Correction: Mater Dei did not lose the Trinity League title in the 19-20 season.
The stage is set for the CIF Southern Section finals. Twenty two teams will compete but only 11 will forever have their legacy inscribed on a plaque and get patches that read “CIF champions.”
All divisions will play their games on Feb. 29 at various locations. Only the Open Division will play on Friday, Feb. 28, in the Pyramid at Cal State Long Beach.
Last week, I got lucky in my predictions for the Open Division finalists (pats self on back). Mater Dei as the seventh seed came out of pool B with a 3-0 record and will play top-seeded Sierra Canyon.
Let’s put my prediction skills to the test now. Here are my predictions for every championship game in the CIF Southern Section.
Division 5AA, Arrowhead Christian vs. Bishop Diego
Pick: Arrowhead Christian
The Eagles of Arrowhead Christian could be the hottest team in CIF right now. They entered the playoffs with a 12-12 record as an at large bid Out of the Ambassador league. Since then they have beaten 5AA opponents by double digits .
Bishop Diego have big scorers in Matthew Cunningham and Kai Morphy. However, the February hot streak will continue for the Eagles and they will win their first CIF title in their first ever appearance.
Division 5A, Banning vs. Trinity Classical Academy
Pick: Banning
Banning hasn’t seen a championship game since 1988 but 32 years later this team might have the magic to get it done. In the quarter finals the Broncos knocked off the top seeded Linfield Christian 57-51.
Their hot streak will continue on Saturday. Strength of schedule gets the Broncos the CIF championship in 5A.
Division 4AA, Renaissance Academy vs. Aquinas
Pick: Renaissance Academy
The final game of 4AA will be a heavyweight prize fight. Aquinas has had an amazing year led by junior guard Nick Hopkins, who leads his team in both points and rebounds. However, Renaissance’s strength of schedule speaks for itself.
They have played some of the top teams in California, notching wins against open division power St. John Bosco, and City Section Open Division teams Taft, George Washington Prep and El Camino Real. Their size will also be the reason they win Division 4AA.
Division 4A, Oakwood vs. St. Pius X-St. Matthias
Pick: St. Pius X-St. Matthias
This is a tough game to make a pick on. Both teams are evenly matched statistically. Oakwood is riding an 18 game win streak but I believe they’ve met their match against St. Pius X.
Second year head coach Donte Archie has turned a 7-21 St. Pius X team into a 26-6 power in 4A. They’re suffocating pressure defense and dominant junior forward Ethan McCanless will be the difference in this game.
Division 3AA, Hillcrest vs. Salesian
Pick: Salesian
Jack Mai’s Mustangs will show how good of a team they are in Saturday’s matchup. After close games in the early playoff rounds, Salesian displayed impressive all around play in their 45-25 semi-final win vs. Mark Keppel.
This is a familiar spot for Hillcrest, in 2018 they won the 4AA championship. Senior point guard and San Jose State commit Sebastian Mendoza is the only one who remains from that team.
Salesian’s advantage is in their common opponents. Salesian is 2-0, Hillcrest 0-2.
Division 3A, Price vs. Shadow Hills
Pick: Price
First year head coach Chans Smyth has brought instant success to Price when the school needed it most. Two years ago the school was in danger of closing its doors due to financial issues.
They took down the number one seed Village Christian in the quarter-finals 63-60 on the road. This is the feel-good story this program needs and it’s what will carry them to a championship.
Division 2AA, Santa Clarita Christian vs. St. Francis
Pick: St. Francis
The Knights have been giant slayers in these playoffs, defeating second ranked and favorite to win Heritage Christian 71-53. Although, Heritage Christian was without star center Max Allan, St. Francis displayed a dominant performance.
UC Irvine commit Andre Henry will lead the charge for the Knights and they will get the upset win over top seeded Santa Clarita Christian.
Division 2A, Ribet Academy vs. Hesperia
Pick: Hesperia
There will be two upsets in Division 2. The Scorpions of Hesperia had a tough road in the playoffs; two close games vs JW North and Santa Barbara, and upset wins against Lynwood and Oxnard.
They have also shown improvement this season. First game of their year they lost by 17 to Oxnard then beat them last week by 12. In Nov. they lost to Ribet by 4, I believe they get sweet revenge in the 2A title game.
Division 1, Windward vs. Riverside Poly
Pick: Riverside Poly
Head coach Yancy Dodson and star point guard Lamont Butler get the job done. Two seasons ago they made a finals appearance but came up short. Butler, the senior and San Diego State commit, did not have the help he does now. With the addition of UC Irvine and sharp shooting guard DJ Davis, and an experienced starting lineup, the bears are ready for a title.
The Windward Wildcats are a dangerous opponent. Super Sophomores Dylan Andrews and Kijani Wright have been turning heads all year. Senior UNLV commit Devin Tillis has provided the leadership this team needed.
However, Butler and Davis will have a phenomenal performance to lead their team to a championship.
Open Division, Sierra Canyon vs. Mater Dei
Pick: Sierra Canyon
The seventh seed vs the one seed. This will be a closer game than some might anticipate. Both teams have a lot of size and depth.
The Monarchs have had a “down year” by Mater Dei standards. Early losses to Corona Centennial, Shelton and a league loss to rival St. John Bosco set them back in the rankings. However, they bounced back to win the Trinity League and their Open Division pool.
Even though the Monarchs are red hot right now, the Trailblazers have the two best players on the floor in Ziarie Williams, and BJ Boston. They will lead their Sierra Canyon squad to their second Open Division title in a row.
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