The dream season lives.
Unseeded Pajaro Valley stunned No. 12 Hillsdale, 56-39, in the first round of the Central Coast Section Division III playoffs on Friday night in San Mateo.
“Everyone’s on a high right now,” said Pajaro Valley second-year head coach Lupe Quintero. “It was a great win.”
The Grizzlies (21-4) felt disrespected when they were forced to hit the road in the first round despite finishing the regular season with 20 wins — a program record — and winning the Pacific Coast Athletic League Santa Lucia division — the team’s first-ever league title — with a perfect 10-0 record.
They channeled that frustration into Friday’s game.
“We’re always underestimated,” said Pajaro Valley senior guard Jayleen Solorzano. “That’s OK. I like being the underdog. It gives me more motivation.”
Solorzano, the leading scorer in California, continued her impressive campaign by dropping 26 points in the victory, the program’s first playoff win since the 2015-16 season.
The Grizzlies, who were one of only three unseeded teams in the girls’ CCS playoffs to win on Friday, will see an even bigger challenge in the next round.
They play at No. 5 Saratoga tonight at 5:30 p.m.
The Falcons (13-11) placed fifth in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League’s De Anza division, and are ranked five spots ahead of Pajaro Valley in MaxPreps.com‘s CCS rankings.
In other girls’ CCS playoff action:
KIPP 42, Ceiba 37 – Ceiba College Prep was bounced in the first round of the CCS Division V playoffs on Friday night, but coach Randy Braga was ready to throw a championship parade.
Only in their second year of varsity competition, the unseeded Spartans (8-5) were mere minutes away from stunning No. 12 KIPP (11-9) and advancing to the second round.
Fenesia Braga, Randy’s daughter, hit a game-tying 3-pointer with two minutes left, but KIPP made just enough plays in crunch time to hold on.
“I’m unbelievably satisfied with the way the girls played tonight,” Braga said. “I’m in a bit of disbelief with the entire season. I wouldn’t have believed you if you told me we’d be here at the beginning of the season…I feel like I won a CCS championship.”
Fenesia Braga and Kianna Lomeli each scored a team-high 11 points, and Ariana Gonzalez chipped in nine points.
Ceiba, which finished runner-up in the PCAL-Arroyo, will graduate seven seniors: Alexia Carrisales, Tanya Garcia, Summer Hashimoto, Nicole Lorente, Micaela Macias, Braga and Gonzalez.
Capuchino 55, N.M.C. 42 – The unseeded Condors dropped their D-III first round matchup.
N.M.C. finished its season 12-10 overall.
