For the first time since the 2011-12 season, the Watsonville Wildcatz boy’s basketball team will play in the Central Coast Section playoffs.
Watsonville (12-12) squeaked into the CCS Division II bracket as an unseeded team during Sunday afternoon’s selection show and will play at No. 9 Leland today at 7:30 p.m.
The Wildcatz were one of six local boy’s basketball squads that will play postseason hoops.
Pajaro Valley, which finished second in the Monterey Bay League Pacific division, also snuck into the playoffs as an unseeded squad in D-III. The Grizzlies (16-8), who are making their first postseason appearance since the 2012-13 season, will travel to No. 12 Soledad today for a 7 p.m. game.
The Aptos boys, which finished second in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League, were also placed into the D-III bracket and received the No. 4 seed. The Mariners (17-7) won’t have to hit the court until Saturday’s quarterfinal round at St. Ignatius.
North Monterey County joins Pajaro Valley and Aptos in the D-III bracket as the No. 9 seed. The Condors (13-11) travel to No. 8 Gunderson on Thursday at 7 p.m.
St. Francis and Monte Vista Christian will also be off until Saturday after earning a high seed in their respective divisions.
The undefeated outright SCCAL champion Sharks (23-2) were given the No. 1 seed in D-V and will play the winner of No. 8 Nueva and No. 9 Oakwood in the quarterfinal round, which will take place at St. Francis.
The No. 4-seeded Mustangs (13-9) will play No. 5 seed Santa Cruz at Hartnell College in the quarterfinals of the D-IV bracket.
CCS SCHEDULE
Tuesday
• D-II: Watsonville at No. 9 Leland, 7:30 p.m.
• D-III: Pajaro Valley at No. 12 Soledad, 7 p.m.
Thursday
• D-III: No. 9 North Monterey County at No. 8 Gunderson, 7 p.m.
Saturday
• D-III: No. 4 Aptos vs TBD (at St. Ignatius), TBD
• D-IV: No. 4 Monte Vista Christian vs TBD (at Hartnell College), TBD
• D-V: No. 1 St. Francis vs TBD (at St. Francis), TBD
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GIRL’S PLAYOFFS
Monte Vista Christian, Aptos and St. Francis all received first-round byes in their respective divisions of the CCS playoffs.
The Mustangs (17-7), the No. 8 seed in D-IV, and Aptos (22-4), the No. 5 seed in D-III, will both be off until Thursday.
Monte Vista Christian, the second-place finisher in the MBL’s Gabilan division, will host the winner of No. 9 Santa Cruz and unseeded Harker at 7 p.m.
Aptos, the second-place finisher of the SCCAL, hosts the winner of No. 12 Del Mar and the unseeded North Monterey County Condors, who will make their third straight playoff appearance, at 7 p.m.
North Monterey County (12-12) took second place in the MBL-P behind league champ Seaside and seemingly knocked Watsonville out of the CCS playoffs with last week’s 49-48 win over the Wildcatz, who finished the season with a 16-8 overall record but were denied their first postseason action since the 2012-13 season.
The Condors play at Del Mar at 7 p.m. today.
St. Francis, meanwhile, received the No. 2 seed in D-V and won’t play until Saturday’s quarterfinal round at Alma Heights Christian. The Sharks (13-9) will play the winner of No. 10 Anzar and No. 7 Jewish Community. eed Santa Cruz at Hartnell College in the quarterfinals of the D-IV bracket.
CCS SCHEDULE
Tuesday
• D-III: North Monterey County at No. 12 Del Mar, 7 p.m.
Thursday
• D-III: No. 5 Aptos vs TBD, 7 p.m.
• D-IV: No. 8 Monte Vista Christian vs TBD, 7 p.m.
Saturday
• D-V: No. 2 St. Francis vs TBD (at Alma Heights Christian), TBD
