What’s at stake on the final day of the winter regular season 

Saugus center Max Guardado (45) keeps possession of the ball against West Ranch small forward Sanad Alrabadi (14) during the fouth quarter of Friday's game at West Ranch High School on Jan. 24, 2025. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal
Saugus center Max Guardado (45) keeps possession of the ball against West Ranch small forward Sanad Alrabadi (14) during the fouth quarter of Friday's game at West Ranch High School on Jan. 24, 2025. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal
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The CIF Southern Section is set to release playoff brackets for basketball and soccer on Saturday. But before that, there’s plenty at stake before Wednesday’s deadline for teams to finish games to have them count toward their records. 

There are also league title implications and possible ties for the final automatic playoff spots, making Wednesday a true race to the finish. 

Here’s what’s at stake as the winter regular season draws to a close: 

Can Saugus boys’ basketball match Valencia for the league title? 

The Foothill League boys’ basketball standings have been flipped almost upside down multiple times this season, but a clear picture has revealed itself. 

Valencia claimed a share of the league title on Monday, and Saugus can claim the other half of the title by beating Castaic at home on Wednesday. Saugus has won four games in a row. 

Does Hart girls’ basketball match Valencia for the league title? 

The Hart Hawks have claimed the Foothill League each of the last two years — and it could be three in a row with a win Wednesday over Canyon. 

Should that happen, it would create a tie atop the league standings for the second time in three years. Valencia handed Hart its first league loss in two years earlier this season and has already secured its share of the title. 

Which boys’ basketball team gets the final auto bid in the Foothill League? 

After Valencia beat Golden Valley, it set up a pivotal regular-season finale between Golden Valley and West Ranch. 

Golden Valley is set to host the Wildcats on Wednesday, and if West Ranch wins, the Wildcats are officially bound for the playoffs and the Grizzlies have to hope their above-.500 record gets them an at-large bid. 

Should West Ranch lose, it creates a tie for fourth place between the Wildcats and the Grizzlies, and a coin flip would be needed to determine who officially gets fourth place and the fourth and final automatic bid. 

West Ranch would be ineligible for an at-large bid should the Wildcats not finish fourth, as their record would be under .500. 

The two teams are about as even as it gets in the final Southern Section rankings released on Monday: Golden Valley is ranked 99th, 22 spots ahead of last week, and West Ranch is ranked 101st, eight spots ahead of last week. 

For comparison, Saugus is the top-ranked team in the Santa Clarita Valley at 69th, while Canyon is 83rd and Valencia is tied with Rancho Mirage at 135th

Canyon is already locked into the playoffs due to tiebreakers, according to Hart High Principal Jason d’Autremont. 

Other things to watch for 

The Trinity Classical Academy Knights boys’ basketball team was slated to play at Desert Christian, a team with just one win all season, on Tuesday, with the Knights seeking a win to finish tied for fourth place in the Heritage League. 

Palmdale Aerospace Academy already has fourth place with a 9-7 record, but the Knights were looking to match that record with a win. A loss would mean the Knights would have to hope for an at-large bid. 

Both Hart soccer teams also have something to play for: perfect Foothill League titles. Each squad is 11-0 in league play heading into Wednesday’s games, and wins could also boost their rankings, or at least keep them stable, heading into the postseason. 

The Hart boys were No. 5 in Monday’s rankings while the Hart girls were No. 16. The Saugus girls were No. 28, and if things remain the way they are, those two teams could find themselves paired in the same playoff division depending on how many teams are placed into each division. 

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