran.

  Comments: There should be two dandy semifinals and any of these clubs are capable of winning the title in what probably the competitive of all playoff divisions in Southern California this season. Serra-Price could be the game of the night!

4A

  Games tonight: Campbell Hall at No. 1 Pacific Hills; No. 3 Cantwell Sacred Heart at No. 2 Ontario Christian.

  Comments: Campbell Hall took a 9-17 record into the playoffs (it played a very tough non-league schedule) but has gotten to the semifinals without much fuss or muss – largely because Nevada-bound Cole Huff and freshman Aaron Holiday are in uniform. But Pacific Hills may have too much balance and overall quality for anyone else in this division.

5AA

  Games tonight: No. 4 Mission Prep at No. 1 St. Bernard; No. 3 Ribet Academy at No. 2 Village Christian.

  Comment: No surprises in this division so far. Mission Prep has two very good players in 6-7, Cal Poly-bound Zach Allmon and 6-4 junior Connor Woolpert. But Vikings’ Coach Reggie Morris Jr. has one of the deepest squads in all of Southern California, led by junior Brandon Randolph and underrated seniors Emani Gant, Lance Booker and Jalen Walker. This club rolls to the title over the next two games.

L.A. City

Division I

  Games Saturday (at Cal State Dominguez Hills): 6 p.m., No. 1 Taft vs. No. 5 Crenshaw; 8, No. 3 Westchester vs. No. 6 Dorsey.

Comment: The top-ranked Toreadors have won 16 in a row and will take an 18-game winning streak and L.A. City crown in the State Southern Division I Regionals on March 6. They’re too, too good for this field.