Teams will get closer to league championships and playoff berths this week, the next-to-last week of the regular season.
Guaranteed entry into the CIF-Southern Section playoffs are granted to teams that finish second or higher in four-team leagues, third or higher in five- and six-team leagues, and fourth or higher in seven- and eight-team leagues.
Teams that do not finish high enough in their league standings for guaranteed playoff berths can apply for at-large berth consideration regardless of how many wins they have. At-large berths will be in playoff brackets only if there not enough guaranteed-entry qualifiers to fill a division’s 32-team bracket; at-large teams would fill those open berths until the 32-team bracket is complete.
The CIF-SS has an Open Division. A panel will select up to 16 teams for the Open Division. Enrollment is not a factor in the Open Division selection process.
The section office will release playoff brackets Feb. 15. The playoffs begin with first-round games in Divisions 1-6 on Feb. 18 and in the Open Division on Feb. 19.
Jump stops around Orange County basketball:
• Esperanza’s administration on Monday was investigating allegations that racial slurs were directed by Esperanza students toward Foothill basketball player Reed Nakakihara during a game Friday at Esperanza. Chants of “Jackie Chan” and “chicken fried rice” were said to have come from the Esperanza student section and directed at Nakakihara, who is of Asian background. Esperanza principal Dr. Ken Fox said the school was looking into the matter and would announce its conclusion today.
• This reporter’s county top 25: 1. Mater Dei (19-3); 2. Orange Lutheran (19-3); 3. Sonora (19-3); 4. Santa Margarita (14-5); 5. Tustin (20-2); 6. Foothill (9-3); 7. Edison (18-5); 8. Los Alamitos (19-2); 9. Canyon (15-7); 10. Esperanza (17-5); 11. Corona del Mar (16-6); 12. San Clemente (14-7); 13. Servite (12-11); 14. Aliso Niguel (18-6); 15. Trabuco Hills (15-70; 16. El Dorado (14-90; 17. Yorba Linda (16-8); 18. Valencia (19-30; 19. Tesoro (12-10); 20. Troy (15-8); 21. Garden Grove (21-2); 22. JSerra (9-12); 23. Godinez (19-4); 24. Orangewood Academy (12-9); 25. Villa Park (10-10).
• Games of the week: today, Esperanza at Canyon and Villa Park at Foothill (both Crestview League), Yorba Linda at El Dorado (North Hills), Corona del Mar at Woodbridge (Pacific Coast); Wednesday, Aliso Niguel at San Clemente (South Coast), Mater Dei at Orange Lutheran (Trinity); Thursday, Orangewood Academy at Saddleback Valley Christian (San Joaquin); Friday, Cayon at Foothill (Crestview), Trabuco Hills at Tesoro (Sea View); Saturday, Nike Extravaganza at Mater Dei.
• Tickets for the Nike Extravaganza, Friday and Saturday at Mater Dei, are on sale at the school’s athletics ticket window. Tickets are $12 for general admission either day and $22 for reserved seating for the Saturday evening session. Separate admission is required for Saturday’s morning and evening sessions.
• Tustin is not on this week’s “watch list” of teams that are candidates for the Open Division playoff bracket. The Tillers were on the list last week. County teams on the watch list this week (in alphabetical order): Los Alamitos, Mater Dei, Orange Lutheran, Santa Margarita and Sonora.
• Santa Margarita lost two Trinity League games last week but remained on the watch list. Los Alamitos lost to Edison but stayed on the list, which does not include Edison.
• Mater Dei is the only county team ranked No. 1 in a CIF-SS division. The Monarchs are No. 1in 1AA.
• County teams that are No. 2 in their divisions: Foothill, Division 1A (Loyola of Los Angeles is No. 1); Sonora (3AA, behind Damien of La Verne); Orange Lutheran (4AA, Bishop Montgomery of Torrance); Capistrano Valley Christian (5A, Bell-Jeff of Burbank); and Orangewood Academy (6, Price of Los Angeles).
• First-place teams in county leagues: Academy League, St. Margaret’s; Crestview, Foothill; Empire, Tustin; St. Michael’s Prep, Express Silver; Sonora, Freeway; Garden Grove, Garden Grove; Westminster, Golden West; El Dorado and Yorba Linda, North Hills; Savanna, Orange; Godinez, Orange Coast; Corona del Mar, Pacific Coast; Orangewood Academy, San Joaquin; Trabuco Hills, Sea View; San Clemente, South Coast; Edison, Sunset; Mater Dei, Trinity.
• Going into Monday, the county’s top five scoring leaders (minimum 20 games): 1. Jarrett Brodbeck, Esperanza, 24.10 points a game; 2. Brandon Smith, Godinez, 23.48; 3. Brent Cahill, St. Margaret’s, 22.45; 4. Marcus Berkley, Orangewood Academy, 22.30; 5. Jake Linsky, Northwood, 22.14.
• Linsky scored 42 points with 22 rebounds in the Timberwolves’ win over Irvine last week.
• Cahill has returned to the court after fighting mononucleosis. He scored 21 points in St. Margaret’s win last week over Sage Hill.
• Smith scored 35 in a win over Laguna Beach last week. Godinez is in first place in the Orange Coast League with a 6-0 league record.
• Blake Burzell of Laguna Beach scored 20 points in the Godinez game and 32 in a league win over Costa Mesa.
• Westminster’s Tyler Burch scored 31 points in a win over Loara and 18 in a win over Segsterstrom.
• El Modena’s Legend Demps had a lives-up-to-his-name game in a loss to Villa Park. Demps scored 32 points.
• Paul Head scored 31 points for Ocean View in a Golden West League win over Loara.
• Westminster is 7-0 in league, 1-15 in nonleague games.
Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com
