The San Diego Section winter sports playoffs have opened with a rush – and have proven unforgiving for many South County teams.
Postseason competition in boys and girls soccer and boys and girls basketball began on Monday. Playoffs in girls water polo began the previous week, as did postseason competition in boys and girls wrestling.
For the most part, Metro Conference teams made early exits this year, particularly in basketball and soccer.
Girls water polo teams made some of the strongest showings, however.
Eight teams qualified to compete in the girls water polo playoffs – Bonita Vista, Eastlake, Hilltop, Otay Ranch and Mar Vista from the Mesa League and Mater Dei Catholic, Chula Vista and San Ysidro from the South bay League.
Second-seeded Bonita Vista and eighth-seeded Eastlake both advanced past their first game in the Division II field while Mater Dei Catholic, seeded fourth in the Division III field, received a first-round bye while Otay Ranch, seeded seventh in the Division III field, advanced with a first-round victory.
Four other area teams lost their opening-round contests: Mar Vista (Division I), Hilltop (Division III), San Ysidro (Division III) and Chula Vista (Division III).
Mesa League champion Bonita Vista advanced to the Division II semifinals, as did Mater Dei Catholic in Division III.
Fifth-seeded Bonita Vista defeated fourth-seeded Poway, 7-5, in last Friday’s quarterfinals to advance to Thursday’s semifinals.
The game was tied 3-3 before the Bonita Vista pulled the upset with a late spurt. Brianna Villalava scored three goals while Sam Medlam scored two goals to lead the reigning Mesa League champions, who improved to 23-5 on the season with the win.
The victory made amends for an 8-7 loss to Poway in non-league play on Feb. 3.
Bonita Vista opened the playoffs with a 10-3 win over 12th-seeded Mt. Carmel on Feb. 14.
Bonita Vista faced top-seeded Del Norte (27-6) in Thursday’s semifinals at La Jolla High School. The winner advanced to Saturday’s division championship game. Del Norte earned that distinction by ending Bonita Vista’s season with a 16-7 victory. Bonita Vista ended its season 23-6, 10-0 in league play.
Eighth-seeded Eastlake defeated ninth-seeded La Costa Canyon, 7-3, in the opening round but dropped a 15-4 match-up to Del Norte in the quarterfinals. Eastlake’s season ended with a 15-15 final record.
South Bay League champion Mater Dei Catholic, seeded fourth, swam past fifth-seeded Escondido, 9-3, in last Thursday’s quarterfinals to advance to Monday’s semifinals against top-seeded Santana.
Jenna Kruse led Mater Dei Catholic with four goals in the win over Escondido.
Mater Dei Catholic ended its season of plenty with a 19-8 overall record following an ensuing 10-4 loss to Santana. Kruse scored two of her team’s four goals in the semifinal setback.
Otay Ranch, seeded seventh, recorded a 5-4 win over 10th-seeded Oceanside in the opening round and ended its season with a 6-5 loss to second-seeded Classical Academy in the quarterfinals.
San Diego Section
Girls Water Polo Playoffs
Division I
First round
Wednesday, Feb. 15
(5) Rancho Buena Vista 10, (12) Mar Vista 6
Division II
First round
Tuesday, Feb. 14
(5) Bonita Vista 10, (12) Mt. Carmel 3
(8) Eastlake 7, (9) La Costa Canyon 3
(7) Grossmont 13, (10) Hilltop 9
Quarterfinals
Friday, Feb. 17
(5) Bonita Vista 7, (4) Poway 5
Semifinals
Thursday, Feb. 23
(1) Del Norte 16, (5) Bonita Vista 7
Division III
First round
Tuesday, Feb. 14
(4) Mater Dei Catholic (bye)
(7) Otay Ranch 5, (10) Oceanside 4
(5) Escondido 14, (12) San Ysidro 2
(6) San Marcos 7, (11) Chula Vista 4
Quarterfinals
Thursday, Feb. 16
(4) Mater Dei Catholic 9, (5) Escondido 3
(2) Classical Academy 6, (7) Otay Ranch 5
Semifinals
Monday, Feb. 20
(1) Santana 10, (4) Mater Dei Catholic 4
San Diego Section
Boys Soccer Playoffs
Division I
First round
Tuesday, Feb. 21
(6) Carlsbad 3, (11) Chula Vista 0
(12) San Dieguito Academy 1, (5) Southwest 0
Division II
First round
Tuesday, Feb. 21
(7) Montgomery 2, (10) Escondido 1 (OT)
(8) Otay Ranch 3, (9) Francis Parker 2
(11) Eastlake 2, (6) Bishop’s 1
Quarterfinals
Friday, Feb. 24
(7) Montgomery at (2) Granite Hills, 5 p.m.
(8) Otay Ranch at (1) San Diego, 5 p.m.
(11) Eastlake at (3) Rancho Bernardo, 5 p.m.
Division III
First round
Tuesday, Feb. 21
(6) Olympian 1, (11) King-Chavez Community 0
Quarterfinals
Friday, Feb. 24
(6) Olympian (3-11-8) at (3) Bonita Vista (11-6-4), 5 p.m.
Division IV
First round
Tuesday, Feb. 21
(6) Mt. Carmel 4, Chula Vista Community Learning Community Charter 0
Division V
First round
Tuesday, Feb. 21
Mar Vista 3, River Valley 1
Quarterfinals
Friday, Feb. 24
Mar Vista (7-8-3) at El Cajon Valley (16-6-1), 5 p.m.
Metro Conference
Boys Soccer Standings
Mesa League
Bonita Vista 8-1-1, 11-4-4
Montgomery 5-2-3, 12-3-4
Olympian 5-3-2, 11-7-3
Castle Park 3-3-4, 5-7-6
Sweetwater 2-7-1, 8-14-2
Mar Vista 0-7-3, 7-8-3
GIRLs SOCCER/Quarterfinals
Saturday, Feb. 25
(2) Eastlake 2, (7) Coronado 0
San Diego Section
Boys Basketball Playoffs
Open Division
Quarterfinals
Saturday, Feb. 25
(5) Mater Dei Catholic at (4) Foothills Christian, 7 p.m.
Division I
First round
Wednesday, Feb. 22
(6) Lincoln 56, (11) Eastlake 52
Division II
First round
Wednesday, Feb. 22
(2) Rancho Bernardo 82 (15) Sweetwater 56
Division III
First round
Wednesday, Feb. 22
(5) Otay Ranch 68, (12) Central Union 45
(4) Point Loma 76, (13) Bonita Vista 65
(6) Montgomery 75, (11) Rancho Buena Vista 64
Division IV
First round
Wednesday, Feb, 22
(1) Brawley 68, (16) Castle Park 27
(14) Hilltop 49, (3) Maranatha Christian 47
(7) Escondido Charter 67, (10) Lutheran 40
(2) Olympian 86, (15) San Diego Jewish Academy 53
Division V
First round
Wednesday, Feb. 22
(5) San Diego Academy 38, (12) Julian 31
(4) Southwest (bye)
(11) Holtville 57, (6) Bayfront Charter 31
(7) High Tech High Chula Vista 81, (10) School for Entrepeneurship & Technology 44
BOYS BASKETBALL/Quarterfinals
Saturday, Feb. 25 (7 p.m.)
(4) Foothills Christian 64, (5) Mater Dei Catholic 57
(4) Point Loma 62, (5) Otay Ranch 47
(6) Montgomery 56, (3) Carlsbad 52
(2) Olympian 82, (7) Escondido Adventist 53
(14) Hilltop 58, (6) Calexico 52
(4) Southwest 63, (5) San Diego Academy 31
(2) Guajome Park 75, (7) HTH Chula Vista 66
BOYS BASKETBALL/Semiinals
Tuesday, Feb. 28
(10) Sage Creek at (6) Montgomery
(4) Southwest at (1) Health Sciences
Wednesday,Msrch 1 (7 p.m.)
(14) Hilltop at (2) Olympian
