By Steve Ramirez, SGVN
twitter.com/DailyNewsSports
La Mirada, La Habra and Montebello high schools look like the area’s best hope for softball glory when the CIF-Southern Section released playoff pairings Monday.
The Oilers, after sharing the Almont League title with rival Schurr, is the No. 4 seed in Division 5, while the Matadores and Highlanders received favorable draws in the Division 2 and 4 brackets.
The playoffs begin today with wild-card games. The first round is scheduled for Thursday, with the finals slated for June 1 and 2 at Deanna Manning Stadium in Irvine.
La Mirada (21-7), which lost to Camarillo in the Division 2 title game last season, hosts Beckman (14-9) in a Division 2 first-round game on Friday.
“We know we are as good as anyone out there,” La Mirada coach Richard Trujillo said. “What makes this year different is teams will be ready for us. We’ll have a target on our back. We can’t sneak up on anybody, but I feel our girls will be ready.”
The Matadores, if they advance, also wouldn’t face No. 3 seed Wilson until the quarterfinals and No. 2 Camarillo until the semifinals.
“I thought we should have been seeded, myself,” Trujillo said. “But it is what it is. Division 2 is a tough division, and we’ll see what happens.
“I think we’re a little more mature than last year. I like our chances.”
Here’s the area schedule:
CIF-SS PLAYOFFS
WILD-CARD ROUND
Division 3
Tuesday
Santa Fe (13-9) at Heritage (16-9)
South Torrance (8-10) at California (19-8)
Charter Oak (13-10) at St. Paul (14-13)
Alemany (9-14) at El Rancho (18-7)
FIRST ROUND
Thursday
Division 2
Beckman (14-9) at La Mirada (21-7)
Division 3
Crescenta Valley-Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks at La Serna (15-9)
Division 4
Whittier Crhistian (15-11) at Bloomington (19-6)
Woodcrest Christian (16-7) at La Habra (20-8)
Division 5
Laguna Beach-Silverado at Montebello (18-4)
Cantwell (12-8) at Schurr (20-7)
La Habra (20-8), which won the Freeway League, is also in a favorable spot in the Division 4 bracket. The Highlanders host Woodcrest Christian (16-7) in the first round and would stay away from No. 3 seed Dos Pueblos until the quarterfinals and No. 3 La Quinta until the semifinals.
Montebello, which won its last seven games to earn a share of the Almont League, is one of the favorites in Division 5. The Oilers open against either Silverado, who it beat in the playoffs last season, and Laguna Beach on Thursday.
“I think it’s awesome,” Montebello coach Laurie Capps said of receiving the No. 4 seed. “I’m excited for this group. We have the potential and the capability to compete (for a CIF-SS title).”
Other first round match-ups on Thursday are La Serna (14-9) hosting either Crescenta Valley or Notre Dame, of Sherman Oaks, in Division 3; Whittier Christian (15-11) at Bloomington (19-6) in Division 4 and local rivals Cantwell Sacred Heart of Mary (12-8) at Schurr (20-7) in Division 5.
La Serna won its final five games to win the Del Rio League for the second consecutive season. Whittier Christian finished second in the Olympic League, with Schurr sharing the Almont League with Montebello. Cantwell was second in the Camino Real League.
Whittier Christian also features one the area’s best players in shortstop Mandie Perez, who has signed with national power Arizona.
Four area teams will play wild-card games today. All in Division 3.
California (19-8), which faces South Torrance (8-10); El Rancho (18-7), which meets Alemany (9-14), and St. Paul (14-13), which faces Charter Oak (13-1), will be at home.
Santa Fe (13-10) is at Heritage (16-9).
