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SANTA ANA, Ca. – Two teams that are locks to be in the CIF Southern Section’s Open Division playoff bracket when it is announced on Feb. 10 pretty much looked the part Friday during the 23^rd Nike Extravaganza in Mater Dei High’s Meruelo Athletic Center.

The host Monarchs, in the last of five games Friday (including the Monarchs’ girls’ victory against Esperanza), improved to 17-6 with their 67-55 decision over Heritage Christian from Northridge.

And, in the second game played Friday, Rancho Christian ran its record to 24-2 with a 64-39 victory against JSerra.

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SANTA ANA, Ca. – The 14-game, two-day 23^rd Nike Extravaganza tips off Friday afternoon in Mater Dei High’s Meruelo Athletic Center with a clash of Orange County-based programs.

Getting things underway at 3 o’clock will be the squads from Anaheim’s Servite High and San Juan Capistrano Valley’s Saddleback Valley Christian.

Five games will be played on Friday, including the lone girl’s clash (Mater Dei vs. Esperanza at 6 o’clock) of the event.

Games are divided into Friday, Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon/evening sessions with separate admissions charged for each.

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RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Ca. – Even a piece of the Trinity League champion is well out of its reach with two league games left to play.

But the Santa Margarita High boys’ basketball team delivered a succinct message Wednesday night that it’s going to be quite a handful to deal with for any CIF Southern Section playoff opponent – including the Open Division.

Coach Jeff Reinert’s program took an important step toward a third consecutive spot in the SS Open Division playoff bracket with their 81-63 Trinity League victory over visiting St.

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LAKEWOOD, Ca. – “Order”, if you will, was restored in the Moore Leagues boys’ basketball race Tuesday night at Lakewood High.

The Long Beach Poly Jackrabbits, stunned at home (90-87, OT) when the teams met on Jan. 8, took resounding control of the league-lead Monday night with a 73-54 victory over the host Lancers.

Coach Shelton Diggs’ club improved to 15-6 and 7-1 in league, with Moore games yet to play this week with Wilson (Wednesday) and Millikan (Friday).

The Jackrabbits go outside of league for the final time in the regular season on Saturday afternoon at Mater Dei High, when they face Sierra Canyon at 4:15 in the two-day, 23^rd Nike Extravaganza.

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NORWALK – The tenth State Preview Saturday – now under the guidance of Rolling Hills Prep since Coach Harvey Kitani moved there from Fairfax High – gave a decent not-so-sneaky preview of some of the programs likely to make deep runs into the 2018 California State Championship Tournament.

The most notable those among the 16 teams on display at Cerritos College was, of course, defending State and Southern Section Open Division Champion Bishop Montgomery.

And nothing occurred during the Knights’ 60-43 takedown of L.A. City power Fairfax to even mildly begin to offer any doubt that Coach Doug Mitchell’s club is an iron-clad favorite to successful defend both of those crowns in March.

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