High school basketball: CIF regional championships headlined by national top 10 squads

Sierra Canyon girls set to battle in Open Division regional final while Bronny James and the boys are in the Division I regional title game with a trip to Golden 1 Center on the line.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Thomas Frey
By
Mar 6, 2023, 12:30pm
The high school basketball season in California enters its final week with regional finals Tuesday. The winners advance to Golden 1 Center in Sacramento for state championships March 10-11.

In the Open Division girls bracket, No. 1 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) will face No. 10 Etiwanda in the Southern finals while Salesian (Richmond) plays Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) in the Northern finals. Sierra Canyon is led by MaxPreps National Player of the Year finalist Juju Watkins and is riding a 35-game winning streak dating back to last season, including an 85-61 victory over Mitty in the 2022 Open final.

In the Open boys, Centennial (Corona) is ranked No. 4 in the nation and looking to win its second straight state crown behind Jared McCain (Duke) and Devin Williams (UCLA). The Huskies will take on No. 14 Harvard-Westlake (Studio City) in the Southern half of the bracket, a rematch of last season's CIF Southern Section Open Division championship.

Modesto Christian (Modesto) and St. Joseph (Santa Maria) battle for the Northern Open title. San Diego State signee B.J. Davis is looking to get the Crusaders back to the state final while Tounde Yessoufou of St. Joseph is the No. 2-ranked sophomore recruit in the state.

Bronny James and Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) will take on Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) in the Division I Southern boys game. Led by Caleb Foster (Duke) and Dusty Stromer (Gonzaga), Sherman Oaks has won all three previous matchups this season between the squads by scores of 66-62, 70-53 and 88-61.

In the boys Division III Southern final, five-time NBA champion Michael Cooper is looking to take Culver City to the state championship game as head coach.

John Paye is looking to win his fifth state championship as the girls head coach of Menlo School (Atherton), which takes on San Domenico (San Anselmo) in the Division IV Northern final. Paye was the 1982 USA Today High School Football Offensive Player of the Year at Menlo before he headed to Stanford to succeed John Elway at quarterback.
Senior Jared McCain and Centennial will take on Harvard-Westlake in the CIF State Open Division Regional finals March 7 with a trip to the state championship on the line. (Photo: Jerrell Jordan)
Senior Jared McCain and Centennial will take on Harvard-Westlake in the CIF State Open Division Regional finals March 7 with a trip to the state championship on the line. (Photo: Jerrell Jordan)
CIF State regional matchups
(All games on Tuesday)

Girls

Open Division
Northern
Salesian College Preparatory (Richmond) vs. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose)
Southern
Etiwanda vs. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth)

Division I
Northern
Oakland Tech (Oakland) vs. St. Mary's (Stockton)
Southern
Del Norte (San Diego) vs. Santiago (Corona)

Division II
Northern
Central (Fresno) vs. Pleasant Valley (Chico)
Southern
Leuzinger (Lawndale) vs. Bonita Vista (Chula Vista)

Division III
Northern
Caruthers vs. Colfax
Southern
Redondo Union (Redondo Beach) vs. Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga)

Division IV
Northern
Menlo School (Atherton) vs. San Domenico (San Anselmo)
Southern
Campbell Hall (North Hollywood) vs. Shalhevet (Los Angeles)

Division V
Northern
Bret Harte (Angels Camp) vs. Fall River (McArthur)
Southern
Marina (Huntington Beach) vs. San Pedro

Boys

Open Division
Northern
St. Joseph (Santa Maria) at Modesto Christian (Modesto)
Southern
Harvard-Westlake (Studio City,) vs. Centennial (Corona)

Division I
Northern
Granada (Livermore) vs. Salesian College Preparatory (Richmond)
Southern
Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) vs. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks)

Division II
Northern
San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno) vs. Vanden (Fairfield)
Southern
Pacifica Christian (Newport Beach) vs. Orange Lutheran (Orange)

Division III
Northern
Oakland vs. Oakland Tech (Oakland)
Southern
Buena (Ventura) vs. Culver City

Division IV
Northern
Half Moon Bay vs. Chico
Southern
St. Bonaventure (Ventura) vs. Valencia

Division V
Northern
Sierra (Tollhouse) vs. Ripon Christian (Ripon)
Southern
Pacifica Christian (Santa Monica) vs. Lynwood

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