PHS football receives No. 2 seed in Central Section playoffs
As long as it keeps winning the Porterville High football team will continue to spend time at home during the Central Section Division III playoffs.
PHS has been seeded No. 2 in the Division III playoffs in the seedings that were announced on Saturday. The Panthers will host No. 15 Independence at 7 p.m. Friday at Rankin Stadium.
Meanwhile the Strathmore High and Lindsay High football teams will be on the road for the first round of the playoffs.
If PHS keeps winning it would receive its first three playoff games at home. The Panthers would also host the quarterfinals which will be played on Thursday, November 10 due to Veterans Day being on Friday, November 11.
PHS could then host a semifinal game on Friday, November 18. If No. 1 seed Mission Prep and PHS win out, the Panthers would travel to San Luis Obispo for the championship game on Friday, November 25. If PHS wins out and Mission Prep falls along the way, the Panthers would also host the championship game.
PHS finished the regular season at 9-1 while Independence finished at 3-6. Independence appears to be a tough No. 15 seed for the Panthers.
Two of Independence’s losses came in close games, 28-25 to Bakersfield and 20-14 in the season finale against Stockdale. Independence also has a 25-20 win over Ridgeview.
PHS and Independence have two common opponents. Independence beat South 44-34 while the Panthers beat South 49-0. Independence also lost to Highland 44-29 while Porterville beat Highland 30-28.
With a win over Independence PHS would host either No. 7 Mission Oak or No. 10 San Luis Obispo in the quarterfinals on Thursday, November 10. If it advances to the semifinals the Panthers are looking at a possible matchup at home against No. 3 Tehachapi on Friday, November 18.
Strathmore, which finished the regular season 8-2, is seeded No. 9 and will travel to No. 8 Shafter for a 7 p.m. game Friday. With a win, SHS would advance to face No. 1 Liberty, which has a first round bye, in Madera on Thursday, November 10.
Shafter finished the season at 6-4. The two teams have one common opponent as Shafter beat Orosi 25-6 and the Spartans defeated Orosi 35-20.
Lindsay is seeded No. 13 in Division VI and will travel to No. 4 Arvin for a 7 p.m. game Friday. WATER POLO
The Strathmore and Monache girls water polo teams and the Strathmore boys water polo team were awarded home first round games in the Valley playoffs.
The girls will open the playoffs today with Monache, seeded No. 6, hosting No. 11 Liberty Bakersfield at 5 p.m. in Division III. Strathmore, seeded No. 7 in Division II, will host No. 10 San Luis Obispo at 6 p.m. today.
PHS is seeded No. 14 in Division III and will travel to No. 3 Madera South for a 6 p.m. game today. If it wins Monache will play the winner between Madera South and PHS on Thursday. If Madera South wins, Monache would go to Madera but if PHS pulls off the upset the Marauders would host the Panthers in the quarterfinals.
With a win Strathmore would advance to the quarterfinals in which it would likely play at No. 2 Morro Bay on Thursday.
Strathmore’s boys are seeded No. 8 in Division II and will host No. 9 Redwood at 6 p.m. Wednesday. With a win the Spartans would advance to the quarterfinals where they would likely play at No. 1 El Diamante at 11 a.m. this Saturday.
Monache is seeded No. 12 and will play No. 4 Clovis West at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Clovis North. Porterville is seeded No. 14 and will travel to No. 3 Garces for a 6 p.m. game on Wednesday.