CIF NorCal basketball brackets: Sacramento-area teams get next playoff tournament opponents
Now comes the relative unknown.
Girls and boys teams who competed in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section basketball championships and qualified for the CIF State Northern California tournaments that start this week at home sites are mostly in sudden scramble mode. There is relative familiarity among section teams for those playoffs — but not so much in the vast landscape of the NorCal brackets, ranging from the prestigious Open down to smallest of schools in Division VI.
For most Sacramento-area teams, the fun starts again on Tuesday, which doesn’t allow for much turnaround for those who played for championships last Thursday and Friday at Golden 1 Center. So after the governing body office released the brackets early Sunday evening, coaches jumped online to find game film, schedules, stats, location — anything — on their opponent.
A bevy of regional teams earned No. 1 NorCal seeds in a tournament that bases criteria more on competitive equity and strength of program than on school enrollment sizes, including Folsom and Liberty Ranch for the girls as well as the Inderkum and Rocklin boys teams.
Folsom is the section’s top boys team for any division and is the No. 3 seed in the highest classification, the Open Division. The Bulldogs visit decades long NorCal power De La Salle of Concord and the North Coast Section on Saturday in a semifinal. The top three-seeded teams earned opening byes in the six-team bracket that has been the elite division since its inception in 2013. The state tournament began in 1981.
Folsom is coming off a spectacular Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoff march, including routing Vanden of Fairfield 76-37 in a quarterfinal, then racing past 28-1 Inderkum 69-50 in a semifinal and finally taking down 22-time section champion Modesto Christian in the finals Friday at Golden 1, 62-52.
Riordan of San Francisco is the top seed in the Open out of the Central Coast Section, a team that is 27-1 with an 18-game winning streak. Longtime Open Division entry Modesto Christian is seeded fifth and opens at longtime Bay Area power Salesian of Richmond on Wednesday, the winner to play at Riordan on Saturday in a semifinal.
Inderkum, Rocklin, Jesuit, Christian Brothers boys host
Inderkum, with a lot to prove at 28-2, will host California of San Ramon in a D-I opener and No. 15 Monterey Trail opens at No. 2 Buchanan of Fresno.
▪ In D-II, Rocklin is the top seed after a thrilling late win over Jesuit in the section finals at Golden 1 Center and will host Bullard of Fresno. No. 5 Destiny Christian Academy hosts No. 12 Menlo-Atherton.
▪ No. 3 Jesuit, a 54-50 winner over Destiny in a section semifinal, hosts Bellarmine of San Jose. No. 15 Woodcreek, a semifinal loser at Rocklin, opens at No. 2 Milpitas.
▪ Christian Brothers, the section D-III champion and inspired by their hospitalized coach, is the No. 2 seed in Division III. The Falcons host No. 15 Sacred Heart Prep of San Francisco.
▪ In D-IV, first-time section champion Casa Roble is the No. 7 seed and hosts No. 10 Twelve Bridges, a rising-fast program in Lincoln.
Folsom, McClatchy, Liberty Ranch, Colfax lead girls
The McClatchy girls, who topped Folsom in the Division I section finals, are the No. 5 seed in the Open Division and on Wednesday play at No. 4 Acalanes of Lafayette, a team that beat the Lions 74-67 in a showcase tournament on Feb. 1. The Lions of the Sacramento City Unified School District have not lost since.
Folsom is the No. 1 seed in Division I and opens at home against No. 16 Memorial of Fresno. Oak Ridge, a Folsom rival in the Sierra Foothill League, is seeded 15th in D-I and opens at Clovis in Fresno.
▪ Girls D-II has four Sacramento-area teams, starting with No. 3-seeded Colfax, a three-time defending section champion seeking the same in NorCal play. The Falcons open at home No. 14 Clovis East of Fresno.
▪ Also in D-II: Whitney, a double-overtime loser to Christian Brothers in a section semifinal, is the No. 11 seed and plays at No. 6 Salesian of Richmond; Christian Brothers, which lost to Atwater in the section Division II finals, is the No. 9 seed and plays at Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep of San Francisco, and Grant is the No. 15 seed, visiting Sierra Pacific of Hanford.
▪ In D-III girls, Ponderosa is the No. 5 seed and hosts No. 12 Menlo-Atherton in Shingle Springs after falling to Colfax in the section finals.
▪ In D-IV, Rio Linda is the No. 3 seed and hosts Fortuna. In D-V, No, 2 Woodland Christian opens with No. 15 Fort Bragg.
▪ In D-VI, section champion Faith Christian of Yuba City is the No. 2 seed and opens with Round Valley of Covelo of Mendocino County, and No. 4 Sacramento Adventist hosts No. 5 Cornerstone Christian of Antioch.
▪ In D-V, first-time section champion Woodland Christian is the No. 2 seed and hosts No. 15 Sonoma Valley
For complete brackets and ticket information, visit the CIF state site at www.cifstate.org/sports/basketball.
CIF NorCal girls basketball tournament
OPEN DIVISION
Wednesday, 7 p.m.
No. 1 Mitty, bye
No. 5 McClatchy at No. 4 Acalanes
No. 6 Pinewod at No. 3 San Ramon Valley
No. 2 Clovis West, bye
DIVISION I
Tuesday, 7 p.m.
No. 16 Memorial at No. 1 Folsom
No. 9 Piedmont at No. 8 Oakland Tech
No. 12 Central at No. 5 Priory
No. 13 Pleasant Valley at No. 4 St. Mary’s
No. 14 Saint Francis at No. 3 Carondelet
No. 11 Bishop O’Dowd at No. 6 Riordan
No. 10 St. Ignatius Prep at No. 7 Cardinal Newman
No. 15 Oak Ridge at No. 2 Clovis
DIVISION II
Tuesday, 7 p.m.
No. 1 Caruthers bye
No. 9 Christian Brothers at No. 8 Sacred Heart Cathedral
No. 12 Los Gatos at No. 5 California
No. 13 Redwood at No. 4 Lincoln
No. 10 Valley Christian at No. 7 Atwater
No. 15 Grant at No. 2 Sierra Pacific
DIVISION III
Tuesday, 7 p.m.
No. 16 East Union at No. 1 Immanuel
No. 9 Doherty Valley at No. 8 Chico
No. 12 Menlo Atherton at No. 5 Ponderosa
No. 13 Evergreen Valley at No. 4 Justin-Siena
No. 14 Christopher at No. 3 Marin Catholic
No. 11 St. Bernard’s at No. 6 Menlo School
No. 10 University Prep at No. 7 Moreau Catholic
No. 15 Harker at No. 2 Shasta
DIVISION IV
Tuesday, 7 p.m.
No. 16 Colusa at No. 1 Liberty Ranch
No. 9 Lowell at No. 8 Notre Dame
No. 12 Bret Harte at No. 5 Mills
No. 13 Castilleja at No. 4 Riverbank
No. 14 Fortuna at No. 3 Rio Linda
No. 11 Prospect at No. 6 Marysville
No. 10 Notre Dame at No. 7 West Campus
No. 15 St. Patrick-St. Vincent at No. 2 Half Moon Bay
DIVISION V
Tuesday, 7 p.m.
No. 16 Skyline at No. 1 Summit Shasta
No. 9 Washington at No, 8 Modoc
No. 12 Cloverdale at No. 5 Orland
No. 13 Argonaut at No. 4 Encinal
No. 14 Fortune-Sacramento at No. 3 Head-Royce
No. 11 Durham at No. 6 West Valley
No. 10 Sonoma Valley at No. 7 Trinity
No. 15 Fort Bragg at No. 2 Woodland Christian
CIF NorCal boys basketball tournament
OPEN DIVISION
Wednesday, 7 p.m.
No. 5 Modesto Christian at No. 4 Salesian
Byes: No. 1 Riordan, No. 2 De La Salle, No. 3 Folsom
Semifinal, Saturday, 7 p.m.
No. 3 Folsom at No. 2 De La Salle
DIVISION I
Tuesday, 7 p.m.
No. 16 California at No. 1 Inderkum
No. 9 Redwood and No. 8 Oakland Tech
No. 12 Memorial at No. 5 San Ramon Valley
No. 13 Liberty at No. 4 Clovis North
No. 14 Clovis West at No. 3 Lincoln-Stockton
No. 11 Moreau Catholic at No. 6 Doherty Valley
No. 10 St. Ignatius at No. 7 Dublin
No. 15 Monterey Trail at No. 2 Buchanan
DIVISION II
Tuesday, 7 p.m.
No. 16 Bullard at No. 1 Rocklin
No. 9 Serra at No. 8 Clayton Valley Charter
No. 12 Menlo-Atherton at No. 5 Destiny Christian
No. 13 Oakland at No. 4 Valley Christian
No. 14 Bellarmine at No. 3 Jesuit
No. 11 Branson at No. 6 Mitty
No. 10 Cardinal Newman at No. 7 Clovis East
No. 15 Woodcreek at No. 2 Milpitas
DIVISION III
Tuesday, 7 p.m.
No. 16 Pleasant Valley at No. 1 Kings Academy
No. 9 Aptos at No. 8 San Domenico
No. 12 El Capitan at No. 5 Carlmont
No. 13 Half Moon Bay at No. 4 University
No. 14 Enterprise at No. 3 Christopher
No. 11 Foothill at No. 6 Palo Alto
No. 10 Central at No. 7 Carmel
No. 15 Sacred Heart Prep at No. 2 Christian Brothers
DIVISION IV
Tuesday, 7 p.m.
No. 16 Washington at No. 1 Priory
No. 9 Piedmont at No. 8 Natomas
No. 12 Ripon Christian at No. 5 Berkeley
No. 13 San Mateo at No. 4 Palma
No. 14 Venture Academy at No. 3 Santa Cruz
No. 11 Burbank at No. 6 St. Patrick-St. Vincent
No. 10 Twelve Bridges at No. 7 Casa Roble
No. 15 Lincoln-San Francisco at No. 2 Westmont
DIVISION V
Tuesday, 7 p.m.
No. 16 Durham at No. 1 University Prep
No. 9 Bret Harte at No. 8 Gridley
No. 12 Weed at No. 5 Middleton
No. 13 Portola at No. 4 Fortune-Sacramento
No. 14 Chowchilla at No. 3 Argonaut
No. 11 West Valley at No. 6 Alhambra
No. 10 Orland at No. 7 International
No. 15 Sonoma Valley at No. 2 Woodland Christian
DIVISION VI
Wednesday, 7 p.m.
No. 8 Mendocino at No. 1 Redding Christian
No. 5 St. Vincent de Paul at No. 4 Sacramento Waldorf
No. 6 Biggs at No. 3 St. Bernard’s
No. 7 Point Arena at No. 2 Stone Ridge Christian
This story was originally published March 2, 2025 at 8:33 PM.