SGV/Whittier Prep Sports Zone: Sunday's With Escarcega
We take a look at what the basketball playoffs would like with the real-time data from this year; look at some of the top performances in the area and much more.
Over the weekend, the CIF Southern Section’s Executive Council held their annual January meetings in Santa Barbara. They also voted on several items, one of which could change the way the playoffs are conducted.
In a unanimous vote of 17-0, the Executive Committee gave the green light to having its playoff divisions determined by the rating it has (most likely from MaxPreps) for the current season. It is the same protocols that have been used for the past three seasons for Football.
Needless to say, many coaches are a bit fearful. Ryan Moore, one the top coaches in the San Fernando/Ventura area, tweeted out on Saturday that “So the CIF makes more money than ever, we have better communication that ever before, and the CIF Wants to do less work and let the computers decide everything. Mind you the football computer system sets the seeds then proceeds to predict the lower-seeded team winning.”
A lot to unpack there – but let me give an opinion that may not be well received but I have wanted to get it off my chest. First off, we must quit looking for the perfect system. (as Bishop Amat football coach Steve Hagerty once said, “It’s not there.”) The current system for sports other than football that we have simply hurts teams that have had huge success the past two years but have a squad that is nowhere near the talent of past teams.
The one area team that fits here perfectly in girls basketball is Sonora High School. Did they belong in Div. 1 the past couple of years? Absolutely… but not this year. Coach Melissa Barajas knew that her team would be very young and would be a work in progress. After watching them at the Arroyo Tournament, this is a team that shouldn’t be in Div. 1. If we were to use the real-time data to determine the divisions, Sonora would be either Div. 2A or Div. 3AA. That is a huge gap from Division 1.
Here is the other thing that I would like to point out. Sorry coaches, but time has run out and the buzzer has rung. Everyone has complained about the current system, but no one has come up with a viable idea to be implemented. And please don’t tell me that the divisions should be based on geography. We’ve been there and done that with the divisions and all we get are lopsided games in the first two rounds.
If you believe that – what’s next, having the Rams play their football games at Anaheim Stadium? Quit living in the past and join us in the 21st century, please.
I have publicly stated that I like the new current playoff season for football. It appears as if teams are properly being slotted and the games are much more competitive. In the last couple of years, we’ve had top-seeded and #2-seeded teams not advancing past the first round. That is what the CIF Southern Section wants. They are tired of the lopsided results that they had in the past in the first and second rounds.
Also, this is the CIF Southern Section’s answer to the transfer issue. If you are a team that loads up with transfers who are talented players, you will be slotted accordingly. For me, I always follow the money. And when the financial numbers are released shortly, it will show that when it comes to the playoffs, football is king. The new playoff system has been very good for the section at the box office.
There is no reason to think that the CIF Southern Council will pass this legislation at the end of the month and that it will be implemented next year. What would the brackets look like if the season ended on January 11th? Let’s take a look starting with boys basketball.
BOYS BASKETBALL
According to the ratings, the top eight teams currently that would be part of the open division are Harvard/Westlake, St. John Bosco, Mater Dei, JSerra, Sierra Canyon, Eastvale Roosevelt, Windward, and St. Pius X/St. Matthias. (Don’t get angry at me – I’m just the messenger).
So let’s take a look at what the Division 1 Boys Basketball Bracket would look like:
The top four seeds are pretty darn good basketball teams in Etiwanda, Damien, Redondo Union, and Corona Centennial (a team many observers think is an Open Division team). But you could see some compelling matchups that would be huge at the box office. How about #5 Crespi vs. #12 La Mirada? I’d pay to see #2 Damien vs. #18 La Habra – the guard play from both teams would be off the charts.
You could understand the hurt burn that a team like San Gabriel Academy would have and Pasadena would not be happy with a second-round matchup against Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. Again, we are talking about competitive equity and you can be sure that the CIF-SS would love to have a second-round matchup of #8 Los Alamitos vs. #9 Santa Margarita.
We also took a look at Div. 2AA and here is what a bracket could look like.
Todd Wolfson would be a happy camper as his team would be the top seed and could see either Maranatha, San Marino, or South Pasadena in the quarterfinals. You can be sure that those would bring out huge crowds. Bosco Tech would be punished as the 31st seed, but that is life in the new playoff world we are about to venture into.
Let’s move over to the girls side where the top-eight teams for the Open Division would be Sierra Canyon, Etiwanda, Sage Hill, Bishop Montgomery, Mater Dei, Ontario Christian, Mira Costa, and Moreno Valley based on the current ratings.
Let’s look at what a Division 1 bracket would look like.
Well, #8 Flintridge Prep vs. #9 South Pasadena would be a huge area game at the box office, although they would have a tough time getting past top-seeded Windward. The area team that could be salty here is La Salle. St. Anthony would be on the opposite side of the bracket and #3 Redondo Union, nor #2 Village Christian are not on the Open Division Watchlist.
And here is what a Division 2AA bracket would look like.
Diamond Bar would be the tough luck team as the #32 seed and would have to play top-seeded Lynwood. All of the area teams would be low seeds, which wouldn’t be a great sign for anyone making a deep run in the playoffs.
As you can imagine, the ratings will change, and teams will be moving into one division and out of another. The bottom line is clear, change has arrived within the CIF Southern Section when it comes to the playoffs, and everyone had better start embracing it and start scheduling accordingly.
And let’s not even talk about league realignment using these ratings – let’s get past the playoffs first.
HUGE PERFORMANCES IN THE AREA
Josh Proctor, La Canada. (Escarcega)
It was a big week for several basketball players in the area last week. And the teams that they play for were more than happy to take those efforts.
On Tuesday, Ethan Alfonso scored 34 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in leading Diamond Bar to a thrilling double-overtime win over Los Altos 86-81. What was lost in all the excitement about Alfonso’s effort, was Los Altos’ Kareem Mendez's performance as he scored 24 points and snatched seven rebounds.
We came away very impressed with the way that Los Altos performed. We know that it was a tough loss to accept, but this is a team that plays very good defense, moves the ball well offensively, and could shock a team or two in the playoffs.
Then on Friday, we were at Blair High School to see one of the best performances of the year from La Canada’s Josh Proctor as he scored 31 points and secured 23 rebounds in a huge 86-63 win and moved the Spartans into sole possession of first place in the Rio Hondo League. According to those close to La Canada, this was the second time that the team was at full strength.
That’s not the news that the rest of the teams in the area wanted to hear. La Canada hosts San Marino on Wednesday.
When it comes to girls basketball, Temple City’s Kristi Huynh had a big night with 25 points for Temple City in a 49-35 win over San Marino. The win could be huge when it comes to the Rams getting the third and final spot in the Rio Hondo League standings.
The game of the week takes place on Wednesday as Glendora travels to Bonita for the first two mega clashes. The winner takes control of the Palomares League title race.
BASEBALL/SOFTBALL SEASON IS AROUND THE CORNER
We are starting to get preseason questionnaires back for the upcoming baseball and softball season and we couldn’t be getting more excited about what the Del Rio League title race will look like.
La Serna, California, and Santa Fe have returned their questionnaires and within those three teams, nine players have either signed or committed to Div. 1 college teams. The softball in the Whittier area has never been better. If you are a softball fan, make sure and try to watch these teams in action. They are very good.
By the way, word from the 562 is that this La Mirada could be fielding its best team in many years. Could they start the year as the top-ranked team in the area? Stay tuned.
CRUISING AROUND THE VALLEY: In case you missed it, Dwayne Wright has stepped down as the football coach at Gabrielino High School. According to a tweet that he has posted, he accepted a position with the district and would be unable to hold the position. The coaching position has been posted on Ed Join. According to Chris Fore’s spreadsheet on his Eight Laces website, three area positions are open: Azusa, Whittier, and Gabrielino… Before their game against La Canada on Friday night, the Blair HS boys basketball team from 2023 was honored with a banner that will be on the wall inside the school gymnasium… The CIF-SS released the playoff divisions for spring sports. In Div. 1 baseball, South Hills returns to Div. 1 after a cup of coffee in Div. 2. Other area powerhouse teams that are in Div.1 include La Mirada, Bishop Amat, Bonita, San Dimas, and Damien. Maranatha drops from Div. 1 to Div. 2 and will be one of the early favorites to advance to a sectional final. Other area teams include Ayala, Arcadia (who was also dropped from Div. 1), Charter Oak, and La Serna. La Salle, La Habra, and Northview headline the area teams in Div. 3… In softball, it was no surprise that La Mirada and South Hills are the area’s only teams in Division 1. But the area’s best teams can be found in Div. 2. They include Bonita, California, Diamond Ranch, La Serna, St. Paul, Temple City, and Whittier Christian. The divisions can be found on the CIF-SS website… Monday is Martin Luther King Day and several basketball showcase events will be taking place. At South Pasadena HS, eight games will be played with Schurr (9:30 a.m.), La La Salle (12:30 p.m.), South Pasadena (2 p.m.), and Maranatha (8 p.m.) all taking part in the event… The CIF-SS recently released its transfer numbers for the school year. There were 472 transfers in December which pushed the overall number to 4,989.
FINALLY…
Much like many of you in the girls basketball community, we are shocked to hear of the passing of longtime Los Altos coach Mark Nakamura. You would not find a nicer or more friendly coach than Nakamura. He loved girls basketball and loved coaching at Los Altos. Most importantly, he was very much respected in the Asian community where basketball is treated with reverence. I remember the first time that I met Mark (when I was writing for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune) and it was always a treat to talk to him.
He would give me little nuggets that always came in handy when covering his team. During the time that Madelyn Roel played for him at Los Altos, he never looked happier. He would come up to me before a game and say, “This could be one for the memory books, look out.” It was that year that he was truly devastated when they were overwhelmed by Flintridge Prep in the playoffs. It was a matchup of two of the best teams in the area and I played it up huge in the paper. Before the game, when I arrived inside the gym, he was never more confident. “Jimmy, we’re loaded and ready to go,” he told me. When the night was done and his team was defeated by the Wolves, 61-42, he walked away quietly into the team’s locker room as if the Grinch had stolen his Christmas gifts.
There are other times when he would hold court at the Covina Tournament with other coaching icons including Adam Nunamaker from Glendora. He loved nothing better than “chewing the fat.” He was also a big fan of this newsletter. When we decided to launch this project in 2022, he called me and said, “Thank you! We need someone like you in girls basketball world promoting our players.” He had a major influence that I couldn’t be more grateful for.
When word got out last year that this health was taking a direction a little wobbly from the North Star, we talked, and he told me that he would be back on the bench this season. One of my favorite memories is of him and the legendary Lori Huckler from Walnut talking to one another after a game at Walnut. Close to 60 years of coaching in that conversation and he was so happy just to be inside the gym.
The San Gabriel Valley basketball world lost a great one, but we should be rejoicing knowing that he is no longer in pain and will be watching girls basketball with the best seat in the house.
Thank you for everything Mark! You were someone very special and will always have a special place in my heart.