The first round of the CIF Southern Section playoffs has come and gone for the local high school baseball and softball teams as well as boys’ tennis, boys’ volleyball, girls’ beach volleyball, boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, boys’ golf, plus there is a whole bunch of track field going on out there. There were some great wins this past week, and there were also some tough losses. The postseason is littered with talent, and it only seems fitting that in order to call themselves a CIF champion, it’s win or go home.
This week will be a true testament to seeing through the first-round fog as second round action, as well as quarterfinal matchups will surely take some grit, both physically and mentally, in order to get through them successfully. The following teams are still in the hunt to be the last one standing:
CIF-SS Baseball Playoffs (Games at 3:15 p.m. Times and sites are subject to change.)
A total of 20 area teams qualified for the seven divisional single-elimination tournaments with the championship finals slated for Friday and Saturday, May 19-20, at Blair Field in Long Beach. After the first round of action only eight teams remained. Dates/Divisions/Times at that site are still TBA. All games, apart from championship games, are scheduled to begin at 3:15 p.m. unless otherwise noted. All championship games from Blair Field will be streamed live by The NFHS Network and Bally Sports. Specific date, time and location for each divisional final game will be announced on May 17.
Division 1
No local teams
Division 2
Second round, Tuesday, May 9
Calabasas – 8, Vista Murrieta – 3
Division 3
Second round – Tuesday, May 9
San Marcos – 5, Tahquitz – 2
Division 4
Second round – Tuesday, May 9
Chaparral – 8, La Habra – 7
Linfield Christian – 9, Don Lugo – 4
Friday, May 12: Quarterfinals
Sultana – 17, Chaparral – 6
Linfield Christian – 6, Brea Olinda – 3
Tuesday, May 16: Semifinals
Linfield vs. Canyon
Division 5
Second round – Tuesday, May 9
Liberty – 2, Estancia – 0
Friday, May 12: Quarterfinals
Peninsula – 3, Liberty – 1
Division 6
Second round – Tuesday, May 9
Hesperia Christian – 6, Lakeside – 5
Division 7
Second round – Tuesday, May 9
Cornerstone Christian – 2, Thacher – 1
Nuview Bridge at Brentwood (Nuview removed from postseason by CIF-SS, details here)
Friday, May 12: Quarterfinals
Brentwood – 3, Cornerstone Christian – 2
CIF-SS Softball Playoffs (Games at 3:15 p.m. Times and sites are subject to change.)
In total, 16 area teams qualified for the CIF-SS Ford Softball Championships. After the first round of action, only six local teams remained. That is quite the wipe-out factor for the postseason. Second round games are on Tuesday, May 9, with the quarterfinals on Thursday, May 11 (Division 1 does not have a second round; QFs start Tuesday, May 9), and semifinals on Saturday, May 13. Championship games are set for Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20, at Irvine’s Deanna Manning Stadium.
Division 1
Tuesday, May 9: Quarterfinals
Murrieta Mesa – 12, Huntington Beach – 11
Thursday, May 11: Semifinals
Norco – 8, Murrieta Mesa – 1
Division 2
Tuesday, May 9: Round Two
Vista Murrieta – 7, North Torrance – 6
Great Oak – 2, Ayala – 1
Thursday, May 11: Quarterfinals
Great Oak – 3, California High School – 0
Tesoro – 2, Vista Murrieta – 1
Saturday, May 13: Semifinals
Great Oak vs Moorpark
Division 3
No remaining teams
Division 4
No remaining teams
Division 5
Tuesday, May 9: Round Two
Liberty 10, Viewpoint – 0
Covina – 11, Linfield Christian – 1
Thursday, May 11: Quarterfinals
Liberty – 12, Paraclete – 6
Saturday, May 13: Semifinals
Liberty at Northwood
Division 6
No remaining teams
Division 7
Tuesday, May 9: Round Two
Tahquitz – 11, Hesperia Christian – 2
Thursday, May 11: Quarterfinals
Crean Lutheran – 8, Tahquitz – 3
*Crean Lutheran removed from playoffs for batting practice violation.
Saturday, May 13: Semifinals
Tahquitz at Ganesha
Other Playoff notes include:
Boys Lacrosse Playoffs(Matches scheduled for 3:15 p.m. Dates, sites, and times subject to change.)
Division 2
Second round
Temecula Valley – 11, Harvard-Westlake – 10
Quarterfinals Tuesday, May 9
Santiago – 11, Temecula Valley – 7
Division 3
No remaining teams
Girls Lacrosse Playoffs (Matches scheduled for 3:15 p.m. Dates, sites, and times subject to change.)
Division 2
Second round
Murrieta Mesa – 13, Yorba Linda – 6
Palos Verdes – 14, Vista Murrieta – 4
Quarterfinals – Monday, May 8
Murrieta Mesa – 13, Santiago – 7
Wednesday, May 10: Semifinals
Crescenta Valley – 13, Murrieta Mesa – 11
Division 3
Quarterfinals
Portolo – 17, Heritage – 4
Chaparral – 15, Orange Lutheran – 5
Semifinals – Monday, May 8
Huntington Beach – 9, Chaparral – 8
Boys Tennis Playoffs
Division 2
Round One
Great Oak – 11, Alta Loma – 7
Redlands – 14, Temecula Valley – 4
Round Two
Sage Hill – 15, Great Oak – 3
Division 3
Round Two
Geffen Academy – 13, Murrieta Valley – 5
Division 5
Round Two
Hemet – 10, Garden Grove – 8
Arroyo – 10, Paloma Valley – 8
Quarterfinals – Monday, May 8
Whittier – 15, Hemet – 3
Swimming and Diving
The CIF Southern Section’s swimming and diving championships returned to Riverside this season and were held last Friday, May 5, at Riverside City College.
Division 1
No local competitors
Division 2
Boys
200m medley relay: 18. Kaleb Richmond (Murrieta Valley) 1:46.22.
Girls
Team scores: 1. Esperanza 201, 2. Flintridge Prep 195, 3. Riverside Poly 182. Other top Inland teams: 14. Vista Murrieta 71, 21. Murrieta Mesa 56.5.
200m medley relay: 13. Vista Murrieta (Steffens, Alvarez, Abalos, Martin) 1:51.37; 17.
200m freestyle: 3. Sonja Aarsvold (Murrieta Mesa) 1:50.79; 14. Isabella Alvarez (Vista Murrieta) 1:57.45.
200m individual medley: 10. Leilani Abalos (Vista Murrieta) 2:06.32.
100m butterfly: T6. Emilee Elizondo (Murrieta Mesa) 57.28; 8.
100m freestyle: 2. Sonja Aarsvold (Murrieta Mesa) 50.85; 13. Isabella Alvarez (Vista Murrieta) 54.04.
100m backstroke: 13. Leilani Abalos (Vista Murrieta) 58.75; 14. Emilee Elizondo (Murrieta Mesa) 59.36.
100m breaststroke: 12. Amanda Cotton (Great Oak) 1:07.25.
400m freestyle relay: 5. Vista Murrieta (Alvarez, Steffens, Martin, Abalos) 3:41.53; 18. Great Oak (Guevara, Morgan, Sinclair, Lindemann) 3:52.39.
Track and Field
The CIF Southern Section held track and field divisional preliminaries at four different sites Saturday, May 6. The all-divisions CIF Southern Section track and field championship meet will be held Saturday, May 13, at Moorpark High School.
Here are the Inland boys athletes who advanced, either by winning a heat or placing among the top nine in each event.
Division 1
100m: Area qualifier: Jason Deal (Paloma Valley) 10.58.
200m: Area qualifier: Jason Deal (Paloma Valley) 21.26.
400m: Area qualifier: Elijah LaMothe (Heritage) 49.71.
800m: Area qualifiers: Tarron Johnson (Vista Murrieta) 1:53.98; Gabriel Rodriguez (Great Oak) 1:54.48.
1600m: Area qualifiers: Gabriel Rodriguez (Great Oak) 4:15.72; Westin Brown (Great Oak) 4:16.51.
3200m: Area qualifier: Westin Brown (Great Oak) 9:14.92.
110m hurdles: Area qualifiers: Elijah Green (Murrieta Mesa) 14.58; Joab Vela (Vista Murrieta) 14.63; Aaron Young (Paloma Valley) 14.96.
300m hurdles: Area qualifier: Arthur Celestine (Vista Murrieta) 39.23.
400m relay: Area qualifiers: Vista Murrieta 42.34; Murrieta Mesa 42.40.
1600m relay: Area qualifier: Heritage 3:24.92; Great Oak 3:25.19.
Pole vault: T1. Austin Pepito (Great Oak) 14-0; No other area qualifiers
Shot put: Area qualifiers: Leland Godfrey (Chaparral) 55-8.5; Andrew Navarro (Great Oak) 51-11.
Long jump: 1. Obi Nwafor (Vista Murrieta) 22-7.75; No other area qualifiers
Triple jump: 1. Obi Nwafor (Vista Murrieta) 46-4.75; Other area qualifiers: Andrew Robinson (Great Oak) 45-1; Joseph Saenz (Murrieta Valley) 44-8.25.
Division 2
No area qualifiers
Division 3
100: Area qualifier: Troy Thompson (Liberty) 10.97.
800m: Area qualifier: Juan Juarez (Liberty) 1:57.58.
110 hurdles: Area qualifier: Paul Ortega (Liberty) 15.77.
1600m relay: Area qualifier: Liberty 3:28.75.
Division 4
110 hurdles: Area qualifier: Drew Taylor (Linfield Christian) 16.59.
300m hurdles: Area qualifier: Drew Taylor (Linfield Christian) 42.99.
Here are the Inland girls athletes who advanced, either by winning a heat or placing among the top nine in each event.
Division 1
100m: Area qualifiers: Taylor Anyansi (Murrieta Valley) 11.91.
400m: 1. Mercy Ehiemere (Orange Vista) 55.08. No other area qualifiers
800m: Area qualifier: Fiona Holloway (Vista Murrieta) 2:15.64.
1600m: Area qualifiers: Sofia Lieberman (Murrieta Valley) 4:55,57; Kelli Gaffney (Great Oak) 5:03.69.
3200m: Area qualifier: Arielle Avina (Murrieta Valley) 10:43.67; Erika Kirk (Vista Murrieta) 11:01.70.
100m hurdles: Area qualifier: Kailah McKenzie (Orange Vista) 14.30; Sarah Ajayi (King) 14.55.
300m hurdles: Area qualifier: Vanessa Chavira (Orange Vista) 44.63.
400m relay: Area qualifier: Vista Murrieta 48.15.
1600m relay: Area qualifiers: Orange Vista 3:55.04; Vista Murrieta 3:56.62.
High jump: Area qualifiers: Kailah McKenzie (Orange Vista) 5-4; Emoree Smith (Vista Murrieta) 5-4; Allie Goetz (Murrieta Valley) 5-4.
Pole vault: T1: Five athletes tied at 11-6, including Michael Cortes (Great Oak), Shayna Hinds (Great Oak) 11-6 and Katie Rodriguez (Vista Murrieta) 11-6. Area qualifiers: Aspen Fears (Vista Murrieta) 11-6; Madisyn Negro (Murrieta Valley) 11-6.
Discus: 1. Area qualifier: Andreese Ortiz (Heritage) 123.2.75.
Long jump: Area qualifiers: Kailah McKenzie (Orange Vista) 19-0.5; Alyssa Alumbres (Vista Murrieta) 17-11.
Triple jump: 1. Daj’Eauna Williams (Elsinore) 38-11.5. Area qualifier: Alyssa Alumbres (Vista Murrieta) 37-5.
Division 2
1600m: Area qualifier: Megan Crum (Temescal Canyon) 5:02.59.
3200m: Area qualifier: Megan Crum (Temescal Canyon) 11:03.62.
Triple jump: Area qualifier: Kolena Apana (Temescal Canyon) 35-3.5.
Division 3
400m relay: Area qualifier: Liberty 49.72.
Division 4
High jump: Area qualifier: Mariah Hughes (Rancho Christian) 4-11.
Shot put: Area qualifiers: Mariah Hughes (Rancho Christian) 32-2; Charli Calas (Linfield Christian) 31-3.25.
Discus: Area qualifier: Jordan-Capri Dailey (Linfield Christian) 96-8.
Triple jump: Area qualifier: Chelsea Prillerman (Linfield Christian) 35.6.5.
Boys Golf
Central individual regionals at Bear Creek Golf Course begin Monday, May 8.
Girls Beach Volleyball Playoffs
The girls beach volleyball playoffs, in its inaugural championship season, began the playoffs last week and while the sport is just gaining momentum in the area, there was no immediate local representation in the tournament, which concluded Saturday, May 6 at Long Beach City College.
Boys Volleyball Playoffs
After taking down Elsinore in the first round of the Division 3 playoffs, Vista Murrieta defeated Oak Park, 3-1 (25-13, 25-20, ,23-25, 25-20) in round two, but fell to El Segundo, on the road Wednesday, May 3. With their 3-2 loss, they were the last remaining local team in the postseason.
If there are any changes in times, dates, or sites please email either Derryl at socaltrekkie@gmail.com or JP at sports@reedermedia.com with corrected information. Track and Field contributions made by Action Captures Media Group.
