O.C.'s top teams face rough road in 1AA bracket

The CIF-SS Division 1AA playoffs are stacked.

The Division 1AA bracket features eight teams in the latest CalHiSports.com rankings with No. 1 Brea Olinda, No. 2 Long Beach Poly, No. 3 Mater Dei, No. 6 Canyon Springs of Moreno Valley, No. 8 Cajon of San Bernardino, No. 14 Etiwanda, No. 15 Summit of Fontana and No. 20 Santiago of Corona. It's easily the most loaded division in the state.

The highly anticipated showdown between Brea Olinda and Mater Dei could happen if both teams make it to the finals. Mater Dei is on the same half of the bracket as Long Beach Poly, the only team to defeat Mater Dei this season. Etiwanda is another potential pitfall for the Monarchs. That matchup would happen in the quarterfinals.

Brea Olinda's biggest tests will probably come against Summit or Santiago in the quarterfinals and Canyon Springs in the semifinals.

The playoffs kick off with first-round games on Thursday at 7 p.m.

All CIF girls basketball playoff brackets

NOTES

Edison and Troy, which are ranked No. 18 and No. 19 in the state, respectively, appear to be on a collision course in the Division 1A playoffs. The two county powers have already met once this season. Edison beat Troy, 46-32, on Troy's home court Jan. 29. The Chargers are the top seed in Division 1A and Troy is the No. 2 seed. Both teams are battle-tested after playing very strong nonleague schedules. If Edison and Troy take care of business, they could meet for a rematch in the Division 1A final. ...

Woodbridge is another team to keep an eye on in Division 1A. Eric Bangs' Warriors aren't flashy, but they are fundamentally sound, play solid defense and they win. That's a good combo. ...

One of the toughest leagues in the county this season was the new seven-team Century League. Canyon took third place behind Brea Olinda and Foothill and was rewarded with the No. 2 seed in Division 2A. That should give you an idea how respected the Century League was this season. ...

Sonora has the feel of a darkhorse with a lot of potential in Division 3AA. The Raiders' only two losses in the past 10 games came against Troy, the No. 2 seed in Division 1A. Jasmine Hills, Lauren Ulrich and Kenya Thomas could make some noise in Division 3AA. ...

Orange Lutheran is on fire with victories in eight of its past nine games, including a 58-51 triumph over Edison, the top seed in Division 1A, in the Nike Extravaganza on Feb. 4. The Lancers' strong run in the regular season has earned them the No. 1 seed in Division 3A. The Lancers reached the semifinals last season and the finals in 2009. ...

Yorba Linda compiled a record of 20-4 and went undefeated to capture the Empire League championship in its first varsity season. Now the Mustangs have earned the No. 4 seed in the Division 4AA playoffs. That's a very solid start for the young program. ...

A possible darkhorse in Division 4AA is Rosary. The Royals took third place in the Trinity League behind Mater Dei and Orange Lutheran. Rosary coach Rich Yoon always has the Royals ready for the postseason. ...

Saddleback Valley Christian, the two-time defending San Joaquin League champion, is the lone county team in the Division 5A playoffs. The Warriors have two players back from last year's team, which reached the quarterfinals. One of those returners is Ashlie Adams, the San Joaquin League MVP last season and the likely MVP this season. She's averaging 20 points per game. The other returner is point guard Elizabeth Hamada, who has been hampered by injuries this season. The rest of the team is made up of six freshmen and one junior. ...

JSerra might have one of the more deceiving records of any team in the postseason. The Lions went 9-17 and were winless in the Trinity League, but the CIF-SS selection committee didn't hold that against them and made them the No. 3 seed in Division 4A. Because the Lions were an at-large team, they will be on the road in the first round against Banning of Wilmington.