Friday's quarterfinal round of the Open Division basketball games showed us that anything can happen at this stage. Here is a look at some of the top quarterfinal games in the rest of the brackets.
Division I
#8 Palo Alto (25-3) @ #1 Heritage (29-2), 6 pm
It’s two teams that play tremendously different styles, with Heritage using superior athleticism while Palo Alto relies on strong fundamentals, but there’s no shortage of excellence between the two teams. Both also have star players with tremendous length, which should make for a fun matchup between Jonathan Ned and Palo Alto’s Max Dorward. Dorward could also match up with Heritage’s Jacob Williams, while Will Schlemmer or Bryant Jefferson would likely handle the other piece of the duo.
#13 Menlo (24-3) @ #12 Central (25-7), 6 pm
Making the trek to Fresno will be a challenge for the Knights, but considering that they managed to win at the madhouse that is Clayton Valley, it won’t be an impossible order. Menlo won that game by slowing it down and feeding the post, where Riley Woodson had 31 points and 14 rebounds. Central won a road thriller on Wednesday as well, taking down St. Francis in the final seconds
#7 Dublin (26-5) @ #2 Las Lomas (28-3), 6 pm
This one should be an excellent offensive display between two teams that know each other quite well, as they faced off twice a year before Dublin moved from the DAL to the EBAL in 2016. Both have experience in tight games, with each having survived close calls against lower-seeded opponents in the first round.
#11 St. Ignatius (18-9) @ #3 Mitty (12-16), 6 pm
For two teams that were so close in the regular season to be separated by such a wide gap in seeding is a bit of a head-scratcher, but to have the two facing off for the third time certainly won’t disappoint. The road team won each of the first two meetings, with SI taking a 71-69 thriller on January 5 after holding off a late charge. Mitty returned the favor with a 66-63 win in San Francisco three weeks later. Considering that Riley Grigsby, Darrion Trammell and others will be playing to extend their careers, it should be an all-out war.
Division II
#9 Los Gatos (22-6) @ #1 Alameda (25-5), 6 pm
The Los Gatos tandem of Alex Braken-Guelke and Dylan Belquist has outscored the entire opposing roster in each of the Wildcats’ last two games. Doing so for a third straight game will be an incredibly difficult task against one of the best Alameda teams in school history. While Los Gatos relies on huge contributions from Braken-Guelke and Belquist, the Hornets have gotten to where they are today through depth and balance.
#13 Riordan (17-11) @ #5 Grant (22-10), 6 pm
If James Chun can shoot like he did in the Crusaders’ first-round win, Riordan will be incredibly difficult to stop. While Grant has the size advantage, both teams boast tremendous athleticism, which should make for a thriller.
Division III
#8 Valley Christian (15-13) vs. #1 Branson (30-3), 6 pm @ College of Marin
Ever since getting through the gauntlet that is the WCAL, the Warriors have been playing their best basketball. Coming from a league known for defense, they should be well-prepared for a Branson team that makes a living out of shutting opponents down. The Bulls held a fast-paced Vanden team to just 38 points in the first round.
#5 Half Moon Bay (25-5) @ #4 Central Catholic (29-2), 6 pm
These two teams have familiarity with each other, as Central Catholic dealt HMB a season-ending loss in last year’s second round. Arguably the most impressive thing about the Raiders is their defense. For all their offensive firepower, their ability to slow down opponents isn’t talked about frequently. Holding Monterey to 51, as they did in the first round, is a tremendous accomplishment. Even though Half Moon Bay has opened things up offensively more this year under first-year head coach John Parsons, the Cougars can still hold it down on the defensive end.
#11 Foothill-Palo Cedro (24-6) vs. #3 University (30-3), 5:30 pm @ Kezar Pavilion
It’s the second time the Cougars will be at Kezar this week, having unseated defending champion Mission on Wednesday. There’ll be great offensive weapons on both sides, with Foothill’s Zach Reuter and Thurman Knowles going up against University’s Spencer Spivy and Max Fried. The Red Devils certainly needed the rest on Thursday and Friday, having needed three overtimes to hold off Patterson.
Division IV
#9 Stuart Hall (20-11) @ #1 Santa Cruz (25-5), 6 pm
Neither team has a huge presence in the post, but both have a talented mix of guards and forwards that can defend and hit the boards. The battle between Max DeHart and Miles Amos will be good, but they won’t be the only ones to make an impact. Santa Cruz’s Jeremiah Elmore and Robert Bishop will square off with the Knights’ Spencer O’Brien-Steele and Nigel Burris. Both sides have incredible youth, with eight sophomores playing for the Cardinals and Stuart Hall featuring three sophomores and two freshmen.
#11 Sonora (24-2) @ #3 St. Mary’s-Albany (17-14), 6 pm
Sonora took down one NCS team already, beating Lick-Wilmerding on the road, but the Panthers will be a tough test with the tandem of Darius Jackson and Jason Roche. Sonora allows just 49.6 points per game and gets 18.1 per night from Jace Decker.
Division V
#9 Hayward (12-15) @ #1 Argonaut (26-5), 5:30 pm
Can the Farmers continue their magical run? Can do so, they’ll need another strong performance from Melvin Lipsey III and need to hold Adison Cramer, who averages 19.6 points per game for the Mustangs, in check.
