DIVISION 1A

COUNTY OUTLOOK

(Division 1A girls basketball playoff bracket)

Anaheim: The Colonists, the third-place team from the Orange League, are big underdogs at 10th-seeded Buena of Ventura in the first round and they have one of the longest road trips of any team in the county.

Aliso Niguel: The Wolverines, an at-large team from the South Coast League, will be underdogs on the road against 13th-seeded El Rancho of Pico Rivera and they would be even bigger underogs in the second round against fourth-seeded Newbury Park.

Canyon: The Comanches reached the Division 2AA quarterfinals last season and they won the Division 2A title in 2011, so Canyon coach Matt Dale knows how to get the most out of his players. Senior guard Tyler Prange is the Comanches go-to player and senior point guard Lindsay Uyematsu can dish to her teammates and knock down 3-pointers. The 11th-seeded Comanches will be the favorite at Cypress in the first round and a victory could set up a good matchup against sixth-seeded A.B. Miller of Fontana.

Capistrano Valley: The Cougars, an at-large team from the South Coast League, will be big underdogs at Foothill in the first round. Capo Valley will need huge performances from junior guard Tara Casey and sophomore center Kasey Smit to have a shot at pulling off an upset.

Cypress: The Centurions took second place in the Empire League and they got a home game in the first round. It’s a tough one against battle-tested Canyon from the Century League.

Dana Hills: The Dolphins were 2-7 at one point this season, but rallied 14-12 with a share of the Sea View League title. Unfortunately, Dana Hills would get top-seeded Bishop Amat of La Puente in the second round and that’s if it gets past 16th-seeded Riverside Poly.

El Toro: The Chargers were without Whitney Williams for much of the season while she was recovering from an injury, but the team’s chances have gone up since her return. Williams brings excellent ball-handling skills, she can score and she helped lead El Toro to the Division 1A semifinals last season.

Foothill: The seventh-seeded Knights, the defending Division 2A champion, closed out the regular season with a seven-game winning streak, including a victory over Brea Olinda, and a share of the Century League title. Hailey James has big-game experience and that will be important of the Knights are going to make a deep playoff run.

Fountain Valley: The Barons are an at-large team from the Sunset League that will be a big underdog at eighth-seeded Burroughs of Burbank in the first round.

Godinez: The Orange Coast League hasn’t fared well in the postseason and the Grizzlies didn’t get any help from the CIF-SS playoff committee. Godinez got a home game in the first round, but it’s against second-seeded Canyon Springs of Moreno Valley.

Huntington Beach: The 12th-seeded Oilers finished third in the Sunset League, but don’t underestimate them. Huntington Beach is very young, but they have some talent and could be a land mine for teams in the playoffs. The Oilers open on the road at Schurr of Montebello and then they will be live underdogs against fifth-seeded Ventura in the second round.

Katella: The Knights have won three consecutive Orange League titles and the program is moving in the right direction. Here’s the good news: Katella has a home game in the first round. Here’s the bad news: Katella’s first-round opponent is top-seeded Bishop Amat of La Puente.

Trabuco Hills: The Mustangs, an at-large team from the Sea View League, are huge underdogs in the first round at third-seeded Vista Murrieta of Murrieta.

Westminster: The ninth-seeded Lions shared the Golden West League title with Segerstrom last season, but they closed the regular season with an 11-game winning streak to claim the outright league championship. Westminster will be a tough matchup for any team in this division with Azusa Pacific-bound center Maggie Dumphy and point guard Chyann Pendergrass.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Maddy Bloom, Dana Hills, Fr.

Tara Casey, Capistrano Valley, Jr.

Maggie Dumphy, Westminster, Sr.

Haley Hodgson, Cypress, Sr.

Ari Jacobsen, Fountain Valley, So.

Hailey James, Foothill, Sr.

T’Sara Jones-McTiller, Katella, Sr.

Shelby Julian, Trabuco Hills, Jr.

Lara Maceren, Anaheim, Jr.

Jasmine Matar, Fountain Valley, Sr.

Yvette Mendoza, Godinez, Sr.

Monet Mirabal, Cypress, So.

Christen Morris, El Toro, Jr.

Jill Nakaso, Huntington Beach, So.

Chyann Pendergrass, Katella, Jr.

Tyler Prange, Canyon, Sr.

Toni Rivera, Katella, Sr.

Paola Roa, Huntington Beach, So.

Chloe Sharabba, Aliso Niguel, Jr.

Kasey Smit, Capistrano Valley, So.

Katie Underwood, Dana Hills, Sr.

Lindsay Uyematsu, Canyon, Sr.

Whitney Williams, El Toro, Sr.

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