Section basketball playoff brackets released. Why No. 1 Sheldon boys open on the road
There were no real surprises here Saturday afternoon, but there were plenty of debates.
When a committee of retired high school coaches and administrators and current Sac-Joaquin Section staff members finished crunching mounds of data and paperwork, the seeds for the girls and boys basketball playoffs were set.
The girls start play on Tuesday at 7 p.m. and the boys on Wednesday in what will amount to a all-out sprint to the section finals set for Golden 1 Center on Feb. 22 and 23.
If those finals dates seems early, there’s a reason. The CIF academic year was moved up a full week back in August, meaning these will be the first section championship games not be contested in March.
Sheldon was tabbed the top seed in boys Division I, based on body of work and on-court record of 22-6 with losses to state powers (and wins against some, too). But because the Huskies forfeited four Delta League victories due to a player competing in two Sunday adult league games with family members, the committee was torn at what exactly to do.
Seed the Huskies according to on-court success or seed them based on their official fourth-place finish in league after the forfeits?
To seed the Huskies based on forfeits would have disrupted the D-I field, as Sheldon would not have been a typical middle seed.
“It was pretty much a 100 percent consensus that Sheldon had the résumé to be the No. 1 seed, but because of the forfeits, it became a lengthy discussion,” said Will DeBoard, the section’s assistant commissioner and director of media relations. “Ultimately, it was decided that we weren’t going to mess with the integrity of the bracket and have Sheldon seeded sixth or seventh and mess things up.”
But there are two more oddities tied to Sheldon, a powerhouse in this sport for years, including winning the CIF Open Division Northern California championship.
The Huskies will play their Tuesday playoff opener on the road, at the winner of Monday’s play-in game between Edison of Stockton and Modesto. This is punishment for what happened after last season’s section Division I championship game at Pacific.
Sheldon players did not stick around to shake hands with the victorious Modesto Christian players and walking to their locker room. That act goes against the section’s sportsmanship policy. A memo was sent to Sheldon as reminder, though the school’s athletic department already knew.
And one more: If Sheldon and Jesuit were to meet in a section semifinal Feb. 20, the game would be played at Jesuit since the Marauders are technically Delta champs and the section rewards champions in these instances.
Normally, higher seeds host. Sheldon beat Jesuit twice in league play, 82-53 and 85-72.
Still, Sheldon towers as one of the region’s greatest teams, deep in guard play, heavy on defense, coached by a man who once won four successive D-I section titles (Joey Rollings) and led by national recruit Marcus Bagley, a 6-foot-8 junior wing.
With five new starters this season, Folsom is the No. 2 seed in D-I, followed by Modesto Christian, Jesuit, Oak Ridge and Capital Christian.
In girls, Bear Creek of Stockton is the top D-I seed with a résumé that includes beating D-II top seed Antelope and red-hot Cosumnes Oaks, surely a factor in D-I.
Grant is the top seed in boys D-II, eager to return to the section finals after losing there to St. Mary’s last year. The Pacers are Metro League champions.
Rocklin is the No. 2 seed, St. Mary’s is No. 3 and Whitney is No. 4.
In girls, Antelope is the defending champion and top seed with Sacramento seeded second, Whitney third and Del Oro fourth.
Antelope is led by Bee Player of the Year candidate Jzaniya Harriel, a 5-foot-9 sophomore guard who is a five-star recruit. She is averaging 23.4 points and 12.7 rebounds.
In D-III, Weston Ranch of Stockton, riding a 26-game winning streak, is the boys’ No. 1 seed and Vanden tops the girls bracket, with defending champion Christian Brothers seeded second. In D-IV, Liberty Ranch is the top boys seed in D-IV and Colfax is the top seed in girls, with two-time defending CIF State champion West Campus seeded second.
For complete brackets, visit cifsjs.org.
All-Metro notice – Area coaches are encouraged to send All-League teams to The Bee at jdavidson@sacbee.com.
Coaches are also urged to nominate players for The Bee’s All-Metro first, second, third and honorable mention teams. Teams that decline to input statistics into MaxPreps in an effort to hide scoring and rebounding tendencies from opponents will not have players considered for Bee All-Metro honors.
Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs
Here are all the opening-round games for boys and girls.
Girls
Division I
Play-in game Monday at 7 p.m.
No. 17 Inderkum at No. 16 St. Francis
All games Tuesday at 7 p.m.
St. Francis/Inderkum at No. 1 Bear Creek
No. 9 Woodcreek at No. 8 Franklin
No. 12 Davis at No. 5 Oak Ridge No. 13 Monterey Trail at No. 4 Folsom
No. 14 Pitman at No. 3 St. Mary’s
No. 11 Turlock at No. 6 Cosumnes Oaks
No. 10 Edison at No. 7 Lincoln-Stockton
No. 15 Enochs at No. 2 McClatchy
Division II
Play-in game Monday at 5:30 p.m.
No. 17 McNair at No. 16 Mira Loma
All games Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Mira Loma/McNair at No. 1 Antelope
No. 9 Vista del Lago at No. 8 Granite Bay
No. 12 Rodriguez at No. 5 Elk Grove
No. 13 Wood at No. 4 Del Oro
No. 14 Grant at No. 3 Whitney
No. 11 Modesto Christian at No. 6 Atwater
No. 10 Roseville at No. 7 Laguna Creek
No. 15 Lincoln at No. 2 Sacramento
Division III
Play-in game Monday at 7 p.m.
No. 17 Center at No. 16 Pioneer
All games Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Pioneer/Center at No. 1 Vanden
No. 9 Livingston at No. 8 Bradshaw Christian
No. 12 Cordova at No. 5 Nevada Union
No. 13 El Capitan at No. 4 Manteca
No. 14 Merced at No. 3 Placer
No. 11 Beyer at No. 6 Kimball
No. 10 East Union at No. 7 Lathrop
No. 15 Los Banos at No. 2 Christian Brothers
Division IV
Play-in game Monday at 7 p.m.
No. 17 Natomas at No. 16 Bear River
All games Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Bear River/Natomas at No. 1 Colfax
No. 9 Highlands at No. 8 Dixon
No. 12 Orestimba at No. 5 Ripon
No. 13 Hughson at No. 4 Union Mine
No. 14 Mountain House at No. 3 Sonora
No. 11 El Dorado at No. 6 Capital Christian
No. 10 Central Catholic at No. 7 Calaveras
No. 15 Liberty Ranch at No. 2 West Campus
Division V
All games Tuesday at 7 p.m.
No. 9 Hughes at No. 8 Rio Vista
No. 11 Millennium at No. 6 Leroy Greene
No. 10 Holt at No. 7 Le Grand
All games Thursday at 7 p.m.
No. 5 Golden Sierra at No. 4 Western Sierra
Rio Vista/Hughes at No. 1 Mariposa
Holt/Le Grand at No. 2 Argonaut
Leroy Greene/Millennium at No. 3 Woodland Christian
Division VI
All games Tuesday at 7 p.m.
No. 9 Victory Christian at No. 8 Sacramento Adventist
No. 10 New Life Christian at No. 7 Stockton Christian
All games Thursday at 7 p.m.
No. 5 Turlock Christian at No. 4 Ripon Christian
No. 6 Sacramento Waldorf at No. 3 Vacaville Christian
Victory Christian/Sacramento Adventist at No. 1 Forest Lake Christian
New Life Christian/Stockton Christian at No. 2 Valley Christian
Boys
Division I
Play-in games Monday at 7 p.m.
No. 17 Modesto at No. 16 Edison
No. 18 Bear Creek at No. 15 Pleasant Grove
All games Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Modesto/Edison vs. No. 1 Sheldon
No. 9 Davis at No. 8 Monterey Trail
No. 12 Kennedy at No. 5 Oak Ridge
No. 13 Turlock at No. 4 Jesuit
No. 14 Chavez at No. 3 Modesto Christian
No. 11 Tracy at No. 6 Capital Christian
No. 10 Gregori at No. 7 Franklin
Bear Creek/Pleasant Grove at No. 2 Folsom
Division II
Play-in games Monday at 7 p.m.
No. 18 Buhach Colony at No. 15 Elk Grove
No. 17 Vista del Lago at No. 16 Lincoln
All games Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Lincoln/Vista del Lago at No. 1 Grant
No. 9 Ponderosa at No. 8 Roseville
No. 12 Rodriguez at No. 5 Sacramento
No. 13 Woodcreek at No. 4 Whitney
No. 14 Granite Bay at No. 3 St. Mary’s
No. 11 Inderkum at No. 6 Burbank
No. 10 River Valley at No. 7 Rio Americano
Elk Grove/Buhach Colony at No. 2 Rocklin
Division III
Play-in games Monday at 7 p.m.
No. 18 Florin at No. 15 Mira Loma
No. 17 Lathrop at No. 16 Sierra
All games Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Sierra/Lathrop at No. 1 Weston Ranch
No. 9 El Capitan at No. 8 Center
No. 12 Kimball at No. 5 Vanden
No. 13 Cordova at No. 4 Manteca
No. 14 Del Campo at No. 3 Central Catholic
No. 11 Placer at No. 6 El Camino
No. 10 Beyer at No. 7 Golden Valley
Mira Loma/Florin at No. 2 Wood
Division IV
Play-in game Monday at 7 p.m.
No. 17 Venture Academy at No. 16 Dixon
All games Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Venture Academy/Dixon at No. 1 Liberty Ranch
No. 9 Calaveras at No. 8 Bear River
No. 12 Mesa Verde at No. 5 Mountain House
No. 13 Amador at No. 4 Ripon
No. 14 Highlands at No. 3 West Campus
No. 11 El Dorado at No. 6 Marysville
No. 10 Foothill at No. 7 Union Mine
No. 15 Riverbank at No. 2 Sonora
Division V
All games Wednesday at 7 p.m.
No. Rio Vista at No. 8 Woodland Christian
No. 12 Hughes at No. 5 Mariposa
No. 13 Gustine at No. 4 Ripon Christian
No. 14 Leroy Greene at No. 3 Sacramento Adventist
No. 11 Denair at No. 6 Bradshaw Christian
No. 10 Western Sierra at No. 7 Foresthill
No. 15 Holt at No. 2 Argonaut
Bye: No. 1 Brookside Christian
Division VI
All games Wednesday at 7 p.m.
No. 9 Alpha Charter at No. 8 Turlock Christian
No. 12 Freedom Christian at No. 5 Forest Lake Christian
No. 11 Lodi Academy at No. 6 Faith Christian
No. 10 Valley Christian at No. 7 Victory Christian
Byes: No. 1 Stockton Christian, No. 2 Sacramento Waldorf, No. 3 Vacaville Christian, No. 4 Big Valley Christian
This story was originally published February 9, 2019 at 4:32 PM.