The craziest two weeks of the season for the rankings begin as usual with lots of playoff upsets. That's single-elimination playoff baseball. Chatsworth's win in the L.A. City finals on Saturday, however, does lock out a number of teams from perhaps being No. 1 in the state for the season. Edison and Mater Dei, who play each other on Tuesday, start out this week in the No. 1 and No. 2 positions.

Compiled by Mark Tennis, Executive Editor
Writeups by Andrew Drennen, Steve Brand, Paul Muyskens and Mark Tennis

(After games of Saturday, May 30)
(Previous ranking in parentheses)

1. (5) Edison (Huntington Beach) 22-5
With the No. 1 through No. 4 teams from last week all losing in the CIF Southern Section playoffs, it's natural to move up the No. 5 Chargers into the No. 1 slot to start this week. Of course, they have to play No. 2 Mater Dei in the Division I semifinals on Tuesday at Blair Field and if they win would then have to earn the championship on Saturday at Anaheim Stadium. Edison won its quarterfinal game last Friday, 3-2, over Dana Hills of Dana Point. Arizona State-bound Kurt Heyer tossed three-hitter with Eric Snyder topping the offense with a pair of doubles. In its other game last week, the Chargers clubbed West Ranch of Valencia, 13-1. Sophomore Henry Owens pitched a five-hitter in that one while Chris Czernachowski led the offense with a home run and a double. The Heyer-Owens pitching combo has been outstanding all season and one more strong outing from each could result in a State Team of the Year honor.

2. (7) Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 24-5
After the Monarchs took down Matt Hobgood and the previous No. 2 Norco Cougars with their 7-4 win last Friday in the CIFSS Div. I quarterfinals, we almost moved them back up to No. 1 for the third time this season. While we did hop them in front of Chatsworth, we left Edison higher since the two teams are going to face off against each other on Tuesday anyway. Coach Burt Call's team also won its earlier playoff game last week by the same 7-4 score against Tesoro of Las Flores. Aaron Northcraft pitched the game against Norco and is as good a No. 1 as you'll find. Mater Dei's offense, which was shut down in its five league losses, has been potent when it has counted the most, especially Cory Hahn, who homered against Tesoro before he hit the two off Hobgood. If Mater Dei wins the CIFSS Division I title to go along with the Anderson Bat National Classic crown it won in April, that's going to be enough as well for the team to be the 2009 State Team of the Year.

3. (6) Chatsworth 29-4
Heading into the L.A. City Section Div. I finals, the Chancellors met up with a Cleveland of Reseda team they saw three previous times. They went 2-1 against the Cavaliers, winning their meeting in early May, 4-3. This time at Dodger Stadium last Saturday, it wasn't close. Carlos Escobar Jr., led the way for the Chancellors, who busted the 9-0 game wide open in the fourth. Escobar led off the fourth with a ground rule double and in his second at bat in the inning he blasted a three-run homer. It is the third straight section title for Chatsworth and the eighth in the last 11 years. Cleveland did win the league title this year, though, so that's what costs Chatsworth in a comparison to Edison and Mater Dei if either of those two win the CIFSS Div. I title. Mater Dei didn't win its league title, either, but winning the National Classic and beating Norco and then potentially Edison and Capistrano Valley would be too much. If you are a Chatsworth fan, clearly the team to root for this week in the CIFSS Div. I playoffs is Riverside Poly. There would be no doubt about the Chancellors finishing No. 1 in the final state rankings if that were to happen.

4. (8) Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo) 24-6
The Cougars will take on Riverside Poly in the CIFSS Div. I semifinal on Tuesday at Blair Field, in Long Beach. That's because they dispatched Orange Lutheran and Marina of Huntington Beach last week. Probable top 10 MLB draft pick Tyler Matzek was lights out against the Lancers in their 4-0 second round win and the bats came alive for the Cougars, who topped Marina 11-0. Rumor has it that recently the Capo Valley lefty, in the playoffs, has hit 99 mph on the gun. Even if the Cougars win out this week, they may not jump Chatsworth in the final rankings. Having a sixth loss, compared to five for Edison and Mater Dei, is the difference there.

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Still No. 1 heading into the crazy week of section finals are Long Beach Poly (D1), Mater Dei (D2), Sacred Heart Cathedral (D3), Bishop's of La Jolla (D4) and Bell-Jeff of Burbank (D5).

By Steve Brand & Mark Tennis

Selection Sunday for the California Interscholastic Federation in basketball isn't quite the same as it is in football.

In basketball, especially on the girls side, there aren't too many difficult choices over which teams should be seeded higher due to head-to-head results, strength of schedule and other factors.

This year's seeding meeting for both the Northern and Southern California regional playoffs will take place this Sunday with games being played in Division I the next evening.

Unlike the boys state divisional rankings, the girls this week were much more stable with only six new teams despite the section playoffs going into later rounds.

The only top five team to lose was No. 3 Troy of Fullerton in Division I, but the Warriors' loss was to No. 1 Long Beach Poly. This week, the Jackrabbits play No. 2 Cajon in the CIFSS Division I final.

One new team going into the Division I rankings this week is Poway of the San Diego Section. The Titans won their 21st straight game with a 71-38 victory over Grossmont in the section quarterfinals last week and improved to 28-2.

Another newly-ranked team is 25-1 Del Oro of Loomis in Division III. The Golden Eagles have been an outstanding team in the Sac-Joaquin Section for the last several seasons, but are always in the shadow of Stockton St. Mary's and Sacramento, which also are in that division. Del Oro was scheduled to play Sac High in the semifinals this week. In the team's 43-32 win over El Camino of Sacramento in the quarterfinals, Katie Pulliam led in scoring with 12 points. She leads a balanced team with 10.4 ppg.

(Rankings based on results through Saturday, Feb. 28; previous ranking in parentheses; *indicates season complete; **indicates team has lost in its section playoffs but could still be placed in regional bracket.)

Division I
1.   (1)   Poly (Long Beach) 27-2
2.   (2)   Cajon (San Bernardino) 29-2
3.   (4)    Clovis West (Fresno) 22-5
4.   (5)    Monte Vista (Danville) 23-2
5.   (3)    Troy (Fullerton) 28-2*
6.   (6)    Berkeley  22-5
7.   (9)    Deer Valley (Antioch) 21-6
8.   (10)  Canyon Springs (Moreno Valley) 24-6
9.   (8)    Colony (Ontario) 26-3
10. (nr)   Poway  28-2
Bubble: Ayala (Chino Hills) 22-8*, Chatsworth 22-8, Etiwanda (Rancho Cucamonga) 21-8*, Kennedy (Sacramento) 23-6, Millikan (Long Beach) 23-6*, Santa Monica 23-7*, Ventura 22-7*.

Division II
1.   (1)    Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 29-0
2.   (2)    Brea Olinda (Brea) 28-2
3.   (3)    Hanford   23-4
4.   (4)    Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) 25-3
5.   (5)    Carondelet (Concord) 24-3
6.   (8)    Edison (Huntington Beach) 24-4
7.   (9)    Pinole Valley (Pinole)  21-5
8.   (nr)   Beverly Hills  24-8
9.   (nr)   Mount Miguel (Spring Valley) 24-5
10. (nr)   Northgate (Walnut Creek) 23-3
Bubble: Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 19-8, Garces (Bakersfield) 28-1, Gunn (Palo Alto) 27-0, Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach) 22-7*, Norco 24-5*, Pleasant Valley (Chico) 19-7*, Summit (Fontana) 26-5*, Vista del Lago (Moreno Valley) 25-3.

Division III
1.   (1)   Sacred Heart Cathedral (SF) 23-1
2.   (2)   St. Mary's (Stockton) 23-3
3.   (3)   Foothill (Tustin)  28-1
4.   (4)   Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) 25-2
5.   (10)  Sacramento  20-8
6.   (5)    Inglewood  28-3***
7.   (6)    Woodbridge (Irvine) 26-3
8.   (7)    Valley Christian (San Jose)  22-6
9.   (10)  St. Ignatius (San Francisco) 19-6
10.  (nr)  Del Oro (Loomis) 25-1
***Indicates losses by forfeit not included.
Bubble: Agoura (Agoura Hills) 25-4*, East Union (Manteca) 25-2, Las Plumas (Oroville) 24-2, Muir (Pasadena) 22-4*, Northgate (Walnut Creek) 23-3, Roosevelt (Fresno) 25-2, Vanden (Travis AFB) 24-3*.

Division IV
1.   (1)   Bishop's (La Jolla) 26-2
2.   (2)   Mater Dei (Chula Vista) 25-2
3.   (3)   St. Mary's (Berkeley) 25-4
4.   (4)   La Jolla Country Day  19-9
5.   (5)   Lutheran (Orange) 25-3
6.   (6)   Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 23-6
7.   (7)   Modesto Christian  21-7
8.   (8)   St. Joseph (Santa Maria) 27-2
9.   (9)   Pacific Hills (Los Angeles) 22-9
10. (10) Christian Brothers (Sacramento) 22-6
Bubble: Bishop Montgomery (Torrance) 21-9*, LACES (Los Angeles) 21-8, Moreau Catholic (Hayward) 22-5, Santa Cruz 24-3, St. Paul (Santa Fe Springs) 19-10, Windward (Los Angeles) 20-8*.

Division V
1.    (1)   Bellarmine-Jefferson (Burbank)  28-2
2.    (2)   Branson (Ross) 26-3
3.    (3)   Pinewood (Los Altos) 26-4
4.    (4)   Santa Clara (Oxnard) 24-3
5.    (6)   Bradshaw Christian (Sacramento) 24-4
6.    (7)   Fresno Christian  20-5
7.    (8)   Head-Royce (Oakland) 25-4
8.    (nr)  View Park Prep (Los Angeles) 25-8
9.    (10)  St. Joseph (Alameda) 21-7
10.   (5)   Montclair Prep (Van Nuys) 21-7*
Bubble: Chadwick (Palos Verdes) 23-4*, Christian Life (Escondido) 20-7, Convent of the Sacred Heart (S.F.) 19-6*, Urban (San Francisco) 20-10, Vincent Memorial (Calexico) 19-4, Wilton Christian (Wilton) 25-1.

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