Here are the pairings and other information for the CIF-SS boys soccer playoffs.
DIVISION 4
Seeded teams: 1. Godinez, 2. Valencia, 3. Valencia/Valencia; 4. Bellflower
Playoff dates: Wednesday, wild card; first round, Friday; second round, Feb. 24; quarterfinals, Feb. 26; semifinals, March 1; final, March 5.
Dottore’s comments: Valencia and Godinez. Too bad both teams can’t share the No. 1 seed. They both deserve it with the season they have had. . . . There’s no doubt the Grizzlies could beat the majority of teams in D1 – yep, even Paramount. They are loaded this year, returning almost everyone from the team that lost in the semis last season. They have talent and skill at every position, can score goals at will and shut down teams with a tenacious defense. . . . Bryan Ibarra leads the team and ranks second in the county with 24 goals. He scored two goals against Bell Gardens back in December to help the Grizzlies win the Aliso Cup. . . . Up to that point, the Grizzlies had outscored their opponents, 15-2. As the former goalkeeper for the Anaheim Splash of the Continental Indoor Soccer League, Coach Ruben Fernandez doesn’t focus solely on how much firepower the Grizzlies have in the final third. He takes pride in every clean sheet, too, and Godinez has shut out eight of its last 10 opponents, giving up only two goals in the last 800 minutes of soccer. . . . Valencia just completed an historic season with a 1-0 victory against Empire League rival Western in the season finale. The Tigers finished 21-0-2, making the this the first time they have ended a season unbeaten. . . . Defense is the foundation of Valencia’s success. The Tigers have only given up three goals in 10 league games and two of them came off of penalty kicks. “They trust each other. They step smart,” Valencia coach Barry Gardner said. “If one guy (on defense) gets beat, we have two guys that track back in. They are solid.” . . . The Tigers are loaded with weapons, too, as 13 players have scored for Valencia. Noah Engstrom leads the team with 15 goals, and Alexis Martin Del Campo is close behind with 11.
Prediction: Godinez beats Valencia on PKs in the final.
WILD CARD
All games start at 3 p.m.
A-Norwalk at Torrance
B-Pacifica at Costa Mesa
C-Baldwin Park at Perris
D-Vista Murrieta at Chino Hills
FIRST ROUND
All Games begin at 3 p.m.
Winner A at Godinez
Western at Yorba Linda
Saugus at Sultana
Cate at Temescal Canyon
Leuzinger at Hart
Sierra Vista at Santa Paula
Temecula Valley at El Segundo
Winner B at Bellflower
Winner C at Valencia/Val
Culver City at El Dorado
Serrano at Chaparral
Carpinteria at Artesia
La Mirada at South Torrance
Lawndale at Estancia
Paloma Valley at Gladstone
Winner D at Valencia
