The Vista Murrieta Broncos, pictured here in a heated rivalry matchup earlier this season against the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks, will represent the area in the CIF-SS postseason. Valley News/Andrez ImagingThe CIF-Southern Section playoffs are here, bringing high-energy matchups in basketball and soccer for local high school teams. From basketball’s pool-play format to the single-elimination excitement in soccer, the next couple of weeks promise drama and skill on display across divisions.Local girls’ basketball teams have much to look forward to despite no representation in the Open Division. Ontario Christian and Etiwanda, both top-seeded teams, enjoy home-court advantage for their Open Division pool-play games.Division 1 will see Rancho Christian, seeded No. 5 based on their final season rank, host Mira Costa on Thursday night. Meanwhile, Temecula Valley and Temecula Prep, seeded No. 2 in Division 3A and No. 4 in Division 4AA respectively, are set to host home games against Sierra Vista and Lancaster Desert Christian. San Jacinto Leadership Academy’s No. 2 seed in Division 4A also brings a home game against San Luis Obispo Classical.Great Oak, pictured here putting the pressure on Vista Murrieta, will represent the area in the CIF-SS girls’ basketball postseason. Valley News/Files Owens PhotographyOther notable matchups include Great Oak hosting Grand Terrace in Division 3AA and Hemet facing Ramona in Division 3A.Schedule dates and times for all sports are subject to change and can be found online at www.cifss.org.Division 1Mira Costa at Rancho ChristianDivision 2AASan Jacinto at HartDivision 2ANo local teamsDivision 3AAChaparral at Murrieta ValleyGrand Terrace at Great OakDivision 3Ramona at HemetCalifornia School for the Deaf-Riverside at Temescal CanyonSierra Vista at Temecula ValleyDivision 4AALinfield Christian at Heritage ChristianLancaster Desert Christian at Temecula PrepElsinore at Santa PaulaDivision 4ASan Jacinto Valley Academy at Laguna HillsSan Luis Obispo Classical at San Jacinto Leadership AcademyDivision 5AACapistrano Valley Christian at Hamilton (Anza)Perris at Los AmigosDivision 5ANo local teamsBOYS’ BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS The boys Open Division basketball playoffs expanded to include 10 teams this year but, once again, no local teams cracked the bracket. Divisions 1-5A offer a robust schedule of first-round games on Wednesday, with Vista Murrieta traveling to Los Alamitos in Division 1 action, and local rivals Rancho Christian and Centennial squaring off in Division 2AA.Lawrence Sanford (3) and the Vista Murrieta boys’ basketball team will travel to Los Alamitos, representing the local area in the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs. Valley News/Andrez ImagingLinfield Christian enters as the No. 1 seed in Division 3AA, hosting Sunny Hills. Elsinore, another No. 1 seed, kicks off their postseason in Division 4AA against Newbury Park Adventist. Santa Rosa Academy, seeded third in Division 4A, gears up to host Valley Torah.Temecula Prep hosts Loma Linda Academy, and Paloma Valley will welcome Santa Clarita Christian as intriguing Division 4 matchups to watch.Division 1Vista Murrieta at Los AlamitosDivision 2AARancho Christian at CentennialTemecula Valley at Riverside PolyCanoga Park AGBU at Great OakDivision 2AArtesia at Orange VistaDivision 3AASunny Hills at Linfield ChristianLiberty at TustinDivision 3ABurbank at HemetTemescal Canyon at Quartz HillsDivision 4AANewbury Park Adventist at ElsinoreLoma Linda Academy at Temecula PrepCal Lutheran at WhittierDivision 4ASanta Clarita Christian at Paloma ValleySan Jacinto at CaliforniaValley Torah at Santa Rosa AcademySan Jacinto Leadership Academy at Hacienda Heights WilsonGranite Hills at PerrisMesrobian at Citrus HillDivision 5AACalifornia Military Institute at Santa Maria Valley ChristianDivision 5ACornerstone Christian at Summit LeadershipSan Luis Obispo Classical at River Springs-HemetGIRLS’ SOCCER PLAYOFFSOn the girls’ soccer fields, this year’s Open Division, featuring aggregate scoring across two fixtures, will not include any local teams. Instead, attention shifts to single-elimination matchups across Divisions 1-8.Locals Great Oak and Murrieta Valley feature prominently in Division 1. Great Oak faces championship-defending Roosevelt, while Murrieta Valley takes on Orange Lutheran. Other key matchups include Vista Murrieta clashing with Warren in Division 2 and Linfield Christian battling Sage Hills in Division 4.The Great Oak Girls Soccer team celebrates their first Southwestern League title in 8 years and will take on championship-defending Roosevelt in first round playoff action. Valley News/Courtesy photoLower divisions bring their own intrigue as Rancho Christian hosts Desert Hot Springs in Division 7, and San Jacinto Valley Academy squares off against Pomona in Division 8.Division 1Roosevelt at Great OakMurrieta Valley at Orange LutheranDivision 2Vista Murrieta at WarrenDivision 3San Jacinto at Crean LutheranDivision 4Temescal Canyon at Coachella ValleyLinfield Christian at Sage HillsBishop Montgomery at Paloma ValleyDivision 5Tahquitz at Cerritos Valley ChristianCitrus Hills at GahrDivision 7Desert Hot Springs at Rancho ChristianMarshall at Nuview BridgeJurupa Hills at Santa Rosa AcademyCAMS at San Jacinto Leadership AcademyDivision 8Bishop Conaty-Loretto at Cornerstone ChristianPomona at San Jacinto Valley AcademyCompton Early College at Temecula PrepBOYS’ SOCCER PLAYOFFSAs for the boys’ soccer playoffs, once again excluded from the Open Division, local teams flood the action in Divisions 1-8. Vista Murrieta stands out in Division 1, hosting Bonita in a critical opening-round clash on Thursday. Paramount hosts Elsinore in Division 3 action, while San Jacinto travels to Katella.Expect a strong showing from Linfield Christian hosting Pioneer in Division 6 and Santa Rosa Academy taking on Pilgrim in Division 8. Temecula Prep faces Flintridge Prep in Division 7, adding even more depth to the week’s matchups.Division 1Bonita at Vista MurrietaDivision 2Harvard-Westlake at Great OakDivision 3Elsinore at ParamountPerris at SaugusSan Jacinto at KatellaDivision 4West Valley at LakesideGarden Grove Pacifica at Temecula ValleyDivision 5Orange Vista at GareyDivision 6Linfield Christian at PioneerLiberty at Canoga Park AGBUCalifornia Military Institute at University PrepDivision 7San Jacinto Valley Academy at Rim of the WorldTemecula Prep at Flintridge PrepVillage Christian at Nuview BridgeDivision 8Cornerstone Christian at OakwoodPilgrim at Santa Rosa AcademyWith games scheduled through the week, the CIF-SS playoffs offer plenty for local sports fans, parents, and students to cheer for. Teams have high hopes of deep postseason runs, making these opening rounds crucial for setting the tone.Get out and support your local athletes!Send local sports tips and info to sports@reedermedia.com. JP RaineriJP is an award-winning multimedia journalist, and head of the Sports Department for the Valley News. Over his time in the Temecula Valley, JP, a former Southwestern League head baseball coach, was also an on-air radio personality at Q103.3, KATY 101.3, Hot 103.9, and was a television host for the Outdoor Channel. When not covering local, or national sports, JP also serves as an Associate Baseball Scout with NSR.