The Western League champion Dolphins (34-6) are undefeated against City opponents this season, with victories over Venice (three times), Cleveland, El Camino Real, Taft and Chatsworth. They advanced to the Silver Division finals at the Chatsworth Invitational last weekend with their losses coming against Southern Section or out-of-state teams. Western League runner-up Venice enters postseason action as one of the hottest teams, having captured the Gold Division championship at Chatsworth.
Palisades hosts No. 8 Birmingham (6-28) in the quarterfinals Wednesday at 4 p.m. The Patriots are in the top division despite finishing last in the West Valley League. Venice was awarded the No. 2 seed and the Gondoliers (34-9) will host No. 7 Cleveland (18-22-1), the fifth-place team from the West Valley, in the quarterfinals.
West Valley League winner Taft (38-10) is seeded third and hosts No. 6 Chatsworth (27-17), the league’s fourth-place team. Rounding out Wednesday’s quarterfinal matchups is No. 4 El Camino Real (20-8), the West Valley runner-up, hosting No. 5 and defending Open champion Granada Hills, which went 6-4 to take third in league under first-year coach Cheyenne Bledsoe.
Palisades won the last of its record 30 section titles (and third under coach Carlos Gray) to culminate the 2020 campaign, delayed until spring 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The higher seeds will host the semifinals Monday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. and the final is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 3 at Cal State Northridge.
Northern League champion Marshall (30-12-1) is the No. 1 seed in Division I and will host a quarterfinal match at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26 against either No. 8 Kennedy or No. 9 Marquez, which play Monday. University, which one Division II last year, is the No. 2 seed in Division I and also has a first-round bye, as does Western league rival and No. 3 seed Hamilton.
Coliseum League winner GALA, which captured the Division III crown last fall, is seeded No. 1 in Division II and the Goddesses (26-6) host a second-round match Oct. 26 versus No. 16 King-Drew or No. 17 Foshay. Last year’s Division III finalist LACES (17-8) is No. 2 in Division II and has a first-round bye along with No. 3 Narbonne, No. 4 Grant, No. 5 Banning, No. 6 Eagle Rock, No. 7 Mendez, No. 8, Elizabeth, No. 9 Chavez, No. 10 Franklin and No. 11 SOCES.
Valley Mission League winner Reseda (14-2) is No. 1 in Division III, Freeway League runner-up Central City Value (16-10) is No. 1 in Division IV and Animo Bunche (10-8), the fourth-place team from the Freeway League, is the top seed in Division V.