By Bill Dickens
MaxPreps.com
Call it wishful thinking or downright jealousy. Rivals of Poway in the CIFSDS figured this would be the year the rebuilding Titans would crumble.
Not so.
They don’t have “off” years at Poway.
The Titans, who had to replace 11 seniors from last year's Division I title team, won their 23rd straight section crown, qualifying 11 wrestlers for the finals. Seven Poway wrestlers captured championships, which is impressive since only three are returning starters off of last year's team that finished fourth in the state.
Poway’s Henry Yorba won his third straight section title, winning at 130 pounds for the second straight year after claiming the crown as a sophomore at 112.
Senior Ian Daube, who is 32-3 on the year, made it back-to-back section titles with a 13-5 victory in the championship match at 191 pounds. Ironically, Daube still weighs closer to 173 pounds, the weight class he won a year ago.
This is the 27th time in the last 28 years that the Titans have won a section title. The only time Poway failed to finish on top was 1986 when Mount Miguel was awarded the crown after the Titans were forced to forfeit for moving a wrestler up too many weight classes.
Despite that blow, Poway won the first of its three state championships in 1986. Poway coach Wayne Branstetter said rolling up championships is refreshing every time.
"I've been involved in wrestling for 45 years," the 58-year-old coach told The North County Times. "This never gets old. Not when you get to see a kid smile after he gets his hand raised."
Brawley wrestlers continue dynasty
The Imperial Valley League kingpins clawed their way to a ninth straight section title. Brawley advanced all 14 wrestlers to next week's Masters Tournament. The ‘Cats collected 343.5 team points – a Division IV record – and the third-highest total in CIFSDS history for a division tournament. Brawley had 11 wrestlers in the finals and eight champions.
Temecula Valley senior earns MVP
Patrick Martinez registered three falls and a technical fall in capturing the 160-pound championship while earning upper-weight MVP honors at the CIF Southern Section Southern Division finals.
Dean the Dream
Granite Hills senior Dean Miller, the school’s all-time leading scorer, nailed 50 points in a victory over Spring Valley Mount Miguel. The 6-3 Miller also tied the Eagles’ career mark for steals. Miller has started 100 consecutive varsity games and played in 109 consecutive games.
Rancho Bernardo’s busting Bronco
A 6-foot-8, 175-pound junior, Tanner Clayton notched his fourth triple-double of the season with 16 points, 19 rebounds and 11 blocked shots in a win over Rancho Buena Vista.
Other Top Performances
– Senior guard Jamie Elias of Santana was held scoreless on Tuesday (Feb. 17) by Santee West Hills, but she bounced back three days later for a career high 36 points as the Sultans upset Lakeside El Capitan 58-52.
– Six-foot-8 senior Luke Evans pumped in 49 points to guide El Camino past Poway and Carlsbad to set the Wildcats school record for points in a season with 710.
– Ariana Elegado of La Jolla Country Day recorded a triple-double in the Torreys' 76-26 Coastal South League triumph over Francis Parker. The 5-foot-5 junior had 24 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.
– Senior Anais Beltran pitched in with a pair of assists helping San Diego Southwest blanked Mar Vista 2-0 as the Raiders clinched the South Bay League girls soccer title for the first time in 22 years.
– Junior Joe Hudson of Escondido is averaging 25.2 points over his last seven games.
Coming Attractions
The CIFSDS boys and girls basketball playoffs begin this week with some 126 teams taking part. The breakdown is 64 boys, 62 girls. Action begins on Tuesday (Feb. 24). The finals are slated for March 6-7 at the University of San Diego’s Jenny Craig Pavilion.
Dickens Dealings
I can remember when you had to be a league champion or at least a league runner-up to earn a berth in the postseason basketball playoffs.
Of course that was about three decades ago. Gradually, the coaches and section commissioners have lessened the qualifications to gain postseason entry. Obviously, there are more schools playing basketball nowadays, thus the swelled brackets of opportunity are reflecting that growth.
By the same token, the inflated field has diluted the quality of postseason play, at least in the early rounds. Fact is, in the CIFSDS the only teams earning first round byes are in Divisions IV and V where the top four seeds get an opening round respite. The other three divisions begin with a field of 16 teams.
At last count – Feb. 19, 2009 – the CIFSDS showed 208 schools playing either boys or girls basketball, with the majority fielding teams of both genders.
Only 82 teams failed to get a postseason invitation. In other words, the regular season was contested to eliminate approximately 27 percent of the eligible teams.
That’s all fine and good that so many teams regardless of record are allowed to have their seasons continue. But come on. A team failing to win even one league game is not playoff caliber no matter what league it’s in. Yet, teams such as Santee Santana, which posted an overall mark of 12-14, stumbles into the Division III boys playoffs despite finishing 0-8 in the Grossmont North League.
Tri-City Christian boys (5-21), which went 0-8 in the Coastal North League, also plays on in Division V. Serra (5-22, 1-9) was deemed worthy of a Division II boys playoff berth. These are just a few of the questionable “qualifiers” ticketed for postseason play.
On the girls side there’s San Marcos (4-25), which won only one of 12 Valley League games, yet is headed into the Division III playoffs.
And these are just a handful of the misfits competing in the postseason play.
It’s all about money, I guess. The various CIF section commissioners believe if you call it a playoff you can charge admission.
Upsets by teams that haven’t won for more than a month are unlikely. But the fact that their faithful followers will pay to see them lose again is what it’s all about by those who count the beans.
