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NorCal soccer, basketball playoffs begin tonight
East Union, Lathrop, Ripon Christian host first-round contests
Stone Ridge Christian-Ripon Christian girls soccer
Ripon Christian’s Alanna Blanco (14) shoots in front of Stone Ridge Hayden Quisenberry (25) during the Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI final Feb. 21. - photo by DAVE CAMPBELL

One week after squaring off in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III semifinals, East Union and Lathrop’s girls basketball teams are starting the NorCal playoffs tonight with favorable seeds.

They’re among the five winter sports teams in the area still alive and competing in the California Interscholastic Federation Northern Regional Championships.

East Union and Lathrop were awarded top-three seeds for girls basketball, as was the Ripon Christian girls soccer team. East Union’s boys basketball and boys soccer teams open on the road tonight following heartbreaking losses.

The soccer games are scheduled to kick off at 5, while basketball games tip off at 7.

Lathrop-East Union girls basketball
East Union defender Ava Barrera (10) denies the layup attempt from Lathrop’s Jaleiyah Ray in a Sac-Joaquin Section Division III semifinal last Tuesday, Feb. 24 at Dalben Center. - photo by SEAN KAHLER
Coming off its first section championship appearance in 32 years, the East Union girls hoops squad is the No. 2 seed in the NorCal Division III bracket. The Lancers (26-6) came up short at Golden 1 Center on Saturday against Placer, which earned the top seed.

They get a tough draw in No. 15 Los Altos (21-5), which visits Dalben Center tonight after a semifinal run in the Central Coast Section Division I tournament. The Eagles are reigning co-champs in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division and led by fourth-year senior Ella McFarlane, a versatile 5-foot-10 guard averaging 17.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.7 steals.

The winner faces No. 7 West Campus, the SJS Division IV winner, or No. 10 Half Moon Bay.

East Union handed Lathrop (30-1) its first loss of the season in that spirited SJS semifinal. The Spartans will look to bounce back as the No. 3 seed in the NorCal Division IV playoff. They’ll take on No. 15 Hillsdale (18-8) of San Mateo, a CCS Division II semifinalist that placed third in the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division.

The East Union boys basketball team is staring at a long road to the NorCal Division III final. Seeded 15th, the Lancers (23-8) travel to No. 2 Willow Glen (24-2).

The Rams claimed the CCS Division II title, their first section crown in 57 years. They’re also outright champs of the Blossom Valley Athletic League Mt. Hamilton Division.

East Union’s boys soccer team can earn another shot at Liberty Ranch after a tough 1-0 loss to the Hawks in the SJS Division IV final.

The fifth-seeded Lancers (25-4-2) must first get past No. 4 Aptos (10-1-3) in the NorCal Division IV playoffs. The Mariners took third in the competitive Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League and captured their first-ever CCS championship in Division IV.

Liberty Ranch is the top seed in the bracket and takes on No. 8 Orland.

Ripon Christian’s three-time reigning SJS Division VI champion girls are the 3 seed for the NorCal Division V tourney. They will host No. 6 Live Oak (17-6-1), the Westside League titlist and North Section Division II runner-up. The Lions were edged out by West Valley in a scoreless shoot-out in their section final.

The winter sports state playoffs end with championships games in Sacramento on March 13-14. The Golden 1 Center will the basketball finals, while soccer finals are at Natomas High.