CIF does no favors for Paloma Valley girls in playoff draw

Senior forward Sydney Woodley takes a 16.9 ppg scoring average into Tuesday's CIF Southern Regional playoff game.

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Losing by 22 points in the CIF Southern Section girls basketball championship game is certainly not what the Paloma Valley Wildcats wanted – but they didn’t expect the degree of disrespect they believe they received for Tuesday’s CIF State Southern Regional opener, either.

The Wildcats, who lost a 75-53 decision to Eisenhower in Thursday’s CIF-SS Division 2A finals, learned today they have been seeded 8th in the 8-team Division 2AA bracket announced today by CIF State officials. They will have to travel four hours to Santa Maria for a first-round matchup with Righetti (14-2), the No. 1 seed and champion of the CIF Central Section.

CIF State committee members consider section champions, runner-up teams and semifinalsts in making the Southern Regional brackets. There’s no way to know whether the Wildcats (12-4) are being punished for losing so badly in their section final, but it’s a fact they were moved up a notch to Division 2AA for the Southern Regionals. Meanwhile, Sonora – a team that lost in the CIF-SS Division 2A semifinals to Eisenhower – remained in Division 2A and drew a No. 2 seed.

Even Eisenhower, the CIF-SS division 2A champion, was seeded only 6th in the Division 2AA Southern Regionals.

“I’m not thrilled,” Paloma Valley coach Matt Dale said today. “That’s the kind of thing you do to section semifinalists. Eisenhower got disrespected, too. This is not the way I would’ve picked [the draw], but we’ll go up there and compete.”

Last season, on their way to the CIF State Southern Regional title, the Wildcats won at Righetti, 60-54. Paloma Valley’s top three scorers in that game – Trinitee Bradley (18 points), Mya Pierfax (18), and Sydney Woodley (13) – all will be on the court again on Tuesday. Unfortunately, this time the Wildcats have only four other healthy varsity players available. Junior Essynce Lewis suffered a hip injury on Thursday and is questionable for the game.

Dale said he will call up some players from the JV team, but it’s obvious the Wildcats won’t have the same depth and momentum they did the last time they played at Righetti.

“Essynce is up and walking,” Dale said about Lewis, who fell hard on her hip just before halftime of the CIF-SS championship game. “They think it’s just a deep bruise. We’ll see. She’s probably doubtful for Tuesday. We have a day to put it all together.”

Righetti won the CIF Central Division 1 championship, 55-38, over Bakersfield High on Thursday. The Warriors also return their top three starters – seniors Malia Cabagon (12.7 ppg), Alexandria Paquet (10.8), and Paityn Persson (10.3).

Paloma Valley’s scoring leaders are Woodley (16.9 ppg), Pierfax (15.4) and Bradley (10.1).