The road to a CIF Southern Section championship is never paved with ease, and this past week proved no exception for local high school programs. From thrilling buzzer-beaters to tough defensive battles, teams across the valley left everything on the court and field. Here is a look at how our local squads fared in recent playoff action.
The Rancho Christian boys’ basketball team (22-10) experienced the full spectrum of playoff emotion this week, securing a gritty quarterfinal victory before falling short in the Division 1 semifinals.
In the quarterfinals, the Eagles advanced with a 71-62 victory over Millikan (24-7). Rancho Christian opened the game strong, building an early 10-3 lead, but saw Millikan chip away until the advantage vanished. The Eagles held a slim 32-27 halftime edge, but a difficult third quarter saw them outscored 22-17, sending the game into the final period tied at 49.
That is when Daniel Bol took over. Bol scored eight of his 16 points late in the fourth quarter to seal the win. Jeremiah Profit led the offensive charge with 21 points, while Tony Rutledge added 14 points.
The victory set up a semifinal showdown Friday night at the Val Center against Crean Lutheran (25-7). The Eagles thrilled a packed house in the first half, taking a 34-29 lead into the break. However, the momentum shifted coming out of the locker room. Rancho Christian went cold, surrendering seven straight points to fall behind 36-34. The struggles continued as the Eagles were outscored 38-21 in the second half, ultimately falling 67-55.
Despite the loss, by advancing to the semifinals, Rancho Christian is well-positioned for a spot in the upcoming CIF State tournament once the Southern Section finals conclude.
Murrieta Mesa is heading to the championship game. The Rams (22-10) defeated Warren 63-56 in the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinals Friday night, thanks to a barrage of perimeter shooting and timely defense.
The Rams hit nine 3-pointers on the night, frustrating a Warren team that trailed for most of the contest. Murrieta Mesa appeared to have the game well in hand, holding a 58-45 lead with just 2:30 remaining after Jagger Saul connected on a 3-pointer. However, Warren mounted a furious 11-1 run, cutting the deficit to just three points with 16 seconds left.
Despite the pressure, the Rams held their nerve. Saul sank four consecutive free throws in the final seconds to ice the game. Fabian Ruiz was the catalyst for the Rams, scoring a game-high 20 points, including five 3-pointers. Saul finished with 19 points and seven rebounds.
The victory propels Murrieta Mesa into the Division 3 title game, continuing a stellar postseason run for the program.
The “Cardiac Kids” nickname might be sticking for the Murrieta Valley girls’ basketball team. For the third consecutive game, the Nighthawks (20-11) found themselves in a nail-biter, this time holding off Oxnard 55-52 in the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinals.
It looked like it would be an easy night for Murrieta Valley, who led 51-30 with just over six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Jamie Yabana hit back-to-back 3-pointers to build the 21-point cushion. But Oxnard refused to go quietly, exploding for a 22-2 run that cut the lead to a single point with 10 seconds on the clock.
Valerie Lauritzen, who scored 13 of her 17 points in the first quarter, stepped up when it mattered most. She sank two clutch free throws with 3.9 seconds remaining to push the lead to three. Oxnard’s desperation attempt at the buzzer bounced off the rim, securing the Nighthawks’ spot in the finals.
Murrieta Valley will face St. Margaret’s next week for the Division 3 championship.
In the Open Division playoffs, the Rancho Christian girls’ basketball team ran into a defensive buzzsaw. Facing second-seeded Etiwanda, the Eagles struggled to find their rhythm in an 87-36 loss Saturday night.
Rancho Christian (23-8), entering the game as one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation, was held to just six points in the first half. Etiwanda’s defense was suffocating, forcing turnovers and limiting the Eagles to a single field goal in the first two quarters.
While the offense found some life in the second half, it was not enough to overcome the early deficit. Naomi Kemle and Addison Archer led Rancho Christian with seven points each. Despite the defeat, the Eagles’ season continues as they look to regroup for the CIF State playoffs.
The San Jacinto girls’ soccer team (12-3-6) displayed tremendous fight in their CIF-SS Division 4 quarterfinal match against Patriot, rallying twice to secure a dramatic victory in penalty kicks.
The Tigers fell behind 1-0 in the 15th minute but found the equalizer in the 45th minute when Isabella Murrieta scored on a breakaway. The match remained deadlocked through regulation and overtime, sending the contest to a penalty shootout.
San Jacinto quickly fell into a 3-1 hole in the shootout but refused to fold. Goalkeeper Jazlynn Valdez made crucial stops and scored a penalty kick of her own to help level the score. Finally, Abigail Frazier buried the match-winning kick to give the Tigers a 4-3 shootout victory.
The win advanced San Jacinto to the semifinals, marking their second semifinal appearance in three years. To follow all the action visit www.cifss.org.
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