With the high school winter sports season being one of the shorter seasons of the school year, for the most part due to the holiday break, the overall goal is still the same when it comes to winning. With the end of the regular season in the rearview mirror, this week marks the start of the postseason for boys’ and girls’ basketball, wrestling and soccer, as well as girl’s water polo.
This past weekend, the CIF-Southern Section announced the playoff division pairings for the 2022-2023 winter prep sports programs moving on, and there are plenty of teams to cheer for from inside the Valley News sports coverage area.
Starting on the soccer fields, the Hemet girls’ soccer team was the only area team to receive a top seed in their respective division. The Bulldogs, who were the Ivy League runner-up and CIF-SS Division 5 runner-up last season, will open the Division 5 playoffs at home in the first round against Miller.
Temecula Valley, who has now won six straight Southwestern League titles, going undefeated in league play again this year, are also the defending champion in Division 1. The Golden Bears earned the No. 4 seed for this year’s playoffs and will be home this week to face Mira Costa in their first-round matchup.
Another top team from the area was Elsinore, who claimed the Inland Valley League crown with a 1-0 victory in their final game of the season over Moreno Valley. It’s the first league title under first-year coach Amanda Acosta for Elsinore (9-8-3 overall, 6-0-2 in league).
Other area teams include the following:
CIF-SS GIRLS SOCCER PLAYOFFS
(Matches at 3 p.m. or 5 p.m. Dates, sites and time subject to change.)
- DIVISION 1
First-round
Mira Costa at Temecula Valley
- DIVISION 2
First-round
Vista Murrieta at Citrus Valley
- DIVISION 3
First-round
St. Margaret’s at Murrieta Valley
- DIVISION 4
Wild-card matches
Linfield Christian at Bloomington (Monday)
Paloma Valley at Yucaipa (Monday)
El Rancho at Tahquitz (Wednesday)
Santa Clara at Temescal Canyon (Wednesday)
- DIVISION 5
First-round
Miller at Hemet
Rancho Verde at Monrovia
Crean Lutheran or New Roads at Nuview Bridge
- DIVISION 6
Wild-card matches
Temecula Prep at Chino (Monday)
First-round
Santa Rosa Academy at Xavier Prep
Citrus Hill at Elsinore
Garden Grove Santiago at San Jacinto
- DIVISION 7
Wild-card matches
San Jacinto Valley Academy at Silver Valley
For boys’ soccer, Mountain Pass League champion Citrus Hill was the only semi-area team that made the cut for the Division 1 playoffs this season and will travel to Cathedral for their first-round match. Temescal Canyon was the Sunbelt League champion and will be the No. 2 seed when they host Arcadia in their first-round match this week. South Valley League champion California Military Institute received the No.1 seed in the Division 7 bracket and will take on Tahquitz, Silver Valley or Gorman Charter once the wild-card rounds finalize. The Division 7 bracket had an abundance of automatic qualifiers, so Silver Valley will have had to play Gorman Charter with the winner playing another wild-card match at Tahquitz early in the week.
CIF-SS BOYS SOCCER PLAYOFFS
(Matches at 3 p.m. or 5 p.m. Dates, sites and times subject to change.)
- DIVISION 1
First-round
– Citrus Hill at Cathedral
- DIVISION 2
No local teams
- DIVISION 3
No local teams
- DIVISION 4
First-round
– Chaparral at El Toro
– Great Oak at Nuview Bridge
- DIVISION 5
Wild-card matches
– Schurr at Elsinore
First-round
– Patriot or Jurupa Valley at Orange Vista
– Segerstrom or Norco at Vista Murrieta
– Rubidoux or Hemet at Linfield Christian
- DIVISION 6
First-round
– Indio at San Jacinto
– Arcadia at Temescal Canyon
- DIVISION 7
Wild-card matches
– Silver Valley or Gorman Charter at Tahquitz
– Hamilton at Environmental Charter
– Yeshiva at Rancho Verde
– Cantwell-Sacred Heart at Temecula Prep
– Heritage at Don Bosco Tech
– San Jacinto Valley Academy at Gladstone
First-round
– Tahquitz, Silver Valley or Gorman Charter at California Military Institute
Girls’ Water Polo Playoffs
Murrieta Valley had the only girls water polo team that received a seed for their respective divisions as the CIF Southern Section released its playoff pairings last Saturday morning. The Southwestern League champion Nighthawks received the No. 3 seed in the Division 2 bracket and will open the postseason this week at home against Centennial, which won the Division 5 section championship last season. Here is a complete list of the first and second round matchups. Matches are scheduled for 5 p.m. (Dates, times and sites are subject to change.)
- DIVISION 1
No local teams
- DIVISION 2
First-round
– Vista Murrieta at Dana Hills
– Centennial at Murrieta Valley
- DIVISION 3
Second-round
– Claremont or La Serna at Elsinore (bye in first round)
- DIVISION 4
First-round
– Temescal Canyon at Great Oak
- DIVISION 5
Quarterfinal round
– Muir or Rowland at Hemet (bye in first round, no second round)
- DIVISION 6
Wild-card matches
– Long Beach Cabrillo at Paloma Valley
First-round
– Cabrillo or Paloma Valley at Tahquitz
– Montclair at Lakeside
– Indio at West Valley
Boys’ and Girls’ Wrestling Playoffs
BOYS’ DUAL MEET WRESTLING
- DIVISION 1
Temecula Valley defeated Paloma Valley 48-30 in Round One, fell to St. John Bosco 59-12 in the semifinals Saturday, Jan. 28.
- DIVISION 2
Chaparral are CIF Southern Section champions after defeating Covina 81-0, Villa Park 57-18, Camarillo 36-33 and Servite 50-21.
Great Oak fell to Servite 50-33.
- DIVISION 3
No local teams
- DIVISION 4
Lakeside are CIF Southern Section champions after defeating Barstow 60-24, La Canada 69-11, South Torrance 57-24 and Victor Valley 40-31.
- DIVISION 5
Liberty (Winchester) fell to La Habra 49-30.
- DIVISION 6
Santa Rosa Academy fell to Schurr 51-24.
Orange Vista fell to Glenn 74-6.
GIRLS’ DUAL MEET WRESTLING
- DIVISION 1
Orange Vista fell to Northview 55-12.
- DIVISION 2
Murrieta Valley fell to Ventura 63-16.
Chaparral tied Valencia 42-42, but did not advance.
Please email sports@reedermedia.com if there are any changes in times, dates and/or sites.
