Esperanza, Mater Dei and Villa Park are getting second chances.
Those three boys basketball teams lost in the CIF-Southern Section playoffs.
Esperanza was swept out of the CIF-SS Open Division playoffs in two games. Mater Dei advanced to the Open Division final in which the Monarchs lost to Bishop Montgomery of Torrance. Villa Park lost to Colony of Ontario in the CIF-SS Division 2AA championship game.
All three have advanced to CIF Southern California Regionals championship games. Two of them have rematches with the teams they lost to in CIF-SS finals.
Mater Dei plays Bishop Montgomery in the CIF Southern California Regionals Open Division final Saturday at the Pyramid at Long Beach State. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.
Villa Park is at Colony on Saturday at 6 p.m.
Esperanza plays at home Saturday at 6 p.m. against Pasadena. Esperanza has not played Pasadena this season.
Esperanza is in a Regionals boys basketball final for the first time. Villa Park lost a Regionals boys basketball final to Mater Dei in 2006. Mater Dei is 16-7 in Regionals boys basketball finals – the Monarchs’ 16 Regionals finals wins are a state basketball record.
The Mater Dei-Bishop Montgomery game is the last of four games at the Pyramid on Saturday. The girls Division 1 final (Ventura vs. Windward of Los Angeles) is at noon, the boys Division 1 final (Centennial of Corona vs. Roosevelt of Eastvale) is at 2 p.m., and the girls Open Division final (Long Beach Poly vs. Clovis West of Fresno) is at 6 p.m.
The Pyramid schedule is divided into two sessions: a Division 1 session; and an Open Division session. Separate admission is required for the two sessions.
Admission prices for the Regionals finals at the Pyramid are $36 and $38 for courtside seating,m $18 for adult general admission and 10 for senior citizens 65 and older, for high school students with valid student identification and for children ages 2 and older. Children under 2 are admitted free.
Mater Dei is selling tickets Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its athletic office. Sales are cash only.
Online sales for the games at the Pyramid are available here. The Pyramid box office also is selling advance tickets. A Pyramid seating chart is available here.
Admission to the games at Esperanza and at Colony is $12 for adults and $8 for senior citizens (65 or older), high school students with valid student identification and for children ages 5-13. Children under 5 are admitted free. Ticket sales begin 90 minutes before game time at the host schools.
Spectrum Community’s Channel 83 will televise the Mater Dei-Bishop Montgomery game live Saturday on Spectrum cable systems.
