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No less than 13 league champions from local Catholic schools will vie for CIF-Southern Section titles in girls’ and boys’ soccer as the annual post-season playoff tournament gets underway this week.
In girls’ soccer, top-ranked San Gabriel Mission in Division 6 will aim for its second straight title, having won the Division 7 championship in 2017. The same holds true in boys’ soccer, where Santa Clara --- last year’s D-7 titlist --- looks to do likewise in D-6 this year.
Regular-season league champions in the girls’ soccer playoff field include Santa Margarita (Trinity), Flintridge-Sacred Heart (Mission), Bishop Amat (Del Rey), Marymount (Sunshine), Providence/Burbank (Independence), St. Genevieve (Camino Real) and San Gabriel Mission (Horizon), all of which qualified for the playoffs.
San Gabriel Mission also maintained the No. 1 position in the final regular-season Division 6 poll released Feb. 12. Other top-10 schools included Santa Margarita (3) and J.Serra (5), D-1; Flintridge-Sacred Heart (10), D-2; Marymount (8), D-3; St. Genevieve (3), D-5; and Providence/Burbank (6) and St. Bernard (8), D-7.
This year’s tournament opens Feb. 13 with wild-card matches, followed by first round play Feb. 15, and championship matches March 2-3. First-round matches (unless noted otherwise):
Division 1: Santa Margarita (Trinity No. 1), bye; J.Serra (Trinity No. 2) vs. Dana Hills;
Division 2: Flintridge-Sacred Heart (Mission No. 1) vs. Valencia; Bishop Amat (Del Rey No. 1) vs. Glendora; Chaminade (Mission No. 3) vs. Redondo Union; Rosary (Trinity No. 3) vs. Warren.
Division 3: Mayfield (Prep No. 2) vs. Highland in a wild-card match Feb. 13. First-round matches on Feb. 15: Marymount (Sunshine No. 1) vs. Thousand Oaks; La Salle (Del Rey T2) vs. Poly/Riverside; Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks (Sunshine No. 2) vs. Arcadia.
Division 4: Bishop Montgomery (Del Rey T2) vs. Chino.
Division 5: La Reina (Tri-Valley No. 3) vs. Immaculate Heart (Sunshine No. 3) in a wild-card match; the winner plays St. Genevieve (Camino Real No. 1) in the first round.
Division 6: San Gabriel Mission (Horizon No. 1) vs. wild-card winner.
Division 7: St. Bernard (Santa Fe No. 1) vs. Avalon; St. Paul (Santa Fe No. 3) vs. Saddleback Valley Christian; St. Monica/Santa Monica (Camino Real No. 3) vs. Fillmore; Providence/Burbank (Independence No. 1) vs. Santa Clarita Valley International; St. Pius X-St. Matthias (Santa Fe No. 2) vs. St. Monica Academy/Pasadena (Heritage No. 3).
The final regular-season poll showed Catholic dominance in Division 1, with Servite (1), Loyola (3), Cathedral (5), Mater Dei (6) and Santa Margarita (10) all listed. The only other top-10 Catholic schools were Santa Clara (third in D-6) and St. Bonaventure (tenth in D-7).
Regular-season league champions in the boys’ soccer playoff field include Servite (Trinity), Loyola (Mission), Cathedral (Del Rey), St. Anthony (Santa Fe), La Salle (Camino Real) and Santa Clara (Frontier).
Wild-card matches are Feb. 14, first round matches Feb. 16, and championship matches March 2-3. First-round matches in Divisions 1-6:
Division 1: Servite (Trinity No. 1) and Loyola (Mission No. 1), byes; Cathedral (Del Rey No. 1) vs. Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks (Mission at-large); Mater Dei (Trinity No. 2) vs. Mission Viejo; Santa Margarita (Trinity No. 3) vs. Katella; Crespi (Mission No. 3) vs. Peninsula
Division 2: St. Francis (Mission No. 4) vs. Sunny Hills; Salesian (Del Rey No. 2) vs. Camarillo.
Division 3: Bishop Montgomery (Del Rey No. 3) vs. Upland.
Division 4: Damien (Baseline No. 2) vs. Temescal Canyon.
Division 6: St. Anthony (Santa Fe No. 1) vs. St. Margaret’s Episcopal; La Salle (Camino Real No. 1) vs. Malibu; Santa Clara (Frontier No. 1) vs. wild-card winner; Mary Star (Camino Real No. 2) vs. Wilson/Hacienda Heights.
Division 7: Wild-card matches include St. Bonaventure (Frontier No. 3) vs. Rolling Hills Prep; Don Bosco Tech (Camino Real (No. 3) vs. Foothill Technology; St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy (Santa Fe No. 3) vs. Tarbut V Torah; St. Michael’s Prep (Express No. 3) vs. Temecula Prep. Winners will play first round matches Feb. 16, along with Verbum Dei (Santa Fe No. 2), which will play AGBU/Canoga Park.
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