Mater Dei, St. John Bosco draw top seeds in state regional tourney

Newly-crowned CIF-SS Open Division championrnMater Dei will seek its 12^th state championship in the annual StaternBasketball Tournament that begins March 9 with regional play.

The Monarchs’ 11 titles are by far thernmost of any Catholic high school since the tournament began in the early 1980s,rnand include four straight titles (2011-14) under Coach Gary McKnight. As No. 1rnseed, Mater Dei (23-6) will play Fairfax (22-9), runnerup in the L.A. CityrnSection tournament to Westchester.

Bishop Montgomery (27-1), which wasrnbeaten in the Southern Section semifinals in overtime by Sierra Canyon (whichrnin turn lost to Mater Dei), is seeded third in the Open Division, and will takernon Mission Bay (27-5). The Knights are defending state champions in the OpenrnDivision, and have won four state titles, second among Catholic schools tornMater Dei.

The Knights’ girls’ team (21-9) isrntop-seeded in Division I of the SoCal Regionals, and plays El Camino Real ofrnWoodland Hills in its first-round game March 7. Bishop Montgomery has won sixrnstate championships in girls’ basketball, the most of any local Catholicrnschool, including four straight (2000-03).

Boys’ Regional Brackets

Games in Divisions I through V in thernboys’ playoffs, with 32-team brackets (as opposed to 16 in Open) begin March 7.rnContests involving local Catholic teams (seeds in parentheses) include thernfollowing:

DivisionrnI: St. John Bosco (I), first round bye; Crespi (3) vs. Bakersfield (14); SantarnMargarita (5) vs. Rancho Verde (12).

DivisionrnIII: St. Anthony (5) vs. Buena (12); Bishop Amat (10) vs. 29 Palms (7).

DivisionrnIV: St. Bonaventure (2) vs. King/Drew (15).

DivisionrnV: St. Monica Academy (15) vs. Duarte (2).

Second-round games (Divisions I-V) arernMarch 10; regional semifinals (all divisions) March 13; regional finals Marchrn17; and state finals March 23 and 24 in Sacramento.

Girls’ Regional Brackets

Similarly, games in Divisions I throughrnV in the girls’ playoffs begin March 7, except for Open Division games thatrnstart March 9. Contests involving local Catholic teams include the following:

OpenrnDivision: Mater Dei (7) vs. Clovis West (2).

DivisionrnI: Bishop Montgomery (1) vs. El Camino Real (16); Serra (2) vs. Eagle Rockrn(15); Chaminade (9) vs. Granada Hills CHarter (8); Alemany (10) vs. WestrnTorrance (7).

DivisionrnIV: Providence/Burbank (10) vs. Immanuel (7).

DivisionrnV: St. Pius X-St. Matthias (5) vs. Gardena (12); Santa Clara (10) vs.rnPorterville (7).

Therngirls’ subsequent schedule is the same as the boys’.