Yes, both champion and runner-up advance to Norcals from CCS Div. 3. Only 2 teams will rep. CCS. However, for Div. 1 and Div. 2, since there are 3 teams from each of those divisions in the CCS Open division, ONLY THE CHAMPION in divisional play will advance. So, that means in Div. 1 only Paly, Piedmont Hills or Los Gatos will advance (assuming one of those 3 wins the Div. 1 bracket). So for Div. 1 and 2 CCS will send 4 teams to Norcals. In Div. 4, since Palma is in the Open, the champion and runner-up will advance for a total of 3 teams in Norcals.
WCAL 2017: NORCAL PLAYOFFS
- Thread starter Mr. Direct
- Start date
Forgot that SI is D3, so CCS will send 3 to Norcals.
"Doctor" I respect your knowledge and coaching ability/history.
Do you know if it has ever been discussed about having a 3rd place game during the CCS divisional rounds? That way the CCS could send the 3rd place team to NorCals.
For example, this year, the CCS will only be sending 3 teams to NorCals in D3 (SI and the 2 teams that make it to the championship game). Why not have a 3rd place game in D3 so that the 3rd place team could also be sent to NorCals? They have a 3rd place game in the Open Division, so why not a 3rd place game in all divisions?
It seems silly for the CCS to not send 4 teams to Norcal's in all divisions.
JM2C
The CCS's solution to that is the Open Division where ALL the teams are automatic qualifiers for the NorCal playoffs. The thought process was to reward the best teams (private or public) and to avoid "gaming" the system to avoid the Open - rather than being placed in their respective enrollment divisions in order to better position itself to secure a spot in NorCals.
Further to my post above, last year in Norcal Division 5, the NCS sent 4 teams (however the CCS only sent their top 2 teams). The NCS sent both of the NCS D5 tournament finalists (St Joe's beat University 65-61). But they also sent the 2 "semi-finalists" (Stuart Hall and Urban). So, there doesn't seem to be any "hard and fast rules". I guess that it is up to the section "committee" to pick and choose who they send to Norcal's. I'm assuming that it is based on the MaxPreps rankings....but I still wonder why they just don't send 16 teams to Norcal's. I don't think it really helps the top 4 teams to have a bye in the first round. Out of the 4 teams in D5 last year that received first round bye's, only 1 team made it to the finals.
JM2C
According to Bylaws the Final participants will advance to NorCal. The only way they wouldn't is if two or more members of the same division are already in the open. I believed it happened to SI a couple years ago. They are in D3 and Riordan and SHC were in the open and they were not allowed to go to NorCal. I could be wrong.
Back in the 1970's and early 1980's, the C.C.S. did have a third place game that was played. This ended in either 1981 or 1982.
It up to the individual sections, how they nominate teams for the Nor Cals.
For the C.C.S. the OPEN Division teams go first, followed by the teams in the Division Championship Games, Runner-up only when there are not 3 teams from that Division in the OPEN Division.
It up to the individual sections, how they nominate teams for the Nor Cals.
For the C.C.S. the OPEN Division teams go first, followed by the teams in the Division Championship Games, Runner-up only when there are not 3 teams from that Division in the OPEN Division.
What a season for the Bellarmine! Perfect 14-0. Going into the season I thought they lacked a go to inside presence but Stubblefield emerged as a force down low for the Bells. He was on JV last year so I didn't really see that coming. Couple him with Athens and Wojick and the 3 headed monster would not be denied. Here are the final standings:
1. Bellarmine - 14-0. #1 Seed CCS Open
2. St. Ignatius - 10-4. #2 Seed CCS Open
3. Mitty - 9-5. #3 Seed CCS Open
4. St. Francis - 8-6. #4 Seed CCS Open
5. Serra - 7-7. #6 Seed CCS Open
6. Valley Christian - 4-10. #3 Seed CCS D2
7. SHC - 3-11. #1 Seed CCS D3
8. Riordan - 1-13 #7 Seed CCS D3
1. Bellarmine - 14-0. #1 Seed CCS Open
2. St. Ignatius - 10-4. #2 Seed CCS Open
3. Mitty - 9-5. #3 Seed CCS Open
4. St. Francis - 8-6. #4 Seed CCS Open
5. Serra - 7-7. #6 Seed CCS Open
6. Valley Christian - 4-10. #3 Seed CCS D2
7. SHC - 3-11. #1 Seed CCS D3
8. Riordan - 1-13 #7 Seed CCS D3
Riordan is 1-13 and they're going to the CCS playoffs? Just because they won 6 "soft" pre-season games where 2 or 3 of those wins came in their own tournament??
My WCAL Awards:
Player of the Year: Jake Wojcik - Jr.
1st Team
Riley Grigsby - Jr.
Tyler Johnson - Jr.
Darrion Trammell - Jr.
Angelo Athens - Sr.
Matt Redmond - Jr.
2nd Team
Jack Wilson - Jr.
Emmett Neal - So.
Jake Mihanovic - Sr.
Kendall Stubblefield - Jr.
Brandon Beckman - Jr.
3rd Team
Henry James - Jr.
Jaedon Roberts - So.
James Chun - Jr.
Alex Sokol - Sr.
Mike Diaz - Sr.
Sophomore of the Year: Emmett Neal
Freshman of the Year: Jelani Clark
Player of the Year: Jake Wojcik - Jr.
1st Team
Riley Grigsby - Jr.
Tyler Johnson - Jr.
Darrion Trammell - Jr.
Angelo Athens - Sr.
Matt Redmond - Jr.
2nd Team
Jack Wilson - Jr.
Emmett Neal - So.
Jake Mihanovic - Sr.
Kendall Stubblefield - Jr.
Brandon Beckman - Jr.
3rd Team
Henry James - Jr.
Jaedon Roberts - So.
James Chun - Jr.
Alex Sokol - Sr.
Mike Diaz - Sr.
Sophomore of the Year: Emmett Neal
Freshman of the Year: Jelani Clark
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I believe SI is D2 now. However I'm pining for them to make NorCal Open and play against the big boys. I would think if they were to play Bellarmine in CCS Open finals they would get into NorCal Open as one of the middle ranked teams. I see Mitty going back to D2 Norcal along with Serra or St. Francis.
They are confirmed D3. Unless they win CCS Open I don't see them as a top 8 team in NorCal, so they will not be in NorCal Open.
Mitty, Serra, and St. Francis will all automatically be in NorCal D2.
The question that I think you need to ask yourself is whether Riordan is better or as deserving to qualify for the CCS D3 playoffs as the rest of the scrub teams in D3 CCS. Are you telling me that good team(s) aren't qualifying because Riordan took their spot? I didn't think so.
As bad as Riordan has been this year - I think they hang with any of the other D3 teams with the possible exception of SHC who they already beat once this year albeit without two of SHC's starters.
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I agree - no way is SI going open in NorCal - probably so in 2018 and/or 2019 but not this year.
This bodes well for an eventual City match up of one of City WCAL schools v. Mission in possible 1st or 2nd round (assuming Mission wins out).
12 of those 17 players are coming back with just one senior on first team/POY. Fun times next year
Tell me, other than SHC, did any of the other D3 CCS teams play a tougher overall schedule than Riordan? Riordan and SHC have played OPEN-level competition the past two months. Last season's Crusader team only got 3 league wins, but won CCS D3 as an underdog and lost by only 6 points to the eventual State Champ, Manteca, on the road with two of their starters playing with significant injuries. The point I am making is that historically, the Crusaders have acquitted themselves quite nicely in postseason play. Granted, this squad is very young, but they will be competitive.
Really? Riordan is easily the second best team in the CCS D3 bracket. They are going to cruise to the championship game against SHC. Even the worst teams in the WCAL are far superior to the good public schools.
Hate to pile on but they went 1-2 in the Crusader Classic losing to San Ramon Valley and Menlo-Atherton - two good teams. Riordan also beat Castro Valley on the road without James Chun (another decent win). They aren't world-beaters by any stretch but superior to the average public school DIII teams.
San Ramon Valley has been a solid team in the past, but didn't even make the NCS playoffs this year, despite that big win over Riordan.
Not so. In fact, Jefferson is an excellent team, peaking at the right time. Jefferson came VERY close to beating M-A in the PAL semis and led the game for 29 minutes.
It's why you play the games...I do recall Burlingame was #1 and SHC #2 and Riordan seeded #4 last season...I do agree with the Crusaders' seeding this year as they are young and vertically-challenged. But Coach Buck will have this team ready to play. Haven't seen much of Jeff. What other good team(s) other than M-A have they played?
If you haven't been reading the above messages, it is because they play in the WCAL, one of the best leagues in California.
It is a valid question. No question the WCAL is an outstanding league in most years. But a lot of teams in good leagues still don't get into the playoffs. SEC football teams with 1win don't get into bowl games.
How did they qualify? Does the CCS require teams to qualify by minimum win-loss records? NCS requires a team to be at least .500 in league, overall or against teams in their division.
How did they qualify? Does the CCS require teams to qualify by minimum win-loss records? NCS requires a team to be at least .500 in league, overall or against teams in their division.
Pretty sure that to be eligible for CCS playoffs, a team must have a .500 or better nonleague record or a .500 and better league record. Riordan went 6-4 outside of the WCAL, hence why they qualified for playoffs.
As I understand it, 5 wins in non-league qualifies for CCS post season.
Don't understand why the fuss about this season's Crusader team, where VC had finished 0-WCAL in 2 of the past 5 seasons and the other 2 seasons 1-WCAL and qualified for CCS. This year finally saw VC have multiple WCAL wins. Good for them!
Ok, 5 non-league wins qualifies. That is much different than NCS, and explains how a 1-13 team in league qualifies. If a team like SRV went 1-13 in league in NCS, they would need to go 12-0 in non-league to qualify. As it was, they qualified by going 7-6 in league, and 5-8 in non-league for a total record of 12-14, yet still didn't get selected into the playoffs.
CCS PLAYOFFS ROUND 1
2/23/17
Capuchino @ Riordan 7PM - The Crusaders should cruise to a win against a Capuchino squad who best win was against...I don't know. Hillsdale I guess. If the Mustangs keep this one competitive at all I'd be shocked. As for the 7-17 Crusaders making the playoffs, obviously if they played in any of the public school leagues in the CCS they'd have a overall winning record.
2/23/17
Capuchino @ Riordan 7PM - The Crusaders should cruise to a win against a Capuchino squad who best win was against...I don't know. Hillsdale I guess. If the Mustangs keep this one competitive at all I'd be shocked. As for the 7-17 Crusaders making the playoffs, obviously if they played in any of the public school leagues in the CCS they'd have a overall winning record.
First off the NCS has much more depth than the CCS so we are talking apples to oranges when we are talking about how high the playoff bar is. If you kicked the WCAL bottom dwellers out of the CCS playoffs then it would be a watered down tournament with reduced gate revenues especially since the advent of the Open Division.
Secondly, the WCAL is a brutal league top to bottom even in a down year like this year. Most WCAL teams will be stronger next year as many of the top players return. SRV plays in a decent league but the WCAL doesn't have an equivalent of Livermore, Granada or California granting them two automatic league wins a year. That team used to be Valley Christian but Coach DeLuca has rapidly changed that.
Lastly, you are comparing a Division I team (SRV) to a D3 team(s) so there's a bit of inequity on that front as well although a private school like Riordan isn't nearly as dependent upon enrollment numbers as public schools.
I just picked out a tea
I just picked out a team at random. I'm sure there are plenty of D3 teams that won more than 1 league game or 5 non-league games and didn't make the playoffs. If bottom dwellers were removed, it might be a more watered down tourney than the current one, but if 1 win teams are in it has to be considered watered down as it is. The WCAL is as good as it gets for NorCal hoops in most years, but not everyone should be invited to the playoffs.
I just picked out a team at random. I'm sure there are plenty of D3 teams that won more than 1 league game or 5 non-league games and didn't make the playoffs. If bottom dwellers were removed, it might be a more watered down tourney than the current one, but if 1 win teams are in it has to be considered watered down as it is. The WCAL is as good as it gets for NorCal hoops in most years, but not everyone should be invited to the playoffs.
I say cut the CCS basketball playoffs down to 3 "Open" divisions like in football. The 3 divisions would contain the top 24 teams. Break them down top to bottom by enrollment. Have the final 4 in each division (12 teams) qualify for NorCals. Currently CCS sends the 8 Open teams and at least 1 from each of the 5 other divisions. Changing the format give much more significance to the 3 Open division titles.
Open Division 1
1. Bellarmine
2. Sequoia
3. Serra
4. Menlo-Atheron
5. Palo Alto
6. Los Gatos
7. Piedmont Hills
8. Mountain View
Open Division 2
1. St. Ignatius
2. Mitty
3. St. Francis
4. Leigh
5. Valley Christian
6. Sacred Heart Cathedral
7. Aptos
8. Riordan
Open Division 3
1. Palma
2. Monterey
3. St. Francis (SCP)
4. Half Moon Bay
5. Menlo School
6. Pacific Grove
7. Monte Vista Christian
8. Jefferson
But I get it...they met the requirements which is above .500 in non-league so be it. But i would disagree that just because a league is tougher, they are more deserving.
In the end, the creme rises to the top. Very small chance for any of those schools that boast very good W-L records from the lower tiered leagues to make it into the semifinals of NorCals.
CCS D3 Second Round: (7-16) Riordan 74 vs (12-12) Capuchino 40 Final
D3 Quarterfinal Round Saturday @ St. Ignatius
#4 Saratoga vs #5 Aptos - 1pm
#3 Jefferson vs. #6 Sobrato - 2:45pm
#1 SHC vs #8 Gunderson - 4:30pm
#2 Monterey vs #7 Riordan - 6:15pm
D3 Quarterfinal Round Saturday @ St. Ignatius
#4 Saratoga vs #5 Aptos - 1pm
#3 Jefferson vs. #6 Sobrato - 2:45pm
#1 SHC vs #8 Gunderson - 4:30pm
#2 Monterey vs #7 Riordan - 6:15pm
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