SAN JUAN PREPS ROUNDUP

BY ZACH CAVANAGH, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

For in-game updates, news and more for all the San Juan Capistrano high school sports programs, follow us on Twitter @SouthOCSports and on Instagram @South_OC_Sports

Thirteen SJC Teams Qualify, Open CIF-SS Playoffs

Four of San Juan Capistrano’s five high schools qualified 13 total teams to the CIF-SS playoffs, as the postseason brackets for boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer and girls water polo were released over the weekend.

Five teams earned top-four seeds, including three No. 1 seeds: JSerra boys soccer in Division 1, JSerra girls water polo in Division 3 and St. Margaret’s girls basketball in Division 5AA.

Two teams kicked off the CIF-SS playoffs on Tuesday, Feb. 7.

St. Margaret’s boys soccer played a Division 5 wild-card game at Grand Terrace (11-4-7), but despite pushing a 2-2 game to the limit, the Tartans fell in a penalty-kick shootout.

No. 1 seed JSerra girls water polo (214) played its Division 3 first-round match on the road at Villanova Prep (20-6), and the Lions still showed off their top-seed chops in a 21-3 win. The Lions hosted Capistrano Valley in the second round on Thursday, Feb. 9, but results were not available at press time.

Four San Juan Capistrano boys basketball teams opened the CIF-SS playoffs on Wednesday, Feb. 8, but only one continued on.

JSerra boys basketball (21-8) earned a No. 4 seed in Division 1 with its late hot streak through the Trinity League, and despite the opening road trip, the Lions won, 63-54, at Great Oak of Temecula (16-13).

JSerra continues the playoffs at home against Rolling Hills Prep on Friday, Feb. 10. The Lions hosted the CIF-SS championship game last season.

After winning its first-ever CIF-SS title last season, San Juan Hills boys basketball (14-16) earned an at-large selection in Division 1 and traveled to Crean Lutheran (22-7). However, the Stallions couldn’t move on in a 76-66 defeat.

In Division 4AA, Orange Coast League champion St. Margaret’s boys basketball (21-8) was the No. 3 seed and hosted wildcard winner Eisenhower (16-14). As de - tailed below, the Tartans came out slowly, and the Eagles scored the upset, 68-64.

In Division 4A, Academy League champion Fairmont San Juan Capistrano (16-12) fell at home, 54-43, to Holy Martyrs Armenian of Encino (14-14).

Three girls soccer teams also kicked off on Wednesday, but none advanced. San Juan Hills (13-4-3) lost, 2-1, on the road in Division 1 to No. 1 seed Santiago of Corona (20-1-1). JSerra (10-5-4) also lost, 3-2, on the road in Division 1 against Villa Park (16-2-4) at El Modena High School.

In Division 3, St. Margaret’s (10-8-0) lost, 4-0, on the road at Murrieta Valley (12-5-2).

Girls basketball features a bye and a top seed for San Juan Capistrano teams. Results were not available at press time on Thursday, Feb. 9, for the first round.

After capturing the South Coast League title on the final day of the regular season, San Juan Hills (23-4) was rewarded with the No. 4 seed in Division 2AA and a first-round bye. The Stallions will host the Beaumont-Downey winner in the second round on Saturday, Feb. 11.

St. Margaret’s (22-6) is the No. 1 seed in Division 5AA and hosted Grand Terrace (8-15) in the first round.

In boys soccer, Trinity League champion JSerra (13-1-1) earned the No. 1 seed in Division 1, and the Lions will look to capture the CIF-SS title after falling in the Division 1 final last year. JSerra hosted Valencia of Placentia (13-5-6) on Thursday.

Fairmont San Juan Capistrano (100-0) posted a perfect season to win the

Academy League title, and the Warriors hosted wild-card winner Environmental Charter of Lawndale (8-4-3) at Vista Hermosa Sports Park in San Clemente.

Follow @South_OC_Sports on Instagram and @SouthOCSports on Twitter for daily CIF-SS playoff coverage of all the local teams in San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point and San Clemente.

Slow First Half Dooms St. Margaret’s Boys Basketball in First-Round Upset

The first season in the Orange Coast League for the St. Margaret’s boys basketball team resulted in a co-league championship, which, in turn, seemingly set the Tartans up for success with a No. 3 seed and a date with a wild-card opponent in the CIF-SS Division 4AA playoffs.

While visiting Eisenhower of Rialto was late to the court for warmups, the Eagles showed up on time for tipoff with an active defense and eight 3-pointers in the first half to lead by as many as 22 points in the third quarter and hold off a late Tartans charge, 68-64, in a firstround upset at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School on Wednesday, Feb. 8.

“We had to adjust to speed and things of that nature,” St. Margaret’s coach Chris Nordstrom said of the first-half performance. “That took a little while, for sure, and we were a little passive offensively in the first half.”

While St. Margaret’s (21-8) wasn’t aggressive, Eisenhower (16-15) got huge performances from Stanley Thomas III with a game-high 22 points and Semaje Carter with 19 points, including four first-half 3-pointers.

“The difference was 11 (Carter),” Nordstrom said. “We have five films on him, and he’s 2-for-25 from (3-point range). He wasn’t tonight, so what do you do? That’s what happens in a playoff game, and someone steps up.”

After Eisenhower opened the second half with an 11-2 run for a 22-point lead, St. Margaret’s finally turned up the pressure with some aggressive drives by Russell Frye and big 3-pointers from TJ Pavia and Drew Bowman.

“We played more assertively. We decided to play,” Nordstrom said of the second half. “Once we did that, we were OK. We’ve had some moments like that in the season where we were a little passive, and that’s all it is.”

Little by little, St. Margaret’s chipped away, as the Tartans forced steals, and Frye dictated the offensive pace. Frye scored 13 points for the Tartans, with a leading performance from Pavia’s 16 points and Caden Isola’s 14 points.

Eisenhower made just enough free throws down the stretch to keep St. Margaret’s at bay, as the Tartans couldn’t find that big shot to bring them all the way back.

Eisenhower defeated Muir of Pasadena, 62-49, in the wild-card round on Tuesday, Feb. 7, and the Eagles advance to play Nordhoff of Ojai in the second round on Friday, Feb. 10. CD