CIF section playoffs: Folsom girls earn No. 1 seed as expected; Folsom boys surprise No. 1
It’s been a season of promise for basketball at Folsom High School for the girls and boys programs, and that fact was punctuated Saturday afternoon in Lodi.
A seven-person committee crunched all the data, compared schedules and studied the MaxPreps computer rankings to determine the seeds for six boys and girls basketball playoff divisions.
Folsom was the logical, non-surprise choice as the top seed in girls Division I, the largest schools, while the Folsom boys were a bit of a surprise No. 1 seed, not because the Bulldogs haven’t had a great season at 25-2 under veteran coach Mike Wall, but because defending champion Modesto Christian, the top-ranked section team in the state according to Cal-Hi Sports, wasn’t the top dog. Modesto Christian, amid a national schedule, is 22-6 and just won its 27th consecutive league championship, the longest active streak in the state.
Not being the top seed shows how deep and challenging the D-I field is. Said WIll DeBoard, the section assistant commissioner, “D-I boys was extremely difficult to seed and the committee felt the MaxPreps ratings outweighed the perception that Modesto Christian would run through this bracket, and they just might. We’ll see.”
D-I is so stacked that the Metro League tri-champions each earned tough openers. No. 13 seed Monterey Trail (15-13) opens on the road Wednesday against No. 4 Jesuit (22-4) and Stanford-bound McDonald’s All-American Andrej Stojakovic. No. 7 Laguna Creek (23-5) and star guard Dante Walls host No. 10 Edison of Stockton while Kiku Parker and No. 9 Grant (18-9) open at No. 8 Weston Ranch of Stockton, a team that just beat Grant last week in nonleague play, 81-73, to move to 18-9. Grant won the last two section D-II titles under coach Deonard Wilson and moved up in division through the section’s sustained success model.
Rio Americano (23-4) is the top seed in D-II, a team led by guard Luke Mason, and 28-0 Atwater is the No. 2 seed. Vanden is the top seed in D-III and Sacramento is No. 2. Union Mine, with star guard Mason Mottashed, is the top seed in D-IV and Venture of Sacramento is the second seed.
In D-V, coach Derek Swafford leads Fortune High of Sacramento as the No. 1 seed. Ripon Christian is the No. 2 seed. The field is deep enough that a difficult out will be No. 10 Sacramento Adventist Academy, led by a prolific scorer in guard Braeden Beaman and retiring coach Scott Tedmon. His team opens against Leroy Greene of Natomas.
In D-VI, Stone Ridge Christian is the top seed and Turlock Christian is the No. 2 seed. No. 4 Sacramento Waldorf is led by Dean Stark, who this season became the winningest coach in section history — boys or girls — with 667 wins and counting. He has 671 wins now.
Girls top seeds
Folsom (22-1) earned the No. 1 seed on the strength of an unbeaten record against section competition, including a 61-57 nonleague win over St. Mary’s of Stockton, which is the No. 2 seed and has won eight D-1 championships and a record 21 overall.
One Folsom loss was to state power and Central Section No. 1-ranked Clovis West of Fresno and the other was to Perry High, a state-ranked power in Arizona with a 25-2 record. Clovis West is 27-1.
Antelope (23-3) is the No. 3 seed, in part because it has a 55-40 loss to St. Mary’s.
In D-II, Christian Brothers (26-2) is the top seed and co-Capital Athletic League champion Vista del Lago is second (22-6). CB won D-III section championships in 2017, 2018 and 2020, the last two under coach Shandyn Foster, whose daughter, Kaia Foster, is a key player for the Falcons.
In D-III, defending champion Vanden (20-7) is the top seed and Lincoln of Placer County is the No. 2 seed.
In D-IV, Colfax (25-2) is the top seed. The Falcons won D-V titles in 2018 and 2020 and have won 11 overall, tied for third most in section girls history behind St. Mary’s (21) and Ripon Christian (11) and tied with rival Bear River.
In D-V, Bret Harte (19-6) is the top seed and Valley Christian of Roseville (21-3) is second. Valley Christian won the D-VI title last season while Bret Harte lost in the D-V finals.
In D-VI, Faith Christian of Yuba City (21-5) is the No. 1 seed and Foresthill is No. 2. Faith Christian is led by prolific sisters Lauren and Audrey Harris.
Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs
Boys
All games tip off at 7 p.m.
Wednesday’s first-round games
Division I
Pleasant Grove/Pitman at No. 1 Folsom
No. 9 Grant at No. 8 Weston Ranch
No. 12 Downey at No. 5 Capital Christian
No. 13 Monterey Trail at No. 4 Jesuit
Davis/Oak Ridge at No. 3 Modesto Christian
No. 11 Sheldon at No. 6 Lincoln-Stockton
No. 10 Edison at No. 7 Laguna Creek
Turlock/Rocklin at No. 2 Inderkum
▪ Tuesday outbracket: Pleasant Grove at Pitman; Turlock at Rocklin; Davis at Oak Ridge
Division II
Lodi/Patterson at No. 1 Rio Americano
No. 9 Bella Vista at No. 8 Manteca
No. 12 Mountain House at No. 5 Woodcreek
No. 13 Granite Bay at No. 4 St. Mary’s
El Capitan/Rodriguez at No. 3 Del Oro
No. 11 Antelope at No. 6 Ponderosa
No. 10 Vacaville at No. 7 Whitney
Bear Creek/Cordova at No. 2 Atwater
▪ Tuesday outbracket: Lodi at Patterson; El Capitan at Rodriguez; Bear Creek at Cordova
Division III
Foothill/Casa Roble at No. 1 Vanden
No. 9 East Union at No. 8 Del Campo
No. 12 El Camino at No. 5 Lincoln
No. 12 Los Banos at No. 4 Central Catholic
No. 14 Natomas at No. 3 Placer
No. 11 Kimball at No. 6 Lathrop
No. 10 Christian Brothers at No. 7 West Park
Pioneer/El Dorado at No. 2 Sacramento
▪ Tuesday outbracket: Foothill at Casa Roble; Pioneer at El Dorado
Division IV
San Juan/Delta Charter at No. 1 Union Mine
No. 9 Holt at No. 8 Sonora
No. 12 Ripon at No. 5 Twelve Bridges
No. 13 Sutter at No. 4 Calaveras
No. 14 Dixon at No. 3 Marysville
No. 11 Summerville at No. 6 Liberty Ranch
No. 10 Orestimba at No. 7 Escalon
Gustine/Riverbank at No. 2 Venture
▪ Tuesday outbracket: San Juan at Delta Charter; Gustine at Riverbank
Division V
No. 9 Argonaut at No. 8 Bear River
No. 12 Mariposa at No. 5 Woodland Christian
No. 13 Futures at No. 4 Bradshaw Christian
No. 14 Hughes Academy at No. 3 Vacaville Christian
No. 11 Rio Vista at No. 6 Western Sierra
No. 10 Sac Adventist vs. No. 7 Leroy Greene at Natomas
Byes: No. 1 Fortune, No. 2 Ripon Christian, No. 3 Vacaville Christian
Division VI
No. 9 Faith Christian at No. 8 Stockton Christian
No. 10 Trinity Prep at No. 7 Elliot Christian
Byes: No. 1 Stone Ridge, No. 2 Turlock Christian, No. 3 Valley Christian, No. 4 Sacramento Waldorf, No. 5 Sac Country Day, No. 6 Foresthill
Girls
All games tip off at 7 p.m.
Tuesday’s first-round games
Division I
Stagg/Davis at No. 1 Folsom
No. 9 Franklin at No. 8 Lincoln-Stockton
No. 12 Rocklin at No. 5 St. Francis
No. 13 Inderkum at No. 4 McClatchy
Laguna/Pitman at No. 3 Antelope
No. 11 Kennedy at No. 6 Oak Ridge
No. 10 Gregori at No. 7 Monterey Trail
Turlock/McNair at No. 2 St. Mary’s
▪ Monday outbracket: Davis at Stagg; Pitman at Laguna Creek
Division II
Rodriguez/Granite Bay at No. 1 Christian Brothers
No. 9 Atwater at No. 8 Manteca
No. 12 Del Oro at No. 5 Ponderosa
No. 13 Weston Ranch at No. 4 Woodcreek
Rio Americano/Mountain House at No. 3 Whitney
No. 11 Patterson at No. 6 Grant
No. 10 El Capitan at No. 7 Cosumnes Oaks
Lodi/Vacaville at No. 2 Vista del Lago.
▪ Monday outbracket: Granite Bay at Rodriguez; Mountain House at Rio Americano; Vacaville at Lodi
Division III
Foothill/Casa Roble at No. 1 Vanden
No. 9 Placer at No. 8 Pioneer
No. 12 El Dorado at No. 5 Wood
No. 13 Sacramento at No. 4 Kimball
No. 14 Los Banos at No. 3 East Union
No. 11 West Park at No. 6 Lathrop
No. 10 Sierra at No. 7 West Campus
Union Mine/Valley at No. 2 Lincoln
▪ Monday outbracket: Casa Roble at Foothill; Valley at Union Mine
Division IV
Gustine/Holt at No. 1 Colfax
No. 9 Argonaut at No. 8 Orestimba
No. 12 Sutter at No. 5 Hughson
No. 13 Ripon at No. 4 Marysville
No. 14 Waterford at No. 3 Riverbank
No. 11 Sonora at No. 6 Liberty Ranch
No. 10 Escalon at No. 7 Capital Christian
Highlands/Dixon at No. 2 Calaveras
▪ Monday outbracket: Gustine at Holt; Highlands at Dixon
Division V
No. 9 Westlake at No. 8 Ripon Christian
No. 12 Rio Vista at No. 5 Millennium
No. 13 Hughes Academy at No. 4 Big Valley
No. 11 Golden Sierra 11 at No. 6 Fortune
No. 10 Adams Academy at No. 7 Woodland Christian
Byes:
No. 1 Bret Harte, No. 2 Valley Christian, No. 3 Bear River
Division VI
No. 9 Sac Country Day at No. 8 Stone Ridge
No. 10 Don Pedro at No. 7 Elliot Christian
Byes: No. 1 Faith Christian, No. 2 Foresthill, No. 3 Forest Lake Christian, No. 4 Sacramento Adventist, No. 5 Sacramento Waldorf, No. 6 Lodi Academy
This story was originally published February 11, 2023 at 2:18 PM.