The shakeout began Feb. 7 in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section girls’ basketball playoffs, with 13 Catholic school teams winning to advance to the second round on Feb. 9.

Also that day, the Open Division portion of the tournament begins, with Bishop Montgomery against Redondo Union; Windward against Mater Dei, and Etiwanda against Rosary Academy. The “pool” format continues Feb. 13 and concludes Feb. 16, with the two winners from each bracket meeting in the finals Feb. 23.

In first round action on Feb. 7:

  • Division 1: Serra/Gardena beat Sonora 66-57; Chaminade beat Canyon/Canyon Country 70-41; J.Serra edged Fairmont Prep 56-54; Alemany beat Valencia 51-47. Round 2 games: Serra at Aliso Niguel, Chaminade at J.Serra, Alemany at M.L. King.
  • D-2AA: Warren beat St. Paul 52-41; Roosevelt stopped Bishop Amat 80-61.
  • D-2A: St. Mary’s Academy whipped Woodbridge 60-24; Santa Margarita beat Oak Hills 63-59. R2: St. Mary’s Academy at Tustin, Santa Margarita at Marlborough.
  • D-3AA: Peninsula beat St. Joseph/Lakewood 73-30.
  • D-3A: No. 1 seed St. Bonaventure topped Antelope Valley 61-34, and is at Gabrielino in Round 2.
  • D-4AA: Providence/Burbank beat Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks 62-41; Flintridge Sacred Heart lost to Workman 53-43. R2: Providence at Ramona.
  • D-4A: St. Genevieve beat Heritage Christian 55-45; Xavier Prep beat St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 55-43. R2: Moreno Valley at St. Genevieve.
  • D-5AA: Wildwood edged St. Monica Academy 60-59; Mary Star defeated Eastside Christian 37-28; Rio Hondo Prep nipped Sacred Heart 58-54. R2: Rancho Christian at Mary Star.
  • D-5A: Villanova Prep stopped Riverside County Ed 60-34; La Reina beat Pacific Christian/Santa Monica 43-35; Bishop Conaty-Loretto blistered Crossroads Christian 62-26. R2: Cobalt at Villanova Prep, Western Christian at La Reina, Bishop Conaty-Loretto at Valley Christian/Santa Monica.

Boys’ soccer

Ten Catholic school teams will play second round matches Feb. 9, after the completion of first round matches on Feb. 7.

In Division 1, Servite blanked Millikan 3-0 and Mater Dei edged Capistrano Valley 1-0. But Downey beat J.Serra 2-1, Edison topped Santa Margarita 1-0, and Mira Costa downed Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks 4-0. Loyola and Cathedral had first-round byes.

Round 2 features Valencia/Placentia at Loyola, Hueneme at Cathedral, Servite at Santa Ana, and Mater Dei at Los Alamitos. In other first-round play:

  • D-2: Newbury Park beat St. Francis 1-0.
  • D-3: Salesian defeated La Mirada 4-1, and plays Fullerton Feb. 9.
  • D-4: Damien edged Ramona 2-1, and hosts Canyon/Anaheim.
  • D-5: St. Genevieve beat Dunn on penalty kicks, 4-2, after tying 1-1 in regulation, and hosts Sierra Vista.
  • D-6: Santa Clara downed Poly Pasadena 3-1, and next plays at Brentwood which beat Mary Star 1-0 in R1.
  • D-7: Bishop Diego handled Whittier Christian 5-0; St. Pius X-St. Matthias overwhelmed Calvary Chapel/Downey 9-1; St. Michael’s Prep lost to Capistrano Valley Christian on penalty kicks 7-6 (1-1 in regulation); and Public Safety Academy edged Serra/Gardena 1-0. Round 2 matches feature Bishop Diego at Pacifica Christian/Orange County, and St. Pius X-St. Matthias hosting Vasquez.

Girls’ water polo

With quarterfinal play scheduled Feb. 9, two Catholic teams remain in the hunt for championships following playoff action on Feb. 7.

In Round 2 of the Division 6 playoffs, Villanova Prep (20-7) edged Cypress 7-6 and will play Webb (19-9). And in D-2, Santa Margarita (16-8), after a first-round bye, plays La Canada (20-7).

Elsewhere, Laguna Beach beat Mater Dei 12-7 in the first round of Division 1. The Monarchs, now in the consolation portion of the eight-team D-1 bracket, will play San Marcos on Feb. 12.

In D-5, defending D-7 champion Marymount lost to Roosevelt 12-9 in Round 2. And in D-7, Pomona Catholic was beaten by Tahquitz 13-6 in Round 1.

Mike Nelson is the former editor of The Tidings (predecessor of Angelus News). 

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