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TEMECULA – A year ago, as the No. 1 seed, the Rancho Christian High boys’ basketball team stumbled in its first pool-play and that was enough to keep it from getting a chance to knock off Sierra Canyon in the CIF Southern Section’s Open Division championship game.

Friday night, as the No. 3 seed, things again looked more than a bit precarious for Coach Ray Barefield’s club in its home playoff-opener against No. 6 Harvard-Westlake.

But, despite trailing by nine points early in the contest and by a point with just less than three minutes to go, the Eagles were able to claw out the victory, 67-62.

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ETIWANDA – The visiting St. Anthony High Saints got an up-close look-see at the man-up, half-court defense of the Etiwanda Eagles Thursday night in a CIF Southern Section Open Division boys’ basketball playoff opener.

And, as they’d no doubt attest, it was everything it’s cracked up to be.

Coach Dave Kleckner’s Eagles, leading by four points with a little bit more than five minutes to go in the third quarter, forced four turnovers and blocked a couple of Saints’ shot during a 14-2 spurt over the next four minutes.

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LONG BEACH – A Friday night “Poly vs. Poly clash” became reality because the “Long Beach” Poly was able to outlast Crossroads Wednesday night.

The host Jackrabbits trailed by five points in the fourth quarter but were able to pull away down the stretch and come away with a 66-60 victory over the Roadrunners in a CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoff opener.

Coach Shelton Diggs’ club (17-12) will have to make a Friday afternoon, east-bound trek on the 91 Freeway to take on the host Bears (23-5 and the No.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL – During the first four seasons of the CIF Southern Section’s Open Division boys’ basketball playoffs, the field consisted of 16 entrants.

The next three, including this season, has featured an eight-team format (the last two of those in “pool” instead of “bracket” play).

So, how would the field look this week if it was back in the 16-team format?

If it were strictly my decision (instead of the other Open Division Committee members), joining the 1-8 seeds – Sierra Canyon, Corona Centennial, Rancho Christian, Etiwanda, St.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL – The Harvard-Westlake and St. Anthony programs will make their first appearances in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys’ basketball playoffs, brackets for which were unveiled from the Southern Section Administration office in Los Alamitos early Sunday.

In no great surprise, defending champion Sierra Canyon was the top seed in the eight-team field, followed by Corona Centennial, Rancho Christian and Etiwanda.

The last of the selections was locked in Saturday night, when Ribet Academy was knocked off by Rancho Christian at Cerritos College and cleared the way for the St.

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