It was just a few short years ago that lacrosse was making waves in the valley and growing as one of the fastest competitive sports in high school. Now these teams have league titles and postseason battles to tend to as the CIF Southern Section released its lacrosse playoff pairings this past Saturday morning.
This season, lacrosse teams showed out, on the boys’ and girls’ fields. Temecula Valley, the Southwestern League boys champion and the Division 3 runner-up last year, received a first-round bye in the Division 2 bracket. The Golden Bears (17-2) will host King (11-7) or Oak Park (9-9) in the second round Friday, May 6. Great Oak (11-4), who is in the same bracket, will be home Wednesday, May 4, to open the playoffs against Edison (9-9), an at-large bid from the Sunset League.
Vista Murrieta (16-4) was the Southwestern League runner-up this season and will open the Division 3 playoffs at home Wednesday, May 4, against Long Beach Poly (6-4). The boys’ team received the No. 1 seed in the Division 3 bracket.
The Murrieta Mesa girls’ team has won back-to-back Southwestern League championships and finished sixth in the final Division 2 coaches rankings. The Lady Rams finished the regular season 17-2 and for the second consecutive year went 10-0 in league. Murrieta Mesa will host JSerra (9-7) in the opening round of the playoffs Thursday, May 5.
Outside of the Southwestern League teams that made the playoffs, Linfield Christian is the only other local team to advance. The Lions were the No. 3 seed out of the Ivy League. Zac Williams, Linfield’s top scorer, was No. 2 in the nation in goals scored this year. Williams scored 102 goals so far and is the leading point scorer in the nation with 152. Williams and the Lions will open up at home against University Wednesday, May 4.
CIF-SS BOYS LACROSSE PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
(Matches at 3:15 p.m. Times and sites subject to change)
Division 1
No local teams
Division 2
First-round match (Wednesday, May 4)
Edison at Great Oak
Second-round match (Friday, May 6)
Oak Park or King at Temecula Valley
Division 3
First-round match (Wednesday, May 4)
Long Beach Poly at Vista Murrieta
University at Linfield Christian
CIF-SS GIRLS LACROSSE PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
(Matches at 3:15 p.m. Times and sites subject to change)
Division 1
No local teams
Division 2
First-round match (Thursday, May 5)
JSerra at Murrieta Mesa
Division 3
First-round match (Thursday, May 5)
Murrieta Valley at El Toro
Northwood at Chaparral
JP Raineri can be reached by email at sports@reedermedia.com.
