Sections Publish Playoff Brackets as Southland Teams Begin Postseason Push

Overview

• The Los Angeles Times top-25 rankings are final with Santa Margarita and Sierra Canyon listed as the region’s No. 1 and No. 2 seeds after 10-0 regular seasons, and those seedings will shape Southern Section and City Section playoff paths.
• Section offices released detailed brackets this weekend that schedule first-round games for Nov. 6 and quarterfinals for Nov. 13 in key divisions, with Open-division City Section quarterfinals and Southern Section Division I football matchups now set.
• Early playoff results have already altered the picture: Southern Section Division I girls volleyball used pool play to produce semifinalists, boys water polo saw first-round winners such as Beckman and Harvard-Westlake advance, and San Joaquin County quarterfinals narrowed county fields.
• Officials have confirmed championship venues and hosting rules: Division I girls volleyball finals at Cerritos College, water polo finals at Mt. San Antonio College, and Sac-Joaquin Section finals at Cosumnes River College, while higher seeds host most early-round games.
• The CIF sectional format — separate Southern, Los Angeles City and Sac-Joaquin brackets with pool play in Division I volleyball — means seeding, league crowns and early wins directly affect travel, home-site hosting and the route teams must take to reach section finals.