Basketball fans of the Santa Maria Valley won't have to venture far for first-round CIF Southern Section playoff action this coming week, as both Righetti High and St. Joseph scored first-round home games for each of their boys and girls basketball teams.

The highest seed of the bunch, Ron Barba's St. Joseph girls, take their No. 4 ranking into the Division II-A playoffs on Thursday night against Glendora, the No. 3 entry from the Sierra League. Tipoff at Hofschulte Gym is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live by the Santa Maria Times and Lompoc Record on the Times' web site at www.santamariatimes.com.

At the same time across the street, Righetti's girls open Division III-AA action as the No. 13 seed with a home game against Torrance, with the winner facing a second-round road trip Saturday to No. 3 seed Marlborough.

In the other Division II-A first-round games, 13th-seeded Morro Bay travels to Schurr of Montebello, while Cabrillo heads to Valencia of Placencia and Lompoc travels to Palmdale.

In Division III-AA play, No. 10 seed Arroyo Grande hosts Rio Mesa in their opener, while 14th-seeded Atascadero travels to Mary Star of the Sea in San Pedro, and Pioneer Valley heads to seventh-seeded Oxnard, the Pacific View League champs.

Also picking up an early home game is Valley Christian Academy, now up in division IV-AA; Peter Fortier's Lions open with St. Anthony's of Long Beach, also scheduled for now at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.

On the boys side, PAC-7 League champs Righetti start as the No. 5 seed in the Division II-A bracket and open against Antelope Valley at 7:30 p.m. on Friday; PAC-7 runner-up Paso Robles hosts the winner of Tuesday's Corona-Valley View wild-card game. The other PAC-7 teams hit the road: Atascadero travels to Knight of Palmdale, while San Luis Obispo heads to 10th-seeded Oxnard.

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A fifth PAC-7 team made the bracket as a wild card in Arroyo Grande, which has to travel to Cypress for a play-in game on Wednesday night.

In the III-AA playoffs, No. 8 seed St. Joseph opens at Hofschulte on Friday night against at-large entry Alhambra; No. 10 seed Lompoc hosts Bell Gardens at Paisola Pavilion in another III-AA home opener. Area rival Cabrillo will travel to Oxnard's Santa Clara (the No. 5 seed in the bracket), while 13th-seeded Morro Bay travels to the City of Industry to play Workman.

All of the area's girls water polo teams will battle in the Division IV playoffs, with Cabrillo and Arroyo Grande each earning first-round byes, making their playoff debuts at home on Thursday.

The Eagles will host the winner of Tuesday's first-round matchup between Ojai's Cate School and Santa Ynez, while Cabrillo awaits the winner of Nipomo's road match against Louisville of Woodland Hills.

St. Joseph opens at home Tuesday against San Luis Obispo, while Paso Robles opens at home vs. Camarillo.

Local teams on the road for CIF soccer openers

One year after winning the Los Padres League boys soccer title, Santa Maria came up just short in this year's LPL standings, and their CIF travel plans have been affected as such.

Al Garcia's Saints, the No. 2 entry from the LPL, will have to travel to Burbank to open CIF Southern Section Division III play on Friday, facing Burroughs at 3 p.m. in a first-round match.

Like Santa Maria, several of the area's soccer teams will have to hit the road for the opening round of the playoffs, including both of Righetti's soccer programs. The Warrior boys open Division IV play on Friday at North Torrance, while the girls begin Division IV play on Wednesday in a wild-card match at Pasadena Westridge.

The LPL's top boys seed, Santa Ynez, begins Division III play at home against Pasadena on Friday; the other two LPL entries both play wild-card matches on Wednesday - Cabrillo hosts Anaheim, while Templeton travels to Compton Dominguez.

PAC-7 League champion Pioneer Valley is one of the few boys teams to stay on the Central Coast on Friday, opening Division IV play against El Segundo; No. 2 entry San Luis Obispo travels to South Torrance, and No. 3 Paso Robles heads to Oxnard Pacifica.

Condor League champion Dunn will open Division VI play on Friday at home against a wild-card winner.

Joining Righetti's girls in Division III are PAC-7 champ San Luis Obispo, which begins first-round play Saturday against a wild-card entry; No. 2 entry Arroyo Grande hosts Los Altos, while No. 3 Atascadero travels to Garden Grove Pacifica.

Santa Ynez is the only LPL girls soccer team to start Division IV play at home on Saturday, hosting a wild-card entry; St. Joseph travels to Santa Ana Valley, while Cabrillo faces Whittier's California High, and Lompoc travels to Pasadena's La Salle on Wednesday for a wild-card game.

February 12, 2008