Playoffs

It was going to be a difficult task for the Providence High boys' basketball team to repeat its exploits from last season in the CIF Southern Section playoffs when it advanced to the Division V-AA championship for the first time in program history. That became apparent when Pioneers super sophomore Marcus LoVett Jr. departed the team last month. In fact, Providence just qualified for the postseason after placing fourth in the Liberty League. But the Pioneers were hoping to make some noise Wednesday when they opened the playoffs on the road against Lancaster Desert Christian.

Burroughs High girls' soccer Coach Eddie Garcia knows a little something about his team's first-round opponent in the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs. To be more specific, he coached a pair of players on the team that will be the Indians' first-round opponent. Burroughs will take on host Flintridge Prep at 5 p.m. Thursday in a playoff opener. “I coached two of the girls on that team,” said Garcia, who is also a club coach. “I also know that [Prep] is a very good program and they usually have their share of good players.

Despite his team's 31-point loss in its Santa Fe League finale, Bellarmine-Jefferson Coach Julian Andrade is quite confident that his team could have a lengthy postseason run ahead of it. And after CIF Southern Section playoff pairings were released on Sunday, all four Burbank-area squads have a chance to do that. Bell-Jeff will open up the Division 5-AA playoffs by hosting Academy of Careers and Exploration, while Burbank travels to face Loara in Division 1-A and both Burroughs and Providence earned at-large bids in their respective divisions.

NORTH HOLLYWOOD - The Providence High boys basketball team is a group in transition, a team searching for an identity. That's fine if the calendar reads December. Unfortunately for the Pioneers, the month is February, and time just might be running out. “You can't go into the playoffs, expecting to get a playoff spot, playing bad,” said Providence Coach Ernest Baskerville. “You're supposed to be playing better down the stretch. We're not playing better. You're not supposed to hit these bumps in the road down the stretch.” The Pioneers fell to Holy Martyrs, 57-42, on Thursday night at Oakwood High.

With what it had to deal with throughout the season, some might say it was an accomplishment that the Bellarmine-Jefferson High girls' volleyball team was able to advance to the CIF Southern Section Division IV-A quarterfinals this season. However, the Guards were hoping to go a little farther. Unfortunately for Bell-Jeff, its season ended Saturday in a quarterfinal matchup on the road. The Guards were never in the contest against Laguna Blanca, as they fell, 25-15, 25-18, 25-12.

MEMORIAL FIELD - It was Norwalk High's potent offensive attack against Burbank's stingy defense when the two met Friday in a CIF Southern Section first-round playoff football game. Entering the contest, the Lancers had the No. 1 offense in the Southeast Division, scoring 39.9 points a game, while the Bulldogs had the top-rated defense, giving up an average of 15.6 points a contest. However, it was apparent early in the contest at Memorial Field that Burbank was going to have trouble containing the Norwalk rushing attack.

ARCADIA  -  In time, Bellarmine-Jefferson High football Coach David Machuca wants his program to enjoy the same success CIF Southern Section first-round playoff opponent and defending Northeast Division champion Rio Hondo Prep has had. And if Friday night's opening-round 57-6 loss to the Kares brought about any positives, it was that Machuca and the Guards will go into the offseason motivated. “They get in the weight room, and that's what we need to do,” Machuca said of the Prep League champion and No. 2-seeded Kares.

BELLARMINE-JEFFERSON HIGH - The members of the Bellarmine-Jefferson High girls' volleyball team tried not to think about the scary image that befell one of their teammates during a playoff match Thursday evening. Just three points away from taking the first game of their CIF Southern Section Division IV-A second-round contest against California Academy of Math and Science, Guards starting middle Briana Hillo collapsed to the floor clutching her right leg. The match was stopped, as Hillo lie on the court crying and writhing in pain while she was being attended to by the team trainer.

BURROUGHS HIGH - Down by five points - and five points away from elimination - in the decisive fifth game of his team's CIF Southern Section Division II-A second round girls' volleyball match at home against Oxnard on Thursday, Burroughs High coach Edwin Real called a timeout. “We can't give up,” Real said, relaying the message he gave to the Indians during that time out. “It's going to be over if we stop playing. We can fold and let the season be over, or we can play hard and come back.

Usually, the Burroughs High boys' water polo team has flourished during the second half of its matches throughout the season. It played a large role in the Indians qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. Unfortunately for the Indians, the pattern didn't continue Wednesday afternoon during a CIF Southern Section Division V first-round match against host Riverside Poly. Burroughs mustered just one second-half goal and saw its season conclude with a 12-5 defeat.