Cardinal Newman girls welcome Open Division challenge in CIF basketball tournament

Thirteen basketball teams from the Redwood Empire had their seasons extended Sunday with the announcement of the CIF state tournament brackets. Headlining the field is the Cardinal Newman girls basketball team, which is competing in the Open Division a year after winning the Division IV state championship.

Cardinal Newman was placed in the Open Division by the CIF selection committee, but it’s an assignment the Cardinals welcomed.

“I’m excited about it, and I know the girls are excited,” coach Monica Mertle said after the brackets were revealed. “It had been our goal since the Open Division was created to be the first boys or girls team from Sonoma County to make it to that level.

“It means you’re one of the top eight teams in all of Northern California.”

The Newman girls will open the tournament Friday night as the No. 7 seed and will play at No. 2 seed Carondelet in Concord. All other divisions open play Wednesday night.

Montgomery basketball will be doubly represented in the tournament. The Vikings girls team drew a No. 8 seed and will begin tournament play Wednesday at home against No. 9 Roseville in Division II. The Montgomery boys will be on the road for their tournament opener as the No. 10 seed in Division II at No. 7 Serra.

Cardinal Newman’s boys team join the Cardinals girls in the tournament as the No. 15 seed in Division II. They open at No. 2 Whitney.

The Rincon Valley Christian girls, coming off their North Coast Section championship, earned the top seed among all Redwood Empire teams. the Eagles are No. 2 in the Division VI field and will open play at home against No. 7 Victory Christian.

Also in the Division VI girls bracket is No. 5 seed Mendocino, the NCS runner-up. Mendocino opens Wednesday at No. 4 Valley Christian.

Three NCL I teams made the girls tournament - No. 14 seed Kelseyville in Division IV, No. 10 seed Clear Lake and No. 13 seed Cloverdale in Division V. All three open Wednesday on the road, Kelseyville at No. 3 Foothill, Clear Lake at No. 7 Capital Christian and Cloverdale at No. 4 Argonaut.

On the boys side, Analy was awarded a No. 9 seed in Division III and will open at No. 8 Placer.

Three North Central League teams round out the field in Division VI - No. 4 Rio Lindo Adventist and No. 6 Laytonville from NCL III and No. 8 Rincon Valley Christian from NCL I. Rio Lindo will be at home against No. 5 Sacramento Waldorf, Laytonville on the road against No. 3 Sacramento Adventist and RVI at No. 1 Fall River.

Second-round games will be Saturday at host schools. The Division VI championships and the regional semifinals in the other division will be March 14. Nor Cal championship games in the other divisions will be Saturday, March 18. Open Division and Division I will be at Santa Clara University with the other division finals played at host schools.

The CIF state championship games will be played March 24 and 25 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.