Realignments for CIF San Diego Section winter sports season revealed
Imperial boys hoops, Palo Verde girls highlight local teams making jump to higher divisions
IMPERIAL, Calif., (KYMA, KECY) - We're just over a month removed from the close to the winter sports season - and in the Imperial Valley, things are already in motion for the 2023-24 season with CIF San Diego Section realignments.
Several local teams either made the leap up a division or dropped down one.
Here's what the landscape of the CIF SDS Divisions will look like next winter:
BOYS SOCCER:
DIVISION I
Calexico - No change. Won IVL with 16 wins. Got through first round of DI playoffs with win in PK's before losing in second round to top seed.
DIVISION III
Southwest - No change. Went 10-13-4, missing D-III playoffs.
Brawley - Leaps up from a tier from Division IV after 18 win season and reaching D-IV semifinals- before losing in overtime to Morse.
DIVISION IV
Central - Moves down from D-III after missing playoffs with seven wins. Enters next season as preseason No. 1.
Imperial - No change. Lost in first round as an 11 seed after 11-win season.
Palo Verde - Makes the jump up one Division after only losing one game, coming up just short in the CIF D-V title game.
DIVISION V
Holtville - Falls from Division IV after not winning a league game all year. Enters next season as D-V preseason favorite at No. 1.
Calipatria - No change. Failed to make playoffs.
Vincent Memorial - No change. Enters preseason as No. 4 in D-V after 10-win season and losing in first round of playoffs.
GIRLS SOCCER:
DIVISION III
Central - Moves down from Division II. Went 8-0 in league play to win the IVL, finished season with DIvision II play-in loss to San Pasqual
Imperial - Remains in DIII after 13-8-3 season. Lost in first round of DIII playoffs.
DIVISION IV
Brawley - No change. Missed D-IV playoffs.
Calexico - No change. Lost in second round of D-IV playoff bracket.
DIVISION V
Southwest - Stays in Division V despite run to D-V title game, losing to Madison as runner-ups. Ranked No. 3 in preseason rankings.
Holtville - Bumps down from Division IV after 5-14 season, missing playoffs. Ranked No. 5 in preseason poll.
Palo Verde - No change. Went 6-2 in Desert League, lost in first round of playoffs.
Vincent Memorial - No change. Failed to make D-V playoffs.
BOYS BASKETBALL:
DIVISION II
Calexico - Falls from Division I after 15-win season and losing in first round of D-I postseason bracket.
DIVISION III
Imperial - Tigers jump up to D-III after taking home the CIF crown in Division IV, on top of a 20-win season. The young champions will return at least four starters next season.
Central - No change. Spartans will remain in D-III after winning the IVL in an 18-win season, ending with a loss to West Hills in the first round. They enter the 2023-24 season ranked No. 3.
Vincent Memorial - The Scots also make the leap up to D-III despite disappointing end to a 22-win season where they lost in the second round as the top seed in D-IV.
DIVISION IV
Brawley - No change. Remains in Division IV after winning only seven games in the regular season but pulling off a huge upset over No. 2 Clairemont in round one.
Palo Verde - No change. Yellow Jackets won nine games, ending in first round loss of playoffs.
DIVISION V
Calipatria - No change. The Hornets won 12 games, one of them being a first round win. Enter the next season as preseason No. 8.
Holtville - Vikings fall down one tier from D-IV after failing to win any league games and missing playoffs. Enters 2023-24 as No. 4 in D-V.
Southwest - Eagles also fall from D-IV, winning only two games and none in IVL play. Ranked No. 10 in preseason poll.
GIRLS BASKETBALL:
DIVISION I
Imperial - No change. The Lady Tigers can't go up much higher than the Open Division after winning 26 games and pushing themselves into the best of the best in D-I, falling in the CIF title game to Mater Dei Catholic.
DIVISION II
Holtville - The Lady Vikings fall down one tier after losing in first round of D-I bracket. They are pegged as the top seed in the preseason rankings in D-II though.
DIVISION III
Palo Verde - The Division IV champions move up another tier after being down in D-V just two seasons ago. The Yellow Jackets enter the preseason rankings at No. 8.
Central - The Lady Spartans tag right along with the team they lost to in the CIF title game. They'll also be right there with Palo Verde, ranked one spot ahead of them at No. 7 in preseason rankings.
Vincent Memorial - The Lady Scots also move up with the Spartans and Jackets after a 13-win season.
Calexico - No change. The Lady Bulldogs won 16 games and ended the season losing in the second round.
Brawley - No change. The Lady Wildcats could not manage to win an IVL game but still snuck into the playoffs, losing in the first round.
DIVISION IV
Calipatria - No change. The Lady Hornets got by Sante Fe Christian in the first round after a 14-win regular season and get the tough reward as being the preseason No. 1 for next season.
DIVISION V
Southwest - No chance. The Lady Eagles remain in D-V after just a five-win season and none in league play.
