Palo Alto and Mountain View tied for the SCVAL De Anza Division boys’ basketball title this season, with each team holding a victory over each other.
When it came to the Central Coast Section seeding meeting on Sunday, however, Mountain View (19-5) received the No. 5 seed and Palo Alto (20-4) got the No. 6 seed in the Division II playoffs based on a tiebreaker.
Paly coach Adam Sax, however, probably didn’t mind the mild snub. By getting the No. 6 seed, the Vikings finally escaped top-seeded Mitty until a possible meeting in the finals.
For the past two seasons, Sax and his Vikings have been in the same bracket as the Monarchs. The teams met in the semifinals each season and Mitty topped Paly each time.
Should the teams meet again in a few weeks, Palo Alto will be assured of a berth in the CIF NorCal playoffs no matter what the outcome.
Paly received a bye into the second round on Thursday, Feb. 23 and will play the winner of South San Francisco (13-14) and host Woodside (17-9). Potentially blocking Paly’s path to the finals, however, could be No. 3 St. Francis in the quarterfinals or No. 2 Serra in the semifinals.
In other CCS brackets, Sacred Heart Prep and Menlo return to action in Division V while Pinewood, Eastside Prep, Mid-Peninsula, Priory, East Palo Alto Academy and Kehillah Jewish will continue their seasons in Division V.
Sacred Heart Prep (18-6), the defending division champ, received the No. 3 seed after finishing second in the West Bay Athletic League. The Gators have a bye into the quarterfinals on Saturday at Menlo School.
Menlo School (17-7) got the No. 5 seed and will host a second-round game on Thursday against Greenfield (9-15) or Scotts Valley (11-14) at 7 p.m.
In Division V, top-seeded Pinewood (22-2) hopes to defend its section title. The Panthers have a bye into Saturday’s quarterfinals.
Eastside Prep (13-11) got the No. 6 seed and will host Jewish Community (9-11) or Trinity Christian (16-3) on Thursday at 7 p.m. That winner will play No. 3 Priory (10-9) in Saturday’s quarterfinals.
East Palo Alto Academy (16-2) got the No. 5 seed and will face Oakwood (11-9) or Kehillah Jewish (10-12) on Thursday at the Boys’ & Girls’ Club in East Palo Alto at 7:15 p.m.
Mid-Peninsula (12-4), which reached the D-V finals last season, will open at No. 7 Pacific Collegiate (16-7) on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
Pinewood will open its title defense against Crystal Springs (5-19) or Alma Heights (18-8) on Saturday.
Girls
Palo Alto, Gunn and Wilcox tied for the SCVAL De Anza Division title this season, forcing the teams to draw numbers out of a hat to decide the seeding in the Division I playoffs. The Titans came out the big winners.
After losing three times to Palo Alto last season, Gunn (16-6) got a measure of revenge off the court by receiving the No. 1 seed. Wilcox (20-2) got the No. 2 and Palo Alto (17-4), the defending section champion, was relegated to the No. 3 position.
All three teams earned byes into the quarterfinals on Saturday, with Paly and Wilcox in the same bracket while Gunn’s toughest competition could be No. 4 Santa Teresa.
In the Division IV playoffs, Menlo School (17-9) is the No. 6 seed and will host either King’s Academy (12-13) or Carmel (15-7) on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
Sacred Heart Prep (16-9) is the No. 5 seed and will host either Greenfield (12-12) or Harker (16-9) on Thursday at 7 p.m.
The No. 1 seed is Mercy-San Francisco (24-2), which coincidently lost to Menlo, 53-52, in Saturday’s WBAL playoff finale. That loss, evidently, did not affect the Skippers’ postseason hopes.
In Division V, defending champion Pinewood (16-11) is the No. 2 seed and will host Summit Prep (11-7) or No. 7 Crystal Springs (8-12) in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
Eastside Prep (12-14), which lost to Pinewood in the WBAL semifinals, nonetheless earned the No. 1 seed and earned a bye into the quarterfinals at Pinewood. The injured-riddled Panthers will face the winner of Anzar (8-15) and East Palo Alto Academy (13-5), which play Thursday at the Boys’ & Girls Club in EPA at 5:30 p.m.
Castilleja (13-12), knocked out of the play-in game in the WBAL playoffs, received the No. 5 seed and will face No. 4 Pacific Collegiate (20-4) on Saturday at Pinewood at 7 p.m.
BOYS’ CENTRAL COAST SECTION PLAYOFFS
DIVISION II
First round
Tuesday’s games
South San Francisco (13-14) at Woodside (17-9), 7 p.m.
Pioneer (15-10) at Leland (14-12), 7:15 p.m.
Lynbrook (12-12) at Westmont (10-14), 7 p.m.
Aragon (16-9) at Los Gatos (12-12), 7 p.m.
Second round
Thursday, Feb. 23
South SF-Woodside winner at No. 6 Palo Alto (20-4), 7 p.m.
Pioneer-Leland winner at No. 7 Cupertino (17-7), 7 p.m.
Lynbrook-Westmont winner at No. 5 Mountain View (19-5), 7:15 p.m.
Aragon-Los Gatos winner at No. 8 Willow Glen (13-12), 7 p.m.
Quarterfinals
Saturday at Foothill College
DIVISION IV
First round
Tuesday’s games
Pacific Grove (12-12) at King’s Academy (10-14), 7 p.m.
Greenfield (9-15) at Scotts Valley (11-14), 7 p.m.
Second round
Thursday, Feb. 23
Pacific Grove-King’s Academy winner at No. 6 Seaside (18-9), 7 p.m.
R.L. Stevenson (14-10) at No. 7 Harker (16-8), 7 p.m.
Greenfield-Scotts Valley winner at No. 5 Menlo School (17-7), 7:15 p.m.
Monte Vista Christian (14-8) at No. 8 Carmel (15-9), 7 p.m.
Quarterfinals
Saturday at Menlo School
No. 3 Sacred Heart Prep (18-6) is playing
DIVISION V
First round
Tuesday’s games
Jewish Community (9-11) vs. Trinity Christian at Alma Heights, 7:15 p.m.
Oakwood (11-9) vs. Kehillah Jewish (10-12) at Alma Heights, 5:30 p.m.
Second round
Thursday, Feb. 23
Jewish Community-Trinity Christian winner at No. 6 Eastside Prep (13-11), 7 pm.
Mid-Peninsula (12-4) at No. 7 Pacific Collegiate (16-7), 5:30 p.m.
Oakwood-Kehillah winner vs. No. 5 EPA Academy (16-2) at Boys’ & Girls’ Club, 7:15 p.m.
Crystal Springs (5-19) at No. 8 Alma Heights (18-8), 7 p.m.
Quarterfinals
Saturday at St. Francis-Central Coast Catholic (Watsonville)
No. 1 Pinewood (22-2), No. 3 Priory (10-9) playing
GIRLS’ CENTRAL COAST SECTION PLAYOFFS
DIVISION I
First round
Tuesday’s games
Monta Vista (13-11) at Oak Grove (10-13), 7 p.m.
Fremont (12-12) at Leland (15-9), 5:30 p.m.
Santa Clara (11-12) at Sequoia (14-7), 7 p.m.
Independence (12-11) at Milpitas (10-13), 5:30 p.m.
Second round
Thursday, Feb. 23
Monta Vista-Oak Grove winner at No. 6 Salinas, (17-7), 5:30 p.m.
Fremont-Leland winner at No. 7 San Benito (13-12), 7 p.m.
Santa Clara-Sequoia winner at No. 5 Piedmont Hills (14-11), 7 p.m.
Independence-Milpitas winner at No. 8 North Salinas (14-10), 7 p.m.
Quarterfinals
Saturday at Hartnell College, Salinas
No. 3 Palo Alto (17-4), No. 1 Gunn (16-6) playing
DIVISION IV
First round
Tuesday’s games
King’s Academy (12-12) at Carmel (15-7), 7 p.m.
King City (17-7) at Monte Vista Christian (18-7), 7 p.m.
Greenfield (12-12) at Harker (16-9), 7 p.m.
Gonzales (9-15) at Santa Catalina (16-6), 7 p.m.
Second round
Thursday, Feb. 23
King’s Academy-Carmel winner at No. 6 Menlo School (17-9), 5:30 p.m.
King City-Monte Vista Christian winner vs. No. 7 Mercy-Burlingame (12-13) at Notre Dame-Belmont, 7 p.m.
Greenfield-Harker winner at No. 6 Sacred Heart Prep (16-9) 7 p.m.
Gonzales-Santa Catalina winner at No. 8 Notre Dame-Salinas (15-9), 7 p.m.
Quarterfinals
Saturday at Notre Dame-Belmont
DIVISION V
First round
Thursday’s games
Summit Prep (11-7) at No. 7 Crystal Springs (8-12), 7 p.m.
Anzar (8-1) vs. No. 8 EPA Academy (13-5) at Boys’ and Girls’ Club, 5:30 p.m.
Quarterfinals
Saturday, Feb. 25 at Pinewood
No. 6 Alma Heights (18-2) vs. St. Francis-CCC (17-9)
Summit Prep-Crystal Springs winner vs. N. 2 Pinewood (16-11)
No. 5 Castilleja (13-12) vs. No. 4 Pacific Collegiate (20-4)
Anzar-EPA Academy vs. No. 1 Eastside Prep (12-14)
By Palo Alto Online Sports
By Palo Alto Online Sports
By Palo Alto Online Sports
Castilleja and Pacific Collegiate will play on Saturday, not Thursday