Long Beach basketball teams prep for playoff games this week

After missing the cut to be included among the elite, 16-team Open Division, Long Beach Poly’s boys basketball team leaed Sunday it eaed the No. 1 seed in CIF Southe Section Division 1AA and will enjoy a first-round by Wednesday.

The Jackrabbits will host either Warren or Windward in Friday’s second round. Poly is seeking a record 21st CIF-SS championship.

No less than 23 area teams will start their playoff joueys this week, with some destined for an early exit and others hoping to go the distance.

In the Open Division, Compton will travel to Corona Centeial and Los Alamitos will travel to Sierra Canyon for a pair of first-round games on Friday.

Neither team’s coach seemed all that happy to be in the powerhouse division, with Compton coach Tony Thomas saying, “Someone doesn’t like Compton, or me.”

The Moore League saw all seven teams reach the postseason. On Wednesday, Millikan will host Upland, Jordan will travel to Aliso Niguel, Lakewood will visit Knight, Wilson will travel to J.W. North, and Cabrillo is at Santa Monica.

So many teams made the playoffs as at-large entries because with a number of teams moving up into the Open Division, there were a lot of slots to fill; hence 5-23 Wilson, which did not win a Moore League game this year, making the playoffs.

Poly isn’t the only team slotted for a deep run, though. St. John Bosco is seeded No. 3 in 1AA and will travel to Pacifica to open up. Lynwood is seeded No. 2 in 2A and will host Ramona while No. 3 Dominguez opens the 3AA playoffs at home against Patriot.

In all, eight of the 16 1AA games will feature at least one local team. In addition to the large Moore League contingent, Downey will travel to Montclair.

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