Seeded teams
1. Harvard Westlake (Mission League #1, 17-1-2, 9-0-1)
2. Aliso Niguel (South Coast League #1, 14-3-1, 8-0)
3. Foothill (Century League #1, 13-5-5, 10-2)
4. Alta Loma (Baseline League #1, 18-3-4, 7-1-2)
County outlook
Division I is filled with county teams, and two of the top four seeds reside from Orange County. There are six first-place teams in the bottom half of the bracket. If things go according to form, Aliso Niguel and Foothill will meet in the semifinals. That is a big if, though, when you consider the Wolverines’ first-round opponent, Canyon, already beat them this season. Sunset League champion Edison hosts Rosary in the first round, and could possibly face off with Sea View League champion Capistrano Valley in the second round.
Best first-round game
There are plenty of intriguing matchups involving county teams, such as Brea Olinda vs. Los Alamitos and Corona del Mar vs. Fountain Valley, but the best first-round game will be held in South County, as San Clemente hosts JSerra.
Matchup I’d like to see
Foothill vs. Aliso Niguel in the semifinals. The Wolverines went undefeated in the South Coast League, while Foothill earned a share of the title in a very competitive Century League. Those two leagues combined to make up six of the county’s top-10 in the Register’s final regular season rankings.
Dark horse team
The Wolverines have stolen the headlines in the southern part of the county this season, but Santa Margarita quietly rolled to a Trinity League title. They may not have to face another first-place team until the quarterfinals or possibly the semifinals.
Prediction
Aliso Niguel will make its third consecutive trip to the finals and will face off with Harvard Westlake in a battle of the Wolverines, but Harvard Westlake might have just a bit too much fire power for the South Coast League champs. Aliso Niguel also may be worn out by the time it reaches that point given how tough its side bracket is.
