As winter sports near their end, playoffs are well upon us. Boys basketball has moved into the second round of play after a first round that saw upsets, blowouts and stellar play.
Led by No. 2 seed Temecula Valley, six local teams remain as they search for their respective CIF Championships.
Division 1A
Troy 56 – Temecula Valley 73
Led by standout senior Riley Schaefer, the Golden Bears (25-4) have now won eight-straight games, as they cruised past their first round opponent, the Troy Warriors. Schaefer, a Cal Poly commit, registered a huge double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds. He added five assists and three steals, leading the team on both ends of the court, much as he has throughout the season. TV, this year’s Southwestern League Champion, will now host the Oxnard Yellow Jackets (21-7), who are coming off of a close 61-59 victory over Huntington Beach. That game will be played on Friday, February 19 at 7:00 p.m.
Paloma Valley 59 – Walnut 74
Facing off against the No. 3 seed turned out to be too much for the Panthers (17-10), who fell in the first round of play against the Walnut Mustangs.
Vista Murrieta 60 – Riverside Poly 52
The Broncos (16-11) are moving on to the second round of playoffs for the first time in three years thanks to stellar all-around play from the team. One player stood out though, as Dwayne Johnson, a SDSU commit (for football), led the way with 14 points and eight rebounds. Looking to keep their new playoff win-streak afloat, Vista will face off against the Cypress Centurions (20-9), who squeaked out a 51-48 win in the first round of play over Peninsula High School. The game takes place on Friday, February 19 at 7:00 p.m. at a neutral court.
Division 1AA
Great Oak 43 – Corona Santiago 38
The Wolfpack (19-8) lives to fight another day following their close victory over Santiago in the first round of play. Led by senior guard Caleb Giordano’s 14 points, and 13 from junior guard Michael Curley, Great Oak edged out the Sharks in a fairly low-scoring contest. Ranked as the No. 8 seed after falling just short of a Southwestern League title, the Wolfpack will now host the No. 9 seed in Millikan High School (19-8) at a neutral location. The Rams are coming off a 65-60 victory over Upland. The teams will face on Friday, February 19 at 7:00 p.m.
Chaparral 51 – Martin Luther King 54
The Pumas (13-15) couldn’t overcome MLK’s slight lead in the final seconds of play, as they failed to move on to the second round of play for the second time in three years, after missing playoffs altogether last season. It was their second lost to King this season, after losing to the Wolves 68-36 in early December. MLK will now face Etiwanda in the second round.
Division 2A
Elsinore 45 – Agoura 61
Just a year after finishing in the Final Four of their CIF bracket, the Tigers (15-14) have been knocked out after the first round of play. Despite strong performances from two of their standout seniors, Michael Taylor: 16 points; Nathaniel Dodson: 14 points, the Tigers couldn’t handle the torrid play of the Agoura Chargers. The Chargers will now play La Mirada in round two.
Murrieta Mesa 42 – Redlands East Valley 78
The Rams (9-18) were faced with the tough task of heading into hostile territory for the first round of play, matched up against No. 4 seed Redlands East Valley. Unfortunately things didn’t go well from the start, as they fell in just their fourth ever playoff appearance. Despite a huge game from senior guard Davon Sanders (18 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists), the Rams couldn’t hold up against the last year’s D-2A runner-ups in the Wildcats, who will now face Royal High School in the second round of play.
Temescal Canyon 56 – Whittier 71
For the second year in a row the Titans (7-19) have fallen in the first round of playoffs, this time against No. 11 seed Whittier High School. It proved to be too much for Temescal who have had a rough go of it this season. Whittier will now face No. 7 seed Mayfair.
Division 5A
Pasadena AGBU (10-13) vs. Rancho Christian (16-11) on Friday, February 19 at 7:00 p.m.
After a first round bye, the No. 2 seeded Eagles will host AGBU for the second round of play. A year after falling in the finals of the D-5A CIF playoffs, Rancho Christian will look to avenge that loss, led by impressive freshman Isaiah Mobley, who averages team-highs in points (15.8), rebounds (10.5) and blocks (2.0).
Division 5AA
Temecula Prep 36 – de Toledo 46
The Patriots (23-5) have now lost in the first round of playoffs in five consecutive seasons following their loss to de Toledo.
Linfield 59 – Sherman Indian 56
Despite their first round win over Sherman Indian, tough days lie ahead for the Lions (16-9), who now have to face off against No. 2 seed Saddleback Valley Christian High School. Should they win as the No. 15 seed, Linfield would provide one of the most outstanding upsets of the season. The two teams face off on Friday, February 19 at 7:00 p.m.
Santa Rosa Academy 49 – Saddleback Valley Christian 105
The Rangers’ (12-12) season came to an abrupt end on Tuesday, when they got absolutely crushed by the No. 2 seed in Saddleback Valley. SVC will now face off against another local team when they host Linfield Christian.
Division 6
California Lutheran 59 – Noli Indian 29
The No. 11 seeded C-Hawks dealt a huge blow to their opponents in the first round of playoffs, moving on to round two in grand fashion. It was the second-straight season that Cal Lutheran has downed Noli Indian in the first round of play, and the fifth-straight season that they have advanced past the first round. They will now play host to No. 6 Apple Valley Christian on Friday, February 19 at 7:00 p.m.
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