30 Sacramento-area teams reach CIF Northern California regional basketball championships
The exhausting run through the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs for Sacramento-area high school basketball teams now hits another gear.
Fourteen area girls and 16 area boys programs will now zero in on bigger prizes starting Tuesday in CIF Northern California regional action. Quarterfinal games are Thursday, semifinals are set for Saturday and championship games will be played March 7 — all at home sites. The CIF state finals will be at Golden 1 Center on March 10-11.
All section finalists automatically qualified for NorCal play. In some instances, at-large entries were given to powerhouse teams that lost in section quarterfinals or semifinals in an effort to make the brackets as strong as possible.
The NorCal tournament is based more on “competitive equity” and not necessarily divisions or enrollment as they all vary across the state’s 10 sections. Smaller schools that have success against bigger ones are often moved up in division, especially smaller private schools that schedule up.
Fresh off winning their first section Division I championship, the Folsom girls take their 18-game winning streak and 26-2 record into the prestigious Open Division, the best of the best, as the No. 4 seed. Open Division first-round games are Wednesday, when Folsom hosts No. 5 Salesian of Richmond, a longtime North Coast Section power that Folsom defeated earlier this season 74-64.
Piedmont of the North Coast Section is the top girls Open seed at 27-0. Longtime national power Mitty of San Jose is second at 26-2 and riding a 19-game winning streak.
No area teams qualified for the boys Open, but the D-I field is especially strong with three area powers in the mix in No. 2 Folsom, No. 3 Jesuit and No. 6 Inderkum.
Folsom lost a section quarterfinal to Weston Ranch of Stockton, but the CIF seeding committee deemed the Bulldogs’ 26-3 record, which included blowout wins over Inderkum (82-60) and Jesuit (68-47) in nonleague play, worthy of a high seed. Folsom will host No. 15 Sacred Heart Prep of Atherton (19-7).
Jesuit (26-5) is the No. 3 D-I seed, having lost to Open top seed and defending champion Modesto Christian in the section D-I finals, 79-53. The Marauders will host University High of San Francisco, which has won 17 consecutive games. University is 28-3 after winning the North Coast Section D-IV championship.
No. 5 Inderkum (27-3) lost to Modesto Christian in a section semifinal, halting the Tigers’ 20-game winning streak. Inderkum will host No. 12 Dublin (18-11), a longtime power under coach Tom Costello, whose team was eliminated last season in the NorCals by Folsom, 64-50.
The boys D-II field includes five section teams. No. 3 Sacramento, fresh off a D-III championship win over Vanden, will host No. 14 California of San Ramon and the North Coast Section in an opener. Whitney, coming off a grueling D-II section title win over Granite Bay, is the No. 9 seed and opens at five-time defending Northern Section champion Pleasant Valley of Chico, which has won state titles in recent seasons. Granite Bay is the No. 16 seed and opens at North Coast Section power and top-seeded Clayton Valley Charter of Concord.
In D-III boys, Rio Americano landed the No. 2 seed after losing to Granite Bay in a section D-II semifinal. The Raiders will host No. 15 Lowell of San Francisco. The field also includes No. 8 Ponderosa and No. 12 Placer, meaning the 36-year coaching career of Mark Lee still has legs after the retiring coach lost a section semifinal to Sacramento.
Four section teams are in the girls D-I bracket, the surprise being St. Mary’s of Stockton, which had been in the previous 10 Open tournaments but lost 58-53 to Folsom in the section finals. The Rams are the top seed in D-I.
McClatchy lost 57-52 at Folsom in a section semifinal and wound up with just the No. 15 seed in this tournament. The Lions open at No. 2 Oakland Tech. No. 11 Antelope, a section semifinal loser to St. Mary’s, starts at No. 6 Carondolet of Concord.
Fresh off its first section title, doing so in D-II with a win over Christian Brothers, Whitney landed the No. 6 seed in the NorCal D-II bracket and will host No. 11 Memorial of Fresno. Christian Brothers is seeded ninth in D-II and Vista del Lago 15th.
Colfax (30-2), which has an 18-game winning streak, is seeded third in D-III after winning the section D-IV title. This is an example of moving up via competitive equity. The Falcons host No. 14 Christopher of Gilroy. Lincoln is seeded No. 13 and visits No. 4 Chico.
CIF NorCal regionals
Girls
Open Division
No. 5 Salesian at No. 4 Folsom
No. 3 Clovis West at No. 2 Mitty
Bye: No. 1 Piedmont
Division I
No. 16 Heritage at No. 1 St. Mary’s
No. 9 Buchanan at No. 8 O’Dowd
No. 12 Vanden at No. 5 Clovis
No. 13 Palo Alto at No. 4 Cardinal Newman
No. 14 Sacred Heart at No. 3 San Ramon Valley
No. 11 Antelope at No. 6 Carondolet
No. 10 Pinewood at No. 7 Acalanes
No. 15 McClatchy at No. 2 Oakland Tech
Division II
No. 16 Los Gatos at No. 1 Marin Catholic
No. 9 Christian Brothers at No. 8 Pinole Valley
No. 12 St. Ignatius at No. 5 Moreau Catholic
No. 13 St. Francis at No. 4 Central
No. 14 Branham at No. 3 Monte Vista
No. 11 Memorial at No. 6 Whitney
No. 10 Crystal Springs at No. 7 San Marin
No. 15 Vista del Lago at No. 2 No. Pleasant Valley
Division III
No. 16 Woodcreek at No. 1 University
No. 9 Caruthers at No. 8 Evergreen Valley
No. 12 Clovis East at No. 5 Granada
No. 13 Lincoln at No. 4 Chico
No. 14 Christopher at No. 3 Colfax
No. 11 Lassen at No. 6 McKinleyville
No. 10 Saint Francis at No. 7 Foothill
No. 15 Los Altos at No. 2 Branson
Division IV
No. 16 Priory at No. 1 San Domenico
No. 9 East Union at No. 8 Pierce
No. 12 Riverbank at No. 5 Valley Christian-San Jose
No. 13 Marysville at No. 4 Menlo-Atherton
No. 14 Mills at No. 3 Kimball
No. 11 University Prep at No. 6 Hillsdale
No. 10 West Valley at No. 7 Menlo School
No 15 Summit Shasta at No. 2 Arcata
Division V
No. 16 Big Valley at No. 1 Fall River
No. 9 AIMS Prep at No. 8 Escalon
No. 12 Lincoln-SF at No. 5 Half Moon Bay
No. 13 Bear River at No. 4 Washington
No. 14 Tulare Union at No. 3 Bret Harte
No. 11 Portola at No. 6 Upper Lake
No. 10 Mt. Diablo at No. 7 Valley Christian-Roseville
No. 15 Reedley at No. 2 Santa Cruz
Division VI
No. 8 Foresthill at No. 1 Cornerstone Christian
No. 5 Rio Lindo Adventist at No. 4 Faith Christian
No. 6 Mendocino at No. 3 Weed
No. 7 Redding Christian at No. 2 Ferndale
Boys
Open Division
No. 5 De La Salle at No. 4 Mitty
No. 3 St. Joseph at No. 2 Dougherty Valley
Bye: No. 1 Modesto Christian
Division I
No. 16 St. Ignatius at No. 1 Clovis West
No. 9 Granada at No. 8 Sacred Heart
No. 12 Dublin at No. 5 Inderkum
No. 13 Campolindo at No. 4 Riordan
No. 14 University at No. 3 Jesuit
No. 11 Serra at No. 6 Salesian
No. 10 San Ramon Valley at No. 7 Clovis North
No. 15 Sacred Heart Prep at No. 2 Folsom
Division II
No. 16 Granite Bay at No. 1 Clayton Valley Charter
No. 9 Whitney at No. 8 Pleasant Valley
No. 12 Priory at No. 5 Vanden
No. 13 Bellarmine at No. 4 Moreau Catholic
No. 3 No. 14 California at No. 3 Sacramento
No. 11 Santa Cruz at No. 6 Memorial
No. 10 Menlo-Atherton at No. 7 Weston Ranch
No. 15 Saint Francis at No. 2 Branson
Division III
No. 16 Carlmont at No. 1 Las Lomas
No. 9 Oakland at No. 8 Ponderosa
No. 12 Placer at No. 5 Pinole Valley
No. 13 Ygnacio Valley at No. 4 King’s Academy
No. 14 Urban at No. 3 Oakland Tech
No. 11 Christopher at No. 6 Lincoln-SF
No. 10 Los Gatos at No. 7 Justin-Siena
No. 15 Lowell at No. 2 Rio Americano
Division IV
No. 16 Enterprise at No. 1 Head-Royce
No. 9 Burlingame at No. 8 Marysville
No. 12 Calaveras at No. 5 Chico
No. 13 Kingsburg at No. 4 Monterey
No. 14 Oakwood at No. 3 Marin Catholic
No. 11 Jefferson at No. 6 Central Catholic
No. 10 Half Moon Bay at No. 7 San Domenico
No. 15 Union Mine at No. 2 Hillsdale
Division V
No. 16 Mt. Shasta at No. 1 Venture
No. 9 Woodland Christian at No. 8 Colusa
No. 12 Gridley at No. 5 Sierra
No. 13 Trinity at No. 4 Fortune
No. 14 Madera South at No. 3 Ripon Christian
No. 11 Vacaville Christian at No. 6 Kerman
No. 10 West Valley at No. 7 Cloverdale
No. 15 Weed at No. 2 University Prep
Division VI
No. 8 Sac Waldorf at No. 1 SF Waldorf
No. 5 Napa Christian at No. 4 Redding Christian
No. 6 Etna at No. 3 Cornerstone Christian
No. 7 Averroes at No. 2 Valley Christian-Roseville
This story was originally published February 27, 2023 at 5:00 AM.