Palisades Basketball Coach Remembers When City Section Teams Could Win At Highest Levels

When Jeff Bryant was playing precocious schoolhouse hoops astatine Sylmar, nan apical teams successful nan City Section were annually among nan champion successful California.

“The City dominated backmost successful nan day,” Bryant, now nan caput coach astatine Palisades, said Tuesday earlier Southern California Regional Division II boys’ hoops final. His Dolphins mislaid a heartbreaker, 59-57 astatine Bakersfield Christian, falling a triumph short of a travel to Sacramento for nan authorities finals.

Eleven days earlier Palisades captured nan City Open Division crown, going undefeated against conception opponents, and pinch 10 players — including each 5 starters — returning adjacent season, Bryant not only has his sights group connected a repeat, he wants to reverse a 15-year inclination during which City teams person struggled to compete astatine nan highest level.

City boys teams won nan state’s apical section 5 times successful six years from 1993-98 and 7 times successful 9 years from 2002-10. However, since nan Open Division debuted successful 2013 only 2 City teams person precocious to nan location finals successful that section — Westchester successful 2014 and Fairfax successful 2015 — and nan past clip a City squad made nan Open bracket was 5 years agone erstwhile Birmingham mislaid successful nan first round.

Bryant, who graduated successful 2006, will beryllium rooting for his erstwhile coach connected Friday erstwhile his alma mater plays for nan Division V authorities title nether nan guidance of Bort Escoto, who piloted nan Spartans to nan City Division II title connected nan aforesaid nighttime Palisades won nan Open Division. Sylmar was dropped down to Division V for regionals and ran nan table.

Birmingham was upset by Fairfax successful nan opening information of nan City Open Division playoffs Feb. 11 and dropped to Division III for nan location tournament. The Patriots person since reeled disconnected 4 convincing victories and will besides play for a authorities title Friday afternoon.

Birmingham and Sylmar are nan latest City teams to use from location playoff description successful which teams are placed respective divisions little from wherever they played successful their section. Chatsworth precocious to nan Division II authorities last past wintertime aft losing successful nan City Open Division last and reached nan Division IV authorities last aft its City Open semifinal nonaccomplishment 2 years ago. Like Sylmar this season, Verdugo Hills was nan City Division II champion successful 2024 and went connected to play for nan Division V authorities title.

On nan girls’ side, nary City squad has won an Open Division authorities playoff game. Five teams from nan conception person received berths successful nan highest section complete nan past 14 years, but nary since Fairfax successful 2018. Narbonne is nan past City squad to conquer nan state’s apical division, claiming back-to-back Division I titles successful 2000 and 2001, agelong earlier nan Open debuted.

Like nan boys, City girls’ teams fare good erstwhile dropped to little divisions.

Palisades, which fell successful nan first information successful nan City Open Division, plays for nan authorities Division IV crown Saturday while City Open Division champion Westchester was seeded 14th successful Division I for regionals and mislaid successful nan first round. Granada Hills went to nan Division III authorities finals 2 years agone aft losing successful nan first information of nan City’s Open Division.

Before taking nan helm astatine Palisades, Bryant guided West Ranch of nan Southern Section into nan Open Division location playoffs successful 2023. Now he intends to do nan aforesaid astatine a schoolhouse successful nan conception he erstwhile played in.