CIF-SS boys soccer playoffs: Division 1 breakdown

SEEDED TEAMS

1. Cathedral (17-2-4) – The Phantoms bring a nine-game winning streak into the playoffs and have outscored their opponents, 56-8, this season. They have also shutout six of their past seven opponents en route to winning the Del Rey League championship, the 18^th boys soccer championship in school history. The Phantoms are ranked 20^th in the nation and fourth in the state by Maxpreps
2. Redlands East Valley (19-0-1) – The Wildcats are unbeaten in the 20 games they have played this season, winning all but one match they have played. The only blemish is a 1-1 ties with Redlands on Jan. 3. The Wildcats have scored 53 goals this season and are ranked second in the state.
3. Santa Barbara (19-1-5) – The Channel League champion Dons bring a 0.913 goals against average into the playoffs and have scored 62 goals this season for a 2.8 goals per game average. Celso Lagunas leads the team with 11 goals. He also has 10 assists this season.
4. Servite (16-4-3) – This might not have been as dominating of a performance in the Trinity League as the Friars have had in the past, but they went 1-0-1 against Santa Margarita in the last week of the season to claim their fourth consecutive league title.  Defense has been the foundation of much of the Friars’ past success, but this year, Servite allowed 24 goals and posted only one shutout during Trinity League play. The Friars do have a game-changing player in Wilbert Valle, who has scored a team leading 14 goals.

FIRST ROUND GAMES

Peninsula at Cathedral; Los Alamitos at El Toro; Bell Gardens at Notre Dame/Sherman Oak; St. John Bosco at Tesoro; St. Francis at Paramount; San Clemente at Sunny Hills; Mira Costa at Santa Ana; Jordan at Servite; Century at Santa Barbara; Loyola at Simi Valley; Downey at Montebello; Palos Verdes at Millikan; Warren at Edison; Mission Viejo at Santa Margarita; Harvard-Westlake at Redondo Union; Centennial/Corona at Redlands East Valley

COUNTY PLAYERS TO WATCH

Louie Arellano, Los Alamitos, Sophomore; Alex van Steenbergen, Los Alamitos, Sophomore; Mac Hutchins, El Toro, Senior; Dom Bair, Edison, Senior; Sam Kemper, Edison, Senior; Jake Vollmond, Tesoro, Junior; Ryan Estupian, Tesoro, Senior; Riley Wortman, Tesoro, Junior; Cameron Dickie, San Clemente, Senior; Kaleb Schirmacher, San Clemente, Senior; Diego Useda, Sunny Hills, sophomore; Herminio Padilla, Sunny Hills, Sophomore; Wilbert Valle, Servite, Senior; Asa Fuller, Servite, Senior; Cesar Hernandez, Century, Junior; Edgar Canela, Santa Ana, Sophomore; Cesar Zamora, Santa Ana, Freshman; Connor Riley, Santa Margarita, Senior; Kyle Carey, Santa Margarita, Junior

MOST INTRIGUING FIRST ROUND GAME

San Clemente at Sunny Hills – Sunny Hills makes the jump from Division 2 to Division 1 this season and will open the playoffs with one of the most decorated D1 teams in the past five season. But the Tritons have struggled a bit this season, losing six of the 17 games they have played, so the defending Division 2 champion Lances definitely have a chance to win this one. They will have a distinct home field advantage. The Lancers are still one of the few schools in the county to play on grass, and while it is usually in pretty good shape and not too lumpy, it is still not as fast and wide as the turf fields that San Clemente has grown accustomed to playing on in the South Coast League. Combine an expected Friday storm with Sunny Hills usual stifling defense, and I believe the Lancers will come out on top in this one.

FINAL FOUR TEAMS

Cathedral; Santa Margarita, Santa Barbara, Paramount

CHAMPION

Cathedral