Frank Burlison

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. – History may prove that there were never more compelling Southern California high school basketball games played on one day during this season as then are scheduled for Tuesday

Eight of the first 10 squads in the updated BurlisonOnBasketball Top 25 will hook up with one another Tuesday night during the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Open Division while three of the L.A. City Open Division first-round clashes – postponed on Friday for weather-induced reasons – are also scheduled for Tuesday.

In the Southern Section Open contests, top-ranked Sierra Canyon plays host to No.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA – Here is the updated BurlisonOnBasketball Southern California Top 25, post-Southern and L.A. City Section playoff unveilings over the weekend.

The number in parenthesis indicates previous rating:

1. Sierra Canyon/Southern Section Open (2) 25-1

Next up: Friday, vs. No. 22 Heritage Christian

Frank Says: The Trailblazers have a significant size advantage in the first round but that would be the case against all but two or three teams in SoCal.

2. Chino Hills/SS Open (1)                                27-1

Next up: Friday, vs. No. 23 JSerra

Frank Says: A cool matchup in this one – 6-9 junior Joel Mensah vs.

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LOS ALAMITOS – The 16-team bracket for the fourth CIF Southern Section Division boys’ playoff field includes some obvious – and familiar – names.

The top four seeds (in order) Sierra Canyon, Chino Hills, Mater Dei and Bishop Montgomery are 4 for 4 in Open Division appearances.

Two other programs are also represented for the fourth time in the field, Corona Centennial and Redondo.

The bracket was announced at the CIF Southern Section Sunday afternoon.  The teams were selected, seeded and assembled into “bracket form” Friday morning at the Southern Section office.

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SANTA ANA, Ca. – A winning streak that had reached 60 finally met its match Saturday night during the 22^nd Nike Extravaganza in Mater Dei High’s Meruelo Center.

The Chino Hills Huskies seemed well on their way to extending that streak to 61 in front of a elbow-to-elbow gathering of 3,300 plus while building that first-half advantage against Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill Academy behind the dynamic play of sophomore point guard Melo Ball.

But the first 59 victims in that remarkable run didn’t have what the Warriors threw right back at the Huskies – and that streak.

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SANTA ANA, Ca. – The national powerhouse program of legendary coach Steve Smith that is Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill Academy saw its 56-game, two-season winning streak snapped by Chatsworth (CA) Sierra Canyon in December.

Saturday night at Mater Dei High, in the finale of the 22^nd Nike Extravaganza, Smith’s Warriors will get a chance to turn that trick on another California program.

Chino Hills, which extended its own two-season winning streak to 60 Friday night with its 91-60 Baseline League victory over Upland, takes on Oak Hill Saturday (at approximately 8:45 Pacific Time) in the finale of the 14-game, two-day event in Mater Dei’s Meruelo Athletic Center.

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