By Fred J. Robledo
CIF Southern Section division realignment paid big dividends for the Nogales boys soccer team, earning the top seed in the Division 6 playoffs after winning the Montview League title.Nogales (15-3-4) will open the playoffs on Friday against the winner of Wednesday’s wild-card between Crean Lutheran (10-8-2) and California Academy of Math and Science (8-3-1).
The CIF pairings for all divisions were released Monday, with wild card games scheduled Wednesday and first round games on Friday. All games will either start at 3 p.m. or 5 p.m., depending on the home team’s preference.
In other Division 6 first-round games La Puente (11-2-5) will host South Pasadena (10-4-3) in a battle between second place teams. There are two Division 6 wild card games Wednesday with Carpinteria (5-10-3) at Arroyo (13-6-2) and Azusa (8-8-3) hosting Hawthorne MSA (5-6-1).
Two locals teams will compete in Division 3 with Palomares third-place Diamond Bar (9-9-1) having the tough task of taking on top-seed Garden Grove Santiago (19-1-5) while Bishop Amat (7-14) visits Pioneer League second-place entry West Torrance (11-5-3).
Glendora, the Palomares league champion, is the lone participant in Division 4. Glendora (12-5-2) will host Pacific League third-place Hoover (14-6-4) in the opening round.
The majority of area boys soccer teams are in Division 5 and there are some intriguing local games in the first round.
Rio Hondo runner-up Monrovia (15-7-4) is at Mission Valley League champion El Monte (14-5-2) while Hacienda third-place Walnut (13-7-1) travels to take on Valle Vista league champion Baldwin Park (15-3-3).
Mission Valley third-place Mountain View (7-8-7) is on the road at Miramonte league champion Garey (13-4-3) and Mission Valley runner-up South El Monte (10-2-3) hits the road at Hacienda league champion Chino (17-5-1).
In other Division 5 first round games, Sierra Vista (12-6-4) is at Moreno Valley (15-6-1) while Diamond Ranch (11-9-4) is at Antelope Valley (14-5-2) and Pomona (8-10-2) visits second-seed Rialto (13-2-5).
In Division 7, Northview (8-10-2), who finished third in the Valle Vista league, is at Public Safety Academy (4-7-1) in a wild card game Wednesday.
Boys Soccer playoff schedule
All games tentatively scheduled for 3 or 5 p.m.
Division 3 – Friday’s first round
Diamond Bar at Garden Grove Santiago
Bishop Amat at West Torrance
Division 4 – Friday’s first round
Hoover at Glendora
Division 5 – Friday’s first round
South El Monte at Chino
Mountain View at Garey
Sierra Vista at Moreno Valley
Monrovia at El Monte
Walnut at Baldwin Park
Diamond Ranch at Antelope Valley
Pomona at Rialto
Division 6 – Wednesday’s wild card
Carpinteria at Arroyo
Hawthorne MSA at Azusa
Friday’s first round
WC Winner at Nogales
South Pasadena at La Puente
Division 7 – Wednesday’s wild card
Northview at Public Safety Academy
Friday’s first round
WC winner at Southlands Academy
