division

It’s now official. You can call Chatsworth a 12-time City Section volleyball champion after the Chancellors won the Open Division championship on Saturday night, knocking off West Valley League rival Granada Hills 24-26, 25-21, 25-14, 25-18.

Noa Beauregard led Chatsworth with 14 kills and Grant Chang had 13.

Coach Sina Aghassy got his team to settle down and dominate the Highlanders after their first-set defeat. The two teams had split their league matches.

Both schools will move on to the state tournament next week, with pairings announced on Sunday.

Baseball

Sylmar 4, Chatsworth 3: The No. 1-seeded Spartans survived a three-run seventh inning by Chatsworth to advance to the City Section Division I semifinals against Verdugo Hills on Wednesday at Stengel Field. Tim Sepulveda had two hits.

Verdugo Hills 8, Sun Valley Poly 2: Jered Smith hit a grand slam in the sixth inning to help the Dons reach the City Division I semifinals.

Taft 11, Cleveland 0: The Toreadors advanced to the Division I semifinal behind Sebastian Gamez, who threw the shutout. Nate Swinson had two hits and two RBIs.

Venice 7, Palisades 6: The Gondoliers earned a match against Taft in the Division I semifinals. Darius Basco’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh won it. Miguel Medina threw three scoreless innings of relief.

Softball

La Habra 6, Murrieta Mesa 4: Rylee Gruener hit a grand slam during a five-run inning to enable La Habra to eliminate top-seeded Murrieta Mesa in the Division I playoffs. Alyssa Hernandez added three hits.

Orange Lutheran 17, Chino Hills 14: In a wild Division 1 playoff game, Sierra Nichols and Madelyn Armendariz each had four hits for Orange Lutheran, with Armendariz getting three doubles. Nichols, Rylee Silva and Eliza Johnson hit home runs. Brett Lambrecht had five RBIs for Chino Hills.

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 8, Oaks Christian 5: The Mission League champions advanced behind freshman pitcher Ainsley Jenkins, who came in and provided three innings of three-hit relief pitching. Nadia Ledon, Keira Luderer and Ellayne Tellez-Perez hit home runs.

Norco 8, Riverside Poly 2: The No. 2-seeded Cougars were led by Savannah Gonzalez, who had three hits, including a home run. Coral Williams struck out 13. Camryn May and Sadie Burroughs also had three hits.

SOUTHERN SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

FIRST ROUND

DIVISION 1

Murrieta Mesa 10, Valley View 0

Orange Lutheran 10, Millikan 0

Chino Hills 2, El Modena 1

Etiwanda 14, Agoura 13

Palos Verdes 3, Riverside King 2

Cypress 4, Fullerton 2

Ayala 11, Charter Oak 1

Riverside Poly 7, California 3

Norco 2, Marina 1

DIVISION 3

Rancho Cucamonga 9, Paloma Valley 1

Great Oak 5, West Torrance 2

Edison 8, El Segundo 5

El Toro 9, Colton 0

Murrieta Valley 9, Redondo Union 8

North Torrance 5, Beaumont 0

West Ranch 7, Trabuco Hills 6

San Juan Hills 8, Riverside North 7

Oak Park 10, Cerritos Valley Christian 4

Highland 7, Northview 2

La Serna 4, Carter 0

Dos Pueblos 5, Crescenta Valley 0

Liberty 10, Arcadia 3

DIVISION 5

Anaheim 11, Flintridge Sacred Heart 0

Patriot 11, Arrowhead Christian 9

Temple City 9, Rancho Christian 6

Grace 11, Buena Park 0

Crean Lutheran 3, Alemany 2

Shadow Hills 8, Cerritos 3

San Marcos 10, Leuzinger 0

South El Monte 7, Long Beach Wilson 5

Covina 11, Garden Grove Santiago 1

Muir 8, Rio Hondo Prep 7

Santa Monica 6, Katella 5

Ontario 6, Norwalk 2

Northwood 18, Duarte 11

DIVISION 7

Bloomington 9, Fillmore 8

Miller 11, Savanna 3

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 11, Riverside Springs Magnolia 4

Faith Baptist 18, St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 4

Twentynine Palms 16, Rancho Alamitos 15

Riverside Notre Dame 12, Costa Mesa 2

Firebaugh 9, Pioneer 8

Chadwick 6, Desert Christian Academy 1

Cathedral City 2, Artesia 1

Orange 9, Bellflower 3

Santa Ana 10, Hawthorne 0

Culver City 9, Temecula Prep 8

DIVISION 8

Banning 20, Redlands Adventist 3

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Games at 3:15 p.m. unless noted)

SECOND ROUND

DIVISION 1

La Habra at Murrieta Mesa, noon

Chino Hills at Orange Lutheran

Etiwanda at Westlake

La Mirada at Palos Verdes, noon

Garden Grove Pacifica at Cypress, noon

Ayala at JSerra

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at Oaks Christian, 1 p.m.

Norco at Riverside Poly

DIVISION 2

Bonita at Ganesha, 11 a.m.

Whittier Christian at Warren

Simi Valley at St. Paul

Moorpark at Lakewood St. Joseph, 11 a.m.

Temescal Canyon at San Clemente, 12:30 p.m.

Huntington Beach at Camarillo, Monday

Saugus at Vista Murrieta, 12:30 p.m.

Mater Dei at Gahr, noon

DIVISION 3

Great Oak at Rancho Cucamonga

Edison at El Toro, Monday

Murrieta Valley at North Torrance

West Ranch at San Juan Hills

Riverside Prep at Oak Park, 12:30 p.m.

La Serna at Highland

Dos Pueblos at La Salle, Monday

Villa Park at Liberty, 1 p.m.

DIVISION 4

St. Bonaventure at Harvard-Westlake, 11 a.m.

Apple Valley at Oxnard

Don Lugo at Monrovia, 1:30 p.m.

La Quinta at Mira Costa

Rio Mesa at Mission Viejo, 10 a.m.

Oak Hills at Sunny Hills

Ramona at Paramount

Burbank Burroughs at Rosary, Monday

DIVISION 5

Anaheim vs. Santa Clara at Beck Park

Temple City at Patriot

Crean Lutheran at Grace

Viewpoint at Shadow Hills

San Marcos at Irvine University, noon

South El Monte at Covina

Santa Monica at Muir, 10:30 a.m.

Northwood at Ontario, 1 p.m.

DIVISION 6

Irvine at Lakeside

Alhambra at Heritage

Eastside at Granite Hills, noon

El Monte at St. Genevieve

Sierra Vista vs. Southlands Christian at Brea Canyon Cutoff Rd

Hesperia Christian vs. St. Monica Prep at Memorial Park, 2 p.m.

Arroyo at Lancaster

San Jacinto at Jurupa Valley

DIVISION 7

Bloomington at Ramona Convent

Miller at Santa Ana Calvary Chapel

Faith Baptist at Twentynine Palms, Monday

Firebaugh vs. Riverside Notre Dame at Ramona

Chadwick at Cathedral City

Orange at Victor Valley, 11 a.m.

Santa Ana at Culver City, Monday

Windward at Edgewood, Monday at 3:30 p.m.

DIVISION 8

ACE at Avalon

Bolsa Grande vs. San Bernardino, Monday at San Bernardino College

Workman at Glendale

Cobalt at Santa Rosa Academy

Bell Gardens vs. Brentwood at John Anson Ford Park

Pomona Catholic vs. Capistrano Valley Christian at Laguna Hills, 2 p.m.

Fontana at Banning

Hawthorne MSA at Arroyo Valley, 1 p.m.

Note: Quarterfinals May 20; Semifinals May 23; Finals May 28-30 at Bill Barber Memorial Park, Irvine.

Lachlan Clark, a senior backup pitcher for Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, wanted the ball so badly Friday against No. 1 Norco that he posted video from his Sherman Oaks Little League days, saying, “Bring it on.”

He more than lived up to the hype, throwing a four-hit shutout with seven strikeouts and zero walks in a 4-0 victory that advances the Knights to next Friday’s Southern Section Division 1 baseball quarterfinals. Notre Dame went 2-0 in Pool A. Norco must win Tuesday against Ayala to avoid elimination. The top two finishers in each pool advance.

Clark, who recently committed to Long Beach State, had been waiting for his turn in the spotlight. The last time he got a chance to shine was in the National Classic when he pitched 6⅔ innings against De La Salle and struck out 10. He thrives under pressure. An injury to Beckett Berg has made him the No. 2 pitcher for the rest of the season.

He was supported by Jacob Madrid, Notre Dame’s catcher who hit his 12th home run. After the game, 10 players went with co-coach Tom Dill to grad night at Magic Mountain.

St. John Bosco 4, Sierra Canyon 3: The Braves won their pool to advance to the Division 1 quarterfinals. A passed ball broke a 3-3 tie in the sixth inning. Noah Everly had two RBIs. Troy Sibolboro came through with 3⅔ innings of scoreless relief. Carl McMullan had two hits and two RBIs for Sierra Canyon, which will play in an elimination game Tuesday against Cypress.

La Mirada 9, Temecula Valley 2: Ian Aguayo hit a two-run home run during a six-run fourth inning for La Mirada, which next plays Huntington Beach.

Cypress 8, Oaks Christian 2: Noah Johnson had three hits to propel Cypress into an elimination game against Sierra Canyon on Tuesday. Tate Belfanti struck out eight in four innings.

Harvard-Westlake 6, Huntington Beach 5: Jake Chung escaped a bases loaded situation in the bottom of the sixth to help the Wolverines win Pool B at 2-0. James Tronstein went three for three, hitting his 10th home run. Jake Kim hit a key two-run home run.

Orange Lutheran 9, Corona 6: The Lancers won Pool D, rallying from a 5-2 deficit. Brady Murrietta hit three home runs and finished with six RBIs.

Ayala 7, Maranatha 6: A Jonah Boyd single in the seventh broke a 6-6 tie and kept Ayala alive in the Division 1 playoffs. Elijah Duarte had two hits and two RBIs.

Corona Santiago 8, Etiwanda 4: Troy Randall had two hits and two RBIs, Max Eldridge homered and Charlie Lemons finished with three hits for Santiago, which will play league rival Corona on Tuesday in an elimination game.

Arcadia 3, Simi Valley 2: Matt Manzo had a walk-off double in the bottom of the seventh for Arcadia in the Division 3 game. Simi Valley lost a home run after Arcadia protested over a lineup error.

St. Francis 4, Crescenta Valley 2: Danny Izaguirre hit a two-run home run, Jake Smith had three hits and two RBIs and Caysen Sullivan threw a complete game as another Mission League team advanced. All seven entrants have won at least one playoff game.

Palos Verdes 7, Pacifica Christian 1: Franco Correa had four RBIs and Kai Van Scoyoc struck out eight in six innings.

Edison 5, Damien 1: Noah Hunter struck out 11 and gave up two hits.

Agoura 4, Oakwood 0: Donovan Anthony struck out 15 with one walk and Tyler Starling and Colton Mellinger homered for Agoura.

Softball

Cypress 4, Fullerton 2: Chach Stamper threw a five-hitter to help the Centurions upset No. 3-seeded Fullerton in the Division 1 playoffs.

Norco 2, Marina 1: The No. 2-seeded Cougars survived on a walk-off single by Leighton Gray in the seventh. Marina offered its expected tough challenge with pitcher Mia Valbuena. Peyton May and Coral Williams combined for 11 strikeouts for Norco.

Whether Mira Costa has the best high school volleyball team in America is open to debate, but the Mustangs left little doubt they are No. 1 in the Southern Section on Friday night, sweeping Loyola 25-21, 25-22, 25-22 at Cerritos College to repeat as Division 1 champions.

UCLA-bound Mateo Fuerbringer was ready from the start, ending Loyola’s first three rallies with thunderous kills and the fourth with an emphatic stuff block. Ten points into the match, the 6-foot-4 junior hitter already had five kills and he ended the first set with his 12th as Mira Costa was ahead from start to finish.

“He’s always had the IQ, now you add the power on top of that?” Mira Costa coach Greg Snyder said of his star. “There are no answers. It’s a deadly combination. Mateo has no weaknesses.”

The teams traded leads throughout the second set until the Mustangs created separation late on the serving of Fuerbringer and Enzo Barker before Loyola’s Pax Stetson served into the twine to put Mira Costa up two sets to none.

The third-seeded Cubs took a 17-11 lead in the third set, but Mira Costa got in front 20-19 on Barker’s ace and Fuerbringer sent the green-and-white clad fans into delirium with his right-side smash on match point. He finished with 27 kills while Barker and UC Santa Barbara commit Wyatt Davis each added six. Mater Dei transfer Jake Newman had 38 assists and Dane Del Riego had 15 digs.

Loyola’s Brendan Maffel flings the ball past Mira Costa blocker Miles Crotty during the Southern Section Division 1 boys’ volleyball championship on Friday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

“I always try to set the tone and Jake gave me great sets,” Fuerbringer said. “They were bombing serves in that third set and got up on us, but we stuck with it and closed it strong. We didn’t want to give them any momentum.”

Mira Costa won its 10th section title and improved to 10-8 in finals. It also won back-to-back titles for the second time in school history, the first coming in Division 2 in 2001 and 2002. Mira Costa is 2-3 in finals against Loyola, having fallen to the Cubs in four sets in 2005 and 2010, prevailing in five sets in 2012 and getting swept in 2024.

Mira Costa has won 10 straight matches (dropping only three sets) since its five-set defeat at Bay League rival Redondo Union on March 26. It avenged that loss in four sets April 20 to earn the top seed.

The teams were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the country when they faced off in a nonleague match March 21 in Manhattan Beach, where the Mustangs rallied from a two-set deficit to win 15-11 in the fifth in a two-and-a-half-hour marathon. That time, Fuerbringer had 37 kills.

“The first time we didn’t come out as strong,” he said. “This time we were ready to play and came out hot.”

In the semifinals six days earlier, Loyola upset No. 2 Redondo Union in five sets, avenging a close loss in the Redondo Varsity Classic final on April 18. Mira Costa swept No. 4 Huntington Beach — its third victory over the Oilers this season.

Mira Costa won the inaugural Division I state championship last spring and will begin its quest for a repeat Tuesday night (regional seedings will be released Sunday afternoon). If it runs the table, Mira Costa would equal its 37-2 record in 2025.

Pepperdine commit JP Wardy had 13 kills and Rafa Milchan added 12 for the Cubs (23-4), but senior captain Blake Fahlbusch, who is headed to USC, was held to nine. Libero Matt Kelly, a Loyola Chicago commit, had 12 digs.

“We know where everyone wants to swing and we know Blake’s their catalyst,” Snyder said. “When they need a kill they usually go to him.”

The teams did not meet in the postseason last year. Mira Costa defeated Huntington Beach to win the section and regional crowns while Loyola fell to the Oilers in the section semifinals and did not play in regionals.

Snyder has guided the Mustangs into the finals in each of his three seasons, winning the last two. He was with the program for 12 years prior, seven as a varsity assistant under Avery Drost.

Loyola’s JP Wardy gets blocked by Mira Costa’s Miles Crotty and Colby Graham during the Mustangs’ win Friday night.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Loyola, making its 19th appearance in a section final, dropped to 13-6 all-time and 7-6 in 28 seasons under 1984 Cubs alum Michael Boehle.

In the preceding Division 4 final, Sunny Hills beat Royal, 24-26, 25-22, 27-25, 25-23 for its second title since coach Albert Soliguen started the program in 2020.

Owen Filadelfia had 18 kills and eight digs, Christian Lee added 17 kills and 11 digs, Jacob Sueki had 16 digs and Parker Mesnik dished out 47 assists for the Lancers (21-14), who swept Carpinteria in the Division 5 final in 2022 at Long Beach City College.

Grant Herzer had 19 kills, Donald Fleming had 18 and each added nine digs for the Highlanders (16-11), who were seeking their sixth section title in their 11th trip to the finals, having won Division 2-A in 1989 and 1990, 3-A in 1992, Division II in 1994 and Division 3 in 2022.

SOUTHERN SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

FIRST ROUND

DIVISION 1

La Habra 3, Los Altos 2

Westlake 10, Paraclete 9

La Mirada 4, Los Alamitos 2

Garden Grove Pacifica 15, Glendora 4

JSerra 3, Yucaipa 2

Oaks Christian 8, Chaminade 1

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 6, Anaheim Canyon 3

DIVISION 2

Bonita 9, Sierra Canyon 1

Ganesha 7, Torrance 0

Warren 8, Thousand Oaks 1

Whittier Christian 10, Western Christian 2

Simi Valley 3, Alta Loma 1

St. Paul 20, Eastvale Roosevelt 1

Lakewood St. Joseph 4, Aliso Niguel 0

Moorpark 6, Long Beach Poly 1

Temescal Canyon 3, Aquinas 2

San Clemente 5, Corona 3

Huntington Beach 5, Santa Fe 4

Camarillo 4, South Hills 3

Saugus 2, Brea Olinda 1

Vista Murrieta 9, Schurr 4

Gahr 4, Yorba Linda 2

Mater Dei 11, Santa Ana Foothill 3

DIVISION 3

Great Oak 5, West Torrance 2

Riverside Prep 2, Quartz Hill 1

La Salle 21, Grand Terrace 5

Villa Park 5, Elsinore 3

DIVISION 4

St. Bonaventure 11, Valencia 4

Harvard-Westlake 11, Lakewood 8

Apple Valley 4, Hillcrest 0

Oxnard 14, Pasadena Poly 0

Monrovia 4, Indio 2

Don Lugo 6, La Palma Kennedy 2

La Quinta 5, Hemet 4

Mira Costa 9, Redlands East Valley 7

Rio Mesa 9, Segerstrom 6

Mission Viejo 5, La Canada 1

Oak Hills 15, Linfield Christian 11

Sunny Hills 17, Chino 7

Paramount 5, Newbury Park 4

Ramona 3, Maranatha 2

Burbank Burroughs 6, Hart 1

Rosary Academy 11, Orange Vista 6

DIVISION 5

Santa Clara 6, Jurupa Hills 3

Viewpoint 9, Burbank Providence 4

Irvine University 2, University Prep 1

DIVISION 6

Irvine 6, Vasquez 4

Lakeside 9, Flintridge Prep 4

Heritage 13, Palm Desert 0

Alhambra 9, Silverado 6

Granite Hills 32, Big Bear 12

Eastside 7, Anza Hamilton 4

El Monte 11, Santa Paula 10

St. Genevieve 6, Coastal Christian 4

Sierra Vista 7, Rialto 6

Southlands Christian 14, Rancho Mirage 10

St. Monica Prep 4, Academy of Academic Excellence 3

Hesperia Christian 8, Los Amigos 7

Arroyo 11, Serrano 1

Lancaster 8, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 2

Jurupa Valley 14, Sacred Heart LA 2

San Jacinto 10, Garey 9

DIVISION 7

Ramona Convent 13, Riverside Bethel Christian 3

Victor Valley 7, Tustin 3

DIVISION 8

ACE 26, Public Safety Academy 1

Avalon 11, Santa Clarita Christian 3

Bolsa Grande 16, Loma Linda Academy 1

San Bernardino 17, Channel Islands 9

Glendale 9, Indian Springs 3

Workman 18, Santa Maria Valley Christian 3

Santa Rosa Academy 15, Environmental Charter 5

Cobalt 16, Wildomar Cornerstone Christian 3

Bell Gardens 11, Magnolia 4

Brentwood 10, Lennox Academy 9

Pomona Catholic 19, Gabrielino 6

Capistrano Valley Christian 18, California Military 1

Fontana 14, CSDR 3

Hawthorne MSA 28, Downey Calvary Chapel 27

Arroyo Valley 20, Westminster La Quinta 3

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

FIRST ROUND

DIVISION 1

Valley View at Murrieta Mesa

Millikan at Orange Lutheran

El Modena at Chino Hils

Agoura at Etiwanda

Palos Verdes at Riverside King, 4:15 p.m.

Cypress at Fullerton

Charter Oak at Ayala

Riverside Poly at California

Marina at Norco

DIVISION 3

Rancho Cucamonga at Paloma Valley

Great Oak at West Torrance

El Segundo at Edison

Colton at El Toro

Redondo Union at Murrieta Valley

Beaumont at North Torrance

Trabuco Hills at West Ranch

Riverside North at San Juan Hills

Oak Park at Cerritos Valley Christian

Highland at Northview

Carter at La Serna

Crescenta Valley at Dos Pueblos

Arcadia at Liberty

DIVISION 5

Flintridge Sacred Heart at Anaheim

Patriot at Arrowhead Christian

Rancho Christian at Temple City

Buena Park at Grace

Alemany at Crean Lutheran

Shadow Hills at Cerritos

Leuzinger at San Marcos

Long Beach Wilson at South El Monte

Garden Grove Santiago at Covina

Rio Hondo Prep at Muir

Katella at Santa Monica

Ontario at Norwalk

Duarte at Northwood, 3:30 p.m.

DIVISION 7

Fillmore at Bloomington

Miller at Savanna

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel at Riverside Springs Magnolia

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy at Faith Baptist

Rancho Alamitos at Twentynine Palms

Costa Mesa at Riverside Notre Dame

Pioneer at Firebaugh

Desert Christian Academy at Chadwick

Cathedral City at Artesia, 3:45 p.m.

Bellflower at Orange

Hawthorne at Santa Ana

Temecula Prep at Culver City

United Christian Academy at Windward

Calvary Baptist at Edgewood

DIVISION 8

Redlands Adventist at Banning, 4 p.m.

Note: Second Round May 16; Quarterfinals May 20; Semifinals May 23; Finals May 28-30 at Bill Barber Memorial Park, Irvine.

There are lots of coaches in the Southern Section Division 1 baseball playoffs glad to see that Villa Park is in the Division 2 playoffs because of the Spartans’ strong pitching.

Villa Park, the No. 1 seed in Division 2, has a terrific one-two starting duo in junior Logan Hoppie (10-1, 1.28 ERA) and senior Jack McGuire (6-2, 1.62 ERA).

McGuire is 6 feet 5 and has 82 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings. He had a 16-strikeout performance this season. Hoppie has a two-hit shutout of Crestview League champion Cypress on his resume.

Villa Park finished the regular season at 19-8-1 under veteran coach Burt Call and in second place in league. If the Spartans can get some hitting help, the pitchers will handle the rest. Villa Park opens the playoffs on Thursday at home against Elsinore.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS VOLLEYBALL

SOUTHERN SECTION FINALS

THURSDAY

DIVISION 9

Vasquez at Tarbut V’Torah, 6 p.m.

FRIDAY

At Cerritos College

DIVISION 1

Loyola vs. Mira Costa, 7:30 p.m.

DIVISION 2

Orange Lutheran vs. Edison, 6 p.m.

DIVISION 3

Windward d. St. John Bosco, 3 p.m.

DIVISION 4

Royal vs. Sunny Hills, 5 p.m.

DIVISION 6

Culver City vs. Garden Grove, 12 p.m.

At Home Sites

DIVISION 5

St. Anthony at Bishop Diego, 6 p.m.

DIVISION 8

Temescal Canyon at West Valley, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY

DIVISION 7

Foothill Tech at Oakwood, 6 p.m.

SOUTHERN SECTION LACROSSE PLAYOFFS

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

SEMIFINALS

BOYS

DIVISION 1

Loyola 19, Mater Dei 5

Santa Margarita 14, St, Margaret’s 8

DIVISION 2

Mira Costa 10, Los Alamitos 4

St. Francis 17, Village Christian 4

DIVISION 3

Oaks Christian 11, El Dorado 6

Dana Hills 16, Riverside King 15

GIRLS

DIVISION 1

Santa Margarita 11, Marlborough 10

Mira Costa 17, Mater Dei 11

DIVISION 2

Huntington Beach 8, Corona del Mar 7

El Segundo 14, Eastvale Roosevelt 3

DIVISION 3

Westridge at Glendale, Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Great Oak at Northwood, Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Note: Boys finals in all divisions Friday, May 15 at Fred Kelly Stadium (times TBA); Girls finals in all divisions Saturday, May 16 (times TBA) at Fred Kelly Stadium.

Get ready for the best high school boys’ volleyball action in the nation on Saturday when four powers face off in the Southern Section Division 1 semifinals.

First up is Huntington Beach hosting No. 1-seeded Mira Costa at 1 p.m. Then it’s Loyola hosting Redondo Union at 5 p.m.

All are capable of beating each other.

Teams are finally healthy, so there could be two five-game matches.

Mira Costa remains the team to beat with a 31-2 record and having the No. 1 college recruit from the class of 2027, Mateo Fuerbringer. Redondo Union owns one of those losses. Loyola is healthier than it’s ever been and has a five-game win over Redondo Union and a five-game loss to Mira Costa. Huntington Beach has two three-game losses to Mira Costa.

The championship match will be next weekend at Cerritos College, followed by the Southern California regional and state championships.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Ranked No. 1 in preseason, St. John Bosco’s baseball team suffered some surprising losses during the National High School Invitational and Boras Classic, losing three straight at one point.

“The little bump in the road was our last opportunities to get guys in there for non-Trinity League games to see what they could do,” coach Andy Rojo said.

The computer rankings didn’t appreciate St. John Bosco’s experimentation. The Braves closed the regular season with 11 straight wins and a Trinity League title, but were punished when the Southern Section Division 1 playoff pairings came out Friday. Orange Lutheran, second place to the Braves, was given a No. 4 seed ahead of No. 6 St. John Bosco.

The disrespect will only add to the motivation for the defending Division 1 champions. St. John Bosco finished the regular season 22-5 and 14-1 in the Trinity League.

It’s another lesson in this new era of relying on computer algorithms for playoff pairings. The people running the computers won’t release their secrets about how teams are really ranked. It’s locked up like the recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken. Two things are certain for all computer rankings: Head-to-head matchups are really not important and league finish doesn’t matter. Those are two criteria that used to be among the most important in the days when humans put together pairings, so you can understand why old-timers are having a hard time adjusting.

“We feel good,” Rojo said.

And he should. For Southern Section Division 1 baseball, it really doesn’t matter where you are ranked. The 16 teams are so good that everyone is set to go through a gauntlet and may the best team rise to the top.

Orange Lutheran is seeded No. 4 in the Division 1 baseball playoffs.

(Nick Koza)

St. John Bosco opens the playoffs on Tuesday in pool C facing probably the best opening opponent in Crestview League champion Cypress. St. John Bosco has ace Julian Garcia ready to go, but Cypress has multiple pitchers ready to compete. Sierra Canyon is the highest seed in pool C and opens at home against Oaks Christian.

Big VIII League champion Norco received the No. 1 seed for the first 16-team pool play tournament in Division 1. There are four four-team pools with the chance to lose one game and not go home. The first- and second-place finishers in each pool will advance to the single elimination eight-team quarterfinals.

“I love the double elimination,” Rojo said. “If you have a bad day, you get to redeem yourself.”

The other eight divisions remain 32 teams and single elimination.

The Braves effectively managed pitches for Garcia all season in his return from arm surgery that forced him to miss all of 2025. He was even taken out with a no-hitter in the sixth inning against Mater Dei while sticking with 85 pitches to preserve him for the playoffs. He’s had a pitcher-of-the-year season with a 7-1 record, 0.72 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 48⅓ innings.

The big change for the 2026 playoffs for St. John Bosco from 2025 is that closer Jack Champlin will be the No. 2 starter. Sophomore Brayden Krakowski has shown he can be an effective closer. A major decision by Rojo was to shake up his batting order after the three-game losing streak. He switched Jaden Jackson and James Clark, with Jackson becoming the leadoff man and Clark batting second.

“They’re both thriving,” Rojo said.

And so is St. John Bosco, whether computer believes it or not.

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

SOUTHERN SECTION

DIVISION 1

SEMIFINALS

Mira Costa at Huntington Beach, 1 p.m.

Loyola at Redondo Union, 5 p.m.

DIVISION 2

St. Margaret’s at Orange Lutheran, 5 p.m.

Edison at Camarillo, 6 p.m.

DIVISION 3

Palos Verdes at St. John Bosco, 6 p.m.

Foothill vs. Windward at Lewis Jackson Memorial Center, 3:30 p.m.

DIVISION 4

Royal at Village Christian, 6 p.m.

Crossroads at Sunny Hills, 6 p.m.

DIVISION 5

El Dorado at Bishop Diego, 3 p.m.

St. Anthony at Bellflower, 6 p.m.

DIVISION 6

Temecula Valley at Culver City, 6 p.m.

Garden Grove at Pasadena Poly, 6 p.m.

DIVISION 7

Rialto vs. Foothill Tech at Ventura College, 5 p.m.

Tustin at Oakwood, 2 p.m.

DIVISION 8

CAMS at Temescal Canyon, 5 p.m.

Palmdale Aerospace Academy at West Valley, 6 p.m.

DIVISION 9

Tarbut V’Torah d. YULA, 3-1 (Friday)

Downey Calvary Chapel at Vasquez, 6 p.m.

Note: Finals in all divisions May 15-16 (sites and times TBA).

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS

Thursday’s Results

CITY SECTION

QUARTERFINALS

DIVISION I

#1 Taft d. #9 East Valley, 25-23, 23-25, 25-8, 25-18

#4 North Hollywood d. #5 VAAS, 3-2

#3 Cleveland d. #6 Vaughn, 25-23, 25-22, 25-23

#2 Sylmar d. #7 Larchmont Charter, 25-20, 25-18, 25-20

DIVISION II

#1 LA Hamilton d. #8 Huntington Park, 3-0

#4 Marquez d. #5 Bernstein, 3-0

#6 Narbonne d. #3 Diego Rivera, 3-0

#7 Panorama d. #2 LA University, 25-16, 24-26, 25-15, 25-20

SECOND ROUND

DIVISION III

#1 New West Charter d. #17 San Fernando, 25-14, 14-25, 26-24, 25-13

#9 Central City Value d. #8 Foshay, 25-16, 13-25, 17-25, 28-26, 16-14

#5 University Prep Value d. #12 Northridge Academy, 23-25, 29-27, 25-23, 25-22

#13 Birmingham d. #4 Sun Valley Magnet, 25-18, 25-21, 25-20

#3 South East d. #14 Fairfax, 25-15, 25-19, 25-16

#11 Monroe d. #6 Reseda, 25-22, 25-23, 18-25, 25-19

#7 Lincoln d. #10 Animo Bunche, 21-25, 25-19, 23-25, 25-22, 15-8

#2 Legacy d. #18 Granada Hills Kennedy, 25-21, 25-22, 25-15

DIVISION IV

#17 Canoga Park d. #1 Hollywood, 25-16, 25-17, 25-20

#8 Annenberg d. #9 LACES, 3-0

#12 Mendez d. #5 Animo South LA, 3-2

#4 Math & Science College d. #20 Chavez, 25-23, 25-18, 29-27

#3 Manual Arts d. #19 West Adams, 3-1

#6 King/Drew d. #11 Animo Robinson, 25-21, 21-25, 19-25, 25-15, 15-11

#7 Maywood CES d. #10 Arleta, 25-23, 24-26, 25-17, 25-16

#2 RFK Community d. #18 Community Charter, 22-25, 26-24, 25-17, 25-22

DIVISION V

#1 WISH Academy d. #17 Garfield, 25-21, 25-14, 25-22

#9 Alliance Levine d. #8 Locke, 25-19, 20-25, 25-23, 25-19

#21 LAAE d. #5 Fulton, 25-20, 24-26, 25-13, 25-20

#13 Rancho Dominguez d. #4 Animo Watts, 22-25, 22-25, 25-22, 25-16, 15-13

#14 Franklin D. #3 Jefferson, 25-16, 25-20, 25-23

#6 Gardena d. #11 Stern, 25-13, 25-17, 25-19

#10 Animo De La Hoya d. #7 Horace Mann UCLA, 25-27, 27-25, 25-20, 26-24

#15 Sotomayor d. #2 Bert Corona, 25-20, 25-20, 25-23

Note: Quarterfinals Divisions III-V May 11; Semifinals Open Division-Division I May 12; Semifinals Divisions II-V May 13; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.

The Southern Section will hold its four track and field prelims on Saturday at four high schools, but lots of focus will take place at the Division 3 meet at Yorba Linda.

Servite, with its outstanding sprinters, and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, with sprinters, hurdlers and shotputters, will be trying to qualify their best athletes in preparation to battle it out at the Southern Section championships on May 16 at Moorpark High.

“We’re trying to qualify but also build upon all our races,” Servite coach Brandon Thomas said.

Servite looks finally healthy. Robert Gardner, a sprinter who was hurt all season, ran 10.87 seconds last week in the 100 meters in his comeback race. He’ll be one of four Servite athletes trying to qualify in the 100. Another previously injured athlete, Jaelen Hunter, has also returned and will be in the 400.

Notre Dame’s Brayden Borquez recovered from his spill at the Arcadia Invitational to win the 110 hurdles last week at the Mission League finals. JJ Harel, the defending state champion in the high jump, is also gearing up to score points in the long jump and triple jump.

Outside Yorba Linda, opponents of transgender track athlete AB Hernandez competing for Jurupa Valley are planning to hold a news conference to protest her participation.

Other finals will be held at Trabuco Hills (Division 1), Ontario (Division 2) and Carpinteria (Division 4).

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Wednesday’s Results

CITY SECTION

QUARTERFINALS

OPEN DIVISION

#1 Granada Hills d. #8 Carson, 23-25, 25-16, 23-25, 25-19, 15-10

#4 Venice d. #5 LA Marshall, 25-23, 21-25, 25-23, 25-19

#3 Chatsworth d. #6 Wilmington Banning, 25-15, 25-20, 26-24

#2 Palisades d. #7 Eagle Rock, 25-16, 25-13, 25-20

SOUTHERN SECTION

QUARTERFINALS

DIVISION 3

Palos Verdes d. Valencia, 26-24, 25-18, 26-24

St. John Bosco at Eastvale Roosevelt, Thursday

Santa Ana Foothill d. Servite, 3-1

Windward d. Crescenta Valley, 25-18, 28-26, 23-25, 25-21

DIVISION 4

Village Christian d. Chino Hills, 3-0

Royal d. Temple City, 3-1

Sunny Hills d. Northwood, 25-22, 25-22, 19-25, 25-16

Crossroads d. San Marino, 25-16, 27-29, 25-21, 25-22

DIVISION 5

El Dorado d. Dos Pueblos, 3-0

Bishop Diego d. Brea Olinda, 23-25, 22-25, 25-18, 25-19, 15-10

Bellflower d. Flintridge Prep, 25-21, 26-24, 25-17

Western Christian d. St. Anthony, 22-25, 25-11, 25-18, 20-25, 15-8

DIVISION 6

Temecula Valley d. Beverly Hills, 3-1

Culver City d. Firebaugh, 3-1

Garden Grove d. Capistrano Valley Christian, 3-1

Pasadena Poly d. Santa Ana Calvary Chapel, 3-2

DIVISION 7

Rialto d. La Sierra Academy, 3-2

Foothill Tech d. Cerritos Valley Christian, 3-2

Oakwood d. Knight, 3-2

Tustin d. Indio, 3-2

DIVISION 8

Temescal Canyon d. Santa Rosa Academy, 25-16, 25-19, 25-23

CAMS d. Eastside, 3-0

West Valley d. Burbank Providence, 3-2

Palmdale Aerospace d. Glendale Adventist, 25-23, 27-25, 25-19

DIVISION 9

Tarbut V’Torah d. Webb, 3-1

Le Lycée d. YULA, 25-22, 14-25, 21-25, 25-20,

Vasquez d. Cantwell-Sacred Heart, 3-1

Avalon at Downey Calvary Chapel, Thursday

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE

CITY SECTION

QUARTERFINALS

(Matches at 7 p.m. unless noted)

DIVISION I

#9 East Valley at #1 Taft

#5 VAAS at #4 North Hollywood

#6 Vaughn at #3 Cleveland

#7 Larchmont Charter at #2 Sylmar

DIVISION II

#8 Huntington Park at #1 LA Hamilton

#5 Bernstein at #4 Marquez

#6 Narbonne at #3 Diego Rivera

#7 Panorama at #2 LA University

SECOND ROUND

(Matches at 4 p.m. unless noted)

DIVISION III

#17 San Fernando at #1 New West Charter, 3 p.m.

#9 Central City Value at #8 Foshay

#12 Northridge Academy at #5 University Prep Value

#13 Birmingham at #4 Sun Valley Magnet

#14 Fairfax at #3 South East

#11 Monroe at #6 Reseda

#10 Animo Bunche at #7 Lincoln

#18 Granada Hills Kennedy at #2 Legacy

DIVISION IV

#17 Canoga Park at #1 Hollywood

#9 LACES at #8 Annenberg

#12 Mendez at #5 Animo South LA

#20 Chavez at #4 Math & Science College

#19 West Adams at #3 Manual Arts

#11 Animo Robinson at #6 King/Drew

#10 Arleta at #7 Maywood CES

#18 Community Charter at #2 RFK Community

DIVISION V

#17 Garfield at #1 WISH Academy

#9 Alliance Levine at #8 Locke

#21 LAAE at #5 Fulton

#13 Rancho Dominguez vs. #4 Animo Watts at LA Adventist, 5:30 p.m.

#14 Franklin at #3 Jefferson

#11 Stern at #6 Gardena

#10 Animo De La Hoya at #7 Horace Mann UCLA Community

#15 Sotomayor at #2 Bert Corona

Note: Quarterfinals Divisions III-V May 11; Semifinals Open Division-Division I May 12; Semifinals Divisions II-V May 13; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
TUESDAY’S RESULTS
QUARTERFINALS

DIVISION 1
Mira Costa d. Tesoro, 25-18, 25-19, 25-23
Huntington Beach d. Corona del Mar, 3-0
Loyola d. Newport Harbor, 25-16, 25-17, 25-22
Redondo Union d. Santa Margarita, 3-2

DIVISION 2
Orange Lutheran d. Fountain Valley, 25-20, 25-14, 25-16
St. Margaret’s d. San Clemente, 3-0
Camarillo d. Yorba Linda, 3-1
Edison d. Arcadia, 3-1

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

CITY SECTION
(Matches at 7 p.m. unless noted)
QUARTERFINALS

OPEN DIVISION
#8 Carson at #1 Granada Hills
#5 LA Marshall at #4 Venice
#6 Wilmington Banning at #3 Chatsworth
#7 Eagle Rock at #2 Palisades

Note: Second round Divisions I-V May 7; Quarterfinals Divisions I-II May 7; Quarterfinals Divisions III-V May 11; Semifinals Open Division-Division I May 12; Semifinals Divisions II-V May 13; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.

SOUTHERN SECTION
(Matches at 6 p.m. unless noted)
QUARTERFINALS

DIVISION 3
Valencia at Palos Verdes
St. John Bosco at Eastvale Roosevelt, Thursday
Servite at Santa Ana Foothill
Windward at Crescenta Valley

DIVISION 4
Chino Hills at Village Christian
Royal at Temple City
Northwood at Sunny Hills
San Marino at Crossroads

DIVISION 5
Dos Pueblos at El Dorado
Bishop Diego at Brea Olinda
Bellflower at Flintridge Prep
Western Christian at St. Anthony

DIVISION 6
Beverly Hills at Temecula Valley
Culver City at Firebaugh
Capistrano Valley Christian at Garden Grove
Pasadena Poly at Santa Ana Calvary Chapel

DIVISION 7
La Sierra Academy at Rialto
Foothill Tech at Cerritos Valley Christian
Oakwood at Knight
Tustin at Indio

DIVISION 8
Santa Rosa Academy at Temescal Canyon
Eastside vs. CAMS at Lindsey Middle School
Burbank Providence at West Valley
Glendale Adventist at Palmdale Aerospace

DIVISION 9
Tarbut V’Torah at Webb
Le Lycée at YULA
Vasquez at Cantwell-Sacred Heart
Avalon at Downey Calvary Chapel, Thursday

Note: Semifinals All Divisions May 9; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.

CITY SECTION

Monday’s Results

FIRST ROUND

DIVISION I

Taft d. LA Roosevelt, 25-17, 25-17, 25-17

East Valley d. Harbor Teacher, 17-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-19

VAAS d. El Camino Real, 25-19, 25-17, 25-19

North Hollywood d. Van Nuys, 28-30, 25-18, 25-23, 26-24

Vaughn d. Sun Valley Poly, 3-0

Larchmont d. Verdugo Hills, 25-17, 25-17, 25-12

Sylmar d. South Gate, 25-23, 25-18, 25-21

DIVISION II

Huntington Park d. Los Angeles, 25-13, 25-17, 25-27, 25-21

LA Hamilton d. Orthopaedic, 3-1

Bernstein d. Elizabeth, 25-22, 25-15, 25-12

Marquez d. San Pedro, 25-15, 25-16, 25-18

Diego Rivera d. Dorsey, 3-2

Narbonne d. Downtown Magnets, 3-0

Panorama d. LA Wilson, 3-1

SOCES at LA University

DIVISION III

San Fernando d. Bravo, 3-0

Birmingham d. Magnolia Science, 25-17, 25-15, 25-23

Fairfax d. Burton, 22-25, 25-20, 25-20, 28-26

Granada Hills Kennedy d. Middle College, 25-17, 25-21, 18-25, 25-20

DIVISION IV

Canoga Park d. Bell, 25-12, 25-18, 31-33, 25-20

Chavez d. Neuwirth Learning Center d. Chavez, 25-21, 25-21, 25-18

West Adams d. USC Hybrid, 25-22, 25-20, 25-15

Community Charter d. Washington Prep, 25-23, 20-25, 25-22, 25-17

DIVISION V

Garfield d. Dymally, 3-1

Rancho Dominguez d. Valley Oaks CES, 26-28, 25-14, 25-15, 25-23

LA Jordan d. Stern, 3-1

Animo De La Hoya d. Port of Los Angeles, 25-11, 25-22, 25-9

Sotomayor d. Triumph Charter, 25-18, 25-22, 30-28

SOUTHERN SECTION

Monday’s Results

SECOND ROUND

DIVISION 9

YULA d. Indian Springs, 3-1

Avalon d. Bethel Baptist, 3-0

Downey Calvary Chapel d. Southlands Christian, 3-1

TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Matches at 6 p.m. unless noted)

QUARTERFINALS

DIVISION 1

Tesoro at Mira Costa

Corona del Mar at Huntington Beach, 6:30 p.m.

Newport Harbor at Loyola

Santa Margarita at Redondo Union

DIVISION 2

Fountain Valley at Orange Lutheran

San Clemente at St. Margaret’s

Camarillo at Yorba Linda

Edison at Arcadia

Note: Quarterfinals Divisions 3-9 May 6; Semifinals All Divisions May 9; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.

CITY SECTION BOYS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS

MONDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Matches at 4 p.m. unless noted)

DIVISION I

First Round

#16 LA Roosevelt at #1 Taft

#9 East Valley at #8 Harbor Teacher

#12 El Camino Real at #5 VAAS

#13 Van Nuys at #4 North Hollywood

#14 Grant at #3 Cleveland

#11 Sun Valley Poly at #6 Vaughn

#10 Verdugo Hills at #7 Larchmont Charter

#15 South Gate at #2 Sylmar

DIVISION II

First Round

#17 San Fernando at #16 Bravo

#20 Magnolia Science at #13 Birmingham

#19 Burton at #14 Fairfax

#18 Granada Hills Kennedy at #15 Middle College

DIVISION III

First Round

#17 Annenberg at #16 Animo Robinson

#20 King/Drew at #13 Stern

#19 San Fernando at #14 Animo De La Hoya

#18 Smidt Tech at #15 Animo Bunche

DIVISION IV

First Round

#17 Canoga Park at #16 Bell

#20 Chavez at #13 Neuwirth Leadership

#19 West Adams at #14 USC Hybrid

#18 Community Charter at #15 Washington Prep

DIVISION V

First Round

#17 Garfield at #16 Dymally

#24 Simon Tech at #9 Alliance Levine

#21 LAAAE at #12 Valor Academy

#20 Valley Oaks CES at #13 Rancho Dominguez

#19 Lakeview Charter at #14 Franklin

#22 LA Jordan at #11 Stern

#23 Port of LA at #10 Animo De La Hoya

#18 Triumph Charter at #15 Sotomayor

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Matches at 7 p.m. unless noted)

OPEN DVISION

QUARTERFINALS

#8 Carson at #1 Granada Hills

#5 LA Marshall at #4 Venice

#6 Wilmington Banning at #3 Chatsworth

#7 Eagle Rock at #2 Palisades

Note: Second Round in Divisions II-V, May 7 at 4 p.m. at higher seeds; Quarterfinals in Division I, May 7 at 7 p.m. at higher seeds; Quarterfinals in Divisions II-V, May 11 at 7 p.m. at higher seeds; Semifinals in Open and Division I, May 12 at 7 p.m. at higher seeds; Semifinals in Division DII-V, May 13 at 7 p.m. at higher seeds; Finals in all divisions May 15-16 (sites and times TBD).

Make it 17 and counting.

That is how many boys’ tennis titles Palisades has won in a row after its 18.5 to 11 victory over Taft in the City Section Open Division championship match Wednesday afternoon at Balboa Sports Center in Encino.

Freshman Kensho Ford, who reached the CIF singles semifinals at the Ojai tournament four days earlier, swept his four sets at No. 1 as expected — dropping a total of three games in the process — but what co-coaches Robert Silvers and Bud Kling did not anticipate was Zach Cohen sweeping at No. 4 to give the top-seeded Dolphins a split of the 16 possible singles points.

Cohen played No. 1 doubles with Zach Stuffman all season but was itching to play singles for the playoffs and wound up winning all six of his sets including two before being subbed out for the last two rotations in Monday’s semifinal rout of fourth-seeded Marshall.

“I’ve been asking for two years now and when Coach Rob told me Saturday I’d be in singles I was so excited,” said Cohen, who was also the Division I individual champion while pacing the Dolphins to their fifth straight cross-country team title in November at Elysian Park.

Five is nice, but 17 straight is a dynasty unparalleled in City Section history. No team in any sport from a City school has ever produced a longer streak and no coach has more City crowns than Kling’s 55 (33 boys, 22 girls). Palisades has also appeared in 21 straight finals. The last time two other schools met for the City’s upper division title was 2004 when El Camino Real defeated West Valley League rival Granada Hills.

Palisades got another surprise when the sophomore tandem of Josh Glaser and Bennett Murphy, who were bumped up to varsity a month earlier, won all three of ithebsets at No. 3 doubles, beating the Toreadors’ top two duos in tiebreakers.

Taft’s Dannes Djalilov won two sets at No. 1 singles during Wednesday’s City Section Open Division tennis final.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Danees Djalilov took two of his four sets at No. 1 singles and Brandon Celestine did the same at No. 4 for the second-seeded Toreadors, who were the last team to defeat Palisades in the finals — doing so in 2007 and 2008 led by two-time City individual singles winner Josh Tchan.

Moments after Ford finished off his 6-0 victory over Alec Volodarskiy to move his team within half a point of the championship, Stuffman and new partner Jack Plotkowski put the Dolphins over the 15-point threshold by completing a sweep at No. 1 doubles with a 6-2 ousting of Taft’s No. 2 team.

Taft was seeking its eighth City title and first since winning Division II in 2019.