UPDATE: There were a few developments on and off the field that have affected point totals and division placement of several teams. First off, on the field, Mountain View
scored two goals in the final 15 minutes to edge Homestead 3-2. Meanwhile, Santa Clara was held to a 0-0 tie against Palo Alto, leaving the two teams tied for first in the
SCVAL-De Anza. Mountain View wins the head-to-head tiebreaker and therefore will represent the league in the Open Division. The teams will be declared co-champs based on
an interpretation of the SCVAL bylaws.
In contrast, we have had to adjust the championship status in the WCAL, where Sacred Heart Cathedral is declared the sole league champ across the board despite finishing in a
tie for first with Bellarmine, according to WCAL bylaws. This not only impacts the point totals of SHC and Bellarmine, but also any team that played those two teams during the
regular season.
Also, we could not confirm Lee-San Antonio as a league champ because we learned the Texas league season continues into March. This reduces Bellarmine's point total to 54. We are
still trying to confirm the point total for Saint Ignatius, which played four Florida teams in the preseason, three of which we currently have rated as "A" league champs.
In other games with playoff implications, Pajaro Valley hammered Ceiba Prep, 9-0, to earn the final automatic bid from the PCAL. Milpitas stunned Wilcox, 4-0, which prevented
the Chargers from improving their seeding. Harker and Menlo both won to add to their CCS point totals. Menlo also benefits from the SHC league championship determination.
We present the latest of our Central Coast Section Boys Soccer Playoff Projections based on the latest information available to Prep2Prep through the matches
of February 19. We have done our best to accurately portray the schedules and results of the 100+ teams that compete in the Central Coast Section.
These projections are based on our best available information; if you would like to correct a team's result, please do so directly on that team's Prep2Prep page,
contact Prep2Prep via
our Contact Us page or tweet us
@Prep2PrepSports.
You can also leave comments on our
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CCS has not made any changes to the teams that make up Open Division for boys soccer. The 5 "A" league champions plus the next three highest point-total
getters will comprise an eight-team elite playoff field. The only "B" teams eligible are those in stand-alone leagues, but they are required to opt up prior to the seeding
meeting. The other 32 teams in the playoff field will be split according to their CCS point total, with the top 8 in Division 1, the next 8 in Division 2, the next 8 in Division 3
and the final 8 in Division 4.
For the formula used to calculate CCS points, please click
here. Keep in mind that only a team's final 18 games count
toward CCS point-total calculations. Also, a team must have at least a .500 record in league or overall to be considered. Higher-seeded teams host
in the first round.
In the first round, teams from the same league cannot face each other, so seedings are adjusted to
avoid such matchups.
As we approach the final full week of the regular season, we will focus on which teams have clinched a CCS berth, which teams are closing in and which teams are on the bubble and still
have some work to do. The best way to do so is to go through league by league.
BVAL-MOUNT HAMILTON
CLINCHED (4): Leland, Lincoln, Branham, Leigh
CLOSING IN (0): none
BUBBLE (0): none
LONGSHOT (0): none
OUT (4): Overfelt, Prospect, Pioneer, Santa Teresa
NOTE: Leland defeated Lincoln in penalty kicks to win the league title and automatic trip to the Open Division playoffs. Branham edged Overfelt 2-1 to earn the third automatic bid
to CCS. Leigh is a lock as an at-large team primarily because two teams the Longhorns beat in the preseason - Evergreen Valley and Del Mar - also won their league championships.
BVAL-SANTA TERESA
CLINCHED (3): Evergreen Valley, Yerba Buena, Mt. Pleasant
CLOSING IN (0): none
BUBBLE (0): none
LONGSHOT (0): none
OUT (5): Andrew Hill, Piedmont Hills, Independence, Westmont, San Jose
NOTE: Evergreen Valley defeated Yerba Buena to clinch the league title. Both teams had already secured the two automatic bids into the CCS playoffs. Mt. Pleasant will get in easily
as an at-large team. Andrew Hill is projected as one of the first teams out.
BVAL-WEST VALLEY
CLINCHED (1): Del Mar
CLOSING IN (0): none
BUBBLE (0): none
LONGSHOT (0): none
OUT (7): Live Oak, Gunderson, Willow Glen, Silver Creek, Ann Sobrato, James Lick, Oak Grove
NOTE: Del Mar beat Live Oak for the second time in a row to capture the BVAL-West Valley title and automatic bid into the CCS playoffs. Tuesday was a tough day for Gunderson, which
fell off the bubble thanks to Lincoln's loss to Leland for the BVAL-MH title.
PAL-BAY
CLINCHED (4): Menlo-Atherton, Carlmont, Burlingame, Sequoia
CLOSING IN (0): none
BUBBLE (0): none
LONGSHOT (0): none
OUT (4): Hillsdale, South San Francisco, Aragon, Half Moon Bay
NOTE: Hillsdale was eliminated with its loss to Aragon in the season finale. However, Sequoia (43.5 CCS points) will get in as one of the top at-large teams.
PAL-OCEAN
CLINCHED (1): San Mateo
CLOSING IN (0): none
BUBBLE (0): none
LONGSHOT (0): none
OUT (8): Capuchino, Woodside, Westmoor, Mills, Jefferson, El Camino, Terra Nova, Oceana
NOTE: San Mateo won the PAL-Ocean title with a 14-1-1 record. Capuchino (40) is right on the bubble. We have them losing to Greenfield in the bonus points tiebreaker for the final
spot in the field.
PCAL-ARROYO
CLINCHED (0): none
CLOSING IN (0): none
BUBBLE (0): none
LONGSHOT (0): none
OUT (6): Ceiba College Prep, St. Francis SCP, York, Oakwood, Anzar, Trinity Christian
NOTE: Ceiba College Prep lost 9-0 to Pajaro Valley to end its season.
PCAL-CYPRESS
CLINCHED (2): King City, Greenfield
CLOSING IN (0): none
BUBBLE (0): none
LONGSHOT (0): none
OUT (4): Palma, Carmel, Monte Vista Christian, Gonzales
NOTE: King City has already earned the PCAL-Cypress automatic bid. Greenfield lost 3-2 at Seaside in a play-in match for an automatic bid, but will have one more shot to get in
as an at-large team with 40 CCS points. We have them winning a tiebreaker with Capuchino for the final at-large bid.
PCAL-GABILAN
CLINCHED (3): Watsonville, Alvarez, North Salinas
CLOSING IN (0): none
BUBBLE (0): none
LONGSHOT (0): none
OUT (3): Alisal, Soledad, San Benito
NOTE: The top 3 teams are set and Alisal would have enough points for consideration but do not meet the .500 requirement and has been eliminated.
PCAL-MISSION
CLINCHED (2): Salinas, Pajaro Valley
CLOSING IN (0): none
BUBBLE (0): none
LONGSHOT (0): none
OUT (4): Gilroy, Monterey, Christopher, North Monterey County
NOTE: As expected, Pajaro Valley secured a playoff berth with a 9-0 win over Ceiba Prep. Gilroy (39) looks to be on the wrong side of the bubble.
PCAL-SANTA LUCIA
CLINCHED (1): Seaside
CLOSING IN (0): none
BUBBLE (0): none
LONGSHOT (0): none
OUT (5): Robert Louis Stevenson, Pacific Grove, Pacific Collegiate, Marina, Rancho San Juan
NOTE: Seaside defeated Greenfield 3-2 for an automatic bid to the CCS playoffs.
PSAL-NORTH
CLINCHED (1): Summit Prep
CLOSING IN (0): none
BUBBLE (0): none
LONGSHOT (0): none
OUT (5): Summit Tahoma, Design Tech, Summit Shasta, Nueva School, Summit Rainier
NOTE: Summit Prep has dominated this one-bid league and will be a fascinating matchup in the CCS playoffs.
PSAL-SOUTH
CLINCHED (1): Latino College Prep
CLOSING IN (0): none
BUBBLE (0): none
LONGSHOT (0): none
OUT (5): Cristo Rey, Luis Valdez Leadership, Downtown College Prep, KIPP San Jose Collegiate, Downtown College Prep-Alum Rock
NOTE: Latino College Prep has clinched the league title in the one-bid league.
SCCAL
CLINCHED (2): Soquel, Harbor
CLOSING IN (0): none
BUBBLE (0): none
LONGSHOT (0): none
OUT (0): Aptos, Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, San Lorenzo Valley
NOTE: Soquel won the regular-season title and but lost to Harbor in the postseason league tournament final. Both teams will move on to the CCS playoffs.
SCVAL-DE ANZA
CLINCHED (5): Mountain View, Santa Clara, Los Altos, Homestead, Los Gatos
CLOSING IN (0): none
BUBBLE (0): none
LONGSHOT (0): none
OUT (2): Palo Alto, Cupertino
NOTE: It appears that Los Gatos was awarded a forfeit win over Cupertino, which would enable the Wildcats to earn one of the final at-large berths. The Wildcats also
benefited from Leland's win over Lincoln in the BVAL-MH final, gaining two more points to jump to 43.5. Mountain View claimed the league title on the final day of the season
with a dramatic win over Homestead coupled with Santa Clara's 0-0 draw against Palo Alto.
SCVAL-EL CAMINO
CLINCHED (2): Gunn, Wilcox
CLOSING IN (0): none
BUBBLE (0): none
LONGSHOT (0): none
OUT (5): Lynbrook, Monta Vista, Fremont, Milpitas, Saratoga
NOTE: Gunn has won the league title and automatic CCS berth and Wilcox (43.5) has enough CCS points to qualify.
WBAL
CLINCHED (3): Sacred Heart Prep, Menlo, Harker
CLOSING IN (0): none
BUBBLE (0): none
LONGSHOT (0): none
OUT (4): Crystal Springs Uplands, The King's Academy, Woodside Priory, Eastside College Prep
NOTE: Menlo tied Harker to clinch the second automatic bid from the WBAL behind league champ Sacred Heart Prep. Harker (47) is a lock for an at-large berth.
WCAL
CLINCHED (5): Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bellarmine College Prep, Archbishop Mitty, Saint Ignatius, Saint Francis
CLOSING IN (0): none
BUBBLE (0): none
LONGSHOT (0): none
OUT (3): Serra, Valley Christian, Archbishop Riordan
NOTE: Sacred Heart Cathedral won the league title on the final day of the regular season, stunning Bellarmine 4-0 while Saint Ignatius picked off a 1-1 draw against Mitty. The Monarchs
would have won the title in case of a three-way tie; as it stands, SHC wins the head-to-head tiebreaker with Bellarmine. Mitty now appears to be locked into Division 1, especially
after losing three bonus points for tying Lincoln, which lost its hold on the BVAL-MH title to Leland.
TOTAL
CLINCHED (40)
CLOSING IN (0)
BUBBLE (0)
LONGSHOT (0)
OUT (74)
NOTE: There have been known to be surprises come CCS selection day, but we believe the 40-team field is set at this point.
Here are a few assumptions for the process as a whole:
ASSUMPTION 1: points are calculated on the assumption that an individual team will lose the rest of its games. The bonus points for playing
a league champion are included in the calculation. In other words, the point total you see represents the minimum point total for a given
team as of today. We determine league champions based on points per game, which is especially relevant in cases where the teams have not
played the same number of games.
ASSUMPTION 2: in calculating points awarded for playing league champions, points were split according to the number of teams currently
tied for first place. For instance, per CCS rules, teams are awarded bonus points for playing a league champion; if a team played a team
that is currently in a three-way tie for first, we credit the team one-third of the points. If two teams at the top of a league have not played the
same number of games, we assume league champ based on points per game.
ASSUMPTION 3: for out-of-section teams that we were unable to find accurate records, we assumed them to be "B" teams and not division champs.
ASSUMPTION 4: teams will apply for CCS and we will use league bylaws to determine order of finish as applicable. For instance if two at-large
teams apply for CCS from the same league, some league's bylaws mandate that the team that finished higher in the league standings must get in
first whereas other leagues rank at-large teams based on CCS points. We are assuming no teams will pull out of consideration.
ASSUMPTION 5: the PCAL holds two playoffs to determine the final automatic bids pitting the second-place team in the Cypress against the champion
of the Santa Lucia Division and the second-place team in the Mission against the champion of the Arroyo Division. For now we will choose the team that is rated higher in the
Prep2Prep computer rankings.
ASSUMPTION 6: the BVAL has changed its format no longer featuring a double round-robin. Instead, the eight-team divisions are broken up into two groups with the winner of each
group facing off in a one-game playoff for the championship. This also has implications for the 3 automatic bids from the BVAL-MH, in which the two second-place finishers will
meet for the automatic bid. For now, we will assume the teams with the higher league point total win the tiebreakers.
NOTE: CCS points are in parentheses and the projected home team is listed in CAPS.
As mentioned earlier, there are a total of 11 at-large teams included in the complete field of 40 CCS playoff teams. Here's a brief look at
the list of at-large teams, including the last five teams that made it based on our CCS point calculations and the first five that would be left out if the season ended now.
