What’s in a league championship?
Especially in this era of power ratings and strengths of schedules and what they mean in playoff pairings and postseason division assignments, which will be announced today?
A league title represents essentially just bragging rights, but ask the players and coaches who achieved it and what they think when banners are hoisted in gymnasium rafters.
All will agree the accomplishment still carries weight and memories that will last.
Twenty-three league champions and four co-champions were officially crowned last night and began preparing for the second season and playoffs that start Tuesday.
LAST WEEK DECIDERS
Three races went down to the final night.
Foothills Christian, beaten at home, 68-54, two weeks before by Francis Parker, turned the tables, 80-67, in the rematch at Parker to tie the Lancers for the Coastal championship.
High Tech San Diego earned a tie for the Central championship with a 52-48 victory over co-champion Morse.
Scripps Ranch and San Diego shared the Eastern League flag after the Falcons knocked off Lincoln, 60-51, while San Diego was playing a nonleague, 70-69 win over Serra.
Calvin Christian and Classical split two league meetings and shared the Ocean circuit gonfalon.
FAMILIAR PLACE
Ray Johnson left the El Camino program after the 2013-14 season and took his San Diego Section-leading 739 career victories at the Oceanside school to college basketball.
Some things don’t change.
Johnson returned to El Camino this season and coached the Warriors to their first league championship in five seasons.
The Warriors’ Avocado East title was alphabetically first from the 23 leagues in the San Diego Section, which has 133 schools participating, compared to 18 leagues and 98 schools in football.
| League | Team | W-L | Overall |
| Avocado East | El Camino | 10-0 | 22-5 |
| Avocado West | Torrey Pines | 10-0 | 24-4 |
| Central | Morse | 8-2 | 14-14 |
| High Tech San Diego | 8-2 | 16-10 | |
| Citrus | Victory Christian | 10-0 | 13-15 |
| City | Coronado | 8-0 | 18-9 |
| Coastal | Francis Parker | 11-1 | 21-3 |
| Foothills Christian | 11-1 | 20-8 | |
| Desert | Calipatria | 5-1 | 17-10 |
| Eastern | Scripps Ranch | 5-3 | 13-10 |
| San Diego | 5-3 | 17-10 | |
| Grossmont Hills | Helix | 8-0 | 22-6 |
| Grossmont Valley | Granite Hills | 8-0 | 15-9 |
| Imperial Valley | Calexico | 5-1 | 23-3 |
| Manzanita | Calexico Vincent Memorial | 10-0 | 13-8 |
| Metropolitan Mesa | Mater Dei | 9-1 | 22-5 |
| Ocean | Classical | 7-1 | 17-8 |
| Calvin Christian | 7-1 | 14-7 | |
| Pacific | Tri-City | 7-1 | 17-11 |
| Palomar | Poway | 8-0 | 24-4 |
| Patriot | High Tech Chula Vista | 5-1 | 11-9 |
| Pioneer | National University Academy | 7-1 | 7-2 |
| Sierra | Horizon Prep | 10-0 | 20-2 |
| Metropolitan South Bay | San Ysidro | 12-0 | 20-8 |
| Summit | Mabel O’Farrell | 8-0 | 23-4 |
| Valley | Escondido | 10-0 | 20-8 |
| Western | Cathedral | 7-1 | 21-7 |
Back in my day winning a league championship meant everything. It meant you played alongside guys that you grew up with, from your neighborhood. Nobody transferred in or transferred out just to try and play for a better team. We went with who we had and that made the league championships even sweeter. It meant our neighborhood beat your neighborhood. We won bragging rights in, what I believe, is a more meaningful way and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Great stuff, Mark. Stick aroul;nd. I’m posting the pair8ings andc seeds for the playoffs.