Could the Bonita Vista and Hilltop boys basketball teams be on a collision course to meet in this year’s San Diego Section Division IV semifinals? It could happen if both teams win their upcoming quarterfinal games on Friday.
The Barons and Lancers both got off to rousing starts in the Division IV playoff bracket by recording runaway wins in Tuesday’s opening round.
Top-seeded Bonita Vista (19-11) shot out to commanding leads of 25-5 (first quarter) and 50-13 (halftime) in eliminating the 16th-seeded High Tech North County Raptors (9-13).
Fourth-seeded Hilltop (16-12) eliminated the 13th-seeded San Diego Jewish Academy Lions (12-13) in Tuesday’s opening slate by a score of 69-39.
The next round figures to be a bit closer on the scoreboard.
Bonita Vista hosts ninth-seeded El Capitan (9-19) after the upset-minded Vaqueros eliminated eighth-seeded Mar Vista, 69-46, in Tuesday’s opening round.
Hilltop hosts fifth-seeded Calipatria (16-9) after the Hornets dropped visiting Castle Park, 65-51, also on Tuesday.
Should the Barons and Lancers both win on Friday, they would meet in Tuesday’s semifinals at Bonita Vista High School. Such a match-up would assure a Metro Conference representative in the Division IV championship game scheduled March 6 at the University of San Diego.
But nothing is certain, according to BVHS coach Don Dumas.
“Having the No. 1 seed means a great deal in terms of validating all of our hard work up to this point,” Dumas said. “However, we are also cognizant of the fact that being the No. 1 seed means that every team will be gunning for us. Once the first round is over, though, we don’t pay any attention to seeding. Every team left is good. Every team is talented, disciplined and singularly focused. I tell the players on a daily basis to stay hungry, be humble and play hard because at this point, tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone.”
Words to play — and win — by.
CIF tip-off
A total of 15 South County boys hoops teams qualified for this year’s divisional playoffs. All were in action on Tuesday and seven came out with victories.
Top-seeded Lutheran (22-1) defeated eighth-seeded Escondido Charter, 88-51, in a Division V quarterfinal match-up while Metro-Mesa League co-champions Eastlake (17-10) and Mater Dei Catholic (17-10) both won Division I openers.
Ninth-seeded Mater Dei Catholic eliminated eighth-seeded Serra, 59-53, behind 28 points from Jaylen Hands while 10th-seeded Eastlake, paced by Justin Young and Evin Shepherd, upset seventh-seeded Mission Hills 51-33.
Montgomery (17-13) and Chula Vista Calvary Christian Academy (17-4) were the other local teams to emerge victorious. Eighth-seeded Montgomery ousted ninth-seeded Ramona, 56-54, in a Division III first-rounder while sixth-seeded Calvary Christian downed 11th-seeded Calexico, 59-49, in a Division IV match-up.
Lutheran will host fourth-seeded Preuss (17-7) in Friday’s semifinals. Tip-off is 7 p.m. at the Parkway Gym. The winner advances to the Division V championship game Thursday, March 5, at San Marcos High School.
Preuss eliminated Chula Vista High Tech, 60-42, in Tuesday’s quarterfinals.
Mo Al-Asady leads Lutheran with a 15.6 season scoring average, followed by teammates Carlos Gonzalez (14.3) and James Watts (12.1).
In a pair of Division I quarterfinal games on Friday: Mater Dei Catholic visits top-seeded Morse (24-6) while Eastlake visits second-seeded Escondido (19-8). Both games tip off at 7 p.m.
Montgomery will visit top-seeded El Cajon Valley (22-6) in a Division III quarterfinal game on Friday while Chula Vista Calvary Christian Academy will visit third-seeded Vincent Memorial (20-8) in Friday’s quarterfinals.
El Cajon Valley bounced 16th-seeded Olympian, 71-40, in a Division III match-up while Vincent Memorial eliminated Chula Vista, 77-28, also in Tuesday’s opening round.
Out of the mix
Metro-Pacific League champion Sweetwater, the runner-up in last year’s Division III finals, bowed out of this year’s Division II playoffs following Tuesday’s 59-56 opening round loss to visiting Valley Center. C.J. Cadua led the sixth-seeded Red Devils (19-10) with 18 points in the loss.
Metro-South Bay League champion San Ysidro (16-13) also bowed out with a first-round loss on Tuesday, falling 80-68 to third-seeded Cathedral Catholic in a Division I encounter.
In other playoff openers on Tuesday, seventh-seeded West Hills eliminated 10th-seeded Otay Ranch, 60-52, in a Division II match-up.
