CIF Pairings released; Charter Oak/South Hills on opposite ends of Southwest; Glendora takes on Upland; Valle Vista gets tough draw in Northwest

I will be at the CIF pairings on Sunday at the offices in Los Alamitos. Hopefuly, I will have all your local pairings up Sunday night. But don’t wait, CIF will release the bracket sheets from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., and you can access them by clicking on this link.
www.cifss.org/landing_index

Southwest Division
Pairings/Top Seeds: 1. El Dorado, 2. Charter Oak, 3. Trabuco Hills, 4. South HIlls
Top Half: Rowland (3-7) at El Dorado (9-1); El Toro (5-5) at Bellflower (7-3); Bonita (6-4) at Foothill (8-2); La Mirada (4-6) at South Hills (8-2).
Bottom Half: Brea Olinda (5-5) at Trabuco Hills (9-1); Wilson 5-5) at Mayfair (7-3); West Covina (5-5) at Anaheim Canyon (8-2); Norwalk (5-5) at Charter Oak (8-1-1).
Fred’s thoughts: Just what you expected with Charter Oak getting No. 2 and South Hills No. 4. Love the potential second round matchups of South Hills-Bonita or Charter Oak-West Covina, but when it all comes down to it, the top four seeds are legit and it should play out that way until the semifinals.
Final Four prediction: El Dorado, South Hills, Trabuco Hills, Charter Oak
Championship prediction: Charter Oak over El Dorado

Inland Division
Pairings/Top Seeds: 1. Corona Centennial, 2. Vista Murrieta, 3. Redlands East Valley, 4. A.B. Miller
Top Half: Carter (4-6) at Corona Centennial (9-1); Upland (7-3) at Glendora (8-2); Los Osos (8-2) at Chaparral (7-3); Damien (5-4-1) at A.B. Miller (9-1)
Bottom Half: Murrieta Valley (6-4) at Redlands East Valley (10-0); Ayala (7-3) at Norco (8-2); Corona Santiago (5-4) at Etiwanda (6-4); Yucaipa (7-3) at Vista Murrieta (10-0).
Fred’s thoughts: The Sierra League has it tough across the board. Glendora opens with a difficult Upland team, and then could meet top-ranked Centennial in the quarterfinals. Damien has a tough opener against No. 4 A.B. Biller, and Ayala is on the road against Norco, an 8-2 team. Maybe Glendora gets past the first round, but don’t expect any of the Sierra League teams to be playing the following week.
Final Four prediction: Corona Centennial, Los Osos, Redlands East Valley, Vista Murrieta
Championship prediction: Redlands East Valley over Los Osos

Mid-Valley Division
Pairings/Top Seeds: 1. Paraclete, 2. Santa Clara, 3. Blair, 4. Bishop Diego
Top Half: Sierra Vista (3-7) at Paraclete (10-0); Monrovia (5-5) at Cantwell Sacred Heart (7-3); Temple City (4-6) at La Puente (7-3); Mary Star (5-5) at Bishop Diego (8-2)
Bottom Half: Malibu (5-4) at Blair (8-1); Cerritos Valley Christian (5-5) at Duarte (8-2); Azusa (4-6) at La Salle (5-5); Village Christian (2-8) at Santa Clara (7-1-1)
Fred’s thoughts: All these coaches at the pairings draw felt they had a good shot, and why not, it’s wide open. I like the potential of Duarte and Blair meeting in the second round. And there’s a great first-round game of Temple City at La Puente. I keep hearing that Monrovia, at 5-5, is the sleeper because of how well it played at the end of the year, but when all is settled, this is my final four prediction: Paraclete, Bishop Diego, Duarte, Santa Clara.
Final Four prediction: Paraclete, Bishop Diego, Duarte, La Salle
Championship prediction: Duarte over Paraclete

Northwest Division
Pairings/Top Seeds: 1. Morro Bay, 2. Serra, 3. Torrance, 4. Nordoff
Top Half: Northview (7-3) at Morro Bay (10-0); North Torrance (4-6) at St. Bernard (6-4); Compton Centennial (5-5) at Baldwin Park (7-3); Nipomo (5-5) at Nordoff (6-3-1).
Bottom Half: Harvard-Westlake (7-3) at Torrance (7-3); Santa Maria St. Joseph (7-3) at Oak Park (7-3); Oaks Christian (7-3) at San Dimas (9-1); Pioneer Valley (6-4) at Serra (9-1).
Fred’s thoughts: Let’s face it, the Valle Vista league took one on the chin. The CIF people basically felt this was the worst league in the division. How else do you explain Northview, at 7-3, having to face top-ranked Morro Bay in the first round. Or San Dimas, at 9-1, facing Oaks Christian, who defeated Diamond Ranch earlier this year and is still mighty tough even without Jimmy Clausen. Baldwin Park has a winnable draw facing Compton Centennial in their opener at home. But boy, after a three-way tie in the Valle Vista, winning that coin flip was important and the Braves got it.
Final Four prediction: Morro Bay, Nordoff, Oak Park, Oaks Christian
Championship prediction: Oaks Christian over Morro Bay

Southeast Division
Pairings/Top Seeds: 1. San Gabriel, 2. Westminster, 3. Fullerton, 4. California
Top Half: Santa Fe (5-5) at San Gabriel (8-2); Ocean View (7-3) at La Habra (9-0); Sonoro (5-4) at South El Monte (6-4); Santa Ana (5-5) at California (9-1).
Bottom Half: Arroyo (6-4) at Fullerton (6-3); Alhambra (7-3) at La Serna (7-3); Rosemead (7-3) at Schurr (6-4); El Rancho (5-5) at Westminster (7-3)
Fred’s thoughts: What a whacky division, seriously, San Gabriel the No. 1 seed. And what do they get for their reward, a tough Santa Fe squad followed by possibly La Habra (in quarters), who I still think is the best in the division. South El Monte drew Sonora, and the Eagles are the wild-card after playing so well at the end of the year. I would love to see South El Monte play California in the quarters, that would be special. Arroyo has a tough task of opening at No. 3 Fullerton, and Rosemead is at defending champion Schurr. This was a crazy division last year, and figures to be again.
Final Four prediction: La Habra, California, Alhambra, Westminster
Championship prediction: La Habra over Alhambra

Interviews with coaches at Sunday’s pairings draw

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