With the new playoff format last year, the number question we got at every practice we went to was about playoff divisions. With that in mind we’re going to track where teams stand each week in the CalPreps rankings, which are used to determine the CIF Southern Section’s playoff divisions at the end of the year.
No team will know what playoff division they’re going to be in until that last day of the year–but following the rankings gives a good ballpark. This is not an exact science since not every team in the rankings makes the playoffs, and there’s no set number of teams in Division 1–if it’s a four team bracket versus an eight team bracket (which it was in 2021) that will change how many teams are taken off the top before the 16-team brackets Division 2-14 are assembled.
We are doing these projections based on an eight-team Division 1–remember the top three Moore League teams qualify for the playoffs, while anyone else has to apply for an at-large. St. Anthony is in the Del Rey League, where they’d need to finish in the top two to get an automatic qualifier for the playoffs.
A final reminder that these are not our rankings but the rankings taken from CalPreps.com’s power rankings–these are the numbers used to assemble CIF-SS playoff Divisions at the end of the year. You can see the whole list here.
Remember, these numbers will go up and down a lot this year–wins will move them up, losses will move them down. We’ll keep you updated and break down what the weekly changes mean.
Long Beach Poly: No. 5 (- 1)
It finally happened.
All year, those who follow the rankings were waiting to see when and if Poly would fall during the Moore League schedule. Last year the Jackrabbits dropped 20 spots (more than a full division) while going 6-0 in the Moore League. This year due to their undefeated record the slide hasn’t been pronounced, but they did get passed up by Los Alamitos, who moved into No. 4. Poly leads Mission Viejo by .2 points in the CalPreps ratings, with any movement in Division 1 projected to have a huge impact on the bracket. Poly dropping from 4 to 5 means they’d lose a home game in an eight-team bracket–if they fall another spot it means they’d likely travel to Corona Centennial. We’ll see what happens this Sunday when the brackets are released. Prediction: Division 1
Millikan: No. 48 (+3)
The Rams jump up three spots during their bye week, and are now No. 8 in Division 4. They’ll likely be punished for playing lower-rated Cabrillo this week in their finale but we don’t think they’ll drop much further. Prediction: Division 4
Lakewood: No. 128 (+5)
The Lancers picked up an impressive win in a shutout against Wilson, and are now up to the top half of the Division, at No. 8 in D9. If they beat Compton expect them to creep up a little higher. Prediction: Division 9
Jordan: No. 141 (+1)
Jordan moved up one spot with a win over Cabrillo, and will be eligible for an at-large bid, in a bracket they could have a lot of success in if they get there. Jordan is now No. 5 in Division 10, and we don’t expect them to do anything but climb higher with a game against Poly. We also don’t think they’ll move enough to jump them a division. Prediction: Division 10
Compton: No. 186 (+7)
Compton jumped seven spots in a running-loss to Poly thanks in large part to Poly’s high ranking. Compton is now No. 2 in Division 13–if they beat Lakewood to get the Moore League’s third playoff spot, we expect them to move up another couple of spots and climb into the next bracket. If they do, watch out for Compton in D12. Prediction: Division 12
St. Anthony: No. 205 (-1)
St. Anthony can apply for an at-large and could get into the bottom-division playoffs even with a 3-7 or 4-6 record. Prediction: Division 14
Wilson: No. 223 (-10)
The Bruins have applied for an at-large and could get into the bottom-division playoffs even with a 3-7 or 4-6 record Prediction: Division 14
Cabrillo: No. 308 (-2)
The Jaguars are in Division 14 but will not make the playoffs with a winless record.
