sd playoff preview

SoCal High School & Prep Report

Paul Smith: San Diego Division I First
Round Playoff Preview--(February 24, 1998)

Here's Pauls Smith's San Diego Report and preview of the first round of playoff action in Division 1. And if you think this is written from the perspective of someone involved at Helix High School, you're right. It is. Paul is the assistant varsity coach at Helix High, the Grossmont South League Champs this year. So, as the San Diego CIF Division 1 playoffs shift into high gear tonight with all 16 remaining teams in action, here is a brief look at the games on the menu, from a decidedly "Helix" point of view:

#17 Mt. Miguel at #1 Rancho Buena Vista

Last night, Mt. Miguel got a big playoff win over West Hills in West Hills' gymnasium. The reward? A trip to top-seeded Rancho Buena Vista's gymnasium. Although I respect the game of Mt. Miguel, I think it is too much to ask of them to travel all that way in a back-to-back situation and defeat RBV.

#15 Valhalla at #2 Helix

Valhalla's size and strength matches up against our quickness and athleticism. We've defeated them twice this year, but defeating a team for the third time is always tough, as we all know. As a Helix coach, I don't want to say much more about this one.

#14 Granite Hills at #3 Poway

I've watched Poway play a couple of times this year and they really impress me. They are tough, quick, and play together as a team. They are the Palomar League co-champs, the toughest league in San Diego County. That being said, Granite Hills also came out of a tough league, the Grossmont South, and they finished second. They feature a great player in Mike Wilson and a supporting cast that knows their roles well. In the end, though, I think Poway will be too much for them.

#13 Scripps Ranch at #4 Rancho Bernardo

I know nothing about Scripps Ranch other than that they play in the very tough Western League. I saw Rancho Bernardo play last weekend against Poway and battle them to the end in PowayÕs gymnasium. Rei Rivera is a great player and I think their overall toughness will put them on top in this one.

#12 Vista at #5 Chula Vista

The "Vista" battle looks to be one of the most intriguing first-round matchups. Vista comes out of the tough Palomar League, in which they finished fourth behind the likes of RB, Poway, and RBV. They feature the high-scoring Charlie Mercado. Chula Vista, on the other hand, was the Metro Conference champion and features Richard Hardwick. Look for a possible first-round upset here.

#11 San Pasqual at #6 Grossmont

We defeated both of these teams this year, with Grossmont being by far the tougher of the two games. Although, San Pasqual certainly gave us a tough game as well. Grossmont, behind center Vince Okotie, should prevail in this one on their home floor.

#10 La Costa Canyon at #7 Morse

Morse defeated us twice in early season tournament play, so obviously I like their game. But I've also heard great things about La Costa Canyon and their size and strength along with their patience and discipline. This is a great matchup between Morse's quickness and athleticism and La Costa Canyon's size and strength. Look for a Morse victory on their home floor.

#9 Southwest at # 8 El Camino

We defeated Southwest early in the season (that sure does seem like a long time ago), but they were a pretty impressive team. They managed to defeat #5 Chula Vista in Metro Conference play. El Camino, on the other hand, I know little about other than that they carry an excellent reputation. Look for El Camino to come out on top in this one.

That covers the action tonight in Division 1. By about 9:30 pm we should be down to eight teams competing for the coveted San Diego CIF Championship. The quarterfinals will be played on Friday night. I'll get results posted as soon as possible following tonight's action (either late tonight or early tomorrow).