The Sierra Canyon boys’ basketball team and Ontario Christian’s girls’ team have been awarded the No. 1 seeds for the Southern Section Open Division playoffs, according to the pairings released on Saturday. This top seeding comes as no surprise, as both teams have held the No. 1 spot since the season began in November. In horse racing terms, they’re aiming to go wire-to-wire, but each squad faces stiff challenges on their path to the championship games at Toyota Arena in Ontario on February 28.
Pool play is set to begin Wednesday for the boys and Thursday for the girls. In the boys’ Open Division, two veteran teams are expected to provide strong competition to No. 1 seeded Sierra Canyon, which holds a 22-1 record. No. 2-seeded Santa Margarita (26-3) and No. 3 Redondo Union (25-3) have both demonstrated the ability to win big games against top opponents this season. Redondo Union boasts victories over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and Phoenix Sunnyslope—the No. 1 team in Arizona—while Santa Margarita captured the prestigious Trinity League tournament title.
The Open Division features 12 teams, seeded using a computer algorithm that ranked squads and divided them into three pools of three teams each. Each team is guaranteed three games during pool play. The boys’ quarterfinals are scheduled for February 20, semifinals on February 24, and finals on February 28. Notably, two teams will not advance to the state playoffs.
In Division 1 boys’ action, Crean Lutheran earned the No. 1 seed. Gold Coast League co-champions Brentwood and Crossroads, who have already faced each other twice this season, could meet for a potential third time in the second round of the playoffs—if Brentwood triumphs over Fairmont Prep and Crossroads defeats Long Beach Poly. Meanwhile, longtime powerhouse Mater Dei will compete in the Division 2 playoffs, and Servite received its first playoff berth in Division 2 since 2022.
Turning to the girls’ brackets, defending state champion Etiwanda (27-2) is seeded No. 2 and consistently raises its level of play when the postseason arrives. Last year, the Eagles upset Ontario Christian in the regionals. No. 3 Sierra Canyon (26-2), featuring South Carolina-bound Jerzy Robinson, is also a strong contender for the section, regional, and state titles.
An intriguing semifinals matchup between Etiwanda and Sierra Canyon looms, with the winner earning the right to face Ontario Christian in the championship. These three teams have clearly dominated girls’ basketball throughout the season.
City Section pairings for both boys and girls will be released later Saturday afternoon. Stay tuned for more updates as the playoffs approach.
https://www.latimes.com/sports/highschool/story/2026-02-07/city-and-southern-section-basketball-pairings-announced-2026
