Division 5
Seeded teams
1. La Quinta/LQ (18-4-2)
2. Hemet (20-4)
3. Alta Loma (21-4)
4. La Serna (15-4-5)
County representatives: Ocean View, Estancia, Calvary Chapel, Segerstrom, Laguna Beach
Rapid reaction: Just for a bit of context, La Serna is the division’s fourth-seeded team. In early January, the Lancers hosted Troy (the county’s 8th ranked team) and played the Warriors to a 1-1 draw. La Serna was the better team for the last 70 minutes of that match, dominating possession and creating more scoring opportunities in the process. Long story short, they’re a quality club that’d likely be ranked if they were in the O.C. So if they’re the four-seed, La Quinta, Hemet and Alta Loma must be pretty darn good too.
Ocean View and Estancia finished atop the Golden West and Orange Coast Leagues, and appear to be the county’s best threats to make some noise. The Seahawks boast a talented pair of playmakers in sophomore striker Kaci Montoya and senior midfielder Casey Dooley. The duo has combined to net 20 goals while dishing out 17 assists. As a result, Ocean View went 9-0-1 in league play.
Estancia claimed the Orange Coast League with a 7-1-2 clip. The Eagles got scoring from 11 different players this season, so the balance they’ve shown make them a legitimate threat. Their portion of the bracket looks like it might play out a little better than Ocean View’s. Estancia likely wouldn’t have to play a league champ until the quarterfinals, where it could see Linfield Christian or La Serna.
