Teams playing in Tuesday night’s quarterfinal games in the CCS enrollment divisions can clearly be split into two categories: Those looking to continue dominant stretches and those looking to make history by reaching new heights. Of the 20 matchups to be played on Tuesday night, more than half merit serious interest.
All games at 7 p.m., hosted by higher seed
Division I
No. 9 Mountain View (16-10) @ No. 1 Palo Alto (20-4)
Having swept the regular season series with a pair of 13-point victories, the Vikings, who have won two of the last three Division I titles, will look to go 3-for-3 against a Mountain View team looking to knock off a second straight SCVAL De Anza foe on the road. The Spartans did it on Saturday at Homestead with a 54-48 overtime victory, with 17 points from Jailen Daniel-Dalton and 15 from Ryan Bahar, who each had big games despite facing an opponent that was thoroughly prepared for and familiar with them, a testament to their talents.
No. 7 Independence (15-10) @ No. 2 Los Altos (19-5)
Once a team with Open Division hopes, the Eagles skidded to a finish in the regular season by dropping three of four, but they can quickly turn things around with a strong postseason. With a junior-heavy roster, they don’t need to look far for inspiration. The Palo Alto core that reached back-to-back NorCal championship games in 2017 and 2018 was led largely by juniors and won the Division I title in their first go-around.
No. 6 Sequoia (15-10) @ No. 3 Evergreen Valley (20-3)
Of all 20 games being played on Tuesday night, there are only a few where both teams have a solid chance to win the section, and the battle between the Ravens and Cougars is certainly one of those. Neither have ever even played in a section title game, though Sequoia does have two state tournament appearances courtesy of playing in the Open Division. Evergreen Valley, having one of its best years in program history under first-year head coach Arjun Ashokkumar, hasn’t even played in a section semifinal game since 2013.
No. 5 Santa Teresa (18-6) @ No. 4 Piedmont Hills (19-5)
After splitting two regular season meetings, it’s only fitting that Mahmoud Fofana and Alijah Washington will go at it again on Tuesday night. Fofana had a triple-double in the first, with an incredible 11 blocks, as the Saints won 53-51 in overtime, and he had 26 points and 14 rebounds in the second, though it was the Pirates who pulled away late for a 62-46 win, getting 17 points from Jordan Martinez and key bench contributions from John Sepulveda.
Division II
No. 9 Wilcox (15-10) @ No. 1 Hillsdale (17-7)
A four-year varsity player, Junior Cotton has a chance to climb to the pinnacle after years of grinding through losses, a journey that the Fighting Knights will try to start on Tuesday night. Hillsdale will be heavily favored, but Wilcox has pulled off a couple of surprising upsets this year, beating Washington-Fremont in December and dispatching Pioneer with surprising ease on Saturday in what was expected to be a tight game.
No. 7 Christopher (16-9) @ No. 2 Santa Clara (17-5)
It’s rare to see a ‘B’ division champion with as high a seed as the Bruins have, but with three WCAL teams from Division II playing in the Open Division, the entire SCVAL De Anza in Division I and the BVAL Mt. Hamilton experiencing a major down year, the cards lined up perfectly for Santa Clara. The road starts with a defensive-minded Cougars team that lacks a scorer averaging double-digits but allows just 44.5 per game and held a team under 30 for the third time this year on Saturday, beating Oak Grove 42-29.
Gunn (12-14) @ No. 3 Valley Christian (9-15)
The Warriors are looking to erase the embarrassment of last year’s upset loss to Aragon in the quarterfinals, which they can do by beating the lone unseeded team remaining in the field. 19 unseeded teams entered the playoffs, but the Titans are the only one still standing after winning at San Mateo Friday and Leland Saturday. Gunn had four different double-digit scorers in that Saturday victory, with Akash Ravani scoring a game-high 17.
No. 5 Willow Glen (11-14) @ No. 4 Woodside (15-9)
A healthy Noah Yang makes Willow Glen a completely different team, as evidenced by the offensive showings in wins over Leland and Lynbrook. He’ll bring the Rams into Woodside on Tuesday night with a chance to erase memories of what’s been a tough regular season, while sophomore Isaiah Minor will get his first taste of playoff action for the Wildcats.
Division III
No. 9 Jefferson (16-10) @ No. 1 Sacred Heart Cathedral (9-15)
Despite their proximity, Tuesday night will be the first time the Grizzlies and Fightin’ Irish meet since a 2011 quarterfinal, when the then-Indians hung around for a half before submitting to the might of an outstanding SHC team led by Josh Fox and Taylor Johns. Jefferson is certainly facing long odds, but head coach John Falabella watches as much film as the entire rest of the Bay Area combined. His team only had a couple days to prepare for the Irish, but they should be ready for every possible play and detail.
No. 10 Westmoor (12-14) @ No. 2 St. Ignatius (8-16)
Games against WCAL opponents are rare for the Rams, making Tuesday a special occasion that should see the entire Westmoor community making the 5.5 mile trip to the Sunset District. Typically a team that struggles to score, the Rams lit it up from outside on Saturday night as Jasiah Cox and Nate Cote combined to shoot 11-of-20 from 3-point range in a 63-59 upset win at Soquel. With how hard it’s been for St. Ignatius to score lately (less than 35 points in two of three games), big nights from those two could have the visitors on the brink of an improbable upset. The last time the teams met, all the way back on Dec. 4, 2012, Westmoor pulled off a 75-74 upset in overtime behind a team led by Wai Min, Errol Fernandez and freshman brothers Ali and Suray Mahmutovic, who eventually turned away from basketball to pursue boxing.
No. 6 Burlingame (16-9) @ No. 3 Monterey (14-10)
For teams two hours apart that never schedule each other, the Panthers and Toreadores are quite familiar with each other. The teams have met in the playoffs in three of the past nine years, all Burlingame victories. They squared off in a second round game at Randall Gym in 2012, a game the Panthers won 62-51, and have met twice on neutral floors in the quarterfinals since then, including a 2013 meeting in which a Burlingame team that went on to win the school’s first (and to this point only) section title overcame a 16-point third-quarter deficit for a 64-59 win. The Panthers also came out on top in 2016, 61-51.
No. 5 Aptos (18-8) @ No. 4 Sobrato (11-13)
Head-to-head results are a key element of seeding teams, which is why the Bulldogs earned a double bye despite the Mariners having a largely superior resume. Sobrato won 43-36 on Dec. 14, the final day of Gilroy’s Bob Hagen Memorial Tournament. At the time, nobody knew just how impactful that low-scoring meeting would be.
Division IV
No. 8 Scotts Valley (13-12) @ No. 1 Palma (20-4)
The heavily-favored Chieftains will begin their quest to reach their 12th section championship game in program history on Tuesday night, a stage they haven’t reached since 2010 and one on which they haven’t won since 2007. While all signs should point to a Palma blowout, perhaps the conditions are right for an upset. The Falcons are the only team from the lower half of the SCCAL to notch a win over one of the league’s top three teams this year, beating Soquel 46-45 on Jan. 28, so they’re no strangers to overcoming long odds. If that’s going to happen, they’ll need to play a far better offensive game than they did Saturday, when they barely squeaked by Harker, shooting just 29% from the field and 14% from 3-point range.
No. 7 Harbor (14-13) @ No. 2 Carmel (20-4)
The defending Division IV champions will take the floor on Tuesday night against a Pirates team that allows just 47.2 points per game and held King City to 29 on Saturday, doubling the Mustangs up at home. J.T. Byrne and Kai Lee will be doing everything they can to ensure that such a stellar defensive performance won’t be repeated.
No. 6 Pacific Grove (11-14) @ No. 3 Half Moon Bay (19-5)
The Cougars already won at Pacific Grove 64-53 back on Dec. 6 and will host the Breakers in a rematch on Tuesday night in what should be a measure of just how much Pacific Grove has improved since that initial contest. Considering that PG’s best player, Jamar Howard, is only a freshman, there’s a good chance they’ll be leaps and bounds better than they were two-and-a-half months earlier. Of course, the same could be said for Half Moon Bay as Mykola Ediger has become a consummate leader on the floor.
No. 5 King’s Academy (12-13) @ No. 4 Santa Cruz (15-12)
With center Kevin Sielski healthy, the Knights are a far more complete team than they were for most of the season. His presence means Noah Short doesn’t have to stretch himself so much on the glass and can play outside of the low post more often, freeing up all kinds of different looks on offense. Sielski’s presence will be especially valuable against a Santa Cruz team with serious size in the post thanks to Jack Busenhart and Alan Chen.
Division V
No. 9 Nueva (20-9) @ No. 1 Woodside Priory (17-7)
If Zach Zaffran and the Panthers can win on Tuesday night, they’ll get to play at home again on Thursday as Woodside Priory is set to host the Division V Semifinals at Gambetta Memorial Gym. They already defeated the Mavericks once, a 79-45 victory on Nov. 26 in what was the first game of the season for both teams. Nueva had no answer for David Ajanaku-Makun that night as the 6-foot-7 junior had 24 points.
No. 7 Summit Shasta (19-8) @ No. 2 Stevenson (17-7)
Josh Bubakar and the Black Bears will make the long trek to Pebble Beach on Tuesday night, where they’ll be greeted by a Stevenson team led by senior point guard Luke Driscoll. Not only did the Pirates play in the PCAL Mission Division, where they were the lone Division V school, they also played an excellent nonleague schedule that included games against Rio Americano and Rancho Mirage, meaning they’ll be playing their first playoff game as one of the most battle-tested teams around.
No. 6 Pinewood (12-13) @ No. 3 Pacific Bay Christian (25-2)
The Eagles won at Pinewood 45-40 back on Dec. 10 as senior center Dwight Bumgarner posted a double-double, but the WBAL has hardened the Panthers since then as junior forward Keaton Bailey has evolved into one of the more well-rounded players in the section.
No. 12 More (18-11) @ No. 4 Eastside (17-7)
The lowest remaining seed in Division V, the Knights will need to find a way to slow walking double-double Raymond Reece in order to keep their season alive. Foul trouble seems to be the only way to slow Reece down, so it may be up to Jeremy De Tar, who leads More with seven rebounds per game, to try to send the 6-foot-5 forward to the bench. Taking Reece out of the equation would force the Panthers to rely on their guard play, which has been inconsistent at times. Consistency hasn’t been an issue for Thomas De Tar, one of five members of his family on the roster, who averages 11.8 points per game.
