P2P Boys Basketball
Playoff Brackets

The California Interscholastic Federation released its state tournament playoff seedings Sunday night, but not without its fair share of controversy. We will save the debate over the Open Division for another time, but for now, we will focus on all the Central Coast Section teams that have earned the right to compete in the NorCal playoffs. First, a quick recap of the CCS title games and then we get into capsules on the CCS teams that are still playing this week.

Seating was at a premium at Saturday night's Central Coast Section Open Division championship game between Archbishop Mitty and Serra, leading one to believe that at least from a business standpoint, the new Open Division playoff format was a big hit. In fact, the request by the public address announcer to keep one section open for the Serra cheering section was met with more than just a few groans - and not just from Mitty fans who weren't in the mood for yet another rendition of the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army".

In the end, Mitty proved to be just a few points better than Serra thanks in large part to Aaron Gordon, who once again showed why he is one of the top recruits in the nation with a 24-point, 23-rebound, eight-assist, four-block masterpiece. It would be quibbling to point out that Gordon left a few points on the board by missing a few free throws and open jumpers, as his presence in the paint was a security blanket for a Mitty team that struggled to get into a rhythm all night.

If one of the goals of the Open Division was to spread the love with regard to CCS titles, well, not every WCAL team went on to win a title. Still, the fifth- and seventh-place finishers in the WCAL - Bellarmine and St. Francis - captured titles in Division I and II, respectively, and without too much difficulty. Yet another WCAL team, St. Ignatius, lost by one point in the Division III semifinals, partially opening the door for Burlingame to grab its first-ever section title.

We will update this page with a look at the NorCal pairings, but for now, here are the final results in all six CCS playoff divisions.

OPEN DIVISION:

ARCHBISHOP MITTY (25-4) : The phrase "man among boys" is often overused in sports, but there's really no other way to describe Gordon's impact on the Mitty program, especially during the run to the 2013 CCS Open Division title. Coach Tim Kennedy certainly recognizes what Gordon has meant to the team.

"For Aaron Gordon, what can you say? He misses shots and then he finds a way to go get it where nobody else is able to get it. It makes my life easier, like I know what I’m doing, saying ‘Hey, just throw it up there and go get it,'" Kennedy said. "He’s so coachable because he wants to learn and be the best. Ever since he stepped foot on campus, he’s always taking criticism, he’s taking coaching. He’s not about himself, even though he has all the accolades in the world, he just wants to win."

For his part, Gordon, who is expected to add quite a few laurels to his basketball career in the coming years, was able to appreciate the accomplishment of winning a CCS title in all four of his years at Mitty.

“People have been expecting us to win, because we were so successful the previous years,” said Gordon. “It’s just good to get a fourth one.”

This year's title run was a much rockier road, which may be an indication that it is going to be difficult for Mitty to repeat as state champions, but as long as #32 is roaming the court in the black and gold, anything appears possible. First up is a Saturday night home date with Newark Memorial (23-7), a team Mitty defeated in the NorCal championship game, 63-58, last year.

SERRA (25-5) : Despite the loss to Archbishop Mitty in the CCS Open Division championship, the Padres earned a trip to the CIF Open Division playoffs as the No. 5 seed and will pay a visit to Sheldon-Sacramento (25-5) in the first round. The Huskies are coming off a season in which they reached the Division I state finals, losing to Mater Dei-Santa Ana in the championship game. Sheldon, ranked fourth in the state by MaxPreps, features a balanced attack led by juniors Derryl Williams and Dakarai Allen, who average 14 points and seven rebounds per game, along with senior Kyi Thomas (10.0 ppg) and Armani Hampton (9.6 ppg)

1 ARCHBISHOP MITTY (24-4)	1 ARCHBISHOP MITTY 59-57	1 ARCHBISHOP MITTY 59-51	1 ARCHBISHOP MITTY 55-46
8 Soquel (19-7)
4 ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN (18-10)	4 ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN 58-47
5 Palo Alto (22-3)
3 SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL (17-11)	3 SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL 51-37	2 SERRA 54-49
6 Piedmont Hills (23-6)
2 SERRA (25-4)	2 SERRA 74-66
7 El Camino (22-6)

DIVISION I:

Grant Vermeer led Bellarmine to the Division I title. (Austin Yu/Prep2Prep)

BELLARMINE COLLEGE PREP (19-9) : Bellarmine didn't play its best game in the CCS Division I final, but it was enough to hold off a determined Santa Teresa squad. The Saints went on a 10-0 run to cut the lead to one with about five minutes to play before Danny Schatzman hit a bit 3-pointer to answer the run as the Bells were able to hold on. Grant Vermeer led the balanced attack with 12 points, with Blair Mendy chipping in with nine. Next up for the Bells is a home game against Lincoln-San Francisco (17-13), a team that lost to St. Ignatius, 69-61, in December.

PIEDMONT HILLS (23-7) : As a participant in the CCS Open Division, Piedmont Hills was guaranteed a trip to NorCals despite dropping games to Sacred Heart Cathedral and Soquel in the CCS playoffs. The 10th-seeded Pirates drew a first-round visit to Oakland (18-11), where they will face a Wildcat squad that has taken on two CCS teams this season, narrowly defeating Santa Cruz (60-58) and Leigh (62-57) in December. Oakland features three players who averaged in double figures: senior Meshawn Beard (12.2 ppg), junior Jamaliah Brown (10.7) and senior Elijah Green (10.3).

PALO ALTO (22-3) : The Vikings suffered two of their three defeats on the season in the CCS Open Division playoffs, losing to Archbishop Riordan in the first round and then dropping a 47-46 contest to Soquel in the consolation round. Paly, which is led by senior guard Aubrey Hawkins (19.0 ppg, 7.1 rpg), visits De La Salle (24-4) in a NorCal opening round matchup.

SANTA TERESA (17-11) : The Saints came up just a bit short against Bellarmine in the CCS Division I title game, but figure to be a tough out in the NorCal tournament despite their No. 12 seed. Santa Teresa features a balanced offense that has five players - all seniors - averaging between 7-10 points on the season: forward Christian Paolinetti (9.5), center Braydon Whitmarsh (8.8), guard Tajai McGehee (7.9), forward Jason Garabetian (7.8) and guard Aaron Gallagher (7.6). The Saints open with a trip to Oakland to take on McClymonds (21-7), which lost to Bellarmine and Sacred Heart Cathedral in the preseason. The Warriors are led by senior Tahjee Williams (18.8 ppg, 9.8 rpg).

FIRST ROUND:
16 Wilcox 61, 9 Menlo-Atherton 54
12 Alvarez 59, 13 Alisal 41
14 Sequoia 57, 11 Independence 53
15 Carlmont 51, 10 Santa Clara 44

SECOND ROUND:
16 Wilcox 50, 9 Salinas 49
5 Oak Grove 54, 12 Alvarez 52 (2 OT)
14 Sequoia 38, 6 Fremont 36
15 Carlmont 54, 7 Milpitas 52

QUARTERFINALS:
1 Bellarmine College Prep 61, 16 Wilcox 31
4 Evergreen Valley 56, 5 Oak Grove 46
3 Santa Teresa 56, 14 Sequoia 50
15 Carlmont 42, 2 San Benito 31

SEMIFINALS:
1 Bellarmine College Prep 60, 4 Evergreen Valley 46
3 Santa Teresa 54 15 Carlmont 46

FINAL (at Santa Clara High, Saturday 3/2, 3:00 PM):
1 Bellarmine College Prep (19-9) 47, 3 Santa Teresa (17-11) 42

DIVISION II:

St. Francis took the CCS Division II title. (Raegan Leong/Prep2Prep)

ST. FRANCIS (13-16) : Guard Khalid Johnson scored 15 points as St. Francis, which struggled at times in the regular season, captured the Division II championship.

"We went 5-5 in pre-league and 4-10 in the WCAL and lost in the first round (of the league playoffs)," said Johnson. "We had our ups and downs, but this meant a lot right here. It's an amazing feeling. I can't even explain it in words right now."

The 10th-seeded Lancers open NorCals with a home game against No. 7 Montgomery-Santa Rosa (23-8) Wednesday night.

EL CAMINO (22-6) : Despite the continued excellence of Michael Smith, the Colts were bounced out of the CCS Open Division playoffs with losses to Serra and Piedmont Hills. Smith, who averages 23.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, forms a nice inside-outside tandem with guard Elijah White (19.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg). El Camino hosts No. 9 Rocklin (20-10) in the NorCal first round. The Thunder own a 73-68 win over Mills, a team that El Camino defeated, 76-50, in December.

FIRST ROUND:
9 Lincoln 51, 16 Yerba Buena 48
12 Woodside 66, 13 Overfelt 59
11 Pioneer 37, 14 Mt. Pleasant 35
10 Los Gatos 61, 15 Pajaro Valley 35

SECOND ROUND:
8 Los Altos 74, 9 Lincoln 47
5 Leland 72, 12 Woodside 38
6 Aragon 68, 11 Pioneer 57
7 Mountain View 59, 7 Los Gatos 45

QUARTERFINALS:
8 Los Altos 75, 1 Westmoor 66
4 Willow Glen 42, 5 Leland 40
3 St. Francis 65, 6 Aragon 54
2 Leigh 41, 7 Mountain View 39

SEMIFINALS:
4 Willow Glen 59, 8 Los Altos 57
3 St. Francis 69, 2 Leigh 55

FINAL (at Santa Clara High, Friday 3/1, 8:00 PM):
3 St. Francis (12-16) 56, 4 Willow Glen (22-6) 46

DIVISION III:

Burlingame won its first-ever CCS title in Division III. (Eddie Garcia/Prep2Prep)

BURLINGAME (20-7) : Guard Connor Haupt continued his torrid late-season run with 20 points as Burlingame edged Santa Cruz as Burlingame hoisted a CCS championship trophy for the first time ever.

"We knew they were going to make a run -- they're a good team," Haupt said. "But we stayed calm and were able to seal the win. This is the happiest feeling I've ever had in my life."

Six-foot-7 center Nick Loew continued his excellent season with 17 points and 16 rebounds.

By virtue of their CCS Division III championship, the Panthers have earned the right to host Campolindo (19-8) as part of a NorCal first-round doubleheader with the girls team on Wednesday. The Cougars have not faced a CCS team this season.

SANTA CRUZ (18-10) : The Cardinals qualified for NorCals by finishing second in the CCS Division III tournament, losing a close one to Burlingame in the final. Santa Cruz is led by senior Thatcher Sammet (13.2 ppg, 8.7 rpg) and freshman Kaijae Yee-Stephens (10.4 ppg, 48 3-pointers). Santa Cruz travels to Sir Francis Drake-San Anselmo (24-6) to take on the Cougars, who finished undefeated in the Marin County League. Drake features three players who averaged in double figures in scoring: senior Liam Hunt (12.1), senior Lucas Chavez (11.5) and senior Brandon Kenilvort (10.7).

SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL (18-11) : The top-seeded Fightin' Irish received a first-round bye and will face the winner of the matchup between San Marin and Casa Roble. SHC, which finished third in the WCAL during the regular season, reached the semifinals of the CCS Open Division playoffs, losing to Serra, 54-49.

FIRST ROUND:
9 Prospect 60, 16 North Monterey County 33
13 Del Mar 61, 12 Valley Christian 45
11 Terra Nova 66, 14 Sobrato 62
10 Christopher 85, 15 Gilroy 63

SECOND ROUND:
8 Hillsdale 51, 9 Prospect 40
5 Santa Cruz 59, 13 Del Mar 39
6 Aptos 63, 11 Terra Nova 41
7 Monterey 54, 10 Christopher 53

QUARTERFINALS:
1 St. Ignatius 62, 8 Hillsdale 41
5 Santa Cruz 62, 4 Saratoga 52
3 Mills 70, 6 Aptos 49
2 Burlingame 64, 7 Monterey 59

SEMIFINALS:
5 Santa Cruz 49, 1 St. Ignatius 48
2 Burlingame 53, 3 Mills 32

FINAL (at Foothill College, Saturday 3/2, 3:00 PM):
2 Burlingame (20-7) 54, 5 Santa Cruz (18-10) 51

DIVISION IV:

MENLO SCHOOL (19-4) : Charlie Roth scored 13 points and Liam Dunn added 11 as the Knights prevailed in a tightly contested matchup with Half Moon Bay. Menlo hosts St. Mary's-Albany (19-12) as part of a doubleheader with the girls team Wednesday night. This is a rematch from a non-league game contested on December 11 in Menlo, with the visiting Panthers defeating the Knights, 54-43. For good measure, St. Mary's, which is led by senior Jeremy Dennis (16.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg), also defeated Menlo's main rival, Sacred Heart Prep, 60-50.

SOQUEL (20-7) : The Knights appear to be peaking in the postseason. After defeating Santa Cruz to win the Santa Cruz County Athletic League postseason tournament, Soquel put a major scare into No. 1 Archbishop Mitty in the first round of the Open Division playoffs. The Knights had a good look at a 3-pointer that would have won the game. Dropped into the consolation bracket, Soquel prepared for NorCals with impressive wins over Palo Alto (47-46) and Piedmont Hills (72-61). The Knights, who are led by senior Cody Valcarcel (12.2 ppg), senior Tucker Wiget (11.3) and junior Sam Walters (10.9), open NorCals with a home game against Colfax (24-6). The teams share one common opponent - Palma defeated both teams a week apart in December; however the win over Soquel came by four points and the victory over Colfax by 47.

HALF MOON BAY (22-7) : The Cougars qualified for NorCals by virtue of reaching the finals of the CCS Division III playoffs, posting wins over Sacred Heart Prep and Seaside before losing to Menlo in the championship game. Half Moon Bay, which is led by junior Corey Cilia (13.4 ppg), travels to Galt to take on Liberty Ranch (22-9) and senior guard Michael Meserole (25.4 ppg, 59 3-pointers).

ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN (18-11) : The Crusaders have to be considered one of the favorites to win the Division IV title. After finishing fourth in the monster West Catholic Athletic League, Riordan went on to defeat Palo Alto in the first round of the CCS Open Division playoffs before losing narrowly to Mitty, 72-69, in the semifinals. Riordan, which received a first-round bye and meets the winner of the Liberty Ranch-Half Moon Bay contest, is a balanced team led by transfer Frankie Ferrari, senior point guard Geru Mabrey and juniors Bobby Arenas and Chiefy Ugbaja.

FIRST ROUND:
12 Greenfield 59, 13 King City 43
11 Pacific Grove 58, 14 Stevenson 56

SECOND ROUND:
9 The King's Academy 59, 8 Monte Vista Christian 56
5 Sacred Heart Prep 67, 12 Greenfield 39
6 Harker School 64, 11 Pacific Grove 56
10 Gunderson 56, 7 Carmel 51

QUARTERFINALS:
1 Seaside 70, 9 The King's Academy 38
4 Half Moon Bay 54, 5 Sacred Heart Prep 50
3 Menlo School 53, 6 Harker School 46
2 Palma 64, 7 Gunderson 43

SEMIFINALS:
4 Half Moon Bay 46, 1 Seaside 39
3 Menlo School 64 2 Palma 53

FINAL (at Foothill College, Friday 3/1, 8:00 PM):
3 Menlo School (18-4) 46, 4 Half Moon Bay (22-6) 41

DIVISION V:

PINEWOOD (12-12) : Pinewood rolled through the Division V playoffs, winning all three of its games by 20+ points, including the surprisingly easy win in the final against top-seeded Alma Heights Christian. The Panthers host Oakland's Head-Royce (24-5), which defeated Pinewood league mate Woodside Priory back in December.

ALMA HEIGHTS CHRISTIAN (22-4) : The Eagles suffered a stunning 34-point loss in the CCS Division V championship to Pinewood, a team they had beaten earlier in the season. Alma Heights, which travels to Modesto to take on Central Catholic (25-4) is led by junior guard James Boyd (16.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.7 apg).

FIRST ROUND:
8 Trinity Christian 62, 9 North Valley Baptist 37
5 East Palo Alto 77, 12 Downtown College Prep 70
6 Thomas More 49, 11 Oakwood 22
7 Crystal Springs 59, 10 Jewish Community 44

QUARTERFINALS:
1 Alma Heights Christian 91, 8 Trinity Christian 66
4 Eastside College Prep 49, 5 East Palo Alto 38
3 St. Francis CCC 52, 6 Thomas More 36
2 Pinewood 58, 7 Crystal Springs 32

SEMIFINALS:
1 Alma Heights Christian 32 4 Eastside College Prep 38
2 Pinewood 62, 3 St. Francis CCC 42

FINAL (at Notre Dame de Namur, Friday 3/1, 8:00 PM):
2 Pinewood (12-12) 57, 1 Alma Heights Christian (22-4) 23