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SoCal High School & Prep Report

Pre-Playoff Report From The
San Jacinto Valley --(February 17, 1998)

It's playoff time and for several San Jacinto Valley teams this is the most important part of the season. Of course, for some it's just an extension of a long season, but winter has usually been a playoff bonanza for the San Jacinto Valley area, and this year it may well be again. Baptist Christian's boys basketball made it to the playoffs. Hemet's boys' team also made it. So did Desert Christian. San Jacinto plays at San Dimas too on Friday in the first round of D-III-A playoffs. Cathedral City, in the vicinity of the Hemet, SJV area, is the No. 3 seeded team in Division II-A, while Perris is seeded No. 2 in the Region III bracket within the II-A division.

Last year was one of the Valley's greatest postseasons in recent history with West Valley's boys basketball team reaching the CIF championship game and state playoffs, but that was also expected given the talent level. This year is probably more interesting, because there are more teams that can challenge.

Hemet's boys basketball team will face Gahr in the Wild Card "B" game in the Division II-A bracket, and we certainly don't think Gahr, which is going to be a tought opponent, is familiar with Moises Alvarez. This could be dangerous, as teams that haven't paid attention to Alvarez have been burned and with the emergence of freshman guard James Draine, Hemet could have a lethal inside game. Hemet needs quality minutes from Aaron Smith, Matt Day and Dustin Martin.

Baptist Christian will play Riverside Calvary Chapel at BC on Friday, and the BC team has been helped by the emergence of junior guard Ryan Halverson, who has been tearing it up over the last few games, and with Barry Meisel the Warriors could threaten to go deep into the playoffs, but they have to clicking to get it done.

In the Division V-A round, Desert Christian will also play Wilson Creek at DC. All in all the San Jacinto Valley area has some fine teams in the playoffs this year, and it should be a productive season, if not as successful as last years.