- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
SoCal Regional Offers Second Chance for Orange County Boys Basketball Teams
Several OC teams continue season in CIF Southern California Regional tournament
Published on Mar. 2, 2026
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
The CIF Southern California Regional boys basketball tournament begins this week, with eight Orange County teams playing in the first round. The tournament provides a second chance for teams that did not win CIF Southern Section championships, including those that lost in the semifinals. Notable matchups include San Juan Hills hosting Pacific Ridge, Mater Dei traveling to La Mirada, and JSerra visiting Francis Parker.
Why it matters
The SoCal Regional tournament gives Orange County teams another opportunity to compete for a state championship after falling short in their respective CIF-SS divisions. It also showcases the depth of talent in the region, with several highly competitive matchups taking place.
The details
First-round games are scheduled for Tuesday in Divisions 1 through 5, which are 16-team brackets. The Open Division, a six-team group, plays its first-round games on Wednesday. Notable Orange County teams in action include San Juan Hills, Mater Dei, Trabuco Hills, JSerra, and Santa Margarita. The SoCal Regional Open Division also features CIF-SS champion Sierra Canyon and other top programs from Southern California.
- The CIF Southern California Regional boys basketball tournament begins on Tuesday, March 2, 2026.
- First-round games in Divisions 1 through 5 take place on Tuesday.
- The SoCal Regional Open Division first-round games are scheduled for Wednesday, March 3, 2026.
- The Regional championship games are set for March 10, 2026.
- The CIF State Championships will be held on March 13 and 14, 2026 in Sacramento.
The players
San Juan Hills
A boys basketball team from Orange County that lost in the CIF-SS Division 5 semifinals but has a first-round home game in the SoCal Regional Division 4 tournament.
Mater Dei
A boys basketball team from Orange County that lost in the CIF-SS Division 2 semifinals and will play at La Mirada in the SoCal Regional Division 1 tournament.
Trabuco Hills
A boys basketball team from Orange County that lost in the CIF-SS final and will host El Camino Real in a SoCal Regional Division 3 game.
JSerra
A boys basketball team from Orange County that lost in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game and will travel to play Francis Parker in the SoCal Regional tournament.
Santa Margarita
A boys basketball team from Orange County that will play at Redondo Union in the SoCal Regional Open Division first round.
What they’re saying
“It's a second-chance tournament for teams that did not win CIF Southern Section championships, including teams that lost in the CIF-SS semifinals.”
— Steve Fryer, Author (ocregister.com)
What’s next
The winners of the first-round SoCal Regional games on Tuesday and Wednesday will advance to the second round on Thursday, March 6, 2026.
The takeaway
The SoCal Regional tournament provides an important opportunity for Orange County boys basketball teams to continue their seasons and compete for a state championship after falling short in the CIF-SS playoffs. It showcases the depth of talent in the region and sets the stage for some highly anticipated matchups.
