In the Age of Equity, strange things happen. Witness the Division IV NorCal girls' playoffs. Mills of Millbrae has become the last CCS public school female team standing in the entire CIF tournament, regardless of bracket. The Vikings of Coach David Matsu produced a lackluster 4-8 record in the Peninsula Athletic League South in 2022. Their overall record entering NorCals was a very modest 12-12. They did not capture a championship of any kind this season. They do not possess a distinctly stellar, go-to, all-star calibre player of serious note. College recruiters are not hovering around them. But here they are as the Number 8 seed in D IV; they face Argonaut Saturday at 6 p.m. in their own gymnasium not far from SFO in a D IV semi-final contest. A victory gets the Vikings into a NorCal championship game. How does Mills succeed (beyond the obvious competitive balance factor)? Coaching. Preparation. Patience. Defense. Pace. Shot selection. Savvy. The Vikings are a prime example of over-achievement, especially if you focus only on the offensive end of the floor. The sum is much greater than the individual parts in Millbrae these days. And that's a supreme compliment. It's worth pointing out again that a CCS public school girls' team has not played for, or won, a CIF basketball title in 34 years, whether enrollment- or equity-based. Is Mills, essentially coming out of nowhere, going to shockingly overcome that legacy? Who knows? Bizarre outcomes have been occurring with some regularity. Argonaut, Saturday's opponent, is another underdog, a 12th seed. Much credit goes to both of them.
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