The San Diego Section fall sports playoffs are heralding the imminent conclusion of regular season play in many sports.
In fact, elimination play in girls tennis and girls golf was scheduled to begin this week amid soaring temperatures. The playoffs are are set to continue next week in girls volleyball and boys water polo.
Playoffs in girls field hockey are scheduled to start in two weeks.
Girls golf
The team playoff format included 15 teams each in Division I and Division II. The top five seeds received first-round byes, with seeds 6 through 15 meeting in the play-in round. The five play-in winners advance to the next play-in round against the top five-seeded teams.
First-round play-in dates were scheduled Monday, Oct. 23, and Tuesday, Oct. 24. Second-round play-in dates are scheduled Wednesday, Oct. 25, and Thursday, Oct. 26.
Second-round play-in winners advance to the opening round of the section championship tournament Tuesday, Oct. 31, at Admiral Baker Golf Course South, 2400 Admiral Baker Road #3604, San Diego. Shotgun start is 8 a.m.
The second round is scheduled Thursday, Nov. 2 at the same site with another 8 a.m. shotgun start.
Mater Dei Catholic earned the top seed in the Division II team playoff field and was scheduled to host the first-round play-in winner between San Dieguito Academy and West Hills.
Eastlake, seeded ninth in the Division I field, hosted 12th-seeded Westview Tuesday at the Eastlake Country Club in a first-round play-in matchup.
Eastlake’s Yulissa Iniguez earned medalist honors by shooting a 43 on the 36-par course. However, Westview won the team competition 237-290 to advance to meet second-seeded Scripps Ranch in the second play-in round.
Mater Dei Catholic’s Brianna Navarrosa earned recognition as one of the prep stars of the month for September as named by the San Diego Hall of Champions.
Navarrosa earned international recognition when she and teammate Ivanna Montemayor competed as freshmen at the two-day ninth Evian Championship Junior Golf Tournament in September 2016 in Evian-les-Bains, Haute-Savoie, France.
The top 14-year-old boys and girls golfers from 16 nations competed in the elite tournament.
Girls tennis
First round play was delayed until Thursday, Oct. 26, due to the hot weather conditions. As a consequence, the four round of playoffs have been condensed into a six-day period.
First round winners in Division I, Division II and Division III advance to quarterfinal play on Friday, Oct. 27. The semifinals are scheduled Monday, Oct. 30.
Open Division playoffs open with quarterfinal play on Thursday, followed by semifinals on Friday.
The championship finals are scheduled Monday, Oct. 30, at the Balboa Tennis Club for teams in Open Division teams starting at 2 p.m. Finals in Division I, Division II and Division III are scheduled Tuesday, Oct. 31, at the same site, also starting at 2 p.m.
Eastlake (12-0, 14-0) earned the seventh seed in the Open Division and will play at second-seeded Bishop’s (6-1, 13-1) in quarterfinal-round action on Thursday.
Division I qualifiers include eighth-seeded Mater Dei Catholic (11-2, 13-4) and 10th-seeded Bonita Vista (8-4, 10-5).
Mater Dei Catholic will play ninth-seeded Del Norte (4-4, 8-5) at the Mountain View Tennis Club in opening round play while Bonita Vista will play seventh-seeded Our Lady of Peace Academy (4-6, 8-9) at the Balboa Tennis Club.
The Mater Dei Catholic-Del Norte winner advances to meet either top-seeded San Dieguito Academy (6-4, 12-6) or 16th-seeded Vista (5-5, 7-10) in Friday’s quarterfinals.
The Bonita Vista-OLP winner advances to meet the first-round winner between second-seeded San Marcos (10-0, 18-2) and 15th-seeded Patrick Henry (0-10, 1-12).
Division II entrants include fifth-seeded Olympian (5-6, 7-6), seventh-seeded Otay Ranch (4-8, 6-8) and 16th-seeded Hilltop (2-10, 6-10).
Hilltop will meet top-seeded Helix (7-1, 13-1) in first round play on Thursday while Otay Ranch will host Ramona (6-2, 12-5) in another first-round matchup. Olymipan will host 13th-seeded Sage Creek (2-8, 5-10) in first round action also on Thursday.
The Hilltop-Helix winner advances to meet the winner between eighth-seeded San Pasqual (8-0, 8-4) and ninth-seeded Grossmont (5-6, 8-9).
The Olympian-Sage Creek winner advances to meet the winner between fifth-seeded Valhalla (4-4, 10-6) and 12th-seeded West Hills (9-1, 10-4).
The Otay Ranch-Ramona winner advances to meet the winner between second-seeded Point Loma (12-0, 12-3) and 15th-seeded Santa Fe Christian (8-2, 11-7).
Division III qualifiers include fifth-seeded Chula Vista (10-0, 10-0) and 15th-seeded Castle Park (7-3, 7-3).
Chula Vista will host 12th-seeded El Capitan (7-3, 9-7) in the opening round while Castle Park will meet second-seeded Classical Academy (9-1, 12-3) at the Woodland Tennis Club in another first-round matchup.
The Chula Vista-El Capitan winner advances to meet the winner between fourth-seeded Crawford (12-0, 13-1) and 13th-seeded El Cajon Valley (4-6, 9-10); the Castle Park-Classical Academy winner advances to meet the winner between seventh-seeded Mores (9-3, 10-5) and 10th-seeded Rancho Buena Vista (8-4, 11-6).
Girls volleyball
This year’s playoff field will include six divisions. First-round play in Division II, Division IV and Division V is scheduled to start on Tuesday, Oct. 31. First-round play in Division I and Division III is scheduled to start on Wednesday, Nov. 1.
Quarterfinal-round play in the Open Division, plus Division II, Division IV and Division V is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 3 Quarterfinals in Division I and Division III are scheduled Saturday, Nov. 4.
Semifinals are scheduled Tuesday, Nov. 7, in Division II, Division IV and Division V and for Wednesday, Nov. 8, in the Open Division, Division I and Division III.
The state play-in game is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 9.
The Division IV (7 p.m.) and Division V (5 p.m.) championship games are scheduled Friday, Nov. 10, at Canyon Crest Academy.
Finals in the Open Division (6:15 p.m.), Division I (4 p.m.), Division II (1:15 p.m.) and Division III (11 a.m.) are scheduled Saturday, Nov. 11, at Cathedral Catholic High School.
Playoff seeds will be released by the section office on Saturday, Oct. 28. Teams losing in the Open Division quarterfinals will meet in the state play-in game.
Entering the week, Olympian (8-0 in Mesa League play, 26-5 overall) held down the No. 5 position in the Division I power rankings (and would qualify for the Open Division playoffs). Eastlake (6-2, 19-12) was seeded 10th while Otay Ranch (5-3, 18-11) was seeded 19th.
Mater Dei Catholic (2-6, 12-11) was ranked eighth in Division III.
The Chula Vista Learning Community Center (5-0, 17-1) was ranked second among Division IV teams, followed by sixth-ranked Hilltop (8-3, 16-10), seventh-ranked High Tech High Chula Vista (2-3, 12-11), eighth-ranked Mar Vista (7-3, 13-8), 10th-ranked Castle Park (7-4, 11-11) and 13th-ranked San Diego Academy (6-1, 13-8).
Chula Vista (9-1, 16-2) was ranked second in Division IV, followed by fifth-ranked Ocean View Christian Academy (6-1, 15-3) and 11th-seeded Calvary Christian Academy (2-4, 8-10).
Chula Vista defeated Castle Park 26-24, 25-17, 25-23 on Wednesday to win the South Bay League title.
Olympian defeated Montgomery 25-13, 25-21, 25-14 on Wednesday to win the Mesa League title.
Boys water polo
Mater Dei Catholic secured its second consecutive Mesa League championship by defeating visiting Bonita Vista, 21-11, on Oct. 19. The Crusaders improved to 8-0 in league play, 18-4 overall.
Mater Dei Catholic entered the week holding down the No. 2 position in the Division II power rankings, trailing top-seeded Clairemont (24-4).
Eastlake entered the week second in the league standings at 5-3 (11-14 overall), followed by Bonita Vista and Hilltop at 4-4 in league play, Mar Vista at 3-5 and Otay Ranch at 0-8.
Eastlake was ranked sixth, among Division II teams, followed by Mar Vista (14-11) in 10th place, Hilltop (15-10) in 11th, Bonita Vista (7-16) in 17th place and Otay Ranch (3-8) in 20th place. The top 12 teams qualify for the playoffs.
San Ysidro (18-9 overall) topped the South Bay League standings with a 7-0 league record, leading Southwest (5-1, 9-8). The Cougars entered the week fourth in the Division III section power rankings; the Raiders were 13th.
First round playoffs in Division III are scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 31, and in Division II for Wednesday, Nov. 1.
All quarterfinal, semifinal and championship games will take place at La Jolla High School.
Quarterfinals in Division III are scheduled Thursday, Nov. 2, and in Division II for Saturday, Nov. 4.
Semifinals in Division III are scheduled Monday, Nov. 6, and in Division II for Tuesday, Nov. 7.
The annual championship quadruple header will take place Saturday, Nov. 11 — Division III (11 a.m.), Division II (1 p.m.), state play-in game (3 p.m.), Division I (5 p.m.) and Open Division (7 p.m.).
Girls field hockey
Playoff competition will be held in three divisions: Open Division (eight teams), Division I (12 teams) and Division II (12 teams).
Possible play-in games will take place Nov. 9-10.
First round action in Division I and Division II starts Nov. 11. Quarterfinals are scheduled Nov. 13 in Division II and Nov. 14 for Open Division/Division I teams.
Semifinals are scheduled Nov. 15 in Division II and Nov. 16 for Open Division/Division I teams.
Championship games are scheduled Nov. 18 at Serra High School.
As the Metro Conference season winds down, Eastlake (8-0 in league play, 14-0 overall) finds itself in first place in the Division II power rankings, followed in the division by Southwest (7-2, 13-7) in 11th place, Bonita Vista (4-5, 7-8) in 14th place and Chula Vista (1-6, 3-8) in 17th place.
Hilltop (7-1 in league, 8-7-1 overall) held the 17th position in the Division I power rankings.
Eastlake topped Bonita Vista, 3-1, on Wednesday as Taylor Tropp scored two goals and Alexis Monis scored one goal.
Bonita Vista became the first team to score a goal on the Lady Titans this season. Glo Hinojosa recorded one save while allowing one goal to pick up the goaltending win.
Eastlake hosts Castle Park on Friday, Oct. 27, and will play at Hilltop on Monday, Oct. 30.
Regular season play concludes Nov. 7.
