The league races are well past the halfway point.
Here is how they stack up as we head down the stretch.
The Number by the name is the YSN365.com rankings that will have some changes on Tuesday.
NBL BOYS
There didn’t seem much here for the league championship until the Casa Grande win over No. 1 Montgomery.
The Vikings (16-5, 8-1) seem to be back on track, after that loss, with two one sided wins. They have a one game lead over No. 5 Maria Carrillo (15-6, 7-2) and No. 7 Cardinal Newman (12-8, 6-2).
Montgomery still plays both teams in a 48 hour period the last week of league play. They are at Cardinal Newman on February 10th and host Maria Carrillo on the 12th.
By the time that Montgomery plays those two games, at least one of them will have another loss. That is because Cardinal Newman is at Maria Carrillo this Thursday. When the teams met the first time around Maria Carrillo took a 67-33 win. It is a close call on which is the most shocking score of league play, the Montgomery loss to Casa Grande or Maria Carrillo’s win over Cardinal Newman.
Not only is Montgomery trying for its third NBL title in five years, which would give them a No. 1 seed in the NBL post season tournament, they are in the running for its first No. 1 seed for the NCS Division 2 playoffs. The last time they were a No. 1 was 2011, which was also the last time they won the section championship.
No. 4 Ukiah (14-6, 5-3) is sitting a clear cut fourth place with a two game lead over Windsor for the final spot. The Wildcats end the league season with games at Windsor and Cardinal Newman. They are done with Maria Carrillo with the two teams splitting road wins.
On Tuesday they travel to Montgomery.
After going to Casa Grande on Tuesday, No 7 Windsor (12-9, 4-5) ends the regular season against the top four teams.
NBL GIRLS
It is a two team race at both ends for the post season tournament.
At the top, No. 1 Santa Rosa (20-1, 9-0) has a one game lead over No. 2 Cardinal Newman (15-6, 8-1).
The two teams meet on February 13th at Cardinal Newman, the last regular season game of the season.
There is some work to do between now and then with four games for each team.
Santa Rosa has the schedule advantage. The next three teams they meet have a combined three league wins before going to Casa Grande.
The two games before the Santa Rosa game, Cardinal Newman is at Montgomery and Windsor.
Those three teams are in the battle for the final two NBL post season playoff berths.
No. 3 Windsor (16-5, 5-3) has a one game lead over No. 4 Casa Grande (12-8, 4-4) who has a one game lead over No. 6 Montgomery (11-10, 4-5).
Those three teams all have to meet each other. The moment of truth for Windsor is the next two games when they go to Casa Grande and then host Montgomery. A split would just about assure they would be in the post season tournament.
Casa Grande is the only team that has to face Santa Rosa and is also the only team that doesn’t have to face Cardinal Newman.
On the same night Santa Rosa is at Cardinal Newman, Casa Grande is at Montgomery. Depending how things work out, those games could be final chapter in deciding the set up for the NBL post season tournament.
As for the NCS Playoffs, in the Power Rankings Santa Rosa is No. 1 in Division 1 and Windsor is No. 2 in Division 2.
SCL BOYS
The four teams look set for the SCL Post Season tournament, it just deciding who and where.
The difference at the top of the race is the first head to head meeting between No. 3 Analy (15-6, 8-0) and No. 6 Piner (13-8, 7-1). That game was at Analy on January 11th which the Tigers won in thrilling fashion 49-47. The rematch at Piner on February 13th will wrap up the league season.
Analy has won at least a share of the SCL Regular Season Championship four of the last five seasons, three of them outright.
Barring a major collapse, the other two teams in the SCL post season tournament will be No. 10 Elsie Allen (15-7, 5-3) and Sonoma Valley (6-14, 4-3). That is who Piner will host in its next two games. Analy still has a trip to Elsie Allen on February 6th.
Elsie Allen host Sonoma Valley to end the regular season.
SCL GIRLS
Like the Boys race the Post Season tournament seems set. Unlike the Boys, so does the league champion.
No. 7 Analy (12-9, 8-0) is in full control with a two game lead with four to go. The Tigers have the lead over Sonoma Valley (11-11, 6-2), who they have a road game with on February 14th.
Sonoma Valley has a one game lead over No. 10 Petaluma (12-10, 5-3) and Healdsburg (8-13, 4-3) for second place.
Analy is finished with Petaluma, but is at Healdsburg on Monday. The first time they met Analy edged Healdsburg 40-38.
NCL I BOYS
No. 2 Willits (18-2, 8-0) has a two game lead over No. 9 Cloverdale (12-7, 6-2). Cloverdale’s last chance to make it a race is Tuesday when they host Willits. The first time they met Willits won 50-31.
Willits is the defending champion. Last year was its first championship since they shared the crown in 1996. The two years before the championship run they were a combined 17-35 overall and 6-16 in league. The last two years they are 39-8 and 21-1.
NCL I GIRLS
No. 8 Cloverdale (13-7, 8-0) has a two game lead over Middletown (15-5, 6-2) and St. Helena (9-8, 6-2).
St. Helena is at Middletown on Tuesday. Cloverdale host both teams before the season is over.
Cloverdale is on the verge of winning its first NCL I title since 2008.
NCL II BOYS
Rincon Valley Christian (16-6, 9-0) has a one game lead over Roseland University Prep (15-6, 9-1). The difference in the race is a 42-40 home win by Rincon Valley Christian on January 21st.
Rincon Valley Christian is at Roseland University Prep on February 14th.
NCL II GIRLS
No. 5 St. Vincent (15-5, 10-0) has full control of the race with a two game lead over No. 10 Roseland University Prep (14-5, 8-2). Both to Roseland University Prep losses are to St. Vincent and they don’t meet again.
My email address is jacpasquini@comcast.net