Valley Center and Francis Parker clash for Division III tennis title
The Jaguars advance after a narrow win over University City, while San Pasqual and several other North County teams exit the bracket.
By Leila Saeed ·
The CIF San Diego Section girls tennis championships conclude this weekend at three venues across the region. North County teams have secured a spot in the Division III final and pushed deep into other brackets before falling short.
Valley Center, a sixth seed, will play No. 8 Francis Parker for the Division III championship at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at Balboa Tennis Club. The Jaguars earned their place through a series of tight and decisive matches. They began with a narrow victory over University City, finishing the set count tied at 9-9 and winning the games total 79-73. Valley Center followed that result with a 16-2 win over El Camino in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, they defeated Mira Mesa 11-6 to reach the final.
San Pasqual, the fifth seed, reached the opposite semifinal but lost to Francis Parker 17-1 on Oct. 29. The Golden Eagles started their run with a close contest against Carlsbad’s Pacific Ridge, advancing on a 77-75 games count after a 9-9 set tie. They then beat fourth-seeded Mission Hills 12-6 in the quarterfinals. Mission Hills had previously defeated Horizon Prep 10-8 in the opening round.
Other North County teams recorded postseason wins before their seasons ended. Oceanside’s El Camino defeated Chula Vista 18-0 in an Oct. 26 play-in. The Wildcats then upset third-seeded Valhalla 13-5 before losing to Valley Center in the quarterfinals. Vista’s seventh-seeded Rancho Buena Vista lost its first-round match to Mira Mesa 12-6.
In Division I, San Marcos defeated Steele Canyon 14-4 in the opening round. The Knights then played fourth-seeded Mt. Carmel in an Oct. 28 quarterfinal that ended with a 9-9 set tie. Mt. Carmel advanced on a 78-72 games count and later beat top-seeded Eastlake 12-6 to reach the championship. Mt. Carmel will face second-seeded La Jolla Country Day at 10 a.m. Oct. 31 at Balboa Tennis Club.
La Costa Canyon, an eighth seed, beat San Dieguito Academy 12-6 before falling to Eastlake 11-7. Two Carlsbad schools exited in the first round: sixth-seeded Sage Creek lost to Scripps Ranch 12-6, and No. 10 Carlsbad lost to Santa Fe Christian 13-5. Rancho Bernardo won two matches, defeating Southwest El Centro 14-4 and Scripps Ranch 10-8, before losing to La Jolla Country Day on a 78-67 games count.
In Division II, fourth-seeded Classical Academy lost to No. 13 Otay Ranch 12-6 on Oct. 27. Second-seeded Fallbrook advanced past Canyon Hills 86-76 and Mission Bay 65-62 after two close matches. The Warriors then lost to Mater Dei Catholic 10-8 in the semifinals. Top-seeded Poway lost to Patrick Henry 11-7 after beating Coronado 12-6 and Granite Hills 16-2. Ramona won its first match 12-6 but lost to Mater Dei Catholic by the same score. Patrick Henry and Mater Dei Catholic will play for the Division II title at 1 p.m. Oct. 31 at Southwestern College.
In the Open Division, top-seeded Canyon Crest Academy will face No. 2 Westview for the championship at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, at Barnes Tennis Center. Canyon Crest defeated Our Lady of Peace 12-6 and Del Norte 17-1. Westview beat La Jolla 15-3 and advanced past Cathedral Catholic on a 73-71 games count after a 9-9 set tie. Del Norte reached the semifinals with an 11-7 win over Torrey Pines.
Source: Community Paper
